Page 36 of Lone Wolf

And the lie she told for me.

Why would shedothat?

“Santiago.” Scarlett’s voice cuts through my thoughts. She made me ride with her again on the way back, taking shotgun. “We’re here. Let’s go.”

I nod numbly and climb out of the vehicle. The rain has slowed to a drizzle, but the sky is still thick with clouds, making dawn look more like dusk. The Syndicate’s medical personnel are already escorting the women we rescued into the mansion’s treatment area. Some of the women walk on their own, leaning on each other; others are carried on stretchers. All of them look afraid.

Especially when they look at me.

“You did good work tonight,” Scarlett says, appearing at my shoulder again. She studies me with sharp eyes. “Despite the complications.”

“Yeah,” I agree, trying to sound normal. “Glad we got there in time.”

“Must have been scary, seeing Ariadne lose it.”

“I…guess.”

She gives me a long look and I’m sure she can see right through me. But she just nods toward the training wing, where all the other recruits have gone for showers. “Go get cleaned up. Mission debrief in an hour.”

But I head toward the medical center instead of the showers, drawn by a need I can’t quite name. The Syndicate’s medical team works efficiently, checking vitals, treating wounds, offering blankets and water. The women’s faces show varying degrees of shock, fear, and disbelief at their sudden freedom. And some are blank. Completely blank.

I scan their faces, an automatic response.

“Are you hurt?” a medic asks me, noticing my blood-soaked clothes.

“No,” I say quickly. “Not my blood. I’m just checking on them.”

She moves on to the next patient. I should leave, let these women recover in peace. But my feet are rooted to the floor as I watch them, wondering if any of them might know something, if any of them might remember a girl named?—

“Excuse me.” A deep, cultured voice interrupts my thoughts.

I turn to find Johnny de Luca, known as “the Gentleman” in criminal circles, motioning to me from the corridor. He’s impeccably dressed despite the early hour, his silver hair perfectly styled, his suit unwrinkled. I’ve only seen him a few times around Elysium, but I recognize him immediately.

Because once upon a time, he worked for the Mancini Family himself. Maybe that’s why he’s staying outside the treatment area. My first instinct is hostility, but I try to swallow it down. These days, Johnny the Gentleman is an adviser to the Bianchi Family—and he was the bank behind the operation tonight. So I step out of the room and follow him a few feet down the hallway.

“Yes, sir?” I say, trying to wipe some of the blood from my hands onto my already-ruined pants.

“You’re one of the team that brought these women in?” he asks, his voice low.

“That’s right, sir.” I straighten my spine a little. “Santiago. Sunny Santiago.”

“Then thank you for your services tonight, Ms. Santiago.” He gives me a warm smile. “My daughter and her partner run an extensive network for women escaping trafficking and abuse. We’ll make sure these women are well cared for.”

“That’s good.” My voice catches. “They deserve that.”

“Indeed they do.” He studies me for a moment, his eyes kind but penetrating. “This sort of work affects us all differently. Don’t be afraid to seek support if you need it.”

Before I can respond, he moves past me toward Hadria, who’s just entered the corridor at the other end. They smile and shake hands, and I hear him express his gratitude for the Syndicate’s intervention.

“It was the right thing to do,” Hadria says. “And besides, the Mancini Family has no business operating in our territory, especially not this kind of business.”

I slip away, suddenly desperate for a shower and clean clothes and most importantly, my own room. But the dormitory halls are buzzing with activity when I make my way back—recruits and full members alike discussing the mission, comparing notes, rehashing moments of danger and triumph.

When I enter the dorms’ common room, I hear a cheer go up from a group gathered around Enzo and Vanessa. Enzo’s face is flushed with pride as he recounts capturing one of the Mancini soldiers.

“He tried to run, but I tackled him so hard he pissed himself!” Enzo laughs, demonstrating the move with a flourish. “And then Nessa disarmed him before he could even blink, got him cuffed up…”

The story continues and the other recruits hang on their every word. Matty claps Enzo on the back. “I bet Hadria’s gonna fast-track you both to full membership,” he says, a touch wistful.

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