Page 102 of Sage Haven

His mouth floundered, his voice shaking. “It was... guys from the casino. They know I do odd jobs. They came to me with a favor—a girl. Green hair. Said I needed to rough her up and take her out of town.”

My stomach knotted. “To where?”

“A motel. Three hundred miles west. Sanele.” His words tumbled out fast, desperate. “They said she was being... shipped overseas. I don’t know where, I swear!”

Shipped.

The word clawed through my brain like rusted wire.

My fists tightened at the thought, as I asked, “How much?”

“Five thousand. Half up front.”

Five thousand. That was all it took? A price tag on a human life.

I inhaled sharply through my nose, reining in the violence thrumming beneath my skin.

How many others had they done this to? She couldn’t be the first.

“How did you find her?” I pressed, my voice colder now.

“They sent her location the night of.” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t know until they texted me. Said I had to move fast.”

They must have been tracking her. Watching her. Waiting.

But why her?

Why Sage?

It hit me. The bounty. Lucas was nothing more than a pawn. An errand boy for something much bigger.

“Which motel?” My voice was sharp enough to cut.

“I didn’t get that far. I was supposed to message them once it was done, but you blindsided me before I could.”

I stepped back, my pulse thrumming in my ears.

Behind me, Castor exhaled. “For Klay,” he said. “I took the photos we needed of Sage. Proof she’s under our control.”

“Send them tomorrow,” I muttered, exhaustion creeping in. “I don’t want to deal with it tonight. I barely want to deal with him.” I gestured toward Lucas.

Castor nodded, slipping into the shadows, as I followed to grab what I needed before returning to finish the job.

I turned, heading down the hall, but my thoughts wouldn’t slow.

I passed her room, stopping in the process in front of the bedroom door where she was and lingering far too long outside of it.

Sage.

Her boldness. Her defiance. The fire she carried, even in fear. It made her situation with Klay even more baffling.

She wasn’t the type to be drawn to men like him.

So why was she involved?

Did she go willingly? Or was she coerced?

The Ovitt brothers didn’t date. They were given women. Flashy, affluent, chosen for their status.