Page 42 of Hunter's Game
Assuming they survived whatever forces came hunting their combined abilities.
Assuming love was stronger than ancient power and inherited purpose.
Assuming truth could survive being reshaped by compatible gifts.
Big assumptions. But then, Eden had always excelled at making the impossible possible, and she had a feeling Katherine had too.
Especially with help from certain dangerous allies who brought their own specialized expertise.
Time to prove it.
The tablets’ indicator lights stabilized as their strategy solidified around them. Whatever came next would change everything. But this time, they faced it together.
Different bloodlines. Different gifts. Different destinies. All united in single purpose: Restore balance. Expose truth. Protect love.
Even if it meant challenging the entire system.
After all, some partnerships were meant to be. And some connections ran deeper than they could explain.
Time to show Romano exactly what that meant.
Blood dripped from Eden’s evening gown as she ran through the maintenance tunnels beneath the museum. Three shots. Three perfect hits that had changed everything. Her bare feet made no sound on the concrete—she’d ditched her heels somewhere between the collapsing floor and her current desperate sprint through darkness.
Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.Nice shooting, baby girl. Daddy’s proud.
She deleted it with shaking fingers. Above her, sirens wailed as emergency vehicles converged on the museum. She wondered how many bodies they’d find in the rubble. Wondered if any of them belonged to people she’d actually trusted.
Another text.You were right about the tunnels. Meet at the secondary location. -H
This one she kept. Hunter was alive, at least. That was something.
She reached the access point she’d memorized from the blueprints, climbing up into an abandoned subway maintenance room. The go-bag she’d stashed here three days ago waited in a ventilation duct—clothes, weapons, cash, and aburner phone.
As she sorted through the files she’d taken from her father’s office, a yellowed envelope fell from between two folders. Eden’s hands stilled as she recognized her mother’s handwriting.
My dearest Eden,
If you’re reading this, then everything I feared has come to pass. You’ve discovered the truth about Romano’s operation and put yourself in terrible danger. I need you to know that everything—my “death,” your father’s lies, even your name—was designed to protect you.
Your real name is Maya Wolfe. I gave you a new identity when I realized how deep the corruption went, hoping it would keep you safe. The Mitchell name was your cover, just as it was mine when I infiltrated your father’s organization.
Trust Katherine. She knows the full truth. And trust your instincts. They’re sharper than you know.
I’m sorry for all the lies, my love. But everything I did was to give you a chance to finish what I started.
All my love, Mom
P.S. Remember, the best covers are the ones closest to truth.
Eden’s hands shook as she read the letter again. Maya Wolfe. The name felt both foreign and familiar, like a memory just out of reach.
But she couldn’t focus on cloudy memories right now when she had a fresh batch of chaos weighing down her thoughts.
As she changed out of the ruined evening gown, her mind replayed the evening’s final moments in perfect clarity.
Shot one: The agent about to put a bullet in Hunter’s back.
Shot two: The support beam that triggered the floor’s collapse exactly where she needed it.
