Page 102 of King of Cruelty

I could see the clock ticking down, but I wasn’t seeing a flurry of activity on her screen. Going by the confusion on all of their faces, neither were they.

Debra tapped a button on the laptop. I guessedmute. “Yumi, you did call and confirm the new time, yes?”

“Of course, Deb,” Yumi cried. “Everyone confirmed twice over. Maybe there’s something wrong with the feed. Or the audio.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the feed,” Jillian gritted. “Ichecked everything twice over. Maybe the bid is still too high.”

“We can’t come down again,” Natalya argued. “The minimum bid is the bid. End of. I bet they’re just waiting until the last second to rush their bids in. That’s what everyone does.”

“Good point,” Debra agreed. “We’ve got little more than two minutes. We’ll get our money.”

One minute left.

“All right, this is a good time to start getting your bids in.”

Thirty seconds left.

“Don’t let a smart strategy become a losing strategy.” Debra forced a laugh. “Waiting until the last second can be risky, so let’s start throwing in those bids.”

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six...

I counted down the seconds right along with Debra, Natalya, and the rest.

Frozen smiles plastered over shocked and confused faces.

No one bid a cent, did they? Not one lousy cent.

Debra spun the camera around, then smashed the mute button.What the fuck?!was written all over her face. “What the hell just happened? Why did no one bid?”

“I— I—uh—” Jillian stumbled all over herself. “Maybe— Maybe the real problem is that no one wants some washed-up, geriatric queenpin,” she burst out. “Adeline and her concubines have been out of the game for years. We should’ve started the bidding with Hunt.” Jillian shot behind Liam. “This man owns half of Leighbridge. Tell them that control of him, means control of all of his businesses. And to ensure that control, we’ll throw the daughter in for free.”

Debra snapped her fingers, nodding at Jillian. “Good idea. Liam Hunt it is. Let’s try this again.”

I looked at Liam as Debra fiddled with the camera and reclaimed her composure.

My love met my eyes—hunched and shackled as he was—and winked.

A wink? Was that really a—?

And then he smirked, erasing all doubt.

These monsters were talking about selling him and throwing his daughter in the bag too like she was a free toy in a kid’s meal and he was... smothering a laugh?

“Hello, again, everyone. Your message came through loud and clear,” Debra began. “We’re pushing against noon, and you’re tired of appetizers, you’re ready for a meal. Next up, we have Liam Hunt. Not only does he own half of the businesses in Leighbridge, he also co-operates the gunrunning business he inherited from his grandparents’ circus. Those very guns are designed and manufactured by the second eldest Merchant son.”

She swung the camera to Bane, who was beginning to stir.

“Those businesses will beyourbusinesses,” she claimed, turning back to Liam, “and we’ll throw in Hunt’s daughter for free to ensure his cooperation. Now, let’s start the bidding at twenty-five million doll—”

The door swung open, letting in Eagle Tattoo and eight of his friends.

Mute.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Debra was apoplectic—which really wasn’t good when you have a head injury. “Get out of here!”

They didn’t move.

“Why should we leave?” asked a guy with brown, shaggy hair, and a thick beard. “We’re all a part of this auction. We all want it to succeed. We’ll stay.”