Page 36 of Cruel Revenge

“You have to loosen up sometime. With the way he had you smiling yesterday, I think this husband is going to be good for you. I wish you would’ve told me about him before now, though.”

“Well, you can spend some more time getting to know him at the reception. I don’t know the date of it yet, but I do know that there’s going to be one.”

Kalani’s smile stretches wide. “I knew you weren’t going to hold out on the twins.”

I give her a flat look, pulling the stack of checks back in front of me. “They called you?”

“Well, they wanted to know what the chances were of you saying yes. I thought it would be a good idea after I got over the shock of you having a husband.” Kalani leans forward and takes the plastic succulent from the corner of my desk, looking at the design on the pot. “You should get a real one. They’re impossible to kill.”

“I’m not going to do that. I don’t have time to care for a plant.” I gesture to the stack in front of me. “Did you have something that we needed to talk about, or did you just come in here to chat?”

Kalani puts the plant back on the desk. “Fredrick isn’t sure that he’s going to be able to finish moving the money this week. He thinks it’s going to take a little longer to get the full amount through.”

“I need it done by Friday. That money is needed elsewhere, which means he needs to hurry up and do it.”

She sighs. “We might be able to get that moved. And I think there’s potential to move more, but it’s risky.”

I put the pen down again and take a deep breath, pressing my fingers to my temples. “What do you think is so risky about it right now? We’ve been moving millions of dollars for the last four years, and there hasn’t been a problem yet.”

“Some of the ones not involved are starting to get curious. I’ve had them moved to another project, but I don’t want them to come poking around, and I doubt that you do, too. The DEA already tried to bust the laundromat.”

“We don’t have to worry about them. Joshua has them in his pocket.”

Kalani laughs as my phone starts to ring. “I knew you would marry well.”

I grab my phone and swipe my thumb across the screen. “Hello?”

“There’s been an attack,” Royce says, his tone gruff. “I’m at the warehouse now, but it’s not good. Zoe and the Rinaldos struck. Killed a lot of people. Torched the cocaine.”

“For fuck’s sake.” I drop my head to the desk, wishing that the impact would be enough to put me out of my misery. “Tell me that you’ve already called Aiden, and I don’t have to be the one to break the news to him.”

Royce chuckles. “Why would I be the one to tell him? He’s been even more of a bastard since the new year, and you’re about the only one he listens to anymore. And you’re the one who still keeps a clear head about this kind of shit.”

“Is the cleaning crew on the way?”

“Yeah. But it sounds like there was another minor attack at the same time. They’re doing cleanup there first, and then they’re on their way here.”

I lift my head and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Then call in the second team.”

“They’re not as good with disposing of the bodies.”

“We don’t need them to dispose of the bodies. We’re going to use those bodies to send a message.”

Royce looksup as Kalani and I get out of the car at the torched remains of the supply house.

“Took you long enough to get here.”

I scoff. “You have got to be kidding. You’re the one that’s too much of a pussy to call Aiden, but I’m the one who gets shit on for getting stuck in traffic?”

He sighs and nods to the house and the bodies strewn around the lawn. “The ones to the right are Rinaldo’s men. They attacked while the watch went to the washroom.”

“I’d like to know why the hell the watch didn’t get a replacement before he decided he couldn’t spend another moment without his dick in his hand.”

Joshua appears around the side of the charred house. “Are you talking about me again? That’s sweet.”

I scowl and cross my arms. “What the hell are you doing here? This isn’t any of your business.”

Royce tucks his hands in his pockets, nodding to the cop car that passes. “I called him. I thought if we lost nearly five million dollars in supplies, the man who supplies us with the cocaine should probably know we’re going to need more.”

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