“Damn skippy we are!” She looks at me with rounded eyes then. “I... um... want to share a thought with you—just please don’t get mad. Hear me out, bestie?” Her gaze flashes with something I can’t place.
“Lay it on me.”
“Knowing what we know now, it changes things, yeah? I mean—the guys. They were forced to do it. They feel hella bad too, I can tell. I think you should consider forgiving them. There are no more secrets, true? I just...” She sighs, then smiles at me.
“Val... damn. Much easier said than done. Every time I look at them, I see you, still and bloody in the gym. I can still viscerally feel my soul being yanked from me. The worst agony I’ve ever felt, and that's with all the abuse. I don’t know, honestly. I want to forgive them, but I just can’t yet. I need time.”
She hugs me, kissing my cheek. “Thanks for hearing me out. I so get it, girl! Forgiveness is hard. But I know your big old heart can tackle it. Have faith, okay?”
I kiss her back on the cheek. I adore this girl. I say it all the time, but I truly feel she’s my female soulmate. We were meant to be best friends—hell, more like sisters. The love I have for her grows every day. I am so thankful for her!
Chapter 38
Purge
I'min a particularly dangerous part of the Dark Web. I'm tracking a potential lead on the identity of the seventh family.
There is some chatter in a Reddit-type message board about mafias in general. There’s a subject of “Names of Families” I’m scrolling through, checking for any names I’m unfamiliar with. I’m looking through Bratva first. I don’t see any names I haven’t heard of in some way. I move to a subcategory of Secret Mafia names.
I skim the list and contents, stopping when I see “Legend of Six Families?” The fuck is this? Our little group is supposed to be a secret.
I click in, reading every post. The first one says, “So anyone know who the six families are?” Posted by an anonymous name, of course.
Underneath, I see people wanting to know the same thing. Then a post pops up, and my jaw unhinges. “Franco, Volkov, Aslanov, Barbieri, Petrov, Marino”. The comment attached to that one reads, “Three & three, huh? Interesting”.
It's the one after that has me pushing up from my chair. I start screenshotting like crazy. “I have on good authority there’s a seventh”. I read the name, and frown. It's the same name Harris and I came across—though I've never heard of that family before. Wait. Actually, I’ve heard a whisper or two at some point.
I back to my Dark Web search engine. I pop the name in and wait for the list to come up. I click on everything I find, reading all that's there.
It's an hour later when I stumble on something utterly shocking. That family has... well, had...
Wait... no. It has to be a coincidence.
I scan the dates, and they add up.
Oh my God.
I think I might’ve found who my girl actually is. My blood feels like it’s on fire—it’s difficult not to shout this out for her to hear.
“Harris!” I scream. “Get over here!”
“What? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” I point at the screen with a shaking hand. He reads it, and falls into the table, catching himself from face-planting. “I can’t believe it. If this is true... I have to wait for Jax to call me, but I'll ask him to hand this over to his hackers once I do hear back. We need definitive proof. Don't say a word to the girls, hear me?”
“I wasn’t going to. It makes sense, in a twisted way.”
“I’m getting plans being made for us as we speak. We should be planning to get the fuck out of here by tonight, at the soonest.”
“Damn! I guess I’ll go pack some shit. Want me to inform the others?”
“Yes, please. I’m still connecting dots in the files.”
I double-check that I’m closed out of everything before shutting the computer down, not wanting prying emerald eyes to find anything right now.
I get up, stretching my sore back. It’s almost go-time. I don’t know if I’m more scared or elated.
Hunter
It's time.
