Page 39 of Deadly Little Games

I’m torn between wanting to grab her and leave or staying to see how things unfold. No one ever challenged Dominic, they weren’t stupid.

The memories of my teenage years come flooding back, and I can still feel the physical pain from the scars on my back, remnants of my rebelliousness. I learned a long time ago that it’s best to follow his orders until he retires and hands over the reins of The Daring Brotherhood to us fully, ensuring our place in the hierarchy. We’re practically managing it ourselves, but he still holds the ultimate authority.The sooner he retires, the better, but the old bastard is reluctant to let go. My father retired years ago when he got sick, and it’s been the best thing for him as he recovers.

A hush falls over the room and Hazen fidgets next to me. Dominic fixates his gaze on her and then throws his head back in laughter.

“Damn, you remind me of your mother. I miss her.”

Her hands tremble as Freya tightly clutches the edge of the desk, her knuckles turning white. “We don’t talk about her. Just tell me where he is?”

Dominic blows out a ring of smoke, the pungent smell filling the air, but she stands her ground, unwavering. The tension in the room becomes palpable, and I struggle to resist the urge to grab her hand and walk away. It’s a risky game she’s playing, and the consequences will leave her scorched. The mere thought of that fills me with intense anger.

“I have no idea where your brother is or you wouldn’t be the one here paying off his debt, would you, stupid girl?” He shakes his head and butts out his cigar into a glass tray. “That brother of yours has created a few enemies, so he’s probably ten feet under by now, and if you don’t want to join him, I suggest you leave. Now.”

Freya doesn’t budge, staring him down, and my cock hardens—but she’s being reckless. Stupid. I take a step forward, encircling my arm around her waist and drawing her toward me. In a sudden motion, she twirls in my arms and forcefully pushes me away. She storms out of the room, with the door slamming behind her.

“If she makes any trouble, it’s on you three. Keep an eye on her,” Dominic says from behind me.

“Understood, Father,” Hazen replies, then we leave.

The hallway becomes a blur as I storm through it, thesound of Gage’s car engine filling the air as the front doors swing open. He sprints out, and I chase after him. Freya drives past, her face contorted with anger as she flips us off from the driver’s seat.

Oh fuck, no one drives Gage’s car. Ever.

Chapter Twenty

Freya

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, I unleash a series of forceful blows with my fist. He couldn’t resist mentioning my mother, that jerk. I want to go back there and smash his face into his desk until he takes his last breath. I hate him. Ihatehim.

It was he who shaped my mother into the woman she has become, tearing her away from us, and now he’s repeating the same pattern with my brother. While he insists on not knowing his whereabouts, it is hard to believe anything can happen without his awareness. Without his final say. He’s wrong, my brother isn’t dead. I’d know if he was. He can’t be. No, I won’t even think that for a second. He’s out there somewhere just waiting for me to find him, then we can leave this fuck hole and start fresh. Just like we planned.

Fuck Dominic Hendrix. Fuck The Daring Brotherhood. Fuck anyone who gets in my way.

As I drive around town, the absence of noise on the streets stands out, especially when compared to the liveliness found over the tracks, making it difficultto locate any sign of Alec. Inside their grand mansions, everyone stays cozy with their heaters and enjoys delicious home-cooked dinners. Fucking entitled pricks. I find myself outside their gated community again, my heart racing. Without hesitation, I snatch the lighter and the bottle of vodka that Lucas left in the car.

With the engine still humming, I cautiously exit the vehicle, bringing the bottle to my lips and taking a long sip. Then I drench Gage’s car with the rest of it. This is stupid, reckless, and a little immature, but I need to do something. Anything to feel some kind of release. Tonight was a new level of fuckery. I helped kill someone—someone I hate with a passion, but it still didn’t make it feel any better. He had a life, then I took it from him. No matter how much of a lowlife asshole he was, I took it all away.

One second he was here, and the next—gone. Just like that. If I hear someone say those words again, I’ll crack.

The gates swing open and blinding headlights pierce through the darkness, revealing a familiar figure approaching.

“What the fuck?” Standing in front of his car, Gage lets out a roar that echoes through the air.

With a loud thud, the bottle slips through my fingers and meets the unforgiving ground, instantly shattering into an intricate mosaic of shards.

Watching the flame flicker in the darkness, I bring the lighter up to my face, its warm glow contrasting with the cool night air. I feel the comforting heat of the flame on my face, and I’m spellbound, completely absorbed in its mesmerizing dance for several heartbeats.

A large shadow appears in front of me. Hazen grabs my shoulders and shakes me, but I can’t feel anything. Voicesecho in the background, but their words are muffled by the incessant ringing in my ears.

With a gentle touch, he covers my hand, guiding my thumb away from the trigger of the lighter before taking it from me. I let him, losing all the fight I have. With a forceful motion, he throws it to the ground and immediately pulls me into his arms. Collapsing into his embrace, I am surrounded by the soothing scent of sandalwood emanating from his chest.

Our surroundings fade away, leaving only the two of us. I hold on to his comforting warmth as if I’m cocooned in a soft, protective blanket. He gently rubs my back up and down, providing a soothing touch. My body melts into his, and I allow it. Just for now. I need this and I’ll use him to give that to me. I hate them, but why are those words becoming harder and harder to believe? Despite being the most feared men in Daring, they somehow manage to make me feel safe. Because I’m just like them. I’m a killer. The once-confined monster has finally been unleashed from its cage. There’s no turning back, and I won’t give up until my brother is safe.

We stay like this, in silence, for what seems like both a second and a lifetime. While a storm rages inside me, Hazen simply holds me, providing a sense of calm amidst the chaos. I don’t want to understand what’s going on because that means going deeper, unlocking all the shit I buried so far down inside me. I need to forget what happened tonight. The piercing scream from Gavin as my knife slid across his neck. Watching him take his final breath and leave forever. I have to bury it with the rest of my trauma and forget. For Alec. I have to make him my focus and I can’t do that wallowing in regret. It will distract me, and I can’t afford to have anydistractions.

Eventually, I pull away, and the world around us comes back into focus. Gage has vanished, and his car that I drenched in alcohol along with him. Lucas leans back against his car, his unwavering gaze fixed on me, observing my every move. The lights from the gate and security box cast a bright glow on him and his car.

“You good, little thorn?” he asks as he brings a joint to his lips and lights it up, the flickering flame casting a warm glow on his face.

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