Page 70 of Deadly Little Hearts

“Honest, every time I’ve been there, I’ve gone through the front door, messed around inside.”She has the good grace to blush and not make eye contact, thank fuck.“Then left.All his men seem to work out the back in an extra garage.”

“It’d be good to have more intel,” Gage mutters.“That yard backs onto bushland.Could have five soldiers or five hundred.”

“He wouldn’t have that many.”Mia scoffs.“And besides, you guys are The Brotherhood.You’re going to take him down.”

I stand.She’s right.We fucking are.

How the fuck didn’t Brax or Zeke discover this?Has he been there the entire time?Fuck me.

They say,like father, like son.Well, the joke’s on Dad.No one knows him as well as I do, and while I’ve sought his approval for years, I’ve finally realized I’ll never get it.Nor do I want it.He deliberately risked my life for his gain.If Kai hadn’t let slip that he’d been supplying them with weapons, we could have lost Lucas or Freya—and all because of him.

The Brotherhood protects its own—but it seems Dad’s forgotten that.Luckily, I haven’t.

And I know just what to do about it.

“I’ve got a plan.”

We’re coming for you, Dad.I hope you’re fucking ready.

Chapter 36

Lucas

Thehandcuffsrubagainstmy skin as Bear pulls me along behind them like he’s leading a horse around a barn.I’m fucking pissed off.Dominic gave them weapons.That explains the missing shipments at the dock.This changes everything.I knew he wanted us to fail, but this takes it to a whole new level.If what they are saying is true, Dominic’s working with our enemy and supplying them with guns to kill his own people.What a fucking dog.

We head north along the train tracks.I’m so close to home, but if I run, they won’t hesitate to put a bullet in my back.I have to play this smart.I’m leverage until I’m not.Until they get the rest of their supplies, apparently.

I couldn’t let them take Freya.I knew if they did, she wouldn’t come back.Kai wouldn’t let his friend back into our fold.I have to save her, even if it’s the last thing I do.Our hearts have been shattered into tiny broken pieces these past couple of months, but fuck, I’d still risk myself for her over and over.

Hazen must be losing his mind over this.The hate I feel toward Dominic?Hazen must feel it tenfold.

“Lost little puppy is now mine.Lost little puppyyyy,” Bear sings, skipping as he pulls me along.

My fists curl, straining against the metal burning into my skin.Fuck, I hate him.He’s got that look about him that screamsbatshit crazy.I’ve seen nutty before, but Bear’s got to be mentally insane; he should be locked up in the Daring Asylum.Hell, he probably has been.He’s unpredictable, and that makes it hard to guess what his next move will be.Or to guess what he’s thinking, because fucking hell, I’d hate to know.One second, he’s singing, the next, he’s pulling out a knife, running the tip along his tongue and watching me with those fucking weird bright-green eyes.

We’ve been walking along the train tracks for ten minutes, and I fucking hope my brothers are getting answers.If I haven’t heard from them in a couple of hours, I’ll be fighting my way out and back to the safety of Daringville.

Freya wanted one last attempt at peace, and I was all for it, but this news threw it all under the bus.What else is Dominic hiding?What else has he done?Is this war against Daringhood all his doing?Was he responsible for the town hall explosion?I have no fucking idea, but it doesn’t sound promising.

We stop outside of an old, abandoned train station on their side of the tracks.The windows are all smashed in, but the bars are still in place.

“This shall be perfect for my puppy dog.”Bear drags me around to the front entrance.The door is already open, and we walk into a dark, open room.Chairs line the walls, half ripped up and sitting sideways or completely broken.The stench of dust and mold fills the air, and I wish I had a free hand to cover my nose.

Kai and Zion don’t follow, leaving me alone with Bear.He brushes past me before shutting the door.Darkness surrounds me.He flicks on his phone light, aiming it at me.

“They only left one of you against me—you must be the expendable one,” I say, taunting him.

The corner of Bear’s mouth lifts, and he chuckles.“No.I’m just that good.”

“Fair enough.You don’t need me tied up, then, do you?”I say, raising my wrists.

Bear pulls out his knife, running the blade over his bottom lip.Blood drips down his chin, but he doesn’t move his gaze from mine.“Tell me, Lucas, do you like the smell of burning flesh?”he asks, moving around me.I don’t turn.I keep looking straight ahead, my pulse quickening.

“Ehhh, not particularly,” I reply, trying to figure out where he’s going with this.Who the fuck knows?

“I do.It smells divine—like burned leather mixed with sweat.And sometimes like burned steak on the grill.Fucking beautiful.”Bear jumps right in front of me, and I stumble backward, the cuffs around my hands keeping me off balance.

He grins, his bright-white teeth on full display.I shiver, wanting to get the fuck outta Dodge.I’ve smelled burning flesh before, and it’s fucking gross.The fact that he likes it says a lot about him.

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