Merciless Hunter (Dark Syndicate 4)

19

Aiden

As I finish providing the update on this morning’s findings, Massimo, Dominic, and Tristan gaze back at me with stunned expressions on their faces.

We’ve been in Massimo’s office at D’Agostinos Inc. talking for the best part of an hour about what I discovered.

I came straight here after I unrestrained my little captive and laid down the law for her. I knew the guys would be waiting for an update, so I didn’t want them waiting longer than necessary.

Of all the things I’ve discussed, I’m sure Massimo and Tristan are most shocked to hear I was an enforcer for the Order. I ended up telling them about my suspicions too over who betrayed me. It was part and parcel of the full story, so I had to share it.

When I told Dominic the other night it was hard. Talking to the others was harder because I’m not as close to them as I am with Dominic. I felt, though, they finally needed to know the full story as it would give them context to my beliefs about Jude’s involvement in knowing where Aleksei might be.

Massimo steeples his fingers, looks at his brothers, then at me.

“I think we need to focus on what could be on Jude’s files,” he says and Dominic nods.

“Me too,” I agree. “It could have the answers I seek.”

“Then that’s where the bulk of our focus should lie.”

“I will help with the files,” Dominic cuts in.

I was hoping he would say that because he’s the only other guy I know like me who can hack through those files.

“Thanks,” I nod.

“Tristan and I will continue to work with Gibbs and look for Pearson,” Massimo states. “We’ll keep all our men on the streets looking and involve the rest of the Syndicate if we get into next week and we’re nowhere forward. Or if the shit hits the fan and Jude comes to L.A.”

“If Jude comes to L.A. I will deal with him,” I state firmly.

“Aiden, we’re a syndicate for a reason. This pursuit might be about finding your son, but it became Syndicate business the second we knew the Order were involved and enemies were still at large. That takes me to the other point of discussion—your men.” Massimo raises a brow. “If one of them betrayed you before, there’s no doubt they’ll be feeding Jude information. You won’t know that for sure until you start checking things out and can exclude them, or if he makes his presence known in L.A. and comes directly to you. You said yourself, you can’t discount the possibility that the girl could have been sent to kill you. I agree and I think we should keep this between us, or at least give your men information on a need-to-know basis.”

He’s fucking right, except I think we’ve gone past that mark of being careful. I already had to brief my men about the situation with Jude. I had to because they knew too much, and they were there with me when we killed the guards.

I haven’t however told them about the letter or Eric. I was vague on purpose.

That was me keeping my mind open for the possibility Olivia was telling the truth about looking for her brother. If she was, then Jude mustn’t know she knows Eric could be alive.

“I agree,” I say.

“Good, so then you’ll agree to contact us if this fucker comes to L.A.”

I nod, only because my rage will probably get the better of me if I allow it. I might need the muscle the Syndicate can give me if I can’t trust Maksim and Ilya.

“What about the brother, Eric? What are your thoughts on him? In my opinion it’s odd.”

“I think it’s true. I think he wrote the letter.” The more I thought about it the truer it felt to me. “I’d still like to meet with Persephone to get more context, but honestly I’ve seen enough to establish he has to be Phillipe’s son. If Persephone doesn’t want to meet me to talk about her husband’s affair, I get it.”

“Yes, it’s understandable. Besides, I’ve met Philippe and I agree, Eric looks like him,” Massimo says.

“Me too,” Tristan agrees.

“Meeting with Persephone is still a good idea, but if it happens it happens. I don’t think it’s going to help us establish anything more than we already know, and it won’t help us determine if Eric is alive or not.”

“What if he is alive?” Dominic interrupts. “What if that part’s true and Olivia was looking for her brother? If he’s alive, or rather being kept alive, and he helped us avenge our father’s deaths, shouldn’t we help him?”

I haven’t gotten that far in my mind yet because I don’t believe in anything until I see it before me, and his membership in the Order jars me. A member is different to what I was on significant levels.