Chapter 239: Unspoken Signals
When Dud stepped into the venue, his eyes did what they always did first, swept across the room. Each location run by the Black Hounds was different. He never knew exactly what to expect, since he didn’t always participate in the same place. The organization owned multiple venues, and Dud had fought in more than a few of them.
But his real reason for scanning the room wasn’t to appreciate the setup, it was to identify who else from the Black Hounds was present.
Based on how Chrono had been speaking earlier, Dud figured there was a good chance someone high-ranking would be watching tonight’s event. Yet, as his gaze passed over the crowd, he saw no familiar top-level faces.
What he did see, however, made him pause.
His eyes landed immediately on a familiar figure, Chad. It wasn’t just the blond hair that gave it away. It was the wolf mask worn by the person beside him. That same distinctive wolf mask that had been worn during previous events.
That’s Max. It has to be, Dud thought.
The connection between the Rejected Corps and the Black Hounds was no secret, and Dud had dealt with Chad Stern before. It didn’t take a genius to realize that the person placing high-stake bets, the one the Corps had been asked to assist occasionally, was indeed Chad. That confirmed it.
What’s he doing back here? Didn’t he lose everything? Dud wondered. Maybe the Black Hounds gave him one more night of indulgence before they decide what to do with him for good.
His gaze shifted slightly.
Next to Chad, the red-haired young man caught his attention. He was muscular but not fully filled out, young, still growing. But it wasn’t the build that stood out.
It was the hair.
Red. Just like Max’s.