Page 75 of Deadly Little Hearts

I wait a couple of seconds before following her in.Hazen comes in behind me, leaving the door open.I shine my phone light ahead while my knees and hands sink into the hard dirt.The air closes in around me, and I want to get out of here as fast as we can.It feels as though the walls are getting smaller, closer, like I’ve got nowhere to go.

If I die in here, I’ll be fucking pissed.It’s no way to leave this world, in a closed-off dirt tunnel.No way in hell.

Mia suddenly stops, and I bump into her ass.

“What the fuck?Give me some warning before I’m sniffing your butt,” I snap.

“Shut up,” Mia whispers.“I’m about to open the door, and I don’t know what’ll await us on the other side.”

She twists the handle.The door creaks before light fills the tunnel.She sticks her head out and then opens the door fully, sliding out.

“Ready?”I ask Hazen, and he pushes my back without saying a word.That’s a good enough answer for me.

I grab my gun from its pouch.The cool metal rests in my palm, and I follow Mia out, exiting into an empty, brightly lit bedroom.The floorboards creak under my feet.

“Where is she?”Hazen asks, moving toward the closed door.

“In the room next door.Follow my lead.”Mia brushes past Hazen and opens the door slowly.She waves us through, and we move into a quiet corridor.Voices carry from the front of the house, but no one seems to be back here.

I push past Mia and run to the next room.The door is open, and anger rages through my blood.Freya is tied to the chair behind the desk, her eyes wide and her mouth covered in tape.Hazen moves quickly, reaching her before I do.He starts untying the rope from her bound hands and legs.

She looks at me, her eyes wide, and I fall to my knees in front of her, my hand caressing her cheek.She’s yelling something behind the tape.I rip it off as gently as I can.

She licks her dry lips.“It’s a trap!”she screams, and before I can find my feet, footsteps slap against the floorboards.

“Well, well, well.Look who finally decided to show up and rescue their little pet.”Dominic’s voice sounds like nails against a chalkboard.

I stand, pulling Freya up, trying to keep her behind me, but she rips herself free from my grasp and stands between me and Hazen.

Mia is gone.Has she betrayed us, or did she get lucky and escape?I don’t know, and right now, I don’t care—we have bigger issues at hand.Four guards fill the room, and Dominic stands in the doorway.

With a smirk, he snaps his fingers together.“Finish them!”

“Would you really order the murder of your own son?”Hazen asks, and Dominic steps inside the room, within reach of us.

“You’re still welcome to join me.”Dominic reaches out, landing a hand on Hazen’s shoulder.When he winces, I fist my hands at my sides.“Remember how things used to be, son, how we were a team.”Dominic pauses and releases a heavy breath.“I’ve taught you so much—you need me.”

I scoff, and Dominic looks at me, the corner of his mouth lifting.“That goes for you, too, Gage.You’re like a son to me.We can all lead together.”

“Not a chance,” I say, and Dominic steps back, putting some distance between us.

“Son?”Dominic looks back at Hazen, and he shakes his head.

“We may have a common enemy, but we won’t be giving up our leadership to a man who’s made so many shitty decisions,” Hazen says.

Dominic’s lip curls.“You had your chance, and since you’re not leaving this house alive, I’ll admit to one last thing.”His gaze focuses on Freya.“The town hall wasn’t the Hood’s doing—it was mine.”

Someone gasps and my ears ring.Everything around me closes in.I can’t breathe.I can’t see straight.

He disappears through the door.“Kill them!”he yells, before slamming the door shut.

Everything comes back to me, and we’re closed in the room with four guards.

“You really want to turn your back on The Brotherhood and work for him?Someone who took all those innocent lives?”Hazen says, taking a step forward and shoving his gun into its holster, raising his hands up in surrender.He’s offering them a peace treaty.

Fuck that—they betrayed us the moment they traded sides and chose to work forhim.They don’t get a second chance in my books.

“He was our leader first,” one of the older guards says, and I recognize him.He’s always been a soldier, never moving higher up the ranks.

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