Chapter 2
BANE
By the time I’m back at the Costello estate, my ass is on fire from sitting on it for so long, and I’m hungrier than a hippo.
Thankfully, Agatha has food ready for me as soon as I step inside.
She’s Anthony’s cook and a literal goddess.
She’s been here for ages. I remember when I first tunneled my way inside this place years ago.
She’s the first person I met. When I came out of the wall, she handed me a cookie and a glass of milk, and I decided to stay for a while.
A while has been a long-ass time, but I’m happy here. Content.
Something I haven’t felt since…well, ever.
I always was a bit of a nomad. Kind of had to be after…well, everything.
“Oh, you’re late, little bug,” she says, pushing a container into my hands. “I was worried about you when you didn’t show up for breakfast or lunch.”
“I was worried about me too,” I reply, taking it and peeling the top off, inhaling the scent of some kind of pasta salad. Looks healthy. She’s always trying to sneak veggies into my meals. Says I eat too much meat.
There’s no such thing, in my opinion.
But I don’t complain about it. I’ll eat whatever she gives me. I grew up far too hungry to say anything. I used to hoard food in the walls when I was little. Still do. Kind of silly when you think about it.
Agatha’s eyes move to Kit, who is still standing beside me. I made him walk me in. I want to show him my lair. The trip home was fun, and he’s become a kindred spirit in a way. And we can trust him since he works for Georgiy. He’d never hire anyone who wasn’t trustworthy.
“This is Kit. He rescued me today. He’s a Craigslist assassin.”
Agatha’s eyebrows jump. “Ah, well then. Never heard of that before, but good for you. We do love an assassin.”
Kit blushes. “Thanks. It’s a new calling. Kind of. Sort of been reinventing myself the last few years. I failed at being successful in the past, but I’m back at it. More like a jack of all trades now. Killing, burying, rescuing.”
He looks at me, and I wink. His cheeks flush.
So pretty. Never did get the chance to see his dick.
I really want to see it.
“Well, thank you for rescuing my little chaos bug. He gets himself into far too much trouble. And so, for your service, you get a bit of cake.”
Kit’s eyes flicker, and his lips turn up. “I do love cake, but I did this on Mr. Sokolov’s orders. I don’t need to be paid in cake. Or at all. He’s already compensated me.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? You showed up and took care of my baby. And really, you need some cake. You’ll love it. Teddy made it. He’s the most fantastic baker.”
“He is,” I say around a bite of pasta salad. “And he’s so hot. Doesn’t talk, though. But he does sign. Bit of a chatterbox when he gets going.”
Kit bobs his head as Agatha hands him a plate of chocolate cake.
“You know sign language?” Kit asks me.
“I do.”
“Cool,” he says as he takes a fork, and Agatha and I watch as he takes a bite and nods, licking his lips. “Yeah, that’s fucking good.”
Agatha grins. “I’ll make sure to tell him. He’ll be so pleased. Blushes so sweetly.”
“Please tell him,” Kit says, scraping more up and shoveling it into his mouth. He was hungrier than he appeared. Maybe I’ll show him my snack drawer downstairs and give him a little treat.
“Kitty Craig, do you want to see my workstation?” I bounce on my toes, and he bobs his head. But before he can answer, Agatha shakes her head with a tsk.
“Now, now. Not until you’re both done eating. And Bane, I want to see you take your vitamins.”
“Aw, come on, Agatha,” I groan, rolling my eyes, even though my chest swells.
“Don’t be stubborn. You need your vitamin D. You know you don’t go outside often enough.”
I sigh when she hands me a pill box, and I grab the four pills she placed inside today’s slot, swallowing them down with a swig of water from the cup that was on the counter. No clue whose that was, but alas.
“Happy now?” I ask, and she ruffles my hair.
“I am. You know I just want my boy healthy.”
I puff up from that and finish off my food in a few more bites. When we’re both done, she takes our dirty dishes and shoos us out of the kitchen, making me promise to come see her for a midnight snack.
She knows exactly what I like.
“Come on. Let me show you my prizes, and I have a stash of snacks you’ll love.”
“They’re not human snacks, right? I’m not a cannibal.”
“Oh, trust me. Me neither. I tried it once. Didn’t live up to the hype. Won’t do that again.”
Kit trails behind me as I move through the mansion to one of the secret entrances in the walls. When my hand presses against the panel, it swings open.
“Neato,” Kit says, and then clears his throat. “I mean, awesome.”
“You don’t need to pretend to be cool. I’m not,” I say as I step inside the dank and dark tunnel. “Watch your step.”
“I mean, you seem pretty cool to me.”
“I’m not. Trust me. Just be yourself. I like authenticity. Real people.”
Kit stumbles after me, and I grab onto his arm so he doesn’t fall down. “Come on. There are lights farther down.”
I pull him through the zigzag, and then a moment later, light flickers in the distance. Kit lets out a relieved breath.
“Worried I was going to lead you down and murder you?”
“Kinda,” he says with a laugh.
“Don’t worry. We’re friends. I’ll warn you first.”
Kit laughs, and then a moment later, we’re stepping into my space.
Oh, it makes me so proud. Never did have my own place until I started working here.
At the time, it was just several rooms and cells made of dirt.
But I made it into something functional.
And soon, Anthony is going to pay to renovate the far room into a nice seating area, where my guests can wait for me to take them apart.
I’m the best host.
I really should be on the next Good Housekeeping magazine cover.
“Oh, this is cool. Creepy but cool.”
“If you’ve seen Georgiy’s, then you must be so disappointed. His is so…clean and tidy, but…I can make such a mess down here.” As I say that, we see the man I cut in half before I was kidnapped.
I inhale deeply as Kit plugs his nose.
“The smell of decay. Ah, home sweet home.”
“Wow, this is…” Kit begins, his voice kind of distorted. “Scary.”
I bounce on my toes. “I know, right? I love it. I’ll make sure to dispose of this guy soon. Need to get him dissolved so I can put him down the drain.”
Kit eyes me, and I skip over to the exit. “Come on. Let me show you where I’m going to make a sitting room. For guests.”
But from around the bend, Anthony suddenly appears with Mikhail, Casey, Jax, and several other men from Mikhail’s guard. They all look like they just got done with some kind of gunfight, which is very sexy.
“Where do we put them?” one of them asks, his Russian accent thick and very hot. Reminds me of Georgiy. Makes my ass twitch in appreciation.
I glance around and see a few people, black sacks over their heads, being dragged in. Women, judging by their bodies, and one very large man.
That’s right. The Sirens. Those cunts were helping Henry with the drug Pink and the disposal of the bodies at sites where Anthony does business.
That really chaps my ass. But I don’t want it chapped by them. I only want it chapped by Georgiy.
Henry’s been fucking with us for too long now, trying to take the Costello family down, and capturing the Sirens will hopefully bring us a step closer to finding him. Oh, I can’t wait to get my hands on him. I hope Anthony lets me play with him. After he cuts out his tongue, of course.
“Who the fuck is this? And what the fuck are you wearing?” Anthony growls, eyeing my makeshift frock, and my dick perks up at the sound of his angry voice.
I love it.
“What, you don’t like my dress?” I say, batting my eyelashes.
Anthony just blinks at me.
“Well, anyway, this is Kit. He works for Georgiy.”
“How do I know that’s true? I’ve never seen him before.” Anthony grumbles as he grabs a woman by her tied wrists and tosses her onto a chair. My eyes move to Jax and Casey’s butts as they bend over to secure her to it.
A few words come out of my next victim’s mouth, but they’re muffled. Good, they shut her up. Really, this is no time for interruptions.
“He told me so!” I say and put my arm around Kit’s. “Tell him.”
Kit nods. “I do work for him. I can call him if you want. I’m the go-to Craigslist assassin. Just the best in the biz, really…”
“I want a call with him. Right fucking now. I don’t trust people with that name,” Anthony grunts, and Kit nervously pulls his phone out, almost dropping it.
“There’s a bad guy named Kit, too. Unfortunate, really.” I turn to Anthony. “You can call him Craig, or Mr. Kitten.”
“Do not call me that, sir. I’m not a kitten. I’m much more dangerous,” Kit says, looking mortified. “Shit. There’s no service down here.”
Anthony thumbs over his shoulder. “Cat. Come with me.”
Kit’s cheeks flame as his arm slips from mine, and I smile. “Don’t worry. He won’t kill you…yet. Bye! See you soon!”
And then I focus back on the woman tied to the chair.
“Who’s my new guest?” I ask, and Casey turns toward me, his lip bleeding slightly. “Oh dear, you’re hurt. Want me to kiss it better?”
“No thanks. I’m fine,” he says and then pulls the sack off her head. Oh, I know her. Luca fucked her a few times. Tish, if I remember correctly. She’s the leader of the Sirens and most likely the one who facilitated the relationship between them and Henry.
“Oh, hello there!” I say, taking in her messy blonde hair and smudged lipstick around a rag in her mouth. “So nice to see you again.”
Her eyes narrow, her mascara running down her cheeks. That eyeshadow really is a winter, and her skin tone is so obviously a spring, I think as I turn to Casey and Jax.
“So, what are we trying to get out of her?”
“Info. Anything we can. Anthony will fill you in. We have a few others whom we brought in alive from the club as well. We’ll secure them in the other room.”
“Oh, goodie. And can I do what I’d like with them?”