BLOODHOUNDS #2: THE TAKER

Chapter 26 - EASY WORK

Kayden Grant

"Committing suicide?" I turned to see Mason walking toward me. I was standing on the headquarters rooftop, looking at the sunset.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he stood beside me.

"I'm good." He let out a chuckle, and he stood in front of me to see the face that Hugo badly beat. His face was worse, but still, I got so many cuts and bruises.

"It's been years since I saw you like this." Mason was always the person who knew me best. He understood me more than anyone else in the group, better than Asher and Blake.

"Why? You miss Blake?" I almost punched him for bringing up my past. "You know, having you here was a blessing for me. I don't even know if you are still with The Ravens." Asher said the same thing as Mason.

"Asher loves me too much to give me back to their leader." I joked, but Mason knew that was not the truth. Asher created a bloodbath to keep me in The Bloodhounds, and hurting Blake was one of them.

I chose to stay with Asher in the end because he saved me once, and I owed him my life.

Even though, on the other end, Blake was begging me to return. But there are a lot of things that I should consider if I go back to New York.

"I only invited Liam here, but those two tagged along. Liam told me that those two wanted to see you." I sighed after hearing what Mason said.

It was hard for me to leave them, but I didn't want to kill them because they were my first friends. I begged Asher not to, and they agreed to let me choose whether to be in Seattle or New York.

Besides Blake, I had an attachment with Vincent because he was the person who taught me how to hack. We bonded over our backgrounds and how similar our families were, but Vincent was far worse than me.

"It's been a few years since I saw them."

"What made you choose us? I was positive that you were going back." I put my hands into my pocket and saw the sun slowly disappearing.

"I found Asher needed me more than them."

"Why didn't you say anything before you left?" I looked down at the ground.

"Because if it means goodbye, we will meet again even though we won't be in the same circle. I always check them occasionally if I'm in the mood." Mason chuckled, and he patted my shoulder.

"You know you can see them once in a while. Asher won't be mad unless you return to them." With that, Mason left me alone.

I looked down and saw Ares just arrived with his bike. Mason walked out of the building to greet him. Mason ended up kicking Ares' bike before walking away. Ares threw his helmet at him.

I laughed.

Asher walked out, causing Mason and Ares to continue whatever they were doing.

I turned to see the gate being opened. Clyde drove his car in, and he went straight to the basement. He's going to change his car.

I went down to my office and found my phone kept ringing, and it was Tatiana.

"Hello." As soon as I picked up, Tatiana cried.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm at the headquarters, and I did boxing with Hugo. Why?" She kept crying, and I found myself walking out of my office.

"I'm just worried. I thought you just left again after hearing my conversation with my brother."

"It's just a matter of time, Princess. I don't blame him for warning you about me." I went down to the lobby using the elevator.

"But he doesn't know you. How can he jud-"

"What did he say?" I cut her, and there's a pause on her end.

"He said bad things about you, and I know you're not like that. I don't understand where that rumor originated, but he's a bloody idiot." I stopped right at the entrance door, looking up at the sky.

"He's not wrong, Mon Avenir. Everything he said was true." There's silence on the other side.

She laughed.

"That's a great joke, Mr.Grumpyface. I never knew you had a sense of humor."

"I'll have Hugo pick you up from the apartment. I want you to come down here to the headquarters." I gestured to Hugo to pick Tatiana up, and he gave me a nod before driving away.

"What for?"

"To show you that the rumors are true."

Tatiana Knight

I never judge people that quickly, mainly based on what people say.

I don't believe what my brother said to me because I don't think Kayden would be violent to his own family. Yes, he's demanding and controlling, but did he break his family's bones and burn the house down?

When I got to the headquarters, Kayden was already waiting for me. Hugo opened the door, and Kayden put his hand out for me to grab.

"What happened?" His face was badly beaten and there's a big cut on the corner of his lips. I tried to touch him but he grabbed my hand, putting it down.

"Boxing." I nodded.

"What do you know about The Bloodhounds?" He asked as he put his hands into his pockets.

"You and your friends made a tech company together. You work with the government in developing the latest technology." I smiled, and he shook his head. "No, Mon Avenir."

"No?"

"No. We do have a tech company, but it's a disguise." Instead of leading me toward the usual building, he's teaching me to the building right across it.

"Are you sure you're bringing her here, Grant?" We both looked up to see Anastasia and Asher. Asher was busy talking to someone, but his arm was wrapped around her.

My eyes landed on her hand. She's holding a big samurai.

"What is this place?" I asked as we walked through the dark marble hallway. He opened the door to his right and gestured for me to enter the room.

The whole room took my breath away. I thought I'd only seen this type of room in movies, but now it's in front of my eyes. There's a big screen attached to the wall, and people are watching it. There are so many computers in front of them.

My eyes are glued to the screen, and it's live CCTV footage.

"Look at screen number 20." I followed the number, and when I saw the screen, I screamed, causing the whole room to turn to me.

"That's what I do for a living, Mon Avenir." It was a man wearing a combat suit beheading someone.