Page 109 of Brooke's Bliss
Kingman stopped yelling and turned his way.“All right,where is it?”
He had to buy Henry time.If it was Henry.No.It was Henry.It had to be Henry, and he would get them out of this situation.
If Brooke was alive, he had to buy her time, and he had tobelieve that at least someone else in that barn was alive or Henry would goabout this entirely differently.He wouldn’t sneak in while his wife and childwere lying cold on the ground.He would torch the place and not care.So if hewas being careful…there was a chance.
Shane had learned a bit about acting in his weeks helpingBrooke at the theater.You sold a scene with more than words.He let his jaw gotight and hoped he looked like he was thinking things through.“I think I sawhim working on it this morning.We’re out in the foreman’s house.We haven’tbeen in the dorms for days, which is why it wasn’t in the safe.”
Kingman nodded, and two of his guys took off.
“And tell Jones to get his ass back here when he’s donebagging those bodies,” Kingman called out.
Shane needed to thin the herd.Maybe send some guys forHenry to handle.He wondered if Jones had already been dealt with.
Shane cursed under his breath.
“What?”The girl who’d come along was the same one who’dquestioned him at The Trading Post the night after they’d made things officialwith Brooke.If he’d caught sight of her, he would have known something waswrong, but now she stood by Kingman.She was at least forty years the man’sjunior, but she slid an arm possessively through his.“I think he rememberedsomething.”
Denial might help him.“Nah, it’s fine.I’m sure it’s in theforeman’s house.”He gave her a once-over.“You know he’ll toss you into thatravine when he’s done with you, too, right?”
Her eyes rolled.“Heain’tgoingto be done with me.I’m the one who gives him what he needs.Ain’tthat right, Kale?”
“Shut up.”Kingman stepped away from her.“Where else couldit be?I’m not joking, Shane.I want that sketchbook.I can kill you slow or wecan do this easy.”
But they wouldn’t kill him until they had what they needed.Nope.They needed him alive, and he could send them off on wild-goose chasesbecause Bay took that sketchbook with him almost everywhere.
Shane let his expression go stubborn.He wasn’t worriedabout getting hurt.He could handle it, but he needed to keep them thinking hewasn’t a problem.They hadn’t even tied him up.They thought the threat of gunswould keep him in line.
Kingman slapped him again.
Shane spat blood and decided it was time to give him anotherlittle something.“Fine.We were here last night for dinner, but Bay wanted towork in quiet.He might have left it in the basement.But probably not.I can’tremember.He leaves the damn thing lying around.He’s always losing it.”
He didn’t.He kept that fucker close most of the time.
“Ned, go check,” Kingman ordered.
He hoped he was helping Henry and not hurting him, but itseemed safer for Henry to deal with them on a one-by-one basis.
He knew if he could get the numbers down in here, he mightbe able to make a move.He wasn’t ex-military like some of these guys, but he’dhad plenty of self-defense training.Enough to know that sometimes surprisebeat out training.And that there was no such thing as a fair fight.If he hadthe chance, he would stab these fuckers in the back and never think twice aboutit.
But he was still at five in the kitchen.He wouldn’tdiscount the young woman since it appeared she was the one who shot Noah.Killed Noah.If Henry had done what he thought he’d done, then two were alreadydead.Kingman sent three more out, two to the foreman’s house and one to thebasement.
There was the sound of banging coming from the west end ofthe house.
Kingman frowned.“Go check on Ned, Billy.If that assholefell down the stairs, I’ll kill him myself.”
Billy hesitated but went anyway.
Four.It was Kingman and the woman and Dennis and Andy.
He just needed to wait for the right moment.
Well, he also needed a weapon of some kind, but he couldtry.
Brooke.He had to think about Brooke and seeing her again.
“I don’t like this.Something feels wrong.”Kingman provedhe had some instincts.
“Nothing’s wrong.I told you.I checked and James Glen iswith his wife and they’re all the way in Alamosa,” the woman explained.“Andfrom what I overheard on the phone, McNamara’s girl got hurt on the playgroundand he and the other one took off running.You’ve got hours.”
