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“What was the story between you and Sunny?” I heard myself say. “Why wouldn’t he work with you?”
“Ask him. He tells the story like a tragicomedy.”
“I can’t ask him. Sunny passed away.”
River laughed, his fingers light and teasing in my hair. “Come on, Kenzie. I know he’s not dead.”
My mind went blank. “What? Why would you think—?”
“The city is still standing, isn’t it? If Adeline Redgrave and St. John Bellisario’s kid were murdered, they’d burn all of Cinco down to get his killer—fuck the collateral damage. They damn well wouldn’t be chilling up in their retirement home in the Hamptons while Liam Hunt, Genevieve Hunt, and Bane Alexander continue on, business as usual.”
My jaw worked but nothing came out. Sunny and Bane told me what to do if people questioned Sunny’s death. They didn’t tell me what to say when they flat-out knew it wasn’t true.
“Sole’s kicking back in the compound, isn’t he? Hoping that playing dead will help flush out his killer.” He rubbed my back. “Not a bad plan, but how did you get involved? And why isn’t his crew in on it? I felt them out and they have no idea he’s still knocking around... unless...” River snapped his fingers. “Sole doesn’t trust them. All those warehouse raids and hijacked trucks, he thinks he has a mole.”
“No.”
“No,” River repeated with a laugh. “That’s all you have to say? No?”
“Sunny is dead, River. I brought him to his family on his final day, and to thank me, they gave me and Sienna a place to live. In exchange, they asked me to help them find his killer. They figured this would be the best place to do it.”
“Whatever you say.” I could tell he wasn’t buying an ounce of the bullshit I was slinging. “You still owe me that favor.”
I shook him off. “I swear, if you—”
“Let me take you to dinner.”
My rant died on my tongue. “Dinner?”
“Yeah, dinner,” he said, brushing my hair behind my ear. “Even before you disappeared, it’s been a long time since we sat and talked. I like to think we’re friends underneath your disapproval.”
“We are,” I replied without hesitation.
“I also like to think we’re insanely attracted to each other and a bed away from rolling in the sheets.”
Face heating, I did not have a quick answer for that.
“So, let me take you out.” He kissed my hand, gazing at me over my knuckles. “We’ll catch up, have fun, no pressure. What do you say?”
“That’s all you want? Just to spend time with me?”
“That’s all I ever wanted.”
Shivers climbed my spine. It might’ve been a line, but damn if it didn’t set off bubbles in my stomach. “Okay,” I murmured. “Sounds fun.”
He tipped my chin. My breath came in short bursts as his lips erased the distance.
River’s mouth painted mine—light as a brushstroke caressing me, and sweeping up to press a kiss on my forehead. He drew back and I stopped him, my hand on his neck, bringing him back to me.
The door banged open. “Oh, damn. You two are those kinds of friends. Looks like Sunny wasn’t the only one fucking around,” Athena crowed. “Wifey was too.”
Bane’s advice wasn’t perfect, since my first reaction was to jump out of my skin, pushing River away. I slowed my heart, keeping an even voice as I replied, “Looks like it. Did you need something, Athena?” I flicked over River’s shoulder to Ryker coming in the room, noting our positions. “Apparently Sunny had an open-door policy.”
“Relax, boss.” I wondered if Athena was capable of saying my title without mocking. “We wanted to know if you two made a deal. Or if our friend the Rat King really has information that’ll lead us to Sunny’s killer.”
“My information wasn’t good enough,” River replied, sliding out of my reach. “No deal was made. But I’ll have my people ask around. Who knows, they might come up with something valuable that’ll finally bring on a new alliance between our crews.”
“That’ll never happen, Rat King,” Ryker said.
“Why do you call him that?” Fury burned the question. “Because he and his crew are homeless? Sunny should’ve warned me his right hand was a judgmental, privileged jackass.”
Whistling, Ryker smirked. “Yeah, he should’ve. But in this case, I’m not being my usual self. The Rat King is River Delaney’s street name. A rat on its own is weak, but hundreds of thousands of rats banding together to swarm is unstoppable. This guy runs the largest crew in all of Cinco City, stretching into almost every borough, and that they’re homeless is just the bonus.”
My frown faded turning on River, seeing that charming smile twist.
“They’re everywhere, watching everything, spying on everyone, and most of the city doesn’t see them—or want to. The reason none of the Merchant gangs have taken Rockchapel is because the largest population of homeless in the city live there, and they all obey their Rat King. River ordered his people to run them out if they tried, and after enough sabotage and disappearances, the Merchants got the hint.” Ryker raised a brow at my shock. “I’m surprised you didn’t know, seeing as you’re friends. River Delaney is one of the most dangerous men in Cinco City.”
