Epilogue 2 — Aiden, Five months later

I straighten up when Eric walks into my office.

There’s a troubled look on his face.

I’ve seen it before, and I never asked about it because I assumed it was due to his experience in Brazil.

People who go through torture have different side effects.

I thought that look was one of them. Now I’m not so sure.

“Hello, Pakhan,” he begins in his usual respectful way.

“Hi. What’s going on? You’ve had that look for a while now. Everything okay?”

“Not really. There was something I didn’t talk about when I got home because I wanted to look into it myself. I thought I was able to deal with it myself, but I’m not sure I can.”

That gives me pause. “What is it?”

“It’s about Robert Carson. The man who was supposed to be my best friend.”

“Supposed to be?” I narrow my eyes at his choice of words.

“Supposed to be.”

“What happened?”

He pulls in a slow, steady breath and straightens up. “It was him who betrayed me, Aiden.”

“Fucking hell.” I clench my jaw and we stare at each other, sharing the silent understanding of the sting of betrayal. “Your best friend betrayed you?”

“He did and I never saw it coming. Robert blindsided me and handed me over to Jude. He told Jude about the weapon and set me up so I’d get caught.” Eric’s eyes harden to steel. “He didn’t die in the accident. That was all part of the fucking plot.”

After the explanation of the betrayal, I’m not surprised to hear the accident was part of the plot.

“I want him dead,” Eric adds. “But I need to find him first.”

“You can’t find him?” This guy is supposed to be a fucking genius.

“I can’t. He’ll know I’m back, Aiden, so he’ll know to hide. He was my best friend, so he knows me. He’ll know how to hide from me. You have the resources to find people who’ve fallen off-grid.”

“I do, so I’ll help you find him,” I promise.

“Thank you, Pakhan.”