Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 154882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
“I’m running the show now.” Sienna lay out on my desk, adopting Genny’s pose better than I ever could. “While we’re working out how to find Sunny’s killer, I want you, Koda—” I pointed at the slim, hottish guy wearing wire-frame glasses and a flaming goat tattoo on his neck—hard to miss. “To get me the books. All of them. Logs on the shipments that went out and came in since Sunny was taken. Get me the ledger, the roster, the collection schedule, and let everyone out there know I’ll be speaking to each of them—today.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Yes, boss.” Leaning back, I gifted them a bleeding-red smile. “Has a nice ring to it.”
BANE
I sat atop the car hood, basking in the setting sun. Out of the woods, the afternoon air came with car exhaust, cigarette smoke, and gasoline. After stopping by Waterford and in on my Scourges, I ditched the monkey suit and returned for Sienna and Kenzie.
Kenzie.
The sight of her dropping Athena—one of the toughest women in Sunny’s gang—played on a loop. Any fantasy I entertained about hooking up with her, rolling around on a mat sans clothes, her clinging to me as tight as she did the night before while I plowed her, making her scream louder than a damn spider—
All those thoughts were pushed down and buried. Mackenzie was dangerous. I guessed it during her snarky first greeting. Sensed it as she told me her story, tears soaking her sun-kissed cheeks. And I confirmed it as she lashed out without hesitation or mercy. Brutality and compassion in one beautiful package. If there was such a thing as soulmates, Mackenzie Blaine would be mine.
The sisters trudged outside, making for me and the car.
That’s why when this is over, I’m going back to my cabin and you’re returning to wherever tempting young fashion designers who can make a girl scream come from.
“How’d it go?” I asked.
Kenzie grunted in my direction. She looked exhausted.
“Went great,” Sienna said. She waited to spill the rest till we were in the car. “Kenzie got everything Sunny asked for. From what we could tell, all the money’s accounted for and shipments went in and out without a hiccup.”
“Did they give you any more trouble?” I directed the question at Kenzie, but she was resting on the window, eyes closed. I wasn’t sure if she heard.
“Not trouble exactly,” Sienna admitted. “Ryker challenged everything she said. Why did she want to do this? Or what was she doing with that? Makai just sat there glaring at her like he was trying to telepathically explode her head, while Athena did the opposite. She was the Cheshire cat, grinning and winking at her through the whole meeting.”
“Unsettling enough,” Kenzie’s side of the car spoke up, “but wait until you hear what happened after the meeting ended and Ryker gave me a tour. I went back to the office to grab something and Athena and Makai were still inside—alone. They stopped talking the minute I walked in and made excuses to leave.”
“Interesting,” I said. “Did they give anything away when you discussed Sunny’s murder?”
“No. I watched Xander during the part about Laser, the club Sunny went to that night. He didn’t so much as twitch. I told them the Good Samaritan who rescued Sunny saw the person on the bridge. They all denied knowing any pale hit men like the guys I described, but I assume hit men don’t make a lot of friends, so hearing no was to be expected.
“Then I turned it on them, asking who they thought had the means and motive to kill Sunny. Makai and Ryker both said leaders of gangs the Sons have put down. Athena said the husband of one of the many women he was sleeping with—because she wants a slap,” Kenzie hissed. “And here’s something interesting, Olive said Luca Adams.”
“Should I know who that is?”
“Luca is a particularly loathsome pimp,” Sienna spoke up. “He manipulates women into working for him. When that doesn’t work, he forces them.”
A growl leaked through my teeth. “Where is he?”
“Liam and Sunny are working on that,” she replied. “Sunny said a friend asked him to shut Luca down. Maybe Olive was that friend.”
I filed Luca Adams away to be dealt with at my earliest opportunity. Forget North Quay not being my borough, that kind of shit didn’t go down in any borough.
“I spoke to everyone in that arcade,” Sienna continued. “They named dozens of enemies the Merchants collected over the years. A few of them from before Sunny was born. The only thing I’m sure of right now is something’s going on with Makai and Athena.”
Let’s see if those powers of perception do more than pick me apart.
“Sunny knows them best. Tell him all that and he’ll have more to say about it.”
“After I do, I’m throwing myself in a hot shower, then hitting my bed running. No wonder you live in the woods.” She stroked my arm. “Even though this is your world and strike first is your default setting, it must be draining to remain on high alert twenty-four seven.”