25. CHAPTER 20
AXL
I’m leaning against the wall of the large parlor where we gather for meetings with my phone in my hand.
Saylor’s visible on the camera feed. She’s curled up on the couch in my room talking to Kynlee, just like the good girl she is.
I’m ready to get this over with so I can take a shower with her and fuck her again.
“You’re going to be fucking whipped in a week.” Priest is beside me, arms crossed, looking at my screen.
“I’m just making sure she’s doing what she’s told.” I lock the phone and pocket it. “Don’t be a little bitch because you can’t have pussy yet.”
“Fuck you.” But Priest grins when he says it. He nods toward the door.
Justin walks in looking pissed off. He glances over at us and rolls his eyes before standing on the opposite side of the room with his friend, Ryan—another fucking dipshit.
“Think last night didn’t go that well for him?” Priest asks, chuckling. “Maybe his precious ass couldn’t get the job done after the piercing.”
“I don’t give a shit.” But I do notice the way Justin’s jaw is set and his arms are folded like he’s ready to fight the next person to speak to him. “You’d think pussy would mellow his ass out.”
Before Priest can respond, Kase walks in with Crew behind him. Kase’s eyes go straight to Justin. His whole body tightens for half a second before he joins us. He’s still not happy that his sister is with Justin now, but given the shit expression on Justin’s face, it isn’t going well for him.
“Did they have to start this shit so early? I still haven’t been to sleep,” Crew says, yawning.
“You all fucking suck,” Priest says, leaning beside me on the wall.
“I invited you.” Crew stretches his arms above his head. “Tracy’s soaking in the bath now to clean all of Kase’s cum off of her. That fucker couldn’t stop jacking off.”
“And I’m going to do it again.” Kase nudges his shoulder into Crew. “Good friends share their toys, Axl.”
I fist my hands at my side. “If you even think about her while jacking off, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Kase holds his hands up. “Jesus, relax. I wouldn’t dream of defiling your girl.”
“Is that so?” Crew asks, giving Kase an odd smirk like he knows something we don’t.
I trust all three of them with Saylor, but it doesn’t hurt to remind them that I will act first and ask questions later when it comes to protecting what’s mine.
I open my mouth to ask Crew what he means, but the door opens and Dane walks in, followed by all three of his sons—Fox, Tate, and Thorne.
Fox is holding a small stack of envelopes.
The talking stops. Everyone in this room respects the Sinclairs and knows that when they call a meeting with the higher-level Talons, it’s for a reason, and one that usually means a lot of work for us.
None of the Sinclairs sit. Thorne presses a button on his phone, and we all know that he just killed all cell phone signals. It’s the usual protocol for these kinds of meetings.
Dane stands at the front of the room with his sons spread out behind him. They scan the room, staring each of us down. Everyone in the room is a year four or five Talon.
“All of you have proved yourself for another year. Seven of you have your Doves now. And the rest of you had better remember the rules and not get tempted by the new women moving about the mansion. You know what happens if you break the fucking rules.”
The Ravens don’t bend on their rules. Every man in this room has seen what happens when someone tries. You either prove your loyalty, or you’re taken out. The penalty is death. It’s as simple as that.
“One more thing.” Dane’s voice drops, and his eyes move across the room. “You notice I said seven of you when we had eight that should have come away with a Dove last night.”
Fuck. I should have told Dane about Daniel.
I technically didn’t do anything wrong in killing him to claim my girl.
We’re allowed to fight to the death, if necessary.
But they would have preferred that I’d injured or maimed him instead of killing him.
But the bastard is lucky he’s dead. I’d have tortured him for months while he pissed himself and begged for fucking death.
“Daniel’s body was found in the woods last night after he never claimed a Dove. Somebody in this room had better tell me what fucking happened.”
I push off the wall and step before him. “I killed him.”
Every head in the room turns. Justin’s arms unfold. Dane’s expression doesn’t change.
“He had the Dove I wanted pinned to a tree with her dress ripped.” I hold Dane’s stare. “I kicked the shit out of him and snapped his neck, then claimed my Dove, as you all saw.”
The room is dead silent. Fox glances at Thorne, and Tate just grins at me, nodding his approval.
Dane holds my stare for a long time. “Did you have to fucking kill him?”
“He shouldn’t have touched my girl. Let that be a lesson to every man in this room.” I’ll take every fucking one of them out.
Justin huffs. “Like you’re any better for her.”
“I really fucking like this guy,” Tate says, nudging Thorne. Everyone ignores Justin’s little remark.
“Dad, leave Axl alone,” Fox says, patting Dane on the back. “It’s tradition that they can fight to the death. If Daniel couldn’t defend himself, that’s on his pathetic ass.”
Dane shoots Fox a look that would put most men on the floor. Fox doesn’t flinch. Thorne laughs behind them.
“I’m not arguing tradition.” Dane turns back to me. “I’m arguing the lack of fucking communication. You killed a fellow Talon, and I found out from a cleanup crew instead of from you. That doesn’t fucking happen again.”
“It won’t, sir.”
“It better fucking not.” He holds my stare for another couple seconds, then he lets it go.
He turns to the room. “We’re going to give each of you an assignment.
You’re going to observe the people we give you, and you’re going to report your findings directly to me.
Only me. And you’re not going to involve yourself otherwise. Am I clear?”
There are nods and agreement from every person in the room. Fox passes out the envelopes to everyone else in the room. I can’t help but notice that Priest, Crew, Kase, and myself weren’t given an envelope.
“You’ll work in pairs,” Dane continues as Fox joins him back at his side. “You are not to discuss your assignments with anyone but who you’re paired with. I want updates immediately, so get to work.”
The men start to leave the room as Dane catches our attention. “You four. Stay back. We need to speak with you.”
Justin looks between Dane and us, scowling. But he knows that there’s nothing he can do. He’d be an even bigger idiot than I realized if he challenges Dane Sinclair. But I’d love to watch Dane put that fucker in his place.
“Shut the door behind you, Justin,” Dane calls out to him.
Dane waits until the footsteps fade down the hall before he speaks. “The folder Tate gave you.” Dane looks at each of us. “Did you read it?”
We all nod.
“Cover to cover,” I reply.
“And?”
“It’s clear that sex trafficking and sex slavery is still happening within the Ravens,” Crew says, uncrossing his arms and putting his hands in his pockets. “And it’s impacting Doves and other women across New England based on the missing people listed in the files.”
“That’s right. You’re going to need to track dates, patterns, and everything you can identify from what we know,” Fox says, stepping forward.
“Because what you don’t see in that file is that we suspect this operation runs deep.
Which means people we all know and trust are doing this under our noses. ”
The last time the Sinclairs shut down the trafficking threat, we ended up on a series of rescue missions and coverups to ensure no one would ever know what bodies the Sinclairs buried. More bodies are going to get added to that pile once Dane knows who is behind this shit.
“How deep?” I ask.
“It could be anyone. Even as high as the Council.” Tate steps up beside Fox, looking as intense as ever. He’s fearless. He’s taken a few bullets to protect the Sinclair women, and he will be on the front line of whatever the fuck is going on this time.
He continues, “But one of those missing women—her cousin was a Talon from when Dad was your age. So we’re going to look at that group heavily.
And that means there are going to be names you recognize from your circle.
Maybe even some in your families. I will kill every person who poses a threat to my wife without hesitation.
My father and brothers feel the same. So what we need to know from you four is, can we trust you, regardless of who we find out is involved? ”
“You already know the answer to that,” I say. We have all fought beside them before, and we will again.
“We need to fucking hear it.” Thorne says, more serious than we usually see him.
I focus on each of them and then hold Thorne’s stare. “Whoever it is. Whatever it costs.”
“Same,” Priest says. No hesitation.
Kase and Crew agree.
“My wife needs me right now,” Tate starts again. “That means the four of you better handle this shit right and get the information we need.”
I don’t know what he means by his comment about Reese, but I also know better than to ask.
Dane crosses his arms. “The four of you are going to look into every Talon associated with that girl. You aren’t going to tell anyone who you’re investigating.
The others are looking into some of the suspected buyers from the lower levels of our world and outside of it.
You’re to identify and research those most likely involved and make sure no one knows about this.
None of this can come back to any of us. ”
“What about Justin?” Priest asks. “He was on that assignment with Axl and me. Won’t he wonder why he’s not working with us?”
“Justin got his own envelope,” Fox says. “He’s paired with Ryan on a buyer lead. That should be enough to keep him busy and out of your way.”
“And if he starts asking questions?” I ask.
“Then you tell him to mind his own fucking business and come to me,” Dane says. “Justin Carter answers to me. Same as the rest of you.”
There’s something in the way Dane says Justin’s last name. I don’t know exactly what Dane thinks of him, but I’m inclined to believe he’s on our side.
“We’ll meet again soon.” Dane looks at each of us.
“Bring me something. Names, patterns, connections—anything that gets us closer to whoever is running this. And keep your mouths shut. If you find something pressing, come see me at my mansion. Don’t share any critical information over the phone. We never know who’s listening.”
He walks out first. Tate claps me on the shoulder as he passes. Thorne follows. Fox is last, pausing at the door.
“Axl.” He calls back to me, and I turn to face him. “I’d have killed that fucker too.”
Then he’s gone.
The four of us just stare at each other for a minute after the Sinclairs leave. Nobody says anything. We’re about to get more blood on our hands, but none of us mind that. The hunt is part of the fun. It’s the fucked-up shit that we’re going to find that will stick with us.
Priest is the first one to speak. “We’re going to have to get moving on this.”
“We’ll get started in the next hour.” I stand and crack my neck. “We’ll cross-reference the missing women with every Raven, and then we’ll pull financials and anything else we can get our hands on. Priest—”
“I know what I’m doing.” He’s already heading for the door.
Kase and Crew follow him out. As soon as I’m out of the parlor, I pull my phone from my pocket to check the camera feed—Kynlee is gone, but Saylor is still on the couch. She’s got her legs tucked beneath her, and she’s running her fingers across the bruises on her wrist from the rope last night.
My phone buzzes in my hand. A text from my father pops up.
Dad: You’re in your last year and it’s time to deal with this. I’ve made the arrangements with the father of your future wife. Call me.
I stare at the screen. I know how our world works.
Arranged marriages have always been the way it’s done, and they will continue as long as we all keep going along with it.
But I just got my girl. She and I both know what will be expected of us when it comes to marriage.
My obsession with her has never been about marriage or some promise of a future.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her walk away from me either.
If I want to keep her, I’ll do whatever it fucking takes to make that happen.
I delete my father’s text and put my phone in my pocket. Time to fuck my girl again so I can get to work.