Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Freya
S tepping out into a dark alleyway, I yell out to the guy running away. “Stop, please!”
He glances over his shoulder, a pained look in his eyes. The door behind me slams shut, and I whirl around. Gage has his gun raised and pointed toward the guy. When I look back, there is no sign of my informant. Fucking hell.
I turn to go back inside and come face to face with Gage, Lucas, and Hazen. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I spit out, glaring at Gage.
He lowers his gun, nodding toward Hazen, who takes off after the guy.
“Leave him alone,” I yell after Hazen, but he doesn’t stop, ignoring me completely.
“What did he tell you?” Gage snaps, crossing his arms over his chest, his muscles bunching and shifting under his white shirt. Damn it. Can’t get distracted.
I frown. “What are you hiding from me?”
A gust of wind sweeps down the alleyway, sending shivers down my spine and goosebumps across my skin. Lucas shrugs off his suit jacket, moves toward me, and places it over my shoulders before pressing a kiss against my forehead.
“Let’s go home, little thorn,” he says, wrapping me under his arm. I shake him off, stepping forward until I’m right in Gage’s face.
“Tell me!”
“Ain’t nothing to tell,” Gage says, glaring.
“And you’re a fucking liar,” I throw back, barging past him toward the club’s back door.
I’ve lost my sole lead, and they completely messed it up. I was starting to trust them, building something that I didn’t quite understand myself, and now that’s all gone up in flames. It pisses me off that they know more than me. He’s my brother. How could they keep information from me? Because they are The Brotherhood and that will always come first for them. I was foolish to think I could compete with that.
“Freya, wait,” Lucas yells, but I flip them both off, then drop his jacket to the ground before opening the emergency exit door and slamming it in their faces.
I find Amirah at the bar, chatting with a couple of older guys.
“You okay?” she asks, pulling me next to her, between her and one of the guys.
“No, your brother is an asshole, and he ruined my only lead.”
She rolls her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
She hands me a shot, and I quickly gulp it down, feeling the warmth spread through my body. With a grin, she hands me one after another, causing my head to spin. I sense my trio of stalkers’ gazes upon me and a chill runs down my spine, but I choose to ignore it—and them .
Amirah grabs my hand, and we navigate through the crowd and onto the dance floor. Moving my body to the beat of the music, I give myself a few minutes to unwind and forget about the chaos around me.
The heat of a body presses against my back as hands roam freely around my waist, and I give in. The stranger spins me, gripping the back of my neck, and without hesitation, I kiss him. His sloppy kisses have no effect on me, so I quickly pull away, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Oblivious, he moves closer and yells in my ear.
“Want to take this to the backseat of my car?”
A laugh escapes me as I shake my head. With a frown, he tightly grasps my arm, causing excruciating pain as I struggle to escape, but his grip is too powerful.
“Listen here, gutter slut. If I ask you to drop to your knees and suck my cock, you will. Now come with me.”
With each forceful tug, he guides me through the sea of people, my anxiety intensifying as Amirah disappears from sigh. Fuck. No one stops him, and before I know it, we are out the front of the club. Moving back into the alleyway, he tightens his grip on me. With a strong push, he pins me against the building, the impact reverberating through my body as my back slams into the hard surface.
“Get down on your fucking knees, slut.”
I remain frozen in place as he pushes me forcefully to the ground. The gravel bites into my knees, sending a jolt of pain through me. He lowers his pants, revealing his small, limp dick.
“Suck.”
He grips my hair, forcing me forward, his cock hitting me in the face. I hold back the urge to vomit all over him. Oh shit, I can’t. I empty everything I’ve drunk tonight all over his cock. He curses and laughter bubbles up from deep within me. His hand tightens around my throat, cutting off my air supply and leaving me gasping for breath.
A gunshot rings through the night, the grip disappears, and his body falls on top of me, knocking me onto my back. I scream. Blood covers my skin, and his lifeless, open eyes stare into mine. I continue screaming until his weight is lifted off me and then a pair of black shoes appears in my line of sight.
“Take her home. I’ll finish off here,” someone says from close by.
Someone grabs me under the arms, pulling me up. My knees buckle, and I fall, but he catches me and pulls me into his chest. I look up, and Hazen’s blue eyes stare back at me. He pulls me closer, and I relax into him. The fight within me is gone.
“I’m taking you home,” he says.
“No, I can’t go there.” If Mom sees me like this, she will freak, and I haven’t liked being there without Alec. Too many memories.
Hazen’s chest rises and falls against my ear.
“Take her to mine,” Gage says from somewhere behind us.
“No! I’m not going anywhere with you. Where’s Amirah?”
“Shut her up,” Gage growls, and I want to punch him, but all my energy is gone. I melt further into Hazen’s chest and my eyes close.
I must fall asleep because when I wake next, I’m in Gage’s bathroom. Hazen places me on the edge of the vanity, but I don’t want to turn my head and catch a glimpse of my own reflection. My arms are drenched in blood, its metallic scent filling the air.
Moving between my legs, Hazen lifts my head by running his finger along my jaw. His eyes clash with mine.
“I’d kill that fucker again and again for touching you like that,” he says, his gaze intense.
Swallowing hard, I can’t help but notice the undeniable truth etched across his expression.
“I know,” I sigh out, and he runs his thumb over my cheek.
“Now, let’s get you cleaned up. That fucker’s blood needs to go.”
As I ease myself down off the vanity, Hazen’s hands glide over my stomach and my scars. I suck in a deep inhale, and he meets my gaze. He leans down, peppering kisses over my scars, and my heart swoons. He comes back up, pressing a light kiss against my lips as he raises the fabric of my bralette. Just as I turn around, he deftly unhooks the clasps, and I let it drop to the floor. Next, my denim skirt is gone along with my underwear.
The shower turns on and I spin around, getting an eyeful of Hazen’s cock. I swallow hard—fuck. I shouldn’t be seeing it, let alone lusting after it. My head is spinning with what happened tonight, and I feel like I’m drowning in a whirlwind of emotions. I want to leave because of what they did. After chasing away my only lead, they killed that guy without hesitation. He deserved it for what he did to me—but still.
I enter the walk-in shower with Hazen, and the drain soon fills with red-tinted water, the distinct scent of blood permeating the air. Collapsing against the tiled wall, I hold myself tight as tears blend with the flowing water.
Hazen remains silent as he reaches for a loofah and body wash. He approaches me and begins to wash the remaining blood from my skin. I don’t move, frozen in place as I allow him to clean me. Tracing my jawline, his fingers guide my gaze up to his piercing blue eyes. His tongue touches his lips.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, then his lips gently claim mine. Before I can comprehend what’s happening or kiss him back, he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine.
“Why?”
“Maybe one day you will understand why we have to do what we do, but until then you have to trust me. Okay?” He eases back further, but his hand remains on my chin, and his thumb comes up to rest on my bottom lip.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I can’t trust him or them. Trust doesn’t come easy to me when I’ve spent my whole life being betrayed by people around me, including the one person who’s meant to be there for me no matter what. I can’t. The only people I trust are Alec, Kai, and Amirah.
“Where’s the guy from the alleyway who had information for me?” I ask, and Hazen shakes his head.
“I’ll deal with him—don’t worry about it.”
I shake my head. “I want the information he has.”
“And you’ll get it once I’m done with him,” Hazen says just before a door slams shut somewhere nearby, and he pulls back, taking his warmth with him. There’s someone shouting outside the bathroom.
“Fuck,” Hazen bites out, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist.
Gage bursts into the room, slamming the bathroom door behind him. He looks at my dripping-wet, naked form, licks his lips, and my legs instinctively close. I’m disappointed by how my body responds to him.
“You have about fifteen seconds to get out before Amirah storms in here.”
I step out of the shower and receive a fluffy white towel from Hazen. I quickly wrap the towel around my chest, the plush fabric soft against my skin.
Gage reaches for the door.
“What are you hiding from me? Do you know where Alec is?” I ask and Gage stops, hand on the handle.
“Nothing is as it seems, Freya,” he says, then he’s gone before I can figure out what that even means.
No wonder I can’t trust anyone here when all they do is talk in riddles.
Amirah bursts through the door and rushes over to me, embracing me tightly. She withdraws and examines me.
“Are you okay? What the hell happened?” she asks in a rush.
“I’m fine. Let’s go to your room,” I say, and she tightly grips my hand, shooting a piercing glare at Hazen, who casually leans against the vanity.
Seated on Gage’s bed, Lucas springs to his feet the moment we emerge from the bathroom. But with a simple shake of my head, he halts in his tracks, a pained look in his eyes.
As we make our way down the hallway, I let Amirah lead me into her cozy bedroom, and I’m ready to fall onto her bed. She retrieves a set of silk pajamas, and I change into them. Joining Amirah on her bed, I quickly twist my damp hair up into a bun.
At her urging, I recount what happened at the club after we were separated, and with each word that leaves my mouth, she becomes angrier and angrier.
“I love my brother, but when it comes to The Brotherhood, no one ever comes before that. They signed their lives away years ago, and I’m stuck here, too, until they figure out what Dominic wants to do with me.” Amirah sighs, falling back onto her pillow. “What are you going to do?” she asks, and I shake my head.
“I think it’s time to go to the police.”
I’ve held off going to the local police, but I don’t have any other choice. Alec has been missing for weeks now, and they might know something or could even help me find him.
Amirah sits up, looking down at me. “But they are corrupt and in The Brotherhood’s pocket.”
“I don’t have any other choice. Maybe they know something I don’t.”
“Just be careful. I’ll come with you,” she says, and I nod.
My phone vibrates next to me, and when I pick it up and unlock the screen, my stomach sinks.
You could have saved your brother, but you’re too late.