Page 31 of Kings & Carnage

There was a violent light in his eyes that would have scared me if it hadn't been directed at Roberto and his men.

Oscar nodded. “Guns.”

"Better food," Rock said.

"This all makes it sound like we're going to be here a while," I said.

"I think that's safe to say," Oscar said.

"We can't go back to the house as long as my dad is trying to kill us," Neo said.

"Agreed," Rock said. "And as much as I'd like to hole up in a five-star hotel, we need to stay under the radar.”

I looked around the tiny kitchen. "Well, it doesn't get much more under the radar than this.”

"I can take care of the guns," Neo said.

"We can't use Rock's credit card again," Oscar said. “Someone needs to get to a bank and withdraw enough cash from the offshore account to get us by until we figure out what’s next.”

"What about our things?" I asked. "I'm not quite as desperate as Rock, but I can't live in this one outfit forever.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting our computers back,” Rock said. “We have a lot of… data I wouldn’t want in Roberto’s hands.”

“Then we wouldn’t need new computers,” Oscar said. “We can use a VPN to hide our activity.”

“Except we can’t just go home and pack up,” I said. “Roberto will have someone watching the house.”

The room grew silent as we considered our options. I thought about Claire. She would go to the house for us and get our things. Even Mara, as far away as she was, would come if I needed her.

But it would draw attention to them, especially if they were seen entering the house and exiting an hour later with a bunch of stuff. Someone might follow them. It was too dangerous, for them and for us.

Oscar hesitated. "What about Reva?”

"What about her?" I asked.

Oscar shrugged. "We can ask her to bring us some things. She's at the house at least twice a week.”

"No way," I said. We didn't need any more proof that Roberto was dangerous than the four of us sitting around the table with two bullet holes, a broken arm, and more bruises and scratches than I could count between us.

I wasn't risking anyone else's life, especially not Reva’s.

"It's not a terrible idea," Rock said. "She could bring a stuff in trash bags. No one would ever know.”

"It's a hard no from me.” The thought of someone being hurt because of my search for Emma made me feel sick.

I half expected Neo to fight me and I was surprised when he nodded. “Then we'll find another way.”

Huh. That was new.

"What about Emma?" I asked. "We can't just go into hiding now that we know your dad is involved in her disappearance and the disappearance of the other girls.”

Neo's expression grew cold. "Were not hiding. We're regrouping. There's a difference.”

"Call it what you want," I said, "but we aren't getting any closer to finding out what happened to Emma while you’re running around trying to get guns. I think I should go talk to Mrs. Giordana again.”

"The fuck you say," Neo said.

"She's just a woman," I said. "A widow. She's completely harmless.”

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