Page 29 of King of Cruelty

I was shaking my head before he finished. “He doesn’t have the power or authority to fire people. He didn’t have that power over a junior designer, he definitely doesn’t over the director of Caddell House Cinco City.”

“He would if he was secretly in the Brotherhood,” Bane returned. “Backed up by an army of psychopaths, you could deliver a lot of effective threats.”

“Bro, if that shitfuck is in the Brotherhood, why is he living the good life in New York when he should be fighting the good fight here in Cinco with his brothers?”

Bane inclined his head. That was a good point.

“Guys, please,” I rasped, rising up on my knees. “You don’t have to dance around his name. You don’t have to protect me. My broken-picker chose another fucking winner. Damien Frost, father of my child, used the Merchant name to scam millions out of innocent people. And because that wasn’t enough for the greedy fucker, he seduced Talia for her money, and then destroyed my life when he thought I’d get in the way of it.

“You said you have to understand people to destroy them, but your enemies can say the same. The Brotherhood knew cheapskate Vance would jump on any opportunity to save Caddell House from more scandal and lost sales, so he sewed those damn trackers into your clothes instead of going to the real police.

“Just like they knew money-grubbing Damien would do what money-grubbers do, and trade his integrity, decency, and innocent people for a quick buck.” I tossed my head. “Sometimes the money-printing machine isn’t anything amazing, or clever, or impossible. It’s just two weak men with shit morals for a backbone.”

“Kenzie.” Bane dropped down before me, taking my hand. “I admit that none of this looks good, and there’s no question that deadbeat piece of shit deserves the ass-kicking of his life, but why are you so sure he’s behind all of this? The Brotherhood already had a plant inside Caddell House—Madison.

“That woman scammed thousands off the pain and suffering of desperate mothers and kidnapped children,” he said. “Shecould’ve just as easily stolen that money and blamed her hated enemies, the Merchants.”

Another headshake. “Madison wasn’t a plant. I worked with her, Bane. She’s the real deal. Truly a talented designer, and that’s something you can’t fake. She earned her place in Caddell House, that much I know and...” I hesitated. “As crazy as this sounds, I don’t believe she’d steal from suppliers or Caddell.”

“Why not?”

“Because Caddell House gave her everything she lost when Daddy kicked her out the door,” I said, gaze drifting off over his head as I pictured that terrible day in Madison’s life. “Thanks to Caddell, she has money, prestige, the right address, and the right social circles again. She’d never risk losing that all over again by stealing from Caddell, and I know that because it’s what her mother would do.

“And if there’s anyone in this life that Madison hates and never wants to be, it’s the mother that lied, cheated, and stole from everyone... including her own daughter. She robbed her daughter of a fancy privileged life, and then she robbed her of a mother.” I spoke with the certainty brimming in my bones. “Madison hates her mother, and that’s why she’s been getting back at her bysavingkids from versions of her mother for years,” I said.

“I know your mom thinks Madison didn’t hide her involvement in the Sunshine Adoption Agency because she’s an idiot, but I think it’s much deeper than that. She didn’t hide because she’s not ashamed. She truly believes she’s the hero in this story, saving kids from poverty. Saving them... like she wanted to be saved.”

I released a deep breath. “She can’t pretend she’s achieving her grand mission through scamming innocent people and stealing from Caddell, so no, Bane, it’s not her.”

Sunny broke out into a grin. “See, bro?” He rubbed my back. “I told you she’s good.”

“I know she’s good.” Bane smiled at me, sending my heart cartwheeling into my throat. “I’ve met her, haven’t I?”

Sunny tickled me. I shot away yelping and giggling. “Tell him the rest, beautiful.”

“The rest,” I said softly, picking myself up. “The rest is Batavia. Damien did a fashion design certification program in New York after he graduated. He had an aunt who wasn’t really his aunt. She was a close friend of his mother, so he grew up calling her Aunt Della. She moved to Batavia when he was in high school, and after he moved to New York, he’d drive up and drop in to see her.

“Batavia is the location of the PO box all the bank documents are connected to,” I said. “Damien no doubt believed no one would connect Batavia to him because no one in Caddell even knew about his aunt that wasn’t an aunt, or where she lived.

“No one but me.”

“Hmm.” Bane rocketed to his feet. “Well, that’s all the proof I need to give that bastard the beating I owe him, so how do you want to handle this? Liam traced the number Genny called from and narrowed it down to a stretch of forest outside the city, but it’s a wide radius. There aren’t many cell towers out there, so we can’t narrow it down. He’s calling everyone, and I mean everyone, in to start the search, but we can’t sit on this information.

“Frost stole the money, but somehow his theft became leverage against Vance to cover us in trackers. At some point, Frost got mixed up with the Brotherhood, and whatever he knows about those faceless bastards, we need to know. He might even be able to narrow down our search.”

“Agreed,” I replied, sitting back.

The guys stared at me. I flicked between them, brows furrowing as the silence stretched.

“Wait, me?” I cried. “You’re asking me how to handle this?”

“Of course, we are,” Sunny said. “You’re strangely opposed to me kicking his skull in and dropping him off the docks. You said he’s your ex and you want to make him pay your way, so here’s your chance, baby. What do we do now?”

My jaw worked. I wasn’t expecting them to throw this to me, but I did understand why they did. I’d been entertaining Sunny’s many violent fantasies against Damien, and then shooting them down as never going to happen. Damien ruined my life. He abandoned my daughter. If anyone was going to get revenge against him, they’d have to get in line after me.

Damien Frost was my problem to deal with, and now that I knew he was responsible for Sunny being thrown off a bridge, Liam and Elizabeth nearly being blown up, and Genny getting shot at and trapped in a burning building...

Now that I knew that, I was done with mercy.

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