Page 35 of King of Cruelty

All the more reason that’s the van for me.I worried my lip, thinking quickly. “Okay, just march me into the woods like nothing’s wrong.”

Bee veered us both toward the left. I held my breath waiting for someone to shout, shoot, or sound the alarm but... nothing.

“Okay.” Bee tugged the sack off. “Now what?”

I looked around as I placed my back against a massive oak tree, giving myself one less position to defend. I could still hear the brothers, and dusk’s light allowed me to partially make them out through the trees.

“Don’t worry, Bee. The first step was getting out of that hallway. There was only one way out, and it was too dangerous having bullets flying around you guys. We’re lucky no one got hit the first time.”

“So do we wait?” she asked, peeling off her borrowed blazer and flinging it over a branch.

I wasn’t too worried about anyone finding the man who used to own that blazer. There was nothing but empty closets in the hostage bedrooms. The brothers had no reason to go in looking for anything, because none of them kept a single thing in them. And besides, why would they need to go looking for Brother Rapist when they just saw him walk out the door?

“They said all the hostages are staying behind,” Bee continued, “so once they leave, we can free them, get out of here, and the Brotherhood won’t know a thing.”

I shook my head. “Most of them will leave, but not all of them. A few will stay behind, hiding in the dark and the trees to wait for my family to get here. As soon as they all enter the house, they’ll set off the bomb—making damn sure this time.” I looked away from the guys loading guns into the van and met her eyes. “Gotta assume they’ll do the same thing if they see me pop out of nowhere to lead the hostages out.

“Kaboom.”

She flinched. Bee, short for Beatrice, may have been tall and thin, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t tough. Bee was a slick and slippery fighter. Just when you thought you had her pinned, she’d disappear from your hold and you’d wake up a minute later with her boot on your throat. If I was going to take on a dozen armed idiots and a bomb, she was who I wanted on my side.

“Okay, okay,” Bee whispered, beginning to pace. “If we can’t make a move because they’re watching the place... and they won’t make a move until your brothers arrive, then... then we have a very short window to crack some skulls open.”

I smirked even as my head pounded with pain. “This is why you’re my favorite.”

KENZIE

I settled Laurel in the crib, smoothing down her wearable blanket. Ducking out of the room, I turned out the light and gently shut the door.

Padding out to the living room, I found River in the kitchen, standing over a boiling pot of something that smelled delicious.

I had no idea what to think when the third cabbie pulled up in front of the brownstone. River insisted that we keep switching cabs and take the most confusing route to throw off anyone who could’ve been following us. That meant we arrived at our accommodations well after dinnertime.

The first thing Sienna did when she stepped out of the car was head straight for the artists’ café across the street, promising to bring back dessert when she was done. That left River and me to get the baby inside, feed her, and get her down for the night while River started dinner.

With my task complete, I finally had a chance to take a proper look around, and first looks said this place was swanky.

Hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, plush white carpets carving out the living room and the dining room, a huge sectional in front of the big screen, and everything in the massive kitchen was spotless from the marble countertop to the six-burner gas stove.

“Wow, River. This place is amazing. Is it yours?”

He shook his head as I came in and hopped on the countertop, watching him cook with interest.

“It’s a friend of a friend’s friend,” he replied. “Well, it’s their income property. They rent it out to people on vacation. I figured it was better to be safe and stay somewhere not connected to me or the Merchants.”

“But does this friend of a friend’s friend know we’re staying here?” My brows popped. “We’re not doing that thing where we break into someone’s place because it’s empty, are we? Because I’ve watched enough New York crime shows to be very scared ofthe NYPD, and I do not need them busting in here guns blazing with Laurel in the next room.”

He laughed. “They definitely know we are here, Kenzie. You did watch me use a key to open the door, not a lockpick and rock.” River dropped a peck on my cheek while leaning over to reach the spice rack. “Debs said it’s cool since it’s only for one night.”

“Okay. Well, in that case, what are you making?”

“There wasn’t much to work with, so I’m making Cajun shrimp and rice.”

“Oooh,” I crowed, kicking my feet. “Sounds yum.”

River gave me a look out of the corner of his eye. “Have you thought about what you’re going to say to Frost? How you’ll confront him?”

“Oh, yes.” My smile dimmed. “I know exactly what to say to Damien.”

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