Page 57 of Kings & Carnage

"You won't have to worry about a repeat of that incident before you left the house," Reva said behind me. "This place is battened down like Fort Knox.”

I wasn't surprised she knew about the home invasion or the added security in the woods.

I’d been right: Reva clearly knew everything.

"It's weird to think of them out there, isn't it?" I asked without turning around. The light I'd seen disappeared, either shut off or pointed in another direction.

"Not as weird as worrying about the four of you unprotected here," Reva said.

"You have a point," I said. I turned around and moved away from the window. No point obsessing over the fact that the woods were teeming with Rafe's men. I would have to get used to the idea. "Where are the Kings?”

"Sleeping probably," she said. "Rock and Oscar went upstairs right after I got here. Neo was talking to Rafe for a while, but he went upstairs afterwards. They left that for you.”

I followed her gaze to the new phone, still in the box, on the island.

I had mixed feelings about opening it but I reached for it anyway, thinking about Claire and Mara. It was time to get back to reality.

Ready or not.

Chapter28

Willa

We’d been home about a week when I heard a commotion in the kitchen. I put my book down and got up from the couch, then slapped Oscar's hand away as he pinched my ass.

We were all enjoying the luxury of having so much space and I'd taken to reading on the sofa while the Kings played video games.

"Don't be long," Oscar said, leering at my ass, hanging out of my booty shorts.

They were totally inappropriate for January but the house was warm, probably because the Kings were just as happy as I was to be in a well-insulated house after our time at Daisy’s.

"Yeah," Rock said, his gaze still on the video game he and Oscar were playing, "you know how Oscar likes to give you spankings.”

It was pathetic that just the thought of it made me wet.

Sometimes I really hated myself.

I followed the sound of Neo's angry voice and a tinny voice coming from the intercom at the gate.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He’d been working out in the gym, trying to stay in shape between fights, and I tried to focus on the fact that he was glaring at me instead of the fact that his chest was bare over basketball shorts, sweat glistening on his muscled pecs.

Fuck me and fuck me again.

"Claire is at the gate," he said accusingly.

I bit my lip. This was definitely my fault. I’d texted Claire and Mara with my new phone, making up some bullshit excuse about why I’d been incommunicado. I’d had a feeling neither of them bought it but I didn't dare tell them the truth for fear of involving them in what was obviously a deadly situation.

That Claire was at the gate — demanding to be let in from the sound of it — was just a testament to her loyalty. I didn't doubt that if Mara were closer, she'd be down at the gate demanding to be let in too.

I shrugged. "Let her in.”

"If we let her in, we have to explain the security situation," Neo said.

"Obviously," I said. “But what's the alternative? I mean, we have no idea how long it's going to take to figure out who's working with your dad. Don't you think people will get suspicious if we lock ourselves on the property and refuse to tell anyone why?”

His expression grew stormy. "We didn't discuss this.”

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