Page 100 of King of Cruelty

I didn’t pause. I shoved away the fake bush and stood up—in the middle of another parade of goons and guns.

No less than six brothers trained their guns on me. The same number that surrounded Kenzie.

She gazed at me in misery.I’m sorry,she mouthed, knowing what I’d have to do.

Debra stormed past the empty clubhouse. Or at least, she tried to. It was better to say she slid along the clubhouse windows, straining to look tough and intimidating with a massive bandage stuck to her forehead, and dried blood running down the side of her face. Yumi had to walk by her side, holding her hands out to catch her when she inevitably fell on her ass.

I smiled back at Kenzie, tossing her a wink.Nice job.

“Give me the drive,” she bleated. “Now.”

I knew when I was licked. I passed over the gun and the drive—not saying a word.

Debra claimed it with a smirk that turned my stomach. “Take them both.”

A fist flew at my face.

Pain exploded in my skull, then the world went dark.

Chapter Eleven

Kenzie

The guy with the eagle tattoo dragged Bane over the threshold and threw him none too gently at River’s feet.

Adeline cried out, straining to get to her limp and unconscious son, but the binds around her wrists were replaced with proper shackles that attached to the metal around her ankles and bent her in half. They were doing too good a job keeping her exactly where she was.

The same guy grabbed me out of his friend’s grip and sent me flying, making me trip over Bane and tumble head over feet into the entertainment center.

“Fuck’s sake,” Sunny burst out, thrashing against his irons. “What’s your problem? You don’t have to be that rough!”

I might’ve said something about the thin-skinned dickhead being pissed because he got duped so hard, and so easily, but Debra had me gagged the minute I jumped out of my flowerpot. Breathing hard, I righted myself—leaning against the glorified television stand.

Bane wasn’t telling anyone the truth of what Debra, Jillian, and the rest of them planned to do here either. Even if he recovered from that hit in time, there was no chance because they gagged him too.

“Five minutes,” Jillian called. She, Natalya, and Maryann were rushing about the place—moving tables and chairs, setting up laptops, and shoving the Merchants and River onto the sectional. Adeline, Saint, Cash, Brutal, Mercer, an unconsciousBane, Liam, Sunny, River, and then an injured Genny were placed on the couches—lined up in front of the webcams.

Bane was treated to a set of handcuffs, but they didn’t bother with me or Genny. Genny wasn’t going anywhere, and as for me, Natalya’s gun pointed at my head was keeping me still.

Yumi helped a wobbly Debra into Sunny’s armchair. I wouldn’t lie, I felt a twisted sense of pleasure at dropping that bitch so hard, she could barely stay upright.

“You can go now,” Debra said, flapping a hand at the brutes who carried me and Bane in. “There are plenty of Merchant worshippers in this building who still need killing. Get to it.”

Eagle Tattoo hesitated. “Maybe we should stay, Mom. It’s ten of them against five of you. Let us even the odds.”

She shot him a piercing look. “Don’t you dare argue with me. We don’t need your odds, now get out!”

One of the guys behind Eagle Tattoo pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tapped his screen, read it, and scowled. He grabbed Eagle Tattoo’s shoulder. “A bunch of the Sons of Shit are acting up.”

Sunny whipped around, shouting obscenities and violent promises at them that they ignored.

“They’re fighting to take back the third floor,” the guy continued. “We have to go down and help them.”

“Three minutes,” Jillian warned.

“Do that,” Debra agreed. “Go down and stamp out those roaches. Make sure nothing and no one interrupts this auction.” Her expression softened. “This is it, brothers. After all this time. After everything we’ve sacrificed, we’re finally taking Cinco City back from these murderers. This is your victory lap. Let no one take it away from you.”

Eagle Tattoo beamed. “Yes, Mom. Thank you.”