Page 93 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“A million.”

Sitting back, Kane lifts an ankle to his knee and nods. “Fair price. Not massive, but not small either. I’m flattered. Who’s looking for me?”

“I dunno,” Jay replies. “That’s what I’ve been doing. Whoever is looking for you is the same guy who runs this entire organization. He choreographs these mini-clubs; he orders the girls. He watches their transportation, then he…allocatesthem, for lack of a better word. Whoever he is, he’s powerful; he’s protected, and he’s not keen to be found out.”

“Why’d Ace approach you and not me?”

Jay’s lips twitch as he tosses another gummy in. “Probably because I’m sexier, to be honest. There’s no other logical reason.”

“Mm.” Kane runs a heavy hand over his jaw and gives himself time to think. “Why’d you bring the neighbor in? You’ve been trained better than that. You didn’t need across the street. You could’ve gotten the same results from a few doors up.”

“Sophia was mine before we came back to town.” The way he saysminemakes my heart skip. It’s not a simple word, but a declaration for the whole room. “She was my neighbor in another city; shit went down, then we ended up here.Shebrought us to that house, not me.”

“How’d you have access to that house?” Kane’s eyes lock onto mine and make my heart race. “I saw no lease signs; I saw no for sale signs. How’d you land on the exact right house on the exact right street?”

“I bought that house two years ago.” I nod when Jay’s hand squeezes mine. “I’ve been in and out a lot for work.”

Jess’ eyes narrow to slits as she attempts to stare straight into my brain. “You’re our neighbor. You’ve owned that house for two years. You were alsohisneighbor in a different city.” She sees what the guys don’t. She can see straight through to the core of what’s happening. “That’s a lot of coincidences.”

“Or maybe not such a coincidence,” I offer. “Maybe I placed people where they were needed to be placed, switched documents when they needed to be switched, and did what I had to do to catch a trafficker of girls.”

“You’re Ace.”

“What?” Kane turns to Jess in shock. “Huh?”

“She’s not an innocent neighbor,” Jess declares. “She wasn’t seduced by the sexy thug and tricked into a dangerous world. She stepped in front of him and saidcome get me.”

“Well, I didn’t say–”

“You’re Ace?” Eric leans across the boardroom table as though to get closer. “You’re his intel? But you’re… you’re…”

“A woman?”

“No! It’s not…” He drops his pen and slides a hand into his hair. “Wow, I don’t mean it like that. But yeah, I’m coming up empty, because you’re the chick clutching his hand, and I kinda expected you were brainless and were just along for a little adventure.”

“Must be disappointing thatsomewomen have brains, huh? All this free will and the ability to vote must’ve hurt your soul when they undid our shackles and told us we didn’t have to marry a man just to be considered valuable.”

“You’re projecting.” He points a finger and laughs. “You’ve got man issues, and that’s cool, because most men are pricks, but I’m not the cause of yours. I have nothing to do with the hate you have for our kind.” He pauses for a long minute. “You’re really Ace?”

I nod. “My name is Sophia Asa Solomon. I’m also Ace. And I’m really fucking smart.”

“How do you get your intel?” Spence leans against the wall and studies me so hard, I feel the heat on the side of my head. “Someone feeding you?”

“I’mfeeding me. I’m inyoursecurity center; you got the gun range and a blonde who likes to visit your bed. I’m inhis.” I point at Kane. “Also has a thing for blondes. I’m in Checkmate’s; I’m in your houses; I’m in the local PD. I’m anywhere I need to be; I listen to conversations all day long, then I take what data I need, feed it to whoever needs it and order a hit on whoever needs to be taken out.”

“No way!” Andi leans forward; where fear should be in her eyes, excitement shines. “You order hits on men. That’s illegal, right? Like, super illegal.”

Riley chuckles. “That’s murder, Dee. That’s straight up fucking murder.”

“Nobody called it murder five minutes ago when Jay said he made the hits. Nobody bats a lash because it’s Jay, but then you find out it was me who ordered it, and suddenly we’re growing a conscience?” I sit back and fold my arms. “You’re not a cop anymore, Cruz, and I’m not sorry for my choices. I don’t hurt anyone who didn’t hurt an innocent first. I’m exterminating, not murdering.”

“The law would beg to differ,” Riley says easily. “But let’s leave that to hang for a moment; define ‘you never hurt an innocent.’ Who do you hit?”

“Men like Aguilar,” I snap. “Like Neal, like Corrin. I’m working my way up their chain in search of their boss. CAB.”

“What’s CAB?” Finally, Kane speaks again. “What’s that?”

I turn and stare into eyes identical to the pair I’ve fallen in love with. This was supposed to be about Ellie, but now Jay’s here, and he’s changing the game. “CAB are initials, I believe. I think that’s the man who runs this empire of clubs. He’s the one who orders girls, abuses them, then sells them to someone else who’ll abuse them.”

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