Chapter 20
Hunter
I’m up to stretch my legs, sore from sitting in the computer chair for so long.
I meant to go see Maxim as soon as I found out where he was, but decided to wait until I could gather Synn, Frost, and Purge to go with me.
Checking the time, I frown when I realize it’s already noon.
I haven’t heard from Pretty Girl or Cynthia. Maybe they’re sleeping in? Time to go and see.
I knock on Pretty Girl’s door, hearing voices behind the door. One of them is male.
What the hell?
She swings open the door. “Oh, Hunter. Everything okay?” Pretty Girl blinks up at me, the picture of innocence.
I look past her and see Synn lounging naked in her bed. Steam threatens to pour from my ears.
“What is he doing here? Where's my sister?” I demand.
“Um... he spent the morning with me. Which is not your business, Hunter.” Pretty Girl does her best to give me a glare, but it falls short of its mark.
I clench my teeth. “Cynthia?”
“After the movie last night, she took off to talk to Thor. She never came back,” Pretty Girl squeaks out the last of that sentence.
“Oh, hell no. I'm going to kill that little bastard.” I am seething with rage.
But Pretty Girl stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “Please hear them out. Your sister deserves some happiness after all she’s been through.”
“Fine—but he better not have laid a hand on her,” I swear, already turning to head to Thor’s room.
I walk fast, impatient.
“Thor!” I bang on his door loudly. “Get your ass out here!”
I hear a grumbled “Oh, shit” and a female voice murmuring.
The door opens, and a grinning Thor is looking rumpled, like he just woke up... or was just having sex.
“Hey, man. Sorry, time got away from me.”
I reach in and grab him by the nape of his neck. “Is Cynthia in there?”
Thor stutters, unable to push out words.
I push past him, laying eyes on my sister sitting up in his bed. She’s fully clothed, thank fuck.
“Cynthia, get out here now,” I order.
“Hunter, my brother. The bestest brother ever,” Cynthia chirps.
Wonderful—she isn’t lucid.
“I slept on the sofa, man. I didn’t take advantage of her, I swear.” Thor stumbles over his words.
“You better not have. Cynthia is not well; you know that.” I glare lasers into him.
“I know, man. She's amazing though, truly. I care about her.” Thor crosses his arms, seeming to feel strongly about that.
I suck in a deep breath, counting to ten in my head to avoid hitting him.
Cynthia scoots out the door, beaming at me.
Sighing, I say to her, “Come on. Let's get you changed and get you some food.”
I will have to speak to Jax about this. I don’t want it to spiral out of control.
After feeding my sister and dropping her off in our room with strict instructions to stay put, I go on the search for Jax.
He ends up finding me as I make my way to his office.
“Oh, good. I was looking for you,” Jax says.
“Yeah, same. I need to talk to you about Thor and Cynthia.”
Jax scratches his neck in agitation and grimaces. “I’ll deal with that little bomb later. Have you had time to question the captive, Maxim?”
“Not yet. I was waiting for the guys coming with me to be free.”
“Now is a good time, then.” Jax decides.
Thank fuck. I need to take a pound out of Maxim’s ass.
“I’ll go get them now.”
“Good man.” Jax explains.
Luckily, I run into Synn and Frost on the way to their rooms.
“We’re on orders to go question Maxim. And we need Purge for this.” I tell them.
Frost rubs his hands together in glee. “Bloodshed sounds good.”
I shake my head. “Rein it in, Frost.”
I can’t even look at Synn. It seems that asshole finally got a piece of Pretty Girl. I suppose it was inevitable, though that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
The three of us go and get Purge from the computer room. I explain what we’re doing, and he grins.
“About time,” Purge says.
Purge
I follow Harris, Synn, and Frost to the lowest level of the compound. We're in the bowels of the place, it looks like.
We march toward a closed metal door at the end of the hall. We stop in front of it. There's a keypad next to the door. Harris flips it open and enters numbers into it. It opens wide, and we file inside.
Maxim is chained to the wall, buck naked. He groans, which makes me laugh.
“Uncomfortable, asshole?” I can’t help taunting him.
He doesn’t respond.
I take a second to glance around the room. There's a large drain in the middle. Plastic lays over the entirety of the floor and the walls. There's a table off to the side with all kinds of fun torture tools on it and a stool.
Synn walks over to me. “Need to Rage Out, brother?” he whispers.
“Fuck yes I do.” I let the rage wash over me, picking up a large pair of razor-sharp hedge trimmers.
“Hang on.” Frost holds up a hand. “We have to question him.”
Harris takes the lead, dragging the stool over to perch directly in front of Maxim. “You need to answer our questions, or this will get very bad for you, very fast,” Harris tells him.
I start the questioning, walking right up to the sick fuck. “So, Maxim... you are Demon mask? Who are the other three masks?”
He just smirks at me. Smirks.
Seething, I grab his head. “I will not ask twice, got it?”
Maxim tries to shrug, though he’s chained up. “I don’t care either way if you know who they are. Former students. All three of them, from years back.”
I startle. “Names? Location?”
“Lionel, Arie, and Gabriel. Good luck finding the training camp...”
“The what?” Frost comes up next to me. “The fuck is that?”
“Where do you think some of the students go after we’re through with them?” Maxim snipes.
This smug bastard...
“Where the fuck is it?” I grit out.
“Oh, now that; that is a secret.” Maxim shuts his mouth tight, pressing his lips together.
I just smile, feeling more unhinged by the second. I hold up the trimmers, moving to grab his hand and poising the blades over his thumb. I raise a brow, but he just shakes his head.
A loud snipping sound echoes in the room, and his severed thumb falls to the floor. He doesn’t even blink, the fucker.
Synn shoves me aside, brandishing a wicked dagger. He goes for an ear. “I will cut the whole fucking thing off if you don’t start talking,” he threatens.
Maxim pales a bit. Clearly not down with losing another limb. "Look— I don’t have the damn coordinates. It's way outside of The Retreat.”
Harris sets his jaw, still on the stool. “What is the purpose of The Retreat?”
“What does my father have to do with it?” I tack on.
“It sure isn’t a reform school,” Maxim laughs. “It’s a testing ground. To locate students who can be molded into soldiers. Your father owns it.” Maxim clams up tight after that.
“Not enough info,” Synn growls, chopping through Maxim’s ear, severing it easily.
Blood runs down Maxim’s face, dripping off his body. Maxim screams as Synn runs a hand through the blood, smearing it all over himself with a maniacal grin.
Then, Maxim promptly passes out. “Oops,” Synn says.
“Dammit, Synn. Now we have to wait to get more out of him,” an aggravated Harris yells.
“Give it a couple of hours, and we’ll come back,” Frost suggests. “We need him alert for more questioning.”
Harris moves to Maxim, using a simple lighter to cauterize the wound. “Can’t have him bleeding out on us yet.”
We file back out of the room.
I'm still shaking with unspent rage. I decide to go to the gym and pound it on a heavy bag.
Phoenyxx
Some of my guys are heading towards me. Hunter, Purge, Synn, and Frost are looking angry and dirty, for some reason. As they get closer, I see they’re covered in blood.
I walk right up to Synn, smacking him in the chest. “You went to torture Maxim without me? The fuck?”
Synn sighs heavily. “Pazessca... we don’t want you near that whack job. We’re more than capable of handling it.”
Frost adds, “Your safety is what’s important.”
“Nope. You don’t get to do that. I make decisions about my life—no one else. I have the right to question him, too. I need to see him. Now.” I demand, hot with rage.
“Well—” Hunter tries, but I cut him off.
“I swear to fuck. If you don’t bring me there right now, no one is getting laid any time soon.” My threat lands like I want it to.
Purge shudders. “Guys... come on. We can stand sentry outside the door.”
“Fine,” a tight-lipped Hunter responds. “Just follow us.”
They all turn and go back the way they came from.
I’m hot on their heels, eager to get my hands on that psycho nutjob Maxim.
We end up in front of a metal door. Hunter keys in a code he shields from my vision, and the door swings open.
“We will be right out here. Yell if you need us,” he tells me.
With a sharp nod, I walk in, prepared to fuck this asshole up.
My steps falter though when I get a good look at him. He’s swimming in blood, and he’s missing an... ear? Damn.
I also see a missing thumb as I walk straight up to him.
I shiver, not in control of my stupid PTSD reactions. Seeing him again, up close, is sending my heart rate into a tailspin.
Maxim lifts his dropped head, smiling like a lunatic when he realizes it’s me.
“Little Bird. You came to save your husband?” he rasps out on a broken voice.
I throw my head back and laugh. “You wish, loser. You are going to listen to what I have to say. Then you will answer my questions. If you don’t, well… payback is a bitch.”
He looks at me silently.
So I continue. “You tortured, raped, and kidnapped me. All this time, you were Ghost’s brother?”
“I had no clue about that Ghost guy. But I fell hard for you the second I saw you, Little Bird.”
I grind my molars together in aggravation. “I fucking hate you, Maxim. No, I despise you. You make me sick. I will never love you.” A tear rolls down his cheek, and I huff. “Why are there students in The Morgue?”
“Well… for testing. To create soldiers, Caterina.”
“What the hell did you just call me?” I screech.
Turning abruptly, I eye the table across the room. I stalk over, grabbing a wicked-looking hammer. “Never say that name to me again.”
“Don’t you want to know about your family? The Rossi's?” Maxim counters.
“W-what could you possibly know?” I stutter. That question throws me for a loop. The thought of my family momentarily overtakes the rage.
“Everything, Little Bird. They ran from the other six families. You were taken, and they went into hiding.” Maxim shrugs.
My anger comes back fast, washing over my skin. I brandish the hammer, raising it high. “You want to lose a kneecap, motherfucker? Tell me something I don’t already know. Where are my parents?”
“I suppose I can tell you, for a kiss. A real one—with tongue.”
A full-body convulsion seizes me.
But I need to know this. The mental picture I have of my family is too visceral; so close I can taste it. I HAVE to know.
Should I…?
My brain wars with itself. I take a few minutes to decide, though it’s hard to control my reaction to the deed.
Fuck. This man raped me. He hurt me in ways that add to my PTSD. How can I possibly touch him? He repulses me!
I think back to the heroine in the movie I just watched with the girls. She was so strong; so steadfast in getting her revenge. Maybe I can take a page from her book.
I push my lips to Maxim’s, sweeping my tongue in so quick he can’t even respond. I make a point to bite his lip hard as I withdraw.
“No fair,” he complains. But he keeps going. “They’re in Collings Lakes. It's a way from here.”
“Address?” I bark.
“Sorry, Little Bird. That's all I'm saying. You're smart. You'll figure it out.”
Before I can continue with my questions, the door opens, my guys fighting each other to get through the doorway at the same time.
I stand there, hands on my hips. “Really?”
“Sorry, Pretty Girl. We can’t let you stay in here any longer. It's just too risky,” Hunter looks me up and down. “What’s the blood on your mouth from?”
Uh-oh. This is not going to go over well. “I bit his fucking lip.”
Frost makes a strangled sound, and snatches the hammer from my hand, smashing Maxim’s kneecap in. Maxim lets out a wail.
Well shit. All hail my Frosty.
“Let’s go, Iskra. I'm not risking your health any further. We let you have enough time with that asshole.” Purge takes my hand and leads me out.
“I have info on my family,” I tell Purge. “In Collings Lakes, Maxim said.”
Purge nods thoughtfully. “Okay, we can work with that. Let's all go get cleaned up, alright?”
I bite my tongue, not having the energy suddenly to argue any further. My adrenaline has crashed, leaving me feeling weak and shaky.
A hot shower and food sounds like heaven.
I come out of my room, freshly showered and feeling a bit better.
Luckily, 3 had brought me food by the time I got back to my room. My Golden-Eyed Boy—so thoughtful. He left afterward, knowing instinctually I needed some time alone.
“Phoenyxx?”
The deep male voice makes me jump a little and I turn to see Jax standing there.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“I’ve spoken to your father. He confirmed they live in Collings Lakes, as you were told. I already spoke with Harris,” Jax begins. “I've had feelers out for a while now and obtained his phone number. He wants to meet you—in person. As does your mother.”
I feel myself go weak, and I lean a hand against the wall to support my weight. My parents? Both alive, and… wanting to meet me?
Tears streak my face, my bottom lip wobbling. I can’t even speak I’m so overwhelmed with emotion.
“Let’s go find your guys, okay?” Jax says gently, taking my arm to help me down the hall.
Hunter sees us and hurries over. “Jax? What happened?” He takes me into his arms, shushing me with kisses to my head.
Jax relays the message, and Hunter nods. “Pretty Girl? Do you want to meet them?”
I compose myself the best I can. “Yes, but not alone. I want my guys.”
“Of course, beautiful. Who do you want with you?”
I go to open my mouth, then close it again. Truthfully, I want everyone. All eight of my guys, and Valley, Bryan—maybe even Cynthia.
Hunter seems to read my mind. “Not everyone, okay? We don’t want to overwhelm them.”
I chew my lip, thinking. “You, Valley, Ghost, and Frost. Please.”
“What about me? I feel strangely left out right now. Yes, I was listening,” Razor’s voice says, his mass of crazy red curls popping into view. He really is striking. He's also right. I've neglected him.
“Yes, you, too. I'm sorry, Razor. I love you,” I say timidly, my emotions threatening to burst at the seams.
“That’s fine,” Jax responds. “They want you to come to their home. Perhaps it will bring some memories back for you. We will have security surrounding you. Your safety will be secure.”
I lick my suddenly dry lips. “Okay. When?”
“Gather who you want to come along, and let’s meet back here in thirty minutes?” Jax suggests.
I nod, looking at Hunter and Razor. “Can you get Ghost and Frost? I'll track down Valley.”
“Anything for you, Fiasca,” Razor agrees.
I hug them both, going to look for my bestie.
I’m scared and excited at the same time.
My... family.
Wow.