Page 4 of King of Cruelty

“They’re loyal to nothing and no one,” she shrieked. “You Merchants are the crazy, evil bitches. Your precious Cardinals will curse your name, Genevieve Hunt, when one is slaughtered for every day you hold me captive!”

Genny dropped her arm in shock. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. If I disappear, my brothers and sisters will know it was the Merchants. You got a taste of what happens when you defy us. What was that bitch’s name? Oh yeah, Bugsy.”

I strained to hold on to her. “Genny? Gen, what’s wrong? Help me.”

“She can’t help you. Oh, didGennynot tell you that we cleared her bar of the trash? The Cardinals are all enjoying new accommodations with the Brotherhood, and they’re not comfortable.”

“What?” I whispered, eyes widening. “That’s not— You’re lying!”

“She knows I’m not.”

Genny stood still, her face melding into the tunnel’s shadows.

“I’m your only hope,” Madison said. “Let me go and surrender to the Brotherhood. If you serve us faithfully, your Cardinals will be released unharmed—”

“Stop listening to her! Genny, grab her arm and help me get her to the car.”

Madison shouted over me. “Or you can prove everything I know about you people is true! So much for protecting the women of Harlow. It’s the Merchants over everyone else.”

“Kenzie,” Genevieve rasped. “Let her go.”

“You can’t be serious.” I held even tighter, dragging her back away from Genny. “She doesn’t just want to get away with helping the Brotherhood throw Sunny off a bridge and put abomb in Liam and Tricky’s car. She wants you to give yourself up to those bastards. They’ll kill you!”

“Of course we’ll kill you.” Madison’s amusement was back. “But only after we’ve used you to kill the rest of your family. With the Merchants all dead, there’s no reason to kill your gangs. The Cardinals will be freed, Hunt. The women you swore to protect. What’s it going to be?”

Genny shook with every word. “I said let her go, Kenzie!”

“No! You’re grieving and you’re not thinking straight. They can’t make you choose between your friends and your family. Evil psychopaths that would force such a choice aren’t going to keep their word! They’ll kill the Cardinals anyway.” I moved us back again, chilling under Genny’s dead gaze. “Trust me, Genny. We’ll get her back and question her. She’ll tell us where they’re holding the Cardinals.”

“No chance of that since I don’t know where,” Madison breezed. “I just know that we have them.”

“Kenzie.” Genny took a step. Then another. “It takes strength to put others’ needs above your own even while it destroys you. We need that courage to protect the people depending on us.” Her speech that day fell from her lips, leadening my bones. “Because there’s no forgiveness if we fail.”

“Please don’t do this. They’re your family.”

She flinched. “They are my family. The Merchants are the toughest sons of bitches in this whole damn country. I could give the Brotherhood every secret they have and it’ll never be enough to take my bros down. They will win this fight, and I’ll be back in my borough with my girls—using her brothers and sisters as target practice.

“Let her go, Kenzie. I won’t ask again.”

I tightened around Madison’s wrists, refusing to let go. Genny seized my shoulder and threw me. I hit the ground hard—chest stunned as air fled me.

Madison’s smile swirled in my vision, taunting me over the sound of the zip ties snapping.

“Good,” she purred, standing my hairs on end. “Now just one more thing.

“Kill her.”

“What?” Genny shot away. “No!”

“I said kill her! I won’t have this bitch running her mouth about me.”

“Hey, dumbass.” I pushed up on shaky knees. “My sister. And my boyfriend. And the Forbises. And their lawyers know all about you. Even if you kill me, the truth is out.”

Madison flushed a nasty purple. “Kill her!” She snatched up her dog’s leash and shoved it at her. “Strangle her. Do it now, or those biker bimbos—”

Genny flashed. She snapped the leash around Madison’s bruised throat and knocked their foreheads getting in her face. “You don’t give me orders, bitch. If anyone dies here today, it’ll be you, sodon’t tempt me.”

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