She’s frail, that light in her eyes I loved so much completely dimmed; even from this distance I can notice it. She was the biggest personality in any room she walked in, and now she looks like a shell of herself.
Whatever she’s been through has wrecked her entirely.
Now I’m not sure if death would have been kinder.
An apocalyptic wrath skyrockets through my veins, setting every fibre inside of me on fire. Just as I go to rise, the curtain whips open, and a woman enters with a tablet in her hand.
“Congratulations, sir. We’ll arrange for your purchase to be available for collection once the auction concludes. This is a complimentary gift from our sponsor for each of our buyers.”
I can’t even look at what she hands him, ready to take the pen she has in her hand and shove it through her fucking eye.
“Thank you, gentlemen.” An audible growl rumbles from me at the judge addressing the men in the audience. “We thought we’d add in a little something extra tonight.”
Saint fists the bottle in his hand, glancing at me before his narrowed eyes focus back on the stage.
My hand reaches out to pry the glass neck from his hand before he cuts himself, his white-knuckled grip threatening to crack it.
Judge Montgomery claps his hands behind his back, his black and peppered hair glistening against the lights as he strolls to the further end of the stage.
“We have a couple of bounties up for grabs. Dead or alive. As long as they’re brought to us. However, we’d prefer them to be alive so they can reap the consequences of what they’re trying to do.”
The cold glass of the bottle sizzles against my heated palm as I stare at the judge.
He turns to look over his shoulder, a screen I hadn’t noticed before lighting up, and a lead weight drops through my stomach lining.
“This man right here. Saint Blackwood.”
Saint coils up like a snake beside me, leaning forward in his seat, and reaching underneath the table, sliding a gun strapped underneath, and tucks it behind his waistband.
“His organisation is a threat to the very community we have, that we’ve built. Some of you may have previously worked with him in the past, provided security through his firm.”
What the fuck is happening right now?
I feel like the earth has collapsed beneath my feet, both of us landing straight in the hellfires of the underworld as the last thirty minutes have flipped everything upside down.
“We believe he’s working with whoever is behind this.”
Sweet fucking God.
“A company namedRevenge. We believe they’re linked to another legitimate company.”
His pitiful chuckle demands every nerve along my body to spark at the ends.
“I’m not sure what game they’re playing, but make no mistake. They’re dangerous. The reason we lost a very valuable member and all the work he and his family have done for us throughout our history. Five million dollars will be paid for each individual you bring to us. Two million for any positive leads on where they may be.”
My stomach rolls as the back of my hand flies to my mouth.
Saint shakes his head at me slowly, fists pressed tightly to his mouth. Like he’s trying to contain his own outburst.
Fuck.
I need to contact Regina.
We need to get the girls from Egnever to safety.
We need to initiate our failsafe that we stupidly thought we’d never have to pull, get them the hell out of this fucking state.
We need to get out of here withJenna.
