Page 82 of The Chameleon

They all watched as people were collected and placed in large holding pens as if they were nothing more than cattle awaiting transport. Women cried, children clung to their mothers, while men struggled against their captors. But in the end, they were all unprepared for the nightmare they had somehow stumbled into.

“What the heck’s going on?” one of Matteo’s boys whispered from someplace behind Ares. Ares didn’t bother wasting time explaining.

Off to the left, another van containing eight people slammed its doors shut, then began to drive off.

They couldn’t let the assholes get away with this. They needed to help these people. But Ares also needed to rescue Matteo.Damn it!

It was at that moment that Ares was glad he had so many people willing to help rescue Matteo—even if some of their special skills involved dick swallowing and spinning around on poles. Hey, perhaps they could be useful as a distraction or an extra set of hands when it came to busting in some kneecaps.

He could see the headlines now: “Coven of strippers take down Italian trafficking ring.”

“We got to stop this,” Skyler whispered, crouching down next to Ares.

Ares agreed.

They watched as yet another group of men and women were loaded into a van.

Ares looked over at Elijah and Patrick, who were already loading their guns. They still needed the element of surprise. If they started shooting up the place right now, who knows what Matteo’s captors might do to him inside?

“Elijah, split up the squad. Follow those vans and do what you need to do to rescue those people.”

At least Ares’s squad was a team of trained killers and expert marksmen. They should be able to neutralize the situation without many causalities on their side. Hopefully, none of the people getting trafficked got hurt in the process. But realistically speaking, that was highly unlikely.

Turning to his other friend, “Patrick, you take your guys and thestrippers guildand go help the rest of those people still being held in those pens.” He nodded over his shoulder at the large boxed-off area, currently holding primarily women and children at this point.

If Ares had to venture a guess, the traffickers had probably separated the men from their families to create panic and uncertainty. Women were easier to control when they had no idea where their husbands were being held. Fear was a powerful tool.

There appeared to be approximately eight different vans being loaded on various sides of the facility. If Patrick’s team focused on saving the people being loaded into the vans, Ares could sneak into the facility and rescue Matteo on his own.

“Jared, Diesel, you guys think you can give me a hand taking down those guys?” Patrick asked, pointing toward a group of men taking inventory of people before loading them into a van.

“We might take our clothes off for a living, but I served in the British army for three years before joiningLa Maison, and Diesel here has spent enough time on the streets to know how to fuck up a dude. So, thisstrippers guild’sgot your back,” Jared asserted, giving Ares a dirty look.

Ares didn’t have time to worry about hurt feelings and “safe spaces.” There were too many people to kill and one sexy-ass Italian to save.

“Isaac and I are good with distractions—you know, in case you need someone to shake their ass in front of the scary men with guns… or… something,” Levi offered, eyes darting between Patrick and Ares.

Ares let out a groan. He glanced over at Elijah and his team of trained killers. Thank fuck he had some decent muscle behind him on this mission.

“Duly noted,” Patrick entertained.

Next to Patrick, thestrippers guildsmiled in unison. This was the third time these guys were being sent out on missions to rescue their loved ones. Pretty soon, Matteo was going to have to start paying them as security personnel as well, given the number of times they were putting their lives at risk.

But wasn’t this what family did for one another?

Looking around at the temporary crew Ares had put together for this job, he realized that while they might all come from different backgrounds and corners of the world, they were all there for him and Matteo.

Their family.

They weren’t here out of a sense of obligation or because they were being paid… well, Ares’s team of trained commandos were being paid… but still, most would be here helping him, even if they weren’t.

“What about M?” Levi asked, always concerned about his surrogate father and mentor’s well-being.

“Don’t worry. I got him,” Ares answered, pulling out a gun from his coat pocket and cocking it with a smirk.

“Wh-what should I do?” a quivering, meek voice asked over Levi’s shoulder.

Ares glanced over at the now-familiar voice. It was Jorge. The treacherous little traitor had insisted that he come on this rescue mission. Ares wasn’t quite sure if the little shit wanted tocome as a way of redeeming himself or if perhaps the little fucker planned on betraying them once again.

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