Chapter 27
Iwant to call Taylor so badly, but I know as soon as I do, she’ll come home, and it’s not safe yet. The mole knows I’m hunting him, and they are lying low. Anyone willing to betray their employers to Butcher could have other connections, and desperate men do desperate things.
I need to stay focused and catch the leak in the Sai house before I bring my family back.
It’s also very obvious that Butcher knew I was coming, which means they tipped him off about me.
It must be someone close to the brothers, someone who was around when Kane wasn’t.
They have a lot of staff. I start with the obvious, running over their financials with Dodge for any suspicious payments or new investments. It takes a while.
And I mean a while, and I get bored and have to take breaks.
I much prefer hunting someone down on the streets.
Whoever this mole is, they are smart and hiding well, so I have to play their game.
Leaving Dodge to compile more paperwork, I wander the house aimlessly.
It was more fun when I had to sneak in. Either way, I find myself by a bedroom where the loudest blasting of Howl’s Moving Castle is coming from.
Peeking inside, I find Lauren’s little buddy sitting before a TV.
Neo is on a couch behind him. His head is back at an awkward angle, his eyes are closed, his suit is messed up, and he has glitter all over his hands.
The kid must hear me because he turns his head and smiles. Sneaking a look at Neo, he grins and puts his finger to his lips before climbing to his feet and heading my way. “You’re Lauren’s aunt, aren’t you?”
“I am,” I murmur as I lean into the door. “I’m working with your brothers for a little bit.”
“Does that mean Lauren’s here?” He looks so hopeful that I feel shitty dashing it.
“Sorry, buddy, she’s with her sister on vacation right now.” Glancing around his room, I find it stuffed with all the latest tech as well as toys, yet he looks so sad that I sigh. “Don’t you have other friends?”
“I do, but my brothers don’t like me playing out of the house a lot.” He spares Neo a look. “It’s weird when I have to take guards with me. The other kids laugh at me and call me names, so I just stay in and play with my brothers instead, but they’ve been tired and busy lately.”
The kid is probably Lauren’s age, which means dear old Daddy got his freak on not too long ago. Having a kid when you’re older must be odd, especially since his others are fully grown.
“How about I play with you for a bit?” I offer. “I play with Lauren all the time, and she doesn’t complain much.”
“Would you?” He looks happy for a moment before his expression turns crestfallen. “You’re working. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bother guests.”
“You aren’t bothering me. Honestly, I was bored and looking for some trouble to get into. Want to help me?” I wiggle my eyebrows, making him giggle, and he looks back at his brother before nodding. He shuts the door to his room and steps into the hallway with me.
“I know of some places I’m not supposed to go,” he admits.
“That sounds perfect. Lead the way. If we get caught, we’ll use your age as an excuse.”
“Hey, you should take the blame,” he grumbles as we walk.
“Nah, kids get away with more,” I tease, and he shakes his head but keeps walking.
He seems like a serious child, but I guess growing up as the youngest son of Sai might do that to you.
It’s clear he’s loved and spoiled, but I wonder if he might miss some normalcy—not that I can say shit, since Lauren sees way more dead bodies than she should.
We take the elevator down to the basement floor, and he looks around nervously.
“The key to getting into trouble, kid, is doing it with confidence,” I explain.
“Watch.” Stepping out, I nod at the guards and just keep walking.
He hurries to keep up, and not one of them says anything, mainly because I’m allowed to be here, but he doesn’t know that.
He seems excited, looking around at everything until he points out a sliding door.
My eyebrows rise when I realize it’s a shooting range.
“Shit, look at the guns.” There’s a whole wall full of them. “Do you know how to shoot?”
“Only pistols.” I blink, and he nods. “It’s important to be able to protect myself. Guns are not toys.”
Fuck, this kid is an old soul.
“Okay then, let’s shoot some guns.” Rubbing my hands together, I select the biggest bastard I can for me and get set up.
Two hours later, the kid can’t stop smiling. I don’t let him shoot alone, I’m not insane, but he’s having a great time. After pulling off his earmuffs and glasses, I carefully put the gun away and lean against the booth’s wall, whistling at his target.
“You’re showing me up, kid. Your aim is amazing!”
“I’m a Sai. It has to be,” he replies, voicing what seems like a recited line.
“Bexley, are you shooting guns with my eleven-year-old brother?” Zayn drawls, and we both turn to find him leaning against the wall behind us. I have no idea how long he’s been there, but he seems amused.
I grab the kid and push him in front of me as a shield, even as I grin. “Quick, do your duty, small child, protect me.”
“Best day ever!” he yells. “Bex is so much fun.”
“Bex?” Zayn raises his eyebrow.
“She said I could call her that, not you.” He sticks his tongue out, making me chuckle as Zayn grins.
“Dad’s looking for you,” Zayn says as he rubs his brother’s head fondly. “Run along.”
“Fine,” the kid mutters before looking at me. “You’ll play with me again?”
“Anytime,” I promise, and he skips away as we watch.
“Thank you,” Zayn tells me as I look at him. “He has a good life, but we are overprotective. I worry sometimes he feels lonely here.”
“He’s a great kid.” I shrug as I choose a rifle, shove my earmuffs on, aim, and fire. The kick isn’t too bad, but I check the sight again, recalibrating it before squeezing the trigger. Once the clip is empty, I put it down and glance back to find Zayn still there.
“Need anything?” I ask.
“Was just looking for you.” He steps closer. “Should have known you’d find trouble or weapons.”
“Always both,” I tease as I stow my earmuffs and glasses. “What’s up?”
“Kane wants to meet for an update, and it’s mealtime. Come on.”
I reluctantly leave the guns behind and follow him upstairs to the formal dining room.
This place has three because, you know, one isn’t enough.
I bet these weirdos never eat in front of the TV, but I sure as shit am going to, and get crumbs everywhere while I do it.
Like it’s a nightly occurrence, the entire family is in attendance and dressed to the nines with a feast spread across the table.
“Found her,” Zayn says as he takes his seat. “She was in the shooting range with Tommy.”
“Tommy . . . as in our eleven-year-old brother?” Kane gapes, his head swinging up to see me.
“No, Tommy the stripper,” I deadpan.
Standing, he buttons his suit as he walks around the table. “This isn’t funny, hellion.”
“No? It’s at least as funny as the look on your maids’ faces when they find the giant dildo collection I set up in your room.”
His eye twitches as he stops in front of me, ignoring my quip.
“Bexley, you may have free rein, but my brother is off-limits. You don’t have power here.
Remember—” I silence Kane’s rant by picking up the pan from the server’s tray and slamming it across his head.
Kane goes down with a grunt, and I hand the pan back, stepping over his prone form.
I walk to the seat next to his father and sit.
“This is what happens when you don’t discipline them growing up.
No respect. Don’t worry, I’ll do it for you,” I say as I open my napkin and place it on my lap.
“Would you like some coffee?” I ask sweetly.
His bark of laughter is loud in the silent room, and he shakes his head, his eyes glistening. “No doubt my son deserved that and worse. Kane, get your ass up, boy. You’re embarrassing me.”
“Bexley,” Neo hisses, “didn’t your parents ever teach you to solve things with words?”
“They didn’t teach me much on the account of them being dead,” I retort with a blank face, and the horror in his widening eyes makes me giggle. “The dead parents shit always works.”
“Fuck, Bexley,” Zayn grumbles. “You can’t make jokes like that. It’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t when they both died either.” I wink as they continue to stare at me while Kane stumbles to his feet, throwing off the guard helping him and glaring at me. He sinks into his chair, a trail of blood running down his scalp.
“I thought pain was your foreplay,” I coo. “Oops, my bad.”
“Do you like chicken, Bexley?” their father asks as he continues eating like we are the best entertainment ever.
“Uh, who doesn’t? Well, I suppose vegetarians.” I dig in. At the first bite, I nearly orgasm. The noise that leaves my mouth is inherently sexual, but I can’t contain it. “This might be the best chicken I’ve ever tasted.”
His dad grins as he cuts off a section of his and slides it onto my plate. “Family recipe. I asked them to make it especially for you. If you want it again, you’ll have to, I don’t know . . . marry into the family.”
“Good one, Pops, or I’ll just torture one of your sons for it,” I reply as I eat, his laughter reaching my ears.
The rest of the meal is spent in silence—well, my silence as I gorge. They discuss boring business shit I have no interest in.
When their dad excuses himself, I sit back in my chair and wait. “So, did you find anything?” Neo asks.
“You mean have I found your mole and killed them? Not yet.” I shrug as I spear a bite of the incredible chicken from Zayn’s plate. He rolls his eyes as I steal it.
“You find anything at all, hellion, or are you too busy corrupting my kid brother?” Kane grumbles.
“Bit of both. Dodge is running financials,” I answer idly.
“You don’t sound convinced,” Zayn says. “I figured you would help him dig through the financial records of our entire staff with the way you were both talking.”
“I figured you would want to be out of here as quickly as possible, hellion,” Kane teases, “or maybe you’re considering my offer.”
“The only thing I’m considering is which brother to kill first.” I take a drink. “And I’m not helping him because I know it won’t work out.”
“What do you mean?” Neo asks, outwardly the most normal and calm, which is odd since he let me beat his ass.
“Well, Butcher doesn’t work that way. It’s a nice idea, so I’m letting Dodge do it, but most of the time he uses .
. . different ways of persuading people.
Are you going to eat that?” I ask Kane, who rolls his eyes and pushes his half untouched chicken over to me.
I don’t know what kind of magic or money they put into this shit, but I’m going to have to kidnap their cook so I can have it all the time.
“What do you mean?” Kane asks, pulling my attention away from my kidnapping plans. We could keep a cook. We have a spare room.
Sighing, I sit back. “Fear, pain, love . . . that’s Butcher’s trifecta.
If he wants to turn someone, and I’m guessing most of your soldiers are loyal, he would use one of those, so that’s what I’m looking for.
People with missing family members. People who are acting out of the ordinary.
People who are terrified because that’s what he does.
Why waste money when fear works faster? I’ll let Dodge keep searching just in case, but I’m going a different direction as well. ”
“Jesus,” Zayn whispers.
“Nope, just Karma,” I taunt as I finish off Kane’s plate. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a card game with your soldiers to attend. What better way to learn their secrets than take all their money?”
“Are you sure it’s not just for their money?” Neo drawls.
“Two birds, one stone, and a whole lot of bills. Isn’t that the phrase?
Or kill the bird or some shit. Either way, Mama’s going to be rich tonight.
” I rub my hands together. Throwing them a peace sign, I head back to the elevator and take it down to the bottom floor, where their soldiers’ living quarters are.
It’s time to steal some bills and secrets.