Page 61 of King of Cruelty

He kept answering me clearly, but he still wasn’t making any sense.

“Why?” I blurted.

“Didn’t you ever wonder why the Merchants invested in the fashion industry of all things?” River asked. “All of their other businesses are a front for criminal activity. There’s no chance for them to do that with Caddell House unless they rip off their designs and sell them as knockoffs, and to do that, they’d need a warehouse full of people sewing those clothes for terrible pay—which they would never do,” he clarified.

“So what happened is Killian Hunt bought the building first.” River gestured to the grand structure before me. “Then, and this is the real genius part, he invited every business school in Cinco to participate in a scholarship program/contest. Whoever came to him with the best business plan would win a hefty amount of startup money, and the first floor of this building”—he pointed—“to house said business.

“Jonah Caddell won.”

“That is genius,” I breathed, shaking myself at the wonder that produced Liam and Genevieve Hunt. “That way it would never look strange if Killian or the Merchants popped up in Caddell House one day. They are the landlords, investors, and business partners—of course they belong.”

River tapped his nose, winking at me. “Plus, with security on the door making sure people whodon’tbelong stay the hell out, they never have to worry about an ambush waiting for them on this side.”

“Genius,” I said again. “I know I’m still in the apprenticeship stage, but I’m really looking forward to the part where I start thinking like an evil criminal mastermind. Hanging around you guys is truly a master class in leaving your enemies blinking in your dust—wondering where it all went wrong.”

River took my hand, leading me inside. “Baby, you just say the word. You can take my master class any time. Trust me, there’s plenty I want to teach you.” He winked at my reddening face. “And even more I want you to teach me.”

“That is not what I meant, you dirty perv.”

River’s smirk was wolfish. “Yeah, it was.”

It really wasnot, but he got a giggle out of me all the same.

Together we stepped inside the cool, ordered lobby. I expected River to turn left for security, but he walked right up to the receptionist.

She was a gorgeous creature decked out in a gold, shimmering Caddell sheath dress and matching gold pumps.

I knew about the shoes because they were currently on her desk, wrapped around her feet.

“What?” She leaned back on her chair, not bothering to look up from her phone.

“Is Mr. Hollywell here?” I asked, stepping forward.

“Nah. He’s out sick,” she said to her phone. “All appointments with him are canceled for the rest of the week.”

Figures.

“That’s fine, I’m here to pick up my order,” River said. “Oxtail, rice and peas.”

I grasped River’s arm, shaking my head at him. “What are you doing? This isn’t—”

“Yeah, whatever.” Without looking up, she reached into her desk drawer, pulled out two visitor badges, and tossed them at us. “They’re good,” she shouted at the security guards. “Let them through.”

I shook my head walking off. “No wonder the Blonde Bandit made this place her bitch.”

River cracked up. “You can be honest, Kenzie. How much does Genny love that nickname?”

I think it was the danger we were heading straight for that made us overly chatty and giggly, because I couldn’t help but crack up too. “She’s already shown me the design for her soon-to-come Blonde Bandit tattoo.”

“Underneath the title is there a drawing of her getting her ass kicked by a bunch of doodling seamstresses?”

“Hey!” Outrage dropped my jaw. “I’ll have you know that we’re much more than doodling seamstresses.”

Actually, now that I think about it, that’s a surprisingly simple yet accurate term for what I do all day.

“We’re designers,” I barked, shoving that thought aside. “And we’re tough. More than tough enough to take on the Blonde Bandit.”

He clicked his tongue, walking past the guards and their waving metal detectors like they were nothing but moving mannequins. “Sorry, baby, but I don’t buy it. You’ll have to show me how tough you are.”

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