Page 67 of King of Cruelty

“My folks figured he must’ve been talking about his bio mom and dad. That maybe he convinced himself that they didn’t die in a tragic accident, and they were actually murdered. He was avenging his own delusions.”

“But of course, there was no way to find out what he was thinking after he died,” Kenzie said. “But what about everything else that’s happened to the Merchants in the last twenty years. As in attacks that seemed random and out of nowhere. Attacks like the one on the movie theater. Maybe it wasn’t a rival gang.” She met my eyes over her shoulder. “Maybe it was theBrotherhood, trying to destroy another thing the Merchants created to help the community.

“If those psychos would burn down a church, school, and clinic with innocent people inside, they’d have no trouble going after a theater.”

“That’s true,” I said simply. “That’s very true.”

I thought back as we rode the elevator down. My parents only let us children into the full details of their business when we turned eighteen. We knew they weren’t law-abiding citizens before then, naturally, but all the information didn’t come until we were adults. I knew about some past attacks that none of our main enemies claimed credit for, but I doubted I knew about all of them.

The service elevator dinged for the first floor, spitting us out. I took them through the back entrance into the first-floor main hallway.

The Fairfield used to be apartments with penthouses on the top floors. My family took over the penthouses, but the bottom floors remained empty apartments that came in handy for times like this—giving our allies a place to stay.

Kenzie walked up to the first door on the left and knocked.

“Who is it?” a voice called.

“My name is Mackenzie. I was hoping I could talk with you for a minute.”

The door opened a crack. A pale, bruised sliver of a face peered at me from under the door chain. “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Genevieve’s,” she replied. “You’re probably scared and wondering what comes next, and that’s why I’m here. The family isn’t going to throw you out onto the street to fend for yourself. We’d like to help you, if you’d let us.”

She shifted enough for me to see it was Debra—the woman Bee was forced to give a five-fingered sedative. But she was alsothe woman who came to in the crash, and ripped and yanked at Genny’s crumpled driver side door just to pull her out.

“What kind of help?” she asked.

“This is River.” Kenzie pointed him out. “He runs a homeless shelter here in Leighbridge with an open bed if you need it. Along with food, clothes, doctors, and therapists on hand. Did— Do you have children?”

Debra shook her head.

“Do you know how long you... were in the house?”

“I... I think it’s been...” She dropped her gaze, eyes watering. “I think it’s been seven months. Maybe more.”

“Okay,” Kenzie said gently, moving in a little closer. “Then it’s likely your job has found someone else, and your apartment—if you lived in one—has been rented out. We can help you track down all of your things. We can speak to your old boss, or help you find a new job. Whatever you need, you just let us know.”

I stood beside Kenzie, just marveling at her.

Maybe it was the big sister in her. Maybe it was motherhood. Maybe this was just who she was. There was something about this gorgeous, sweet woman that made you feel safe and cared for. When Mackenzie Blaine said you could count on her... you believed her.

“Why?” Debra rasped. The door shook in her hand, bumping up against her cheek. “Why would you do all of that for me? Why would you care?”

“Because Luca Adams kidnapped my child and tried to sex traffic me,” she replied, popping Debra’s brow up. “He was a monster. Truly the lowest form of reptilian slime, and he would’ve destroyed my life if the Merchants hadn’t rescued me. Now I’ll make it my life’s mission to destroy his.

“Luca wanted to bring pain and destruction to every woman that crossed his path. I want to make sure his legacy is just as much a failure as he was.”

Debra was quiet for a long time.

“Thank you,” she said softly, “for sharing that with me. I do believe you want to help, but I’m a grown woman in my forties. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, and to stop now would mean admitting to myself that I let those men make me helpless, and like you, I will prove them wrong.”

“I understand.” Kenzie didn’t push her. “I’ll leave you in peace.”

“Wait, no,” Debra cried when she turned to go. “That name you said. Luca Adams. I heard the men say it while I was in that place, but I never knew who that was. Did he do this to me? Was he the reason I was taken?”

“That house was owned by Luca Adams, yes. He was the leader of a sex-trafficking and child-kidnapping ring.”

“And you knew him?”

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