he knew about the so-called mostly uninhabited island with an airstrip big enough to land and launch a sophisticated private jet. “Did you have to confront the rebels at any point? Were you or your brother injured?”
“Not at all,” he said, brushing off my concerns. “Our goal was to get you the hell out of there, and back home. Jax and I know exactly how to get in and out of almost any area without detection. None of the bastards even opened an eye. Personally, I would have loved a confrontation, but that wasn’t the plan. We were in and out quickly while they slept.”
Hudson sounded highly disappointed about the fact that he couldn’t shoot every single one of the rebels, but I was relieved. “Do you think the Lanian government will catch them?” I didn’t like the fear I could hear in my own voice.
Instinctively, I reached for the dragon pendant I’d always held onto when I needed an emotional boost, only to come up empty-handed.
Even though the jewelry hadn’t had that much monetary value, those bastards had taken it from me anyway.
I lowered my hand back to my side.
“They already have,” Hudson informed me. “Prince Niklaos sent me a text that the job was done. I gave him their location before Jax and I left, and he sent his people in after he received it. They’re locked up, Taylor. I promise. None of those assholes will ever see freedom again. ”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God. They’re all completely insane, Hudson.”
“Yeah, I pretty much got that when I realized they’d executed Mark for no other reason than their warped brains,” he drawled. “Did I fill in all the missing areas of your memory?”
“Yes,” I said after hesitating for a moment. It wasn’t like Hudson could give me any information about what had happened during those last few, mostly lost days when I’d drifted in and out of reality before he and Jax had gotten there. “I wish I could have been awake to meet Prince Niklaos. What was he like?”
I’d seen an occasional picture of the young crown prince, and I knew he was responsible for many of the changes taking place in Lania, but it would have been interesting to meet him in person.
“Helpful,” Hudson said carefully. “He worked with the director of Last Hope to get a doctor and medical supplies to our location before we boarded the boat, but I can’t say I completely trust him after what happened. It’s hard to say whether or not he suspected that there were still guerilla forces in Lania, but I certainly hope he didn’t when he allowed my team to enter his country on an exploration. My brothers and I don’t exactly have a great history with Lania since we had to do multiple missions there to rescue hostages when we were in Special Forces. But like everyone else, we did think the country was safe now. And he was supposedly trying to find you, but that wasn’t good enough in my opinion. It will be a very long time before any of my employees puts a single foot in that damn country again, if ever.”
He went on to explain about the delay in him finding out about the kidnapping, and how Harlow had gotten released.
I watched Hudson’s face as he spoke, and it was impossible not to see the haunted look in his eyes. Somehow, I knew he was taking the entire responsibility for what had happened onto his very broad shoulders. I sensed that it wasn’t easy to gain this man’s trust because he’d seen far too much, experienced way too much of the ugliness in the world.
If there was anyone who would get that, it was me, which is probably why I could see it in Hudson without really knowing him that well. “Do you think it was just a one-off incident by a bunch of crazy, leftover rebels?” I asked.
“Christ!” he cursed as he raked a hand through his dark hair. “I hope so.”
“Tell me more about Last Hope,” I requested. “How is it that nobody really knows they exist?”
Now that my head was more together, I believed every word he told me about Last Hope. I just had no idea why a billionaire mogul like Hudson would be involved. Actually, why in the hell had he gone into the military in the first place?
Montgomery Mining had been the worldwide leader in mining for a long time, probably way before