Page 28 of Hunter's Game
He trailed off, but Eden heard what he didn’t say. Merrick Mitchell had been a monster wearing the mask of a father. His death wasn’t a tragedy—it was justice.
Before she could respond, the office door opened. Darkness filled the doorway like a storm front, his expression thunderous as he took in their intimate position, casting doubt in her about whether or not their club would actually accept her as Hunter had claimed.
Hunter straightened but didn’t step away from Eden.
“You want to explain to me,” Darkness said with deadly calm, “why my Road Captain is holding hands with a federal agent in my office?”
“Ex-federal agent,” Eden corrected, falling back on gallows humor. “Pretty sure shooting your handler burns that bridge permanently.”
Darkness’s eyes narrowed. “That supposed to make me trust you more?”
“No.” She met his gaze steadily. “But the fact that I just helped your club take down the Devil’s Mark’s entire operation might count for something.”
“Along with evidence linking them to six museum heists,” Hunter added. “And the identity of the man behind it all.”
That got Darkness’s attention. He moved behind his desk but didn’t sit. “Romano.”
“You knew?” Hunter’s voice held an edge.
“Suspected.” Darkness’s gaze never left Eden. “What I don’t know is why a DEA agent spent three years undercover in her father’s club just to hand everything to us on a silver platter.”
Eden felt Hunter tense beside her, ready to defend her. She touched his arm lightly. She could handle this.
“Because Romano didn’t just kill my mother,” she said quietly, letting them hear the truth in her voice. “He’s been using federal agencies to cover his tracks for years. The art theft, the antiquities trafficking—it’s all window dressing for something bigger. Something that got my mother killed when she discovered it fifteen years ago.”
“How big?”
“Big enough that he’s got judges and politicians in his pocket. Big enough that he can make federal agents disappear without questions being asked.” She leaned forward, pulling up files on her laptop. “Big enough that he’s got another major operation planned, and he’s arrogant enough to think no one can stop him.”
Darkness absorbed this, his expression unreadable. “And you know this how?”
“Because I found his plans.” She pulled out a flash drive—one of many she’d distributed to secure locations—and held it out. King stepped up to accept it. “Hidden in Thompson’s files. It’s all there—shipping manifests, contact lists, shell corporations. Everything except the target.”
“Which you’re offering us why?” Darkness watched her with a critical eye.
“Because I want Romano dead.” The words came out flat, empty of emotion. It wasn’t about revenge anymore—it was about finishing what her mother had started. “And I can’t do it alone.”
Silence filled the office. Darkness studied her for a long moment, then shifted his attention to Hunter. Something passed between them, years of trust and brotherhood condensed into a single look.
Finally, King spoke up, taking over the conversation. “Tell me about the operation.”
After instructing him to upload the drive in his computer he already had open and ready to go, King moved to the side and Eden took his place in front of the screen and began pulling up the relevant files.
“Romano’s been systematically hitting museums up and down the coast, but these were just test runs. He’s been perfecting his method for something bigger.”
She brought up shipping manifests and work orders next. “He’s using a restoration company as a front. They go in, document valuable pieces for ‘insurance purposes,’ then create perfect forgeries.When they return the restored pieces, they swap them out. By the time anyone realizes the pieces are fake, the originals are long gone.”
“Smart,” King admitted grudgingly. “Hard to prove theft when the pieces never officially leave the museum.”
“Exactly. But this?” She pulled up another document showing massive resources being moved into position. All three men leaned in closer. “This is different. Multiple shipping containers being prepared, high-end security contractors being hired, specialized equipment being moved into position. Whatever he’s planning, it’s massive.”
“And soon,” Hunter added, studying the timeline. “The schedule shows everything needs to be in place within two weeks.”
Darkness’s eyes narrowed. “You think you can find the target in time?”
“Maybe.” Eden brought up a map showing the previous heists. “There’s a pattern to his choices. Each target has been progressively more challenging, more valuable. He’s working up to something specific.”
“And you need our help why?” Darkness asked, voice holding a dangerous edge. “Seems like the kind of thing federal agents should handle.”
