Page 65 of King of Cruelty

She glanced at River, who winked at her. “Uh... okay.”

We stepped up to the elevator, and on the imperceptible pressure plate beneath the floor. The doors opened automatically when I pressed the button, welcoming home our family.

When we got to my floor, I let them both in, then straight to my coffee table and the pair of binoculars I left on it. Handing it to Kenzie, I gestured for her to follow me to the balcony doors.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked, staying rooted to the carpet.

“I’m sure. The best sniper in the world tested it with the best weapons on the market,” I assured her. “The most she was able to do was crack the glass. We’re safe.”

Trusting me, Kenzie stepped up beside me.

“You see there on the roof of that office building?” I pointed. “There’s the one assigned to me.”

“Assigned to you? What does that mean?”

“Look.”

Edging closer, Kenzie put the binoculars to her eyes and leaned forward—peering out the glass to—

“Ahh!” she cried, shooting back. “He waved at me! He fucking waved at me!”

“Creepy, isn’t it.” My tone was light—almost amused. “He’s been waving at me all morning. Making sure I know he, and his gun, are there.”

She shivered. “Creepy is right.”

“Keep looking. It’s about to get even more interesting.” I squeezed her arm, letting her know I’d be right back, then I ducked into my office and got two more binoculars. One for me and River.

We all had them for this very reason. It wasn’t the first time an enemy got it into their heads that they didn’t need to break into the Fairfield to kill us. All they had to do was wait until we stepped outside.

Together the three of us posted up against the glass, staring at the assassin as he stared right back at us. We watched him wave. We watched that five-fingered wave become a one-figure salute, and then we watched him lift both middle fingers high for the double fuck-you.

“Dick,” Kenzie muttered, making both me and River laugh. “What’s about to happen? Because I don’t—”

The dickhead sniper suddenly jerked—the whole of him flopping like he was electrocuted. In a blink, his hands dropped,falling over the side of the roof and dangling there. Nowhere near his trigger.

“Done.”

“Done?” Kenzie looked from me to him. “What do you mean done? Did he—? Is he dead?!”

“As the proverbial dodo.”

“But how? Who?” She dropped her binoculars, not wanting to stare at a corpse for a second longer. “I thought all of the Sons of Saint, Cardinals, Scourges, and Liam’s people were stuck in here with us.”

“Yeah, they are.” I winked. “But not all of the Merchants are.”

She flicked to River. “I’m guessing you know what that means.”

“Yep.”

Kenzie sighed. “Am I ever going to know all of your secrets?”

“Yes, but only when dropping on you means you’ll make that cute, shocked face.”

“You are so—"

Boom!

“What the—?!”