Page 67 of Deadly Little Games

It’s no secret to my mother or me that he cheats. She’s caught him multiple times, and somehow, it’s always her fault. My mother just puts up with it. She’d rather be in The Brotherhood by my father’s side than outside and thrown to the other side of the tracks. She plays the perfect wife—just like he’s played the perfect murderer.

My father scoffs. “You wouldn’t understand. She’s nothing, just like Freya is and will be to you. You need to get rid of her before it’s too late. You are already looking weak, running around town with her and playing the hero. Remember who you are and what’s at stake here.”

My breathing picks up and I manage to find my feet. I wobble from side to side, and my father’s smug face is all I can see. He opens his arms wide, teasing me to hit him because he knows I won’t. He knows I wouldn’t dare hit the last standing leader of The Brotherhood—and once he would have been right, but not anymore. He’s wrong. He’s dead to me now, and the sooner he’s gone, the sooner we can take our rightful place as leaders and run The Brotherhood how it should be run.

I take another step forward and my fist connects with his jaw with a satisfying crack. He stumbles back a step, then a cruel smile splits across his otherwise emotionless face. Blood stains his teeth, and he runs his thumb along the corner of his mouth, wiping off the damage.

I stand as tall as I can, my ribs burning with pain, and wait for the beating of my life. I welcome it, knowing he will eventually get what he deserves. My brothers—Lucas and Gage—won’t stand for this, just like I wouldn’t either. As soon as I get back, we will plan our revenge. We will come for him.

And it’s not going to be pretty.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Freya

Ihaven’t slept since Dominic took Hazen away, and Gage carried me kicking and screaming out of the house and brought me to Lucas’s. I’m pacing his bedroom for the millionth time, wondering if Hazen is okay. Is he alive? Fuck.

“Will you just chill out?” Lucas groans from his bed. I glare over at him. He’s kicked back with his hands wrapped around his gaming controller.

“Why are you so chill about this? Hazen could be dead for all we know,” I snap, and Lucas shakes his head, dropping the controller onto the bed.

“Come here,” he says, and I huff, moving over to stand next to the bed. He takes my hand, pulling me so I fall on top of him. I shove against his chest until I’m sitting on his hips, glaring down at him.

“Hazen will be fine. I promise. Dominic won’t let it get that far. Hazen’s an heir of The Brotherhood; he can’t kill him. Okay?” he says, and I nod.

I move off Lucas and settle in next to him, watching the door closely and waiting for Hazen to come back. The door opens, and I sit up, but curse when it’s just Gage.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” he says, swirling his keys around his finger.

“Have you seen him?” I ask, and Gage shakes his head.

“But he messaged me. Let’s go for a drive.”

I roll over Lucas in my haste to get off the bed, and my knee collides with his balls, making him groan. But I’m in too much of a rush to apologize.

Gage drives us out of the private estate and through the streets of Daringville. He turns down a dirt road with nothing but forest surrounding us on either side.

“Where are we going?” I ask, sitting up straighter in the front seat as I watch the trees fly past my window.

“Just a place that we head to when we need to talk privately without anyone else around. No one knows about this place but us,” Gage says, and I hear the warning in his tone.

Bringing me here is a risk, but it also means I’m one of them now. They trust me, and that means everything to me. Now that Alec’s gone, having them by my side makes me feel less alone. Never in a million years did I think this would happen—working with and falling in love with the enemy—but fate has other plans.

We drive down the dirt road for a good ten minutes until a black motorbike comes into view, with a familiar guy leaning against it. He takes off his helmet as Gage brings the car to a stop, and I’m out the door in a second, running toward Hazen. He looks up just before I crash into his body. He groans and I pull back, checking him over. Part of me can’t help noticing how good he looks in a leather jacket and jeans.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” I ask, taking his hand in mine.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, but I can see past his bullshit answer. His breathing is raspy, and he’s leaning against his motorbike for support. My fingers curl around the hem of his T-shirt and I lift it up, taking in a loud inhale. Deep blue and black bruises line his ribs.

“I’m going to kill him,” I growl, lowering his top back down as gently as I can.

“You can’t,” he sighs out in defeat.

“But we have to do something,” I say, taking a couple of steps backward and hitting a wall of muscle. Hands grab my shoulders, holding me in place.

“I’m going to the cops,” I say, folding my arms over my chest.

A rumble comes from Gage’s chest behind me. “What’s the point of that? They’re all in Dominic’s pocket.”

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