Page 98 of King of Cruelty

“Stay behind me,” I said, rising up.

I kept my gun trained in front of me, stepping lightly and slow toward the front door.

Kenzie glued to my back, clutching the hard drive.

We stepped out to a parade of seven men and seven muzzles.

“I said guns pointed at the floor!”

“I don’t think so.” Eagle Tattoo’s knuckles whitened on the handle. “After you throw us the drive and those doors close, we’ll point at the floor.”

“Everyone, just be cool and clear the way.” I glared at the two guys standing between us and the elevator. “Stand over there with the rest of them.”

The two guys glanced at Eagle Tattoo, who nodded. Thus, began our dance.

We stepped. They stepped. We moved. They moved. Kenzie sneezed. They jumped, fingers twitching on the trigger.

Step by step, we inched down the hall—Kenzie and the drive shielded behind my back while seven guys aimed their guns at my head, not knowing the drive they really wanted was in my pocket.

The elevator dinged open at Kenzie’s touch.

“Inside and against the wall,” I told her.

She darted inside, plastering herself in the corner beside the panel.

“She’s in, now give us the drive,” Eagle Tattoo shouted.

“Steady.” I reached my hand back. Kenzie placed the drive on my palm and I held it up, backing inside. “When I’m in, I’ll toss it out. That’s the deal.”

Step. Then another, taking me over the threshold.

“You’re in,” he barked, rushing me. “Now give us the—”

I flung it over their heads, snapping seven noses in the air. I jammed theclosebutton and plastered myself against Kenzie, gritting my teeth as bullets ripped through the closing doors.

“Stop shooting!” Eagle Tattoo ordered. “Mom said not to kill him! Besides, we’ve got it.” His laughter slipped through the narrowing crack. “We’ve got the drive.”

I hit the button for the thirty-ninth floor, then drew back—checking her over. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she rasped, visibly shaking. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to people shooting at me, though.”

“I don’t want you to get used to it. I want it to stop.” I dropped my forehead against hers, smiling. “But you were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Fuck’s sake, woman, how many times a day are you going to leave me in awe of you?”

She giggled. “The limit does not exist.”

I kissed her slow, nipping her bottom lip pulling back. “I’ll make out with you later tonight when I’ve got you naked in the shower. Right now, we’ve got to find somewhere to lie low and run down the clock.”

“Can we?” Kenzie walked the elevator numbers racing up. “If Debra doesn’t find us and the drive before the auction, won’t she just push it back? I only tricked the others into moving it forward so that they’d be too busy explaining it to their backers, and wouldn’t have time to go searching for a bleeding, moaning Debra.”

“She could push it back to the original time,” I admitted, “but if she does, she’d have to explain what the hell’s going on and why she keeps changing her mind. It’ll come off like she doesn’t have as much control over the situation as she told them she does, and the last thing you want to do before asking people for millions of dollars is show weakness.”

“That’s true.” Kenzie worried her lip. “But is there somewhere we can lie low?”

“We’ll find out.” The elevators slid open and a thick, hulking mass of muscles and cheap cologne filled the entrance. I clubbed him with my gun before he got out a shout.

Kenzie and I shot back, letting the lug fall forward inside the elevator. I gestured for her to step out while I pulled him all the way in, smacked a random floor, and stepped out. The doors closed and carried him away.

“Keep an eye out,” I whispered, motioning for Kenzie to follow. “This floor doesn’t have apartments. It’s where the old fitness center and clubhouse used to be. It also leads to the rooftop terrace. I figured it’d be light on security since both those rooms are empty, and the terrace doesn’t look like it has anywhere to hide.”