Chapter 22
HARLOW
He reached it first, snatching it up and holding it in front of him like a sword.
I took a step back, my hands raised. I saw the way it cut through tape, but in the end it was only a kitchen knife. His desperation was more dangerous than the blade.
"Harlow St. James," he drawled. "I shouldn't be surprised you'd turn up on my doorstep. All your sidekicks in tow too."
"I'm not a sidekick," Jules grumbled. "Can't you see my main character energy over here?"
He'd abandoned his wig and leaned against the door instead, his arms crossed over his chest.
Archer stood beside him, his own wig lopsided so the man bun dangled to his shoulder.
"Not to mention my main character energy," Boner said, looking offended.
"Edward Bonegaard," Lotz-Moore's expression was unimpressed.
"Oh, you recognize me," Boner grinned. "How about that? I'm famous." He actually flexed his muscles, his eyes shining.
"You're infamous," Lotz-Moore corrected. He seemed to think he was insulting Boner.
Boner responded with a grin. "That's even better than being famous. The infamous Boner."
He put a hand out in front of himself, sketching the words like they were a movie poster on a wall. "Oh, better yet, the infamous Boner, with his infamous boner."
"You're out of your fucking mind," Lotz-Moore said.
"See, that's what I keep telling him," Jules said.
Boner turned around, hands on his hips. He looked at Jules disbelievingly. "Can you not agree with the evil man in the room?"
Without uncrossing his arms, Jules raised his hands in placation. "Just saying is all."
Boner sniffed. "Anyone would think being out of your mind is a bad thing. It's not, is it, Cass?"
Cass stuck his head back into the room, looking past Archer's shoulder. "There's worse insults," he said easily.
"Didn't think you were a fucking FBI agent," Lotz-Moore said.
"What was it that clued you in?" Boner turned back to him. "The fact his name was Agent Flint Stone? I thought it was kinda obvious, but what do I know?" He smirked.
"Hilarious," Lotz-Moore said sarcastically. "You should start a stand-up comedy routine."
"Would you give us five stars?" Boner asked.
"Absolutely not," Lotz-Moore said. "I don't give five stars to hacks like you."
"Hacks?" Boner echoed. "Now I really am offended." He pressed his hand to his chest, over his heart. "Did you hear that Cass? He called us hacks."
Cass stepped deeper into the room. "I heard that." His mouth was turned down, no happier than Boner was.
"Who died and made you Judgey McJudgerson anyway?" Boner demanded.
"It's my job to be judgey," Lotz-Moore said. "I'm a film critic." He made it sound fancy, like he was saying he was a brain surgeon, or developed a cure for assholes.
"Film critic by day. Insider trader by night," Cass said.
Lotz-Moore twitched. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Why are you even here?"
"You know why we're here," I said. "We're here because of what you did to my sister. Remember her? Lottie St. James?" I hated saying her name in front of him. He didn't deserve to hear it. I sent her a silent apology.
Lotz-Moore smirked. "No, should I?"
He was trying to be offensive, to make me angry. I saw in his eyes he knew who I was referring to. He remembered the things he did.
That in no way absolved him of his crimes.
He could get on his knees, beg, plead and grovel and he'd still end up the same way. Although, if he wanted to do that, I was here for it. I'd like nothing more than to see him brought to his knees. Unraveling slowly.
Or quickly. Either way.
I wanted him to suffer, but I wasn't a complete sadist.
"You should stop living in the past," he told me.
"I thought with two restaurants you'd be too busy to think about something that happened years ago.
" His eyes swiveled down toward his blade, waiting to make his move.
Continuing to talk, in the hope I'd give him a window, an opportunity to lunge at me and drive that knife into my heart.
"Time doesn't take away what you did," I said slowly. "Time won't bring her back. It won't make everything okay."
"A wise person once said if you dwell on hate, it'll eat you alive," he said smoothly. "It might have been a fortune cookie."
He didn't seem to care one way or another "Is that what's happening to you? Is your hate eating you alive?"
"Not really," I said lightly, raising one of my shoulders a little before dropping it back down. "I'm driven by a lot of things: the desire to succeed, to learn, to make good food. Revenge, maybe a little bit of spite thrown in there. I don't hate you."
That seemed to take him by surprise. "Why are you here then, if you don't hate me?"
"To make sure you don't destroy anyone else," I said simply. "So no one can go through what my family went through. What Lottie went through. What I feel isn't hate. It's disgust. Revulsion."
"Do you get off on killing?" Lotz-Moore asked.
"I do," Boner said. "It's an adrenaline rush that turns me on something fierce.
The thing is, I haven't felt it for a while.
" He exhaled dramatically. "Hypnos didn't stick around long enough for me to watch.
Inconsiderate, wouldn't you say? Solomon Danforth was more considerate. Much more fun." He winked at me.
"You admit to killing Solomon?" Lotz-Moore asked. His eyes held something, an ulterior motive for asking, beyond stalling and keeping us talking.
"Cass," I said over my shoulder.
"On it." A few moments later, he said, "There were cameras recording everything we were saying, but I've turned them off and wiped them. I'll put them back on when we're done, on a loop. No one will ever know we were here."
I didn't miss a very slight sag of Lotz-Moore's shoulders, but they went right back up again. Determined to somehow get the upper hand on us. He tapped the blade against the palm of his hand and took a few steps away before turning back.
"There's a reason why I asked what brings you here. It's not only because I wanted you overheard. It's because of the gift I set up for you. I was surprised you weren't busy with it."
I turned my head and gave him a side eye. "If I'm supposed to be impressed or scared in some way—"
He smiled. A flash of triumph passed through his eyes. "I see you're unaware of my little present to you. Perhaps you should go to your restaurant. While some of it remains."
"While—" Archer jerked. He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen.
"Harlow," he said slowly.
"What is it?" I said on a sigh.
"Angel's Rest is on fire," Archer said reluctantly.
I swallowed and nodded. Of course it was. We knew he'd come after us. It made sense he'd try to hit me where he thought it'd hurt the most.
Lotz-Moore clicked his tongue. "All that work building up that business. All for nothing. What a shame." He seemed pleased with himself.
Asshole.
I didn't move a muscle. All I did was smile.
"It's bricks and mortar. Nothing that can't be replaced. Lucky I have insurance."
That rattled him a fraction. He thought he got the upper hand, but I was pretending I didn't give a shit.
I gave a shit all right. He was going to die even slower for destroying my restaurant.
"Is that what you're going to say when Angel's Redemption also goes up in smoke?" he asked. "Everything you touch, I'm going to burn it to the ground. After I kill you."
"Funny, I was going to say the same to you," I said.
He lunged at me while I snatched up the item closest to my right hand. An enormous bright red dildo.
I brought it up in front of me, blocking the knife.
He smiled. He was stronger than me. Another inch or two and he'd be able to stab me right in the jugular.
"I don't think so." Boner snatched up the first thing in front of him and threw it at Lotz-Moore.
The deflated sex doll unfolded mid-air and hit him in the face, wrapping around his head before he shoved it off with his hand.
That was enough distraction for me to step back.
"I knew sex dolls would come in useful for something," Boner said, grinning down at it.
"Everyone should have one for self-defense," I agreed.
Jules threw himself forward and grabbed a few cock rings to toss at Lotz-Moore's face.
Lotz-Moore ducked at the last moment. The cock ring flew over his head and hit the window. They bounced off harmlessly and fell to the floor.
"Is that the best you've got?" Lotz-Moore taunted.
"I should have ordered a sex chair too," Cass grumbled.
I bit back a smile. Something that big would be very handy right now, for throwing at the enemy. We'd also get a lot of use out of it afterward.
"We can get one later," Boner said.
"Hell yeah," Cass said, a lot more cheerful now. He stepped carefully around the table, his eyes on Lotz-Moore.
"You realize I have backup arriving any minute now, don't you?" Lotz-Moore said, looking smug.
"They aren't here now, are they?" Boner said. "Sucks to be you." He picked up a string of anal beads and flicked it at Lotz-Moore, holding one end in his hand while the other grazed the man's cheek.
Lotz-Moore flinched.
"What's wrong?" Boner asked. "You worried we used them first?" He grinned.
Lotz-Moore looked disgusted.
Encouraged. Boner picked up a couple of butt plugs and threw them roughly in Lotz-Moore's direction, not seeming to care whether he hit him or not.
"Enough of this." Lotz-Moore snarled. He lunged at Boner, hand curled around the hilt of the knife.
I caught a flash of movement in the corner of my eyes and saw Archer's phone go flying through the air.
It struck Lotz-Moore on the temple with a thwack. He scowled, stunned and angry.
"Good work, Hardwick," Boner called out.
"Hard…" Archer started to correct him. "Right. Thanks."
I look that moment to snatch up a dildo that looked like it belonged to an elephant and slam it across the side of Lotz-Moore's face.
His eyes widened and he shook his head before dropping to his knees.
Faster than I could have imagined, Cass had a handful of shibari rope wrapped around the man's throat.
"Don't fucking move," he growled.
"And now I'm hard," Boner said.
"Fucking hell," Jules whispered. He was staring at Cass like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "That's my little brother." He grinned.
Cass grinned back, even as he was tightening the rope around Lotz-Moore's neck.
Lotz-Moore himself was blinking, eyes bulging. His air was rapidly being cut off, his face turning red. Slowly, he keeled over to the side before landing on the floor with a thump.
"We win, motherfucker," Boner said. He pumped the air with his fist.
"We need to get out of here." If backup was actually coming, I wanted to be long gone before they arrived.
Jules stepped over to pick up Lotz-Moore's arms while Cass picked up his feet. They carried him toward the door while Boner scooted around, grabbing up as many sex toys as he could hold, before he followed us out the door.