Page 48 of King of Cruelty

“She told me Sacred Heart was gone, and some very dangerous people made it gone. She told me not to go digging around and let it go. I kept demanding to know why, so she told me some of it, and then she told me even more when I accepted a job at Caddell House Cinco City and moved back,” he said. “If anyone ever approached me to join the Brotherhood, I had to tell her immediately, so she could protect me, and finally see them pay for what they did to Sacred Heart.”

I sat back, worrying my lip. “But... But if your aunt is still looking for the real people behind the Sacred Heart fires, then Adeline will be too. If she didn’t find them already. Your sister may have tracked down members of the Brotherhood years agoand had no idea,” I told River, grasping his arm. “Did she ever talk... to you... about...?” I trailed off at his headshake.

“There’s a lot my sister and I haven’t talked about,” he said simply.

“Well, then we fix that.” I got to my feet. “Now.”

Crossing to Damien, I put his baby in his arms, and then went to pick up mine. “Let’s go, Si. We’ve got to talk to Adeline, and tell the guys what’s going on. Sunny in particular is going to want another conversation with Vance Hollywell.” I quickly rushed to Talia’s office and knocked on the door. “We’re leaving now, Talia. Thank you so much for your help. We’ve got everything we need.”

She opened the door as I turned away. “Thank you for coming, Kenzie, and... I’m sorry.”

Pausing, I met her eyes. “I’m sorry too.”

Five words, and inside, I felt the gaping wound that was ripping longer, and infecting deeper... finally begin to heal.

River, Sienna, Laurel, and I were almost to the door when I heard—

“Kenzie, wait,” Damien called. “Listen, about how I handled every—”

“Save it,” I sliced off. “If I ever see you again, it’ll be because I’m pointing and laughing at you while you’re living in a dirty tent under an underpass—crying over the child you never get to see.” My glare pinned him through. “So you better fucking hope I never see you again.”

With that, I shut the door—closing the book on Damien Frost forever.

“Let’s go, baby girl.” I kissed my baby’s soft cheek. “Your daddies can’t wait to see you.”

GENNY

“Hit it.”

We roared through the trees. Bursting on the lawn, Edwin’s shrieking was the backdrop to my and Bee’s raucous laughs.

“Right!” With Edwin’s hands strapped to the wheel, and my hands holding the straps, I jerked him and the car to the right, careening straight for twin pairs of bugged eyes in the headlights.

We mowed those bastards down like bowling pins, taking them out before they even had a chance to think about their guns.

“Hey!”

“Who is that?”

“Merchants!” someone shouted. “Take them out!”

“Noooooo!” Edwin thrashed, straining to get free.

“Where’s the bomb?” I roared, yanking his arms to the left—veering straight for the four brothers packing the last of what they needed into the van.

They dropped the television they were ordered to leave behind and snatched the guns out fast.

“Stop! Stop!” Edwin nearly pulled his shoulders out of their sockets trying to wrench free. “Get me out of here! Get me—”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets ripped through the windshield.

I was behind the driver’s seat. Bee was hunched down under the dash, keeping Edwin’s foot firmly on the gas. The only ones in clear range of the bullets were—

“Arrggghhhh!” Edwin wailed like a bitch, screeching as a bullet ripped open his shoulder. “Stop shooting! It’s me! It’s me!”

Our shooters dove out of the way, fleeing in way of a coming crush death between two vehicles.