Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“I know.” I’d cut Karl’s brother open and put his organs in other people. He wasn’t the only one who’d died. The recipients did as well because they weren’t a match. It was a fucking catastrophe. So he wanted me to experience the same thing—to watch the person I loved be chopped into pieces. It meant Camille’s fate would be horrific. “We’ll get her back, alright?”
Cauldron seemed stunned into silence, which was a first.
“Cauldron?”
“How long do we have?”
“Twenty-four hours,” I said. “We’ll get her back—”
“Damn right, we will. And we’ll mutilate every fucker involved. Looks like your business is about to get good…” He walked back down the hallway, probably to get dressed and armed. A handgun or pistol wouldn’t do. We’d need some serious shit, like rifles and Uzis.
Minutes later, Cauldron came back packing. A rifle was hanging from one shoulder and a shotgun was across his back. There was an Uzi strapped onto each hip. “Do you know where they are?”
I shook my head.
“We’ll trace her phone.”
“He’ll have destroyed that by now,” I said. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“A couple hours ago.”
“They must have been watching the place and thought you were me…”
Cauldron closed his eyes briefly, like he was pissed off at himself for not staying. “She threw me out…but I should have stayed.”
“You know Camille. It’s her way or no way. And remember, if anyone’s to blame…it’s me.”
My brother looked at me again, a mixture of so many hateful emotions, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
“I was with Elise…but I’m pretty sure that’s over now.”
“She should be grateful that Karl made the wrong assumption. She’d be the one captured. Her kids would be dead.”
“I doubt she’s even thought of that.” I had more to say, but I kept it to myself because the end of my relationship with Elise was insignificant in the face of our current problem.
“So, what now? We wait for the call?”
“There’s got to be somebody we know who might know his whereabouts.”
“Karl would have thought of that,” Cauldron said. “He would have kept this under wraps from our allies.”
With no plan and no one to call, we were packing for no reason. “What about Bartholomew?”
Somehow, Cauldron managed to look even more pissed off.
“He might help us.”
“Why? He doesn’t owe us anything.”
“But he might care for Camille. I bet he could figure out where Karl is with a simple phone call. When Bartholomew calls, people answer.”
Cauldron remained silent and angry, just breathing.
“He initially turned down fifty million dollars. That’s a lot of money.”
He gave a slight nod. “We’ve got no other leads. Let’s do it.”
26
CAULDRON
Bartholomew entered the room, a cigar in his mouth and his chest shiny with a hint of sweat. Black sweatpants were low on his hips, and his bare feet hit the hardwood with distinct thuds. He lowered the cigar as a cloud released from the crack between his lips. “Wow. It’s the set.”
I didn’t want to be diplomatic right now. Just cut to the chase and save my girl. But I was the beggar, and beggars couldn’t be choosers. When he came close enough, I could recognize the distinct smell of sex.
It was all over him.
He took another puff of the cigar and released the smoke in my face. “What can I do for the Toussaint brothers?”
I didn’t correct him. “Camille has been taken.”
Bartholomew sat down on the couch, took another puff of the cigar, and then placed it in the ashtray. “By whom?”
I took a seat across from him. Grave did the same. “Karl.”
“Are you guessing, or is this confirmed?” He sat back on the couch, arms stretching out on either side.
“He called me,” Grave said. “I have twenty-fours to take her place.”
Bartholomew shifted his gaze to my brother and studied him for a while. “I heard what you did to his brother. Cold-blooded.”
“I didn’t know it was him.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Because I always thought you needed to know everything about a man, down to his blood type, before you put his organs inside someone else.”
“Roan switched out the men,” Grave said. “He wanted us to be enemies so we would kill each other.”
“And even in death, his plan is working.” He looked at me next. “You just got your girl back, and this happens… What a shame.”
“Help us,” I blurted, unable to word it in a tactful way.
“Me?” Bartholomew asked. “I was nice enough to sell her to you. I’ve always been a hopeless romantic…”
“One phone call and you could figure out where he is,” I said. “Where he’s holding her.”
He propped the side of his head on his closed knuckles and stared at me. “Our mission with Roan was a success. No one suspects I had anything to do with it, even though I’m the one who gains the most. I’d be stupid to roll the dice again so soon.”