Total pages in book: 266
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
I look around the mirrored box as it ascends. Glancing at my watch, I see it’s almost three in the morning, which means the sun will be rising at Carnage soon.
The ding notifies us that we’re stopping, and the door opens. We step out, and the man holds open a glass door for us, and we enter the conference room.
The Kings stand around a large table that sits every bit of twenty people with all eyes on us.
“It’s too fucking early,” the one I know as Grave mumbles before throwing back a Monster.
The Kings and the Lords have been in bed with one another for years, but we’re not close with them. Our fathers had business with theirs back in the day. I don’t know how fucked up their fathers were, but I know what ours were capable of. I can only guess how fucked up it got.
Adam walks over to Cross and gives him a handshake hug. “What’s going on, man?” Cross asks him.
“Same ole, same ole,” Adam jokes.
“Haidyn.” Bones nods, gesturing toward a seat at the table. “This is all we were able to recover.” He points at the three cardboard boxes that sit in the center of it.
Last time I saw Bones wasn’t a friendly encounter. I got in his face in New York, defending Kashton’s actions over a friend of his. But I wasn’t wrong—he has no clue how far a Lord will go. I’d also like to tell him that there’s a lot about his friend he doesn’t know, but he can figure it out on his own. Eventually, the truth will come out. It always does.
“I appreciate it,” I say, looking over the table.
I called as we were taking off, updated them on what little we had to go on, and asked if they could help us out. Adam thought Las Vegas was the best place for us to start, and I agreed with him. “What was it?” I ask, looking at the boxes.
“Fire,” Cross answers.
I snort and joke, “Creative.”
“As far as I can come up with, I’d say that he had someone ready to torch the place when he didn’t return by a certain date,” Bones presumes. “But if I had to guess, I’d say he meant for it all to burn anyway.”
“Benny wasn’t planning on bringing Ashtyn back here.” I shake my head.
The words he said less than ten hours ago are still fresh in my mind. “I’m not going to kill you.” He laughs at Saint, his masked head shaking. “I’m going to lock you all up down here in the cells. I’m going to chain her up in the one right next to you. Let you listen to her cry and sob as I fuck her each day. While I feed her just enough to stay alive but not enough to keep your baby alive. Once your baby dies, I’m going to take her with me and leave you all here to rot in this hell that you love so much.”
Benny was adamant that Saint had knocked her up, which could be possible. He wanted her to lose Saint’s baby like she did his four years ago when he raped her. And he was committed to making sure it happened.
I rip open one of the boxes and pull out a few things that hold no value whatsoever. It’s just a few papers with burned edges. Then there’s a set of playing cards.
Opening the second box, I see a set of pictures. My stomach sinks when I realize who they are. Ashtyn. They are Polaroids of her sleeping naked in a bed. Some she’s awake, staring at the camera. Kissing the camera. She’s got her legs spread, her hand between them, playing with herself and staring at him while he’s taking the photos. “Goddammit.” I slam them face down so the Kings can’t see them, but I’m sure they already have. I can at least spare Adam.
“Told you we should have shredded those,” Grave mumbles to Bones.
I reach in and grab an old wicker basket. Flipping it open, I growl when I see more fucking pictures, but looking over them has me curious. “You guys know who is in these photos with Benny?” I ask, showing the Kings.
“No.” Titan and Bones both answer. Cross shakes his head, and Grave opens another Monster. There’s a fifth guy who stands in the corner—Oliver Nite. I know him even less than I do the Kings, but it can’t hurt to ask. Obviously, they are close with him if he’s in here. He too shakes his head.
“You?” I put it up to Adam’s face.
“Nope.”
I go back to digging in the box, and something at the bottom catches my eye. I pick it up and remove the chip before tossing it onto the table. “Where is this from?” I ask, seeing there’s more covering the bottom. Maybe five thousand dollars’ worth.