Page 40 of The Broker

Matteo took a sip of his whiskey, then placed it down on the coffee table next to them.

“I’ll be honest. I struggled this past weekend trying to decide whether to tell you or not. But in the end, I think you have a right to know.”

Isaac’s hands began to sweat. What could possibly be so bad that Matteo struggled with telling him?

Matteo picked up Edwin’s journal and turned to a page that had been specifically marked. He hesitated for a moment, then ran his hand over the page.

“I have been going through Edwin’s journal, trying to identify entries that need immediate attention. Some things noted just can’t wait for Chase and his team to investigate and hunt down. I found an entry for a man named Mr. Benjamin Sawyer. From what we can tell, he’s a lawyer working out of the Netherlands.” Matteo looked up at Isaac for a moment, then decided to continue. “According to this journal, the man runs a fake adoption agency. He meets with couples interested in adopting a baby, finds out what sort of characteristics they are looking for—eye color, hair color, that sort of thing, then has a local gang kidnap a woman with those features and holds her captive until she delivers a baby for them.”

Isaac’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God. They’re kidnapping pregnant women, then stealing their babies?” He was shocked and couldn’t believe that anyone could be so heartless and cruel.

Matteo shook his head.

“It’s much more horrific than that. Once they procure the woman, they find a gang member with similar features and let that man rape the woman until she gets pregnant, after which they take the baby when she gives birth.”

Isaac’s heart stopped in his chest. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

Not only were these women suffering the horrors of being kidnapped and held against their will for months, but they were also being violated over and over until they finally got pregnant.

The thought of the pain and horror these poor women were going through made Isaac’s blood boil. His grip tightened around his glass as he thought of all the things he wanted to do to this lawyer and his gang of rapists.

He wanted them to suffer. To feel the pain and anguish that those women felt as they were violated and tortured. Monsters like that didn’t deserve to live.

Isaac suddenly realized that Matteo was sitting there watching him, no doubt trying to assess the reaction to this horrific news.

“I want to help you take down these fuckers and make them suffer like they’re doing to these women,” Isaac said through gritted teeth. He was seeing red and wanted nothing more than to beat these fuckers’ faces in.

Then, a thought occurred to him.

He looked at his boss with confusion in his eyes. “I don’t get it. Why was this case so hard for you to tell me about?”

Sad eyes stared back at Isaac.

“I debated telling you about this case because of who is running the gang that’s kidnapping and raping these women.”

Isaac was even more confused.

“The man running the gang is known on the streets as The Night Basher, but his real name is Declan Snake.”

Blood drained from Isaac’s face as his mind left his body. He couldn’t breathe. The room went silent, and he was suddenly sitting in a dark room, all alone, knees clutched to his chest.

“Isaac?” a voice called, piercing through the darkness and sending his mind back into his body.

He blinked for a second, not knowing where he was. Then it all came back to him. Matteo. Couch. Safe. He was at the château, safe and sound, living the life with his found family.

“Hum?” Isaac asked, forgetting what it was that they were talking about.

“You okay?”

Isaac nodded his head.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” he asked, reaching for his whiskey and taking a large sip. “I’m still confused as to why this would involve me?”

Matteo stared at him with that all-knowing gaze.

Isaac realized too late the mistake in his words. Matteo never said that this involved him, just that it was difficult to share with him.

“Because Declan Snake is your older brother.”

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