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“Sorry, young man. But the place is booked.”
I stop on the second step.
“Booked?” Tiernan asks.
“Yes. Some fancy star is staying here, and he’s brought a small army with him. Men in all the rooms.”
“Is that so?”
I can hear the smile in Tiernan’s voice. With renewed stealth, I creep up the back stairs. Once I reach the second floor, I find all the bedroom doors closed, but the hall bathroom is open.
Creeping along, I ease into the bathroom and listen to the doors on either side. Voices, low and gruff, in the one to my left. On the right, it’s quiet until I hear a higher male voice. “IsaidI wanted Daphne. Not some second-rate reporter who doesn’t have any contacts. This story is big, huge! Aurora’s been kidnapped by some Frankenstein asshole who’s holding her captive in a cabin in the woods. She’s—” He goes silent for only a moment. “No! Of course she’s not there of her own accord. This guy’s amonster. My intel says he’s scarred and hideous. It’s nightmare shit. I need real coverage when I sweep in there and save her. Send me Daphne or I’m calling TMZ!” The call ends.
My teeth are grinding together so hard they might crack. I was going to kill him and get it over with. Now I want to make it slow. Something whispers in the back of my mind, “Maybe he’s right. Maybe she thinks you’re a monster. Maybe she wants to leave.”No. That’s bullshit. She gave herself to me. Just me. No one else.
Something inside the room shatters. “That fucking bitch.” He stomps around like a spoiled little brat. “That fucking bitch! My property. Mine! If she’s given her cherry to some fucking inbred mountain piece of shit, I’ll—”
“Calm. We’re almost ready to strike. The roads should be navigable before nightfall.”
“I want her now. She’s mine.”
“We’ll have her soon.” His companion seems tired of the little bitch’s shit.
“You better. I’m paying the Brotherhood good money for this and—”
“I said we’ll have her.”
I reach behind me and pull out my knife. Cutting Kingston will be a particular pleasure. But more importantly, I’ll have to take out the Brotherhood assassin first. Shit just got more complicated. It always does. But the plan stays the same.
Reaching for the door handle, I grip it and start to turn.
A phone rings inside the room.
I pause.
“What?” Kingston barks. The pause is short. “Wait, you’ve got her?”
I freeze.
“Her andDaphne?” He laughs wildly. “You can’t be serious.”
Another pause as my blood goes cold.
“Bring her here. Now. I want them both.” He giggles. “What the fuck did I pay the Brotherhood for when the Scorpions got the job done?”
“How?” The assassin keeps his tone level.
“They just rode into town in a big red Jeep. Aurora and Daphne. Out in the open. Scorpions stopped them and are bringing them here.” He laughs again. “I’ll have them both. Daphne can get the story, then she can get the fuck out. But Aurora? She’s never getting away from me again.”
I release the door handle and back away. Tiernan’s in the hallway as I back out, his eyebrows lifted in question.
I don’t have time to explain, but I motion him back down the hall. I’ve almost caught up to him when a door swings open and three mercenaries step out.
“Fuck.” I ready my knife and hope Aurora stays far away from what’s about to go down.
Tiernan jumps forward, his knife already cutting a deadly arc as we both go to work.
15
