Page 38 of Lone Wolf

She gives a short nod, and I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words for a story I’ve never fully told anyone.

“I had a sister,” I begin, and my voice already threatens to break on those simple words. “Marisol. She was two years older than me. We grew up in a…well, it wasn’t a good situation. Dad was a low-level enforcer for a cartel. Mom was an addict. Mari and me…we took care of each other.”

I pace to the small window, staring out at the rain-slick grounds of Elysium without really seeing them.

“When I was sixteen and she was eighteen, she tried to get us out. She had a plan, saved up some money from odd jobs, thought she could get us to my aunt’s in San Diego.” The memory of that night stings like a fresh wound. “But she got caught. My father…”

I stop, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “He beat us both nearly to death. And then, to teach her a lesson, he said, he sold her to a trafficking ring. I never saw her again.”

Ariadne is silent, watching me with that unreadable expression. I feel naked under her gaze, all my carefully constructed defenses stripped away.

“I’ve been looking for her ever since,” I continue, my voice stronger now. “I tried everything—police, FBI, privateinvestigators. Nothing. It’s like she vanished. Then I heard rumors about the Syndicate, about their resources, their connections to the criminal world. I figured if anyone could help me find Mari, it would be them.”

“So you joined to find your sister,” Ariadne says, not a question but a confirmation.

“Yes.” I meet her eyes steadily. “When I heard aboutthismission, targeting a trafficking ring…I thought she might be there. I thought maybe after all these years...”

“But she wasn’t. And those men, when they rushed us—you lost control,” Ariadne finishes for me.

“I pictured my father,” I admit quietly. “I pictured every man who’s ever bought and sold a girl like my sister. And I couldn’t stop myself.”

Ariadne’s expression shifts—almost imperceptibly—from interrogation to something more complex.

“Why did you take the blame?” I ask again, needing to understand. “You could have let me face the consequences. It would have been a lot simpler for you.”

She hesitates, looking uncomfortable for the first time since I’ve known her. “I’m already damaged goods. One more fuck-up won’t make a difference for me.”

“Bullshit,” I challenge, stepping closer to her. “That’s not why. Try again.”

“You’re in no position to demand answers from me, Santiago.” Her voice is soft. Warning.

But I don’t back down. “And yet here we are. You took a hit for me, Ariadne. I want to know why.”

“Because I—” She stops, seeming to struggle with the words. “Because I understand what it’s like to have a mission that consumes you. To be willing to do anything to complete it.”

It’s the most personal thing she’s ever said to me. For a moment, we stand in silence, staring at each other.

“You need to tell Hadria,” she says finally, breaking the tension. “About your sister. About why you’re really here.”

Panic floods my system. “No! They’ll kick me out, and then I’ll never find Mari!”

“The Syndicate has resources you can’t access on your own,” she argues. “If you tell them the truth, tell them it’s connected to this Mancini ring, they might help you.”

“Or they might decide I’m a liability and throw me out!” My voice rises with desperation. “I can’t take that chance, Ariadne. I can’t let her down again.”

“You won’t be helping her by getting yourself killed,” she says sharply. “Next time, you might not have someone to cover for you. Next time, you might go too far and cross a line you can’t come back from.”

“Why doyoucare?” I demand, frustration breaking through my fear. “Why does it matter to you what happens to me? You made it clear you didn’t give a fuck about me beyond the fact that we fight well together.”

“Because I hate those people just as much as you do,” she says finally, her voice quiet but resolute. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to, Santiago. I was trafficked myself. A different ring, butjust as damaging. And if Hadria kicks you out because of this, if she decides you’re too much of a risk, then I’ll go with you.”

I stare at her, sure I’ve misheard. “What?”

“If they kick you out,” she clarifies, her expression deadly serious, “I’ll go with you. And we’ll find your sister ourselves. I have…contacts outside the Syndicate. People who owe me favors. It won’t be as easy, but it’s not impossible.”

I’m speechless. Of all the things I expected from Ariadne, this offer—this promise—was the last thing I could have imagined. Not just protecting me, but committing to my cause, risking her own position for a mission that isn’t hers.

“But…why?” I ask, bewildered.

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