ra couldn''t say for sure if she even understood Dn. His feelings for her had always burned hot, but there was something about them that never quite made


    sense.


    She couldn''t remember how it all started-how he''d first begun to care for her.


    A dull ache throbbed at the back of her skull as her eyes locked onto something carved into the wall of the rundown house. The scratchy letters were almost hidden by grime and time.


    Just two clumsy words: "Senior Brother."


    The carving looked old, the lines uneven and shaky. She must have done it<fn98de> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find·novel</fn98de>


    herself, probably back when her vision was so bad she could barely see what she


    was doing. Now, if she squinted, she could just make out the words.


    ra drew in a deep breath. She''d always wondered: who was this "Senior Brother" anyway?


    She''d known about him for years. But whenever she''d asked Ryan or Simon, they both looked nk. No one seemed to know anything.


    Sometimes, she even doubted if he was real at all.


    But this old carving-right here, in front of her-was proof. He had existed. He''d saved her when she was nearly dead, nursed her back to health for three days in the jungle.


    She''d promised him, back then, that when she grew up, she''d marry him and stay with him forever.


    Thinking back on those words now, it felt like a memory from someone else''s life. She couldn''t even picture his face anymore.


    Grayson noticed her zoning out and finally couldn''t hold back. "Hey... about that guy you used to like whatever happened to him? You probably don''t remember how we met, right? It was at that underground fight club. You made a killing. I bet alongside you, made out pretty well too. You mentioned you liked someone, but I''m pretty sure it wasn''t that jinx."


    ra shot him a look, flexing her fist. "Call him a jinx one more time and I''ll be pissed."


    Grayson mped his mouth shut, but a momentter he couldn''t help himself. "So, what about that guy? Weren''t you searching for someone? You spent a ton of money, went a little crazy. Honestly, that''s the only reason you''d even risk going to a ce like that. The North American underground scene is a mess. If I hadn''t had the Bolton family behind me, there''s no way I''d have left with all that cash. I still have no clue how you got out in one piece."


    ra''s brows lifted. As he spoke, bits and pieces of that night started toe back to her.


    "Tell me more," she said.


    Grayson scratched his chin. "What else is there? You were kind of out of it, but you kept winning. Said you needed the money. I''m guessing you paid off some people at the club to help you look for clues. Maybe that''s why you got out okay- you''d already greased the right palms."


    "Did I ever tell you his name?" she asked.


    "No, but—” Grayson nced up, catching sight of a man stepping outside. He fell quiet and looked away.


    ra could see it-Grayson''s courage came and went, depending on the moment.


    She let out a slow breath and started pacing around the outpost, just in case there were others lurking nearby.


    After circling once, she realized it was just the three of them.


    She was about to head back when Grayson suddenly let out a scream. ra


    rushed over, half-expecting Dn to have started something, but instead, Dn was holding a snake, its patterned skin bright and menacing.


    The brighter the snake, the deadlier the poison. And the one in Dn''s hand looked lethal.


    ra''s face went pale. "Did it bite you?"


    She hurried to his side, spotting two tiny puncture marks on his palm, blood still oozing out.


    Dn crushed the snake in his hand, tossed it away, and said, "It''s nothing." Yeah, right. Like she was going to believe that.


    ra grabbed his arm and dragged him, looking for an open spot to fire off a signal re.


    They couldn''t stay here. Dn needed medical help, fast.


    But he just stood there, a little dazed and slow to react.


    "Dn?" she called, her voice edging into panic. She tried to pull his hand closer


    to suck out the venom, but he jerked away and pointed off in the distance. "Over there. Set off the re over there."


    She frowned-he was being stubborn for no reason.


    Without wasting any more time, she pulled him in that direction, not even bothering to check if Grayson was following.


    Grayson, knowing what was good for him, hurried after them. He''d lost his own re ages ago.


    ra set off the re, clutching Dn''s hand tightly, watching as the color drained from his lips. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead.


    Grayson hung back, looking like he wanted to say something but thought better of


    it.


    Someone like Dn shouldn''t get caught off guard by a snake-not with his skills. Even Grayson could''ve dodged that. So how did Dn end up bitten?


    Then it hit him. He''d noticedst night-something was off about Dn. His mind just wasn''t right.