Brutal King (The Seven Deadly Sinacores #7)

Chapter 11

11

GIDEON

“I’d like to come with you, Father.”

He closed his brown leather bag and shrugged his coat on. “You’re not ready.”

“I’m eighteen years old. You’ve taught me everything you know.”

“I have not.” Father patted my arm and squeezed. “There are men out there who would use you against me. You must stay here for your protection.”

“I’ve been here for years, Father! You’ve kept me in a bubble for too long. I’m a man now. It’s time I see the world.”

With a heavy sigh, he nods. “You’re right, son. When I return, we will venture out together.”

“I want to go with you.”

“Not to this.”

“Father.”

“Gideon!” My name was said with a sharp underlying command. Do not push me . In a calmer tone, he added, “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“This trip will be faced with too many dangers. When I return, we will go somewhere safer. I promise.” He plucked a penny from his pocket and flipped it toward me. When I caught it, he said, “For you to pay the Ferryman when I come home.”

Five days later, he returned badly beaten and shot through the shoulder. He’d been betrayed. We didn’t leave the manor as he promised. I wasn’t ready to take on the world he lived in.

I trusted him.

I t’s been two days since I gave Sofia the dark room. She has spent almost every waking moment in there since. Even when she comes up to eat, her mind is there.

“My negatives have been coming out fogged. I’m not sure what…” She’s flipping through the manual’s troubleshooting section. “I think it’s the developer. Hmm.”

“Eat,” I remind her.

Absentmindedly, she takes a bite. “I’m going to start from scratch. You said I’m allowed to explore the house?”

“Anywhere that isn’t closed off by doors with electronic locks.”

“Can I go into your office? It doesn’t have an electronic lock.”

“No. That’s off limits. So is the outside.” She stills, her hackles visibly rising. “For your safety,” I add.

“Right.” She finishes the remainder of her food and gathers her dish to take to the kitchen. “You want me to take yours too?”

She’s taken on the task of doing the cleanup since I’ve been doing the cooking. It’s not necessary, the staff is still tending to the manor, just remaining out of her view. But I allow it because it keeps her busy.

I clear my throat and take a sip of orange juice, wanting to empty it before letting her take it away. It burns as it goes down, but I ignore it. I don’t have time for a cold, too much work to be done. “Thanks.”

“I’m going to be in the dark room for a while. Then I’m taking some shots to test out my new formula.”

“I’ll be in my study.”

She makes to leave the dining room, but pauses as if she wants to say something more. Whatever it was, she changes her mind and walks away.

When she’s out of sight, I send a message giving the day off to the few staff members that were going to come in today for fridge and pantry restocking, miscellaneous cleaning, etcetera.

I need Sofia all for myself until she gives me what I want.

Until she gives me… herself.

I’ve barely made it back to my study and shut the door behind me when Scarlet calls.

“I just sent you a video,” she informs me. “Did you watch it?”

“I don’t have time to watch everything you send me, Scar. I’ve told you this already.”

“It’s not a funny one. In your e-mail. Open it and call me right back.”

Going to my e-mail, I find it in an encrypted message. Which means, it’s not one of her Army Fails she enjoys watching, where people attempt all sorts of stunts or tricks and fail miserably.

I hit play. It’s footage captured by security cameras both inside and out of the Louda Underground Lounge in Philadelphia. The video, which comprises of several clips pieced together, shows a man dressed in a dark suit exiting the establishment, his face at an angle that makes it impossible to identify. The next shot is from someone’s bodycam, perhaps an officer, entering the now empty club. They go into the bathroom where a body is bent over the urinal.

I call Scarlet back immediately. “Explain.”

“That’s Thomas Cameron.”

“Shit.”

“Vicky sent it to me. It’s happening as we speak.”

Vicky. I don’t know what god sent her to me, but she’s been worth every penny. She’s got contacts in most of the major law enforcement agencies.

“This is an unfortunate turn of events.” It’s not that I mourn his death, but that it wasn’t exactly what had I planned for him. “Who did it?”

“The doorman identified him as Hugo Sanz. But I doubt that’s his real name.”

“Have Vicky run facial recognition software.”

“She tried. He knew to avoid the cameras. A professional. Horrible way to live, with your head always bowed. I bet he has neck problems.”

“Mmm.” I play the video again, studying the man. “Do you have any theories on his identity?”

“I do,” she says, gladly.

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Watch the video again. I’ll give you three guesses.”

“I’m literally replaying it over and over. Just spit it the fuck out. Who is it?”

“Look again.” She blows out a breath. “Hey, you’re the one that likes games. Five hundred dollars if you guess right.”

“Scar.”

“Ugh. Fine. It’s Noah Esposito.”

“You’re sure?”

“I followed him for a week. It’s him. Looks like the alliance isn’t just fighting you. They’re doing each other little favors. He killed the judge on behalf of Arran Maxton. He had no other reason to have done it.”

“Well, well. Arran finally took his revenge.” I sit back and take a moment to process the information. Time is of the essence if I’m to take advantage of the deal I made with Thomas Cameron.

“So, plan B ?” Scarlet asks.

“You know I have a plan B?”

“You always do. So? What is it?”

I don’t respond right away.

Though it wasn’t what I preferred, I did have a contingency plan should Thomas die. It just didn’t occur to me that Arran would actually be that bold, and it makes me wonder if it will work, or put his daughter in real danger.

However, there’s no time to reformulate.

Once word gets out of the Judge’s death, his debts will be called in. It was a failsafe I put into place, making sure that anyone he owed money to knew of his daughters’ trust fund. Thomas’s enemies will come after them, and when they do, I will give the girls their only way out.

“Are you at your place in Philly?” I ask.

“Yes. You want me to head to Cameron’s house?”

“Gather the men and have them meet me there. I need you and Itsuki to pay a visit to our friend, Wesley Ritter.” Itsuki is Scarlet’s male counterpart. His quiet reserve balances her well. He’s loyal to her, but first and foremost, to me. I often pair them in hopes that they’ll make a good match in other ways.

“Ooh. I do love paying Wesley visits,” she says evilly. “I scare him.”

“You scare a lot of men.” Hence my choice of Itsuki for her.

She laughs. “Only the shitty ones.”

After giving Scarlet detailed instructions, I go in search of Sofia. I find her in the dark room.

“One second!” she calls out when I knock.

A moment later, she comes out, her hair secured on top of her head with a pencil and the sleeves of her very expensive blouse rolled up to her elbows.

“Yes?” she asks hurriedly, as if I’ve just interrupted something important.

“You’re wearing that to develop photos?”

She glances down. “I have an apron.”

“But the rest is exposed to chemicals.”

“Get me T-shirts I can mess up and I’ll gladly wear them,” she retorts. “Or at the very least return my hoodie.”

“No chance.”

“Whatever.” She makes to go back inside but I stop her.

“I’m going out of town until tomorrow evening.”

“Where are you going?”

“Business.”

Her brows pinch and she swallows thickly. “Please tell me it’s not my brother. I, I know I’ve been in here a lot, but I can put this all away. We can do something together, whatever you’d like.” She begins to tear off her apron, her movements nervous.

“Sofia, stop. It’s nothing to do with Luca. I wanted you to keep busy. I’m not going to see your brother.”

Wide eyes stare at me with fear and disbelief. “Please don’t hurt him. I’ll do better.”

“Stop. This isn’t related to Luca,” I promise, though technically it does involve one of his members. “I’m going to Philadelphia,” I add to further assure her. “I’ll return tomorrow night and you can resume your seduction, if it can be called that. In the meantime, enjoy the room, the house. Just don’t?—”

“Go outside,” she finishes for me. “Your men surround the premises. I know.”

“Those men can also be here in a split second, should there be any emergencies.”

She follows me down the hall and beyond the pool to the steps that lead upstairs. All the while, the wheels in her mind are turning so loudly I can practically hear her thoughts. How is he getting there?

Finally, she asks, “You’re going in the helicopter?”

“Is there a better way?”

“A car.”

“Did you see one out there?”

“No. But there must be another way.” She glances toward the metal doors with the keypads. “Through one of those.”

“Clever, Little Bird.” I beam at her. “It’s the one on the right. The other is a holding cell.”

“A cell?” Her brows furrow.

“Doesn’t Briar House have one?”

“Yes. In the basement.”

“Ah. And where are we?”

Her mouth pulls into a tight line. “The basement. But my family rarely used it.”

“Rarely. But not never,” I retort. “As to where I’ve never used this one.”

“Why would you? Your entire house is a cage,” she snaps, obviously taking offense.

“Only for pretty little birds I don’t want flying off.”

“Really? Am I truly the only one you’ve ever kept here against her will?” She narrows her eyes as she awaits my answer, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Is this an interrogation?”

“I’ve seen things that make me wonder. Don’t forget I’ve been roaming the house for weeks.”

Now it’s my turn to narrow my gaze. “What things?”

She shakes her head and ignores my question. Instead, she says, “I want to play a game.”

“All right.”

“Five guesses at the code, anytime I wish. You will see it on the cameras, but will do nothing. If I get it right, you let me step through and use one of the many cars I’m almost positive you own. You’ll let me go.”

“Two guesses,” I counter as I come closer. Though she doesn’t step away, her breath hitches. Fuck, I love the way she reacts to me. The way her pupils dilate and her cheeks flush. And her lips… They part every time for me. Even if she doesn’t realize it, she’s ready for my kiss.

Soon, she will be ready for more than that.

Unable to help myself, I wrap a finger around a tendril of hair that’s come lose from the pencil bun. Then, I trail my hand down to encircle her throat, feeling her erratic heartbeat in my fingertips.

My dick twitches at the thought of my hand grasping her like this, of her pulse wild as she falls apart beneath me.

She takes a hold of my wrist, but makes no attempt to pull me away. Instead, she tilts her face up, exposing more of herself. An invitation?

“Five,” she whispers. “Five guesses.”

“Three.” I smile, and lean forward until my mouth is a millimeter from the shell of her ear. “One for every one of your holes I’ll get to fuck when you fail. Your pretty mouth. Your sweet pussy. And your as?—”

“T-two, then.”

I chuckle. “I’ll change your mind about that. I promise.” When she’s ready, I’ll be only too happy to give it to her.

Dipping my face into the crook of her neck, I kiss her there. It’s not a peck, but something much deeper. I taste her, sliding my tongue across her skin. She’s sweet and a tiny bit salty with the sweat from working in the warm room.

She lets out a small desperate moan as she clasps my dress shirt. My dick is instantly rock hard.

Raising my lips to her ear once again, I say, “Be good while I’m gone, Little Bird.”