Page 168 of Monstrous Serpent

My body goes rigid.

“Shiloh disappeared almost a year ago.” Her eyes drop to the ground. “Right after they found our older sister’s body. She disappeared a few years ago.” Shyanne’s bottom lip quivers. “Her body was found with one of her friends . . . Natalie.”

So, that’s where she got the name.

Shyanne pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “My sister always took care of us, took care of Shiloh’s medical bills. We never asked how she got the money.” She huffs a sad laugh. “Turns out my sister worked private parties for the Obsidian Rabbit.”

Rua puts the gun away, then leans against the wall. “Okay, but how does your little brother fit into all of that?”

She sniffles. “He felt like it was his fault. Also, the police weren’t taking her murder seriously. I found an employment application he filled out along with a fake ID.” She rests her forehead against her knees. “Shiloh was only seventeen when he disappeared.”

My fingers dig into my biceps. Fucking hell. He’s only a kid.

“What did Garret have to do with it?”

She looks up at me. “When I started working there, I poked around to see if anyone knew my brother. No one did. Until one day. Someone remembered him, but by a different name. Garrett was there that day meeting with one of the managers. The person pointed at him and said the last they’d seen, my brother and a few other younger looking people were getting into a van Garret was driving.”

Fucking hell.

I look at Rua, then back at her. “How much do you know about my family?”

“Not much. Garrett only ever talked about you. How he missed you and hoped to reconnect. He told me about how the two of you would build pillow forts and roast marshmallows over the stove when your father wasn’t home.”

My fingers flex at my sides, throat constricting.

Rua toys with one of his bangs. “What’s his connection to the Obsidian Rabbit?”

“I just know Garrett met up with the same manager a few times.” She pulls her knees tighter against her chest.

Rua scoffs. “Let me guess. Was it Elio?”

She nods.

“Guy’s such a creep. Like a sleazy car salesman. Figured he was running some kind of side hustle. He was always taking a larger cut from some of those private sessions he set up.” Rua looks at me, a lopsided smirk on his face. “Like that one in Miami back in January. Swear to shit, between him and Knight, I lost out big time on what I should’ve been paid.”

I glare at him. “Not the time.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got bills to pay, asshole.”

Ignoring him, I turn back to Shyanne. “If you’re still here, take it you haven’t found your brother.”

She shakes her head.

“Your brother’s most likely dead.”

“He’s not.”

I grunt and wait for her to continue.

She slides her feet from the cushion back to the floor. “One day Garrett got high, started talking about wanting to get married. He promised we’d have a good life, that a big payload was coming. That’s when I found he’d been a runner for a trafficking ring.”

Mother. Fucker.

Rua pushes off the wall. “So, your brother—”

“Yeah, he was sold. I got that much out of Garrett that night.” Shyanne wipes her eyes. “Maybe you’re right. He might be dead by now. I just . . . I can’t stop looking. Not until I’m certain.”

The room starts to feel smaller, like the walls are closing in. Sweat begins to bead on my forehead, foot tapping restlessly. None of it stopped. Not after my father died. Not after my uncle got locked up. No, my goddamn brother got involved in selling people.