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It’s times like these that I’m thankful we were savvy enough to allow the beast of our reputation grow into a living nightmare. As I stare into his eyes I wonder which story he’s heard about us that forces him to spill the information in one long run-on sentence to save whoever he loves from our wrath.
“You’re-to-meet-a-man-called-Remnia-midday-tomorrow-at-a-large-carpet-warehouse-situated-on-the-road-that-leads-out-from-the-old-city-walls-towards-Zegora.”
“There are many warehouses dotted along that route, care to be a bit more specific?” Carrick adds, the heel of his boot digging into the man’s hand. Despite the sound of bones breaking the man doesn’t cry out. He simply grits his teeth and waits until Carrick lifts his boot.
“The warehouse is a large corrugated building, painted a dark blue. You can’t miss it,” he pants, sweat beading on his brow.
“Excellent,” I reply, dropping his head and replacing my hand with the butt of the gun, my finger slowly pulling back on the trigger.
“Wait, there’s more,” he quickly adds, drawing in a sharp breath.
“Go on,” I say, releasing my finger, giving him a few seconds reprieve.
“Soren invited us to collect the diamonds on the night of their yearly celebration.”
“Their celebration?” I ask, glancing at Carrick and Lorcan who just shake their heads as baffled by the information as I am. “What is this celebration?”
“It’s a tradition of theirs, apparently. There’s a feast. Women…” his voice trails off as he twists his head to look at me.
“Women?” I ask, my blood turning cold, my voice icy.
“We were instructed to wear black hooded robes whilst in attendance, as a mark of respect.”
“That’ll make things a little easier for us,” Lorcan remarks, thinking exactly what I’m thinking.
The man nods. “I’m telling you this so there are no surprises and you don’t hurt my family…Please,don’t hurt them.”
“You have my word,” I reply, then without hesitation, shoot him in the head.
* * *
“Lorcan, Carrick… Arden,” Connall says, addressing us each in turn as we make ourselves comfortable in the guest apartment of Karim’s home, twenty miles outside of the city.
Karim lives a life of luxury inside the walls of a huge twelve bedroomed riad that’s circled by fifteen-foot high ochre brick walls and palm trees. It’s protected by a small army, so we’re relatively safe here for the time being.
“Connall,” I reply, taking a seat at the large table situated in the living room, the tension thick between us.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Beast having a conversation with The Masks who’ve spent the last hour since we arrived back here talking to Christy via video call. Whatever he says to them has Jakub glancing my way and tipping his chin, before the three of them leave the room and head towards one of the bedrooms situated off the central courtyard.
I’m glad for the headspace. I need a moment to think, to regroup, but as Beast strides over to us, pulls out a seat and jerks his chin at Connall who drops down into the seat next to him, I realise that I’m not going to get it.
“Do you want to tell me what the fuck all this is about?” Beast asks, straight to the point as usual.
Drawing in a stabilising breath I cut a look to Connall. “Like I said back at the shisha cafe, you need to ask him.”
“Listen. I don’t know what it is you think I’ve done, but I can assure you whatever it is, I haven’t,” he says, looking between the three of us, only to be met with stony silence.
“Tough crowd,” Beast mutters.
Connall narrows his eyes on us. “Despite my better judgement I came here without telling the rest of the family what was going down. You’re friends of the family for fuck’s sake, yet you kept my niece imprisoned in your home for the past six months without telling us, and now she’s been kidnapped by the motherfucking Skull Brotherhood! You know we’ve been trying to get Cynthia back for years, and you dare to look at me likeI’mthe one in the fucking wrong?”
His voice rises with anger, and Beast rests his hand on Connnall’s arm. “Easy mate. You said that you wouldn’t lose your shit.”
There’s a moment when I debate reaching for my gun and loading a bullet into Connall’s skull, but my loyalty and love for Cyn stops me. Connall is her uncle, and given what he’s done, only she gets to decide his fate.
“Cyn knows,” I say, leaning back in my chair as I study his reaction.
He narrows his eyes at me, but still the penny hasn’t dropped. “Knows what? That she can’t fucking rely on you three to keep her safe?”
