Page 42 of Savage Reign

I opened the messaging app and quickly read the message there, my blood boiling. Slowly, I pulled away from Mila, trying to control my emotions.

I looked down at her, wondering how I would be able to protect her by myself if we were suddenly attacked.

Fucking hell.

I reached behind me for the gun I had tucked there, pulled off the safety, and carefully moved to the door, trying to control my heartbeat.

The door barely made a sound when I opened it, and Finley came face to barrel with my gun.

“Jesus Christ, put that away before you accidentally shoot me.”

I kept the gun aimed at the fucker’s face. If his men surrounded the motel, I would take him hostage to ensure Mila’s safety. A quick look around told me he was probably alone, but I could never be too careful.

Finley schooled his expression when he realized I wasn’t putting the gun away, his sharp green eyes assessing me. Finley was younger than Maverick and me. He was only a couple of months older than Silas and had already created a name for himself in Las Vegas. His short, dark blond hair was shaved close to the scalp, adorning a few nasty scars close to his hairline that should have ended him, but I knew the fucker wasn’t easy to kill. He was about as tall as Maverick and a little wider than Silas. His grotesque frame helped him win some of the most brutal fights hosted in the underbelly of Sin City, but unfortunately for him, I fucking play dirty. I wasn’t one of those pussies he fought in the cage.

“Are you gonna shoot me, man? Never mind that we grew up together?” he asked.

“You think that’s going to save you?” I responded, cocking the gun closer to him. He didn’t look concerned. He should be. The only blood I ever really cared about was my brothers. Maverick might hesitate to kill him, under the sense of family and loyalty, and Silas might hesitate because Finley was closer to him than he was to either Maverick or me, but I wouldn't hesitate—especially to protect something so infinitely precious to me.

“No, of course not,” he said. “But I know you won’t kill me because I haven’t done anything to deserve it.” One side of his lips tilted in an arrogant smirk. “And I’m not easy to kill.”

I ignored the cocky statement, even if I had just thought it, especially since it was me he was saying that to. “That’s still to be determined. How many men do you have with you?”

“None.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to decide whether I believed him.

He let out a sigh and pulled his gun out from behind his suit jacket. I tensed, readying my hand, but he only threw it to theground and kicked it away. “You can search me for weapons if you want.”

He might be bluffing. I didn’t care. I reached out with one hand and patted him down, and when I was sure he didn’t have any weapons on him, I straightened and kept my gun pointed at him for two long seconds before lowering my hand.

“What do you want? And how the fuck did you find me?”

“Well, I was hoping to talk about this with Maverick. Hell, even Silas would do, but you’re fucking closer. And if I weren’t a hundred percent sure my bastard old man tapped my phone, I would have just called. Maverick told me to come here.”

I didn’t say anything to that. Still didn’t tell me why the fuck he was here.

Finley looked past me and toward the closed motel door where Mila was sleeping off the drug I’d given her. He couldn’t see her, but that didn’t stop from pissing me off.

“Careful. You keep looking, and I’ll fucking start shooting, family or not.”

If he was affected by my threat, he didn’t show it. Instead, the fucker shook his head, looking amused. “I never knew you to be so possessive over a woman before.”

My fist clenched, and I debated whether or not to punch him. Instead, I let out a sigh. “What do you want?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m doing you a favor. I came with information. Something I’m sure you’ll beveryinterested in.”

“Stop bullshitting around and just spit it out.”

Face serious, he pointed to Mila’s motel room. “Are you pretty serious about her?”

“Deadly.”

He nodded as if expecting that answer. “Good. Then hold on to her. And don’t let her go.”

I frowned. “What does that have to do with you?”

“My dad has been busy. You know the paranoid bastard is only looking out for himself. He took you guys in twenty years ago because he saw the potential you had. He wanted to invest in you.”

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