Dragon stops short, staring at the captive with a stunned expression.
“Finn?” The name escapes Dragon in a breath, barely audible.
The young man’s lip curls in a sneer. “Fuck you,” he spits, blood flecking his chin.
I glance between them, confusion momentarily displacing my concern for Kayla.
Dragon runs a hand over his face, suddenly looking older than his years. “Kit really dragged you into this?” he asks, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Finn just glares, his silence as hostile as his words.
Dragon turns away, pacing toward the far wall. I’ve never seen him this rattled, this uncertain. He’s always the calm one, the rock that anchors the rest of us. But now he seems almost lost.
“I need to know what’s going on, Finn,” Dragon says finally, turning back to face the captive. “I need to know where Kit is hiding.”
He just laughs, the sound harsh and bitter. “Kiss my ass, Henry. You don’t get to play the concerned big brother now.”
Big brother. I stare at the young man in the chair with new understanding. The resemblance is subtle but unmistakable now that I’m looking for it. It’s not just the eyes, it’s the shape of his jaw, his nose, that mirrors Dragon’s own features.
“What do you want to do?” Gray asks quietly. “I can apply some pressure, get him to talk.”
Dragon looks at Gray like he’s spouted a second head. “We’re not going to torture my brother.”
“Jesus,” I mutter, unable to help myself. “How many brothers do you have?”
Dragon turns his glare on me, and I raise my hands in a placating gesture. This isn’t the time or place for that particular line of questioning, no matter how curious I suddenly am about the Bryant family tree.
“Finn’s just a kid,” Dragon says, his voice low but intense. “Kit’s dragged him into something he doesn’t understand.”
“He doesn’t look like ‘just a kid’ to me,” I observe, glancing back at him.
Dragon’s jaw tightens, but before he can respond, Finn’s voice cuts through our hushed conversation.
“Hey, Viper,” he calls, a taunting edge to his words. “How’s the plant lady doing?”
I turn slowly, a chill creeping up my spine at the mention of Kayla. Finn’s lips curl into a smirk that reminds me so much of Demon it makes my blood run cold.
“I’m sure you’re doing a really good job keeping her safe this time, right?” he continues, his voice dripping with mock concern.
I take a step toward him, hands clenching into fists, but Gray’s firm grip on my arm stops me.
“Don’t,” he warns quietly. “It’s what he wants.”
I know Gray’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier to resist the urge to wipe that smirk off the kids face. Instead, I focus on the more pressing concern; Kayla’s safety.
“I‘m going to check in with the men watching Kayla,” I tell Dragon, already moving toward the door.
Gray nods, his expression troubled. “Go. We’ll keep working on him. See if we can get any more information from him.”
“We’d have more luck asking for help from the devil himself,” Dragon mutters, his voice so low I almost miss it.
Deciding to just head over to Kayla’s myself, I stride through the clubhouse, barely resisting the urge to break into a run. I’ve spent two years preparing for this moment, two years waiting for Demon to make his move. And now that it’s happening, all I can think is that I can’t fail Kayla again.
Not this time. Never again.
24
Chapter 24