Chapter 18
REICH
The House of Music was a predator’s paradise.
A shadowed labyrinth of blind corners, half-hidden exits, and flickering lights that seemed designed to disorient.
The walls pulsed with bass-heavy music, vibrating with the chaos of bodies pressed tight in the crush of the crowd.
Smoke curled in the air, cloaking everything in a thin haze, and the scent of sweat and spilled liquor clung to every surface.
The security team? Useless. Hired for appearances, trained to look the other way.
It was the kind of place where people disappeared without a sound.
Where women like Sage could be swallowed whole before anyone even realized they were missing.
And right now, it was crawling with men just like our target for the night, Lucas Renner.
I moved through the west side of the venue, my hood low over my brow, shoulders loose but ready.
It wasn’t hard to blend in.
In a place like this, people were too busy chasing their next high to notice the predator hunting in their midst.
Across the floor, Castor was already in position. I caught a flash of his blonde hair beneath the shifting strobes, his sharp gaze cutting through the crowd like a razor. He scanned everything—threats, exits and obstacles. Mapping the room in real time.
The earpiece crackled softly, as I instructed, “Take the far left. I’ll handle the right. Report back if anything stands out.”
“Copy that.” Castor’s voice was light. Too casual, as always. And then, true to form, he gave a lazy salute before melting into the crowd.
I barely registered his antics. My focus was already zeroed in.
I’d found my target.
Lucas Renner.
One of Ali Parrish’s most loyal men. And exactly the kind of monster I’d made it my mission to destroy.
A serial rapist, trafficker, and dealer of broken souls.
He operated under the delusion that his money made him untouchable. That power meant no one would ever come for him.
He was wrong.
Because tonight, he was mine.
I tracked him from the shadows as he prowled the edge of the floor, his movements slow and predatory. His gaze slid over the crowd with clinical precision, stripping women bare with a glance. I could practically hear the gears grinding in his skull as he calculated value.
How much? How easy? How fast?
He was choosing and then his attention snapped to something or perhaps, someone.
And my stomach dropped as I followed his vision.
Sage.
She was standing under the edge of the stage lights, completely unaware. Her green eyes sparkled, catching the gleam of the overhead lighting. Even in the dimness, she seemed to glow, radiating a light to her that was untouched and unclaimed.
The kind of light men like Renner sought to snuff out.
I went still.
The earpiece flared again. Castor’s voice, sharper this time, “Reich, we’ve got a problem. Sam’s here. And she’s with Sage.”
“I know.” I stated as I felt my teeth grind together. “Lucas is moving toward her.”
There was a pause on the other end. Tension bled through the silence.
Lucas Renner never worked alone, and yet, tonight, there was no entourage. No backup. Just him.
Something about that set my nerves on edge.
This wasn’t standard procedure but there wasn’t time to analyze it.
So, I made the call.
“Castor.” My voice was ice. Controlled. “Use the vial on Sage. Get her out of here. Take her to the house. Lock her in the pit until I get back.”
Silence.
I could feel his hesitation radiating through the connection.
“Reich…” His tone was lower now. Heavy. Uncertain.
“This is a change of plans,” I said, sharper. “Do as I say.”
Another beat of hesitation, then he moved.
I tracked him with my eyes as he crossed the floor, not expecting anything to interfere with his plans.
But then Lucas faltered, thrown for half a second as his mark was plucked from under his nose.
He turned, teeth bared and found me.
I didn’t give him time to process the mistake.
In one swift movement, I drove the needle into his gut, pressing the plunger with clinical precision.
Recognition flashed in his eyes but it was too late.
The sedative hit fast. His limbs turned into deadweights. His expression twisted, confusion battling with terror.
“Easy, bud,” I murmured, catching him before he could collapse completely. My tone was mocking, a cold echo of concern. “Looks like you’ve had too much to drink. Let’s get you some fresh air.”
I slung his arm over my shoulder and hauled him toward the back exit.
He was heavier than he looked or maybe I was just running on borrowed adrenaline from seeing Sage.
Outside, the alley was slick with rain. The air was sharp and cigarette smoke hung low, mixing with the faint reek of garbage and diesel.
Lucas groaned against me, his head lolling as he fought the drug.
Annoyance flared within me. I hated when they struggled.
When I reached the car, I drove my boot into his knee, forcing him to drop, then followed up with a brutal elbow to the side of his skull.
He hit the pavement hard, his head cracking against the concrete with a satisfying thud.
Blood pooled slowly beneath him.
He was out cold.
Finally.
I stood over him for a long moment, breathing hard.
Tempted.
It would be easy to end it here.
Quick. Clean. One less predator, but there were too many questions and something about his focus on Sage wasn’t adding up.
She wasn’t his type.
She wasn’t street prey.
She wasn’t desperate.
At least, not in the ways they liked.
And yet, there he was.
Tracking her.
With a low curse, I dragged him up the side of the car and shoved him into the trunk.
I took the long way home.
Gave myself time to think.
To prepare.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, the house loomed dark and silent beneath the trees.
Fitting.
A tomb for men like Lucas.
A sanctuary for no one.
Castor was waiting on the front steps.
Arms crossed and jaw tight.
The kind of stillness that screamed fury.
I killed the engine. Stepped out and met his gaze.
He didn’t waste time.
“Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” His voice was low and dangerous.
I exhaled, closing the distance between us with slow, deliberate steps.
The tension snapped tight between us.
“Inside,” I said.
The words were gravel.
And we both knew it wasn’t a suggestion.
It was the beginning of something neither of us could walk away from.
Not now.
Not with Sage locked in the pit downstairs.
And not with Lucas about to wake up in the trunk of my car.