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Why are you two picturing tying me to the bedposts?

She laughed.Are you saying “no no no”?

Fuck that. I’m pissed that you’re telling me about it now when it’s time to go home.Hashtag paused, and his voice changed in a heartbeat.Eve, get down here, ASAP.

She hurried out of the room and down the grand staircase, Roadkill following.Where are you?

Kitchen.

She pushed open the door and almost ran into Richard’s cook and butler, who stood with their backs to her. Hashtag was crouched on the floor next to—

Oh my God.

“Victor?”

He looked like crap, only it was crap that had been savagely beaten. His eyes were practically swollen shut, he was missing a bit of his ear, his mouth was ripped open, and more teeth had been removed.

Whatever state she’d left him in after their encounter, this was worse.

“Someone call for a doctor!” she hollered, falling to her knees beside the wreck that had been Victor.

“They already have,” Hashtag told her. “Richard says there’s a hospital ten minutes from here.”

Victor grabbed her arm. “I don’t wish to be a burden.” His voice was raw.

Eve cupped his bloody cheek. “Hush now. We’re going to take care of you. Who did this? Theron?”

“He… he didn’t….”

Roadkill growled. “I’ll bet. He probably ordered someone else to do his dirty work.”

“I need… I need to ask you for a favor,” Victor wheezed. “Please. I beg you. I don’t know how much time I’ve got left, and I have to make sure she’s—” He erupted into a fit of coughing, and the sound made Eve wince.

She already had an idea of what was on his mind. “You want me to save your sister.”

He managed a nod. “She’s all I have left in the world. As soon as you crossed the moat, Theron decided I should be made an example. He had his men do this to me, then tried to lock me up.”

“But you escaped,” Hashtag observed.

Victor gave another nod.

“How did you find me?” Eve asked.

He gave a gapped-tooth smile. “I’m a hippo. We have a keen sense of smell, which helps when you’re searching for tasty treats. Your blood was on me, so I followed the scent. It wasn’t easy, and I lost my way a couple of times, but I made it.”

“But only just,” Roadkill told him. “We’re about to leave.”

“Dude, we’re gonna fix you up, okay?” Hashtag grasped Victor’s hand. “And then you come work for us. Yeah? Work for the good guys.”

Victor scowled. “I hate the Gerans. Even more now that they… hurt my family. Theron used them to make me do what he said. I never wanted to hurt anyone. And then he tosses out the fact that he’s had them all killed like it was nothing.”

Eve crouched lower and whispered, “What’s her name?”

“Irena.”

She gave him the most confident smile she could manage. “I will find her, okay? And I’ll make sure she’s safe. But you know what? You’re going to be around for a while yet.” She sat on the floor with him, simply holding his hand, trying not to panic about his wounds. Eve glanced up at Roadkill.They really made a mess of him.

I’ve seen worse. And those guys survived. He will too.