Chapter 8
REV
The following morning, I sat around the conference table in Kane’s office. Nursing a steaming mug of coffee, I waited as my brothers settled into their spots. The room held the kind of palpable focus that always came when we were working through the details of a threat.
Cage leaned forward, his medical notes spread out in front of him as he began to speak.
He detailed the blood tests he’d run on Delaney, noting carefully the specific sedatives Magnus had used on her—high-grade tranquilizers meant to immobilize without long-term damage, typically reserved for medical or veterinary practices.
Cage’s jaw flexed as he described how dangerously precise the dosage had been, enough to render her compliant without risking her life.
This had been on top of the chloroform he’d put over her face both times that she’d been moved.
My chest tightened with fury as I absorbed the information. Magnus had meticulously planned every fucking detail. It was too specific. Almost rehearsed.
I was convinced that this hadn’t been the first time he’d done this. He’d obviously already worked out the kinks in his plan on previous victims. A theory that was also supported by his having a secondary location.
Jax shifted in his seat, his glasses reflecting the blue light from the tablet he scanned with close scrutiny.
He shook his head, clearly irritated by what he’d discovered.
“Magnus has gone completely dark. Phone’s off, no credit card activity, nothing popping on the usual channels.
Bastard dropped off the grid as soon as Rev took Delaney off the road. ”
Shifter scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Fucker’s running scared now that he knows we have Delaney.”
Edge snorted, flipping a blade between his fingers. “Yeah, well, good luck hiding from us for long. Fuckers always surface eventually. Probably curled up somewhere crying because Rev ruined his plans.”
Apex leaned back comfortably in his chair, a laptop balanced easily on his thigh as he picked up from there.
“I found financial anomalies tied to the museum and Magnus. Purchases of preservation supplies that don’t match inventory lists, rental payments funneling through a burner LLC, and significant grant money diverted quietly through small historical restoration accounts. He was careful, but it’s there.”
Kane listened quietly, absorbing everything before finally speaking. “Delaney’s awake and recovering?”
I nodded.
“If she’s up to it, we could use her historical expertise. Magnus is clearly leaning on symbolism and history for whatever sick ritual he’s conducting. She might be able to help us profile him more precisely.”
I hesitated only a fraction of a second, the instinct to protect Delaney warring fiercely with the practical need to end this threat. But she’d shown me her strength and intelligence, and I knew damn well she’d want to help if she could.
“Might help her to start feeling like she’s in control of her own life again,” Cage suggested.
“I’ll bring her down later today,” I finally agreed. “She can walk us through the historical symbolism and whatever else she remembers. Maybe help us piece together exactly what Magnus is trying to accomplish.”
Kane nodded. “Good. We need all the intel we can get.”
Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows as Delaney stepped cautiously into Kane’s office, her strawberry-blond hair loose around her shoulders, framing her face.
I saw the nerves tightening her expression, but she lifted her chin slightly, taking a steadying breath before sitting down beside me at the table.
I watched her closely, pride tightening warmly in my chest at her quiet determination.
Cage and Hadley had brought her some more clothes, and now she wore simple jeans and a soft sweater that made her look delicate yet steady.
A survivor after everything she’d endured.
I reached beneath the table, resting my palm on her thigh briefly, anchoring her.
“You good?” I asked quietly.
She nodded, a faint blush warming her cheeks. “Yeah. I want to help.”
“Can you explain about the historical elements?” Kane asked, his voice almost gentle.
She glanced briefly at me before looking around the room, taking a deep breath as she began carefully going over the details and significance of what Magnus had done to her.
She laid out each piece with careful precision.
As she spoke, something shifted visibly inside her.
Her voice grew steadier, her posture straightening slightly as the historian and preservationist in her came forward.
“He was obsessed with authenticity and ritual completion,” she continued thoughtfully, her expression growing distant as she focused on recalling his behavior.
“Everything had to be perfect, staged exactly as historical custom dictated. He talked about preserving something beautiful forever, capturing purity before the world corrupted it.”
Every brother was fully attentive in the quiet room.
Even Edge had stopped flipping his knife, listening to her with focused intensity.
Cage took notes, clearly impressed with Delaney’s detailed recollection, while Jax typed furiously on his tablet, recording everything she described.
Apex watched quietly, analytical gears visibly turning as he mentally traced the new information into the financial trails he’d already uncovered.
The wheels were clearly turning in Shifter and Nitro’s heads as well.
Delaney shifted slightly, visibly absorbing the seriousness of the conversation.
Despite the weight of everything, she didn’t shrink away.
Her confidence was flickering steadily back, the strength she carried finally reasserting itself as she shared her knowledge and contributed meaningfully to our efforts.
I leaned back in my seat, my gaze locked on her, pride filling me. Seeing that quiet strength emerge sparked something fierce deep inside me. Magnus hadn’t just failed to take Delaney’s life—he’d failed to take who she was.
When she finished, she looked around at my brothers, her shoulders finally easing as she realized they’d genuinely listened to her. Kane’s expression softened with approval as he met her eyes directly.
“You’re impressive as hell, Delaney. Your knowledge makes a huge difference for us. Thank you.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she nodded slowly. “I just want to help.”
“You have.” His attention shifted toward me, his eyebrows raised slightly. “Rev, you thinking the same thing I am?”
“Magnus has likely done this before.” My voice was rough with barely restrained violence. “This level of organization, fixation, and symbolic detail indicates experience. This isn’t the first time.”
I sat back slowly, my mind already turning over the details she’d shared, piecing together behavioral patterns.
“This is someone with a deep-seated obsession, possibly delusions of perfection and purity. Magnus wasn’t random—Delaney was targeted, chosen for specific reasons.
Likely stalked long before the abduction occurred. ”
Nitro cursed under his breath, shaking his head slightly, disgust clear on his face. Apex’s knuckles cracked as his hands curled into fists, his eyes narrowing darkly.
“What’s your next step?” Cage asked.
“Victimology and behavioral patterns,” I replied. “Choosing Delaney means stalking, selection criteria, and fixation. We need to track prior patterns—locations, missing women, and historical symbolism. Magnus is meticulous, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t left a trail. Nobody is perfect.”
Jax nodded. “I’ll start cross-referencing missing persons reports, focusing on women fitting Delaney’s profile. Same age and background, historical research students, maybe. Anyone matching Magnus’s twisted criteria.”
“Killers like him usually have a type,” I confirmed. “But keep in mind that it might not be physical similarities. They won’t necessarily look like her. Each victim was likely chosen for their resemblance to his latest historical fixation.”
Jax nodded, his head bent over his tablet, still taking notes.
“Dig into past cases matching this MO,” Kane ordered. “Anything similar—staged rituals, historical dress, and symbolic items. Go deep into police reports, including unsolved cases and archived files.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face, suddenly feeling very tired and wanting nothing more than to wrap myself around my woman and pretend nothing existed outside of us.
But that would have to wait. “Doubt you’ll find any of his most current victims. He’ll have gotten better and better at hiding the crimes.
So I’d dig deeper into his older activities. ”
Apex leaned forward. “I’ll start tracing the financial aspect further back. Magnus didn’t just start buying this shit recently. We’ll find patterns.”
After the meeting, the brothers dispersed, each moving to handle their specific tasks.
Delaney stood slowly, and I placed a careful hand on her lower back, guiding her gently out of the office.
As we headed back toward my room, she moved closer to my side, visibly relieved that we’d finished for now.
“You did damn good in there,” I murmured, letting my voice drop low enough to brush intimately against her ear.
Her cheeks flushed softly, and she smiled. “Thanks.”
My pulse quickened at the quiet strength in her expression. She was brave as fuck, strong and resilient in a way that stirred something deep inside me. Magnus Kinghorn might’ve thought he’d broken her, but he was fucking wrong.
She wasn’t just surviving—she was stronger now than she’d been before.
Over the next two days, my tension steadily increased as I began noticing small details around the compound.
The security at our clubhouse was rock solid, with cameras covering nearly every angle and brothers frequently patrolling the perimeter.
Despite that, I found subtle signs someone had been watching us.