Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
“Ambrielle, now is the time you join Steele outside. You know where he is. I expect you to avoid all cameras. You can’t make a sound or alert any of the neighborhood dogs. You wait with him.”
His heart accelerated in spite of his efforts to keep absolutely calm and dispassionate. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t want the others to think he didn’t trust her. He wanted them to believe he had absolute faith in her. There was no sound until she moved up behind him and the whisper of her fingers trailed over his ribs as she passed him to go down the hallway to exit the house. No protest and no hesitation. She kept her word to him. His woman. His princess. His hand went to his aching throat. He had the best of the best, and just like that, fate took her away from him. He was headed back to prison. There was no getting around it, and this time he wouldn’t survive.
Maestro dragged the prisoner into the living room while Keys drew the blinds to ensure any neighbors couldn’t see in. “You recognize this one?” Maestro asked as he shoved the man into a chair facing the two dead bodies lying on the floor.
“He looks a little worse for wear,” Master observed, pacing in front of him, then circling around the chair. “But I’ve seen him. He was wearing orange. It was years ago. In a small private prison. We were in Crawley together.” He continued the circle until he was standing in front of the man again. “I see you remember me. They called me Master for a reason, didn’t they? She sent you. The devil woman. That snake on your finger tells me you work for her.”
Master pulled off his thin gloves and showed his bare skin. His hands were big and scarred and covered in tattoos, but they were significant tattoos, ones gotten in prisons all over the world. None was of a snake. “I never allowed a woman—or a man for that matter—to own me. I don’t dance to anyone’s tune. Didn’t you get enough of that shit in the schools we were in?”
He pulled his gloves back on and flexed his fingers and then looked up at Maestro and laughed. “Of course, he went to the school for pussies. We used to laugh at the way they thought they had it so rough.”
“What the hell do you want?” the man demanded.
“Tell me your name. You were a little pissant in Crawley, and I didn’t bother to learn your name, only your number.”
“Karlin,” he mumbled through his swelling lower lip. “What do you want? We left you alone. You can’t possibly care about Stoddard or Fender. They have nothing to do with you.”
“Give up the wife. Where is she?”
Karlin swore under his breath in his native language. “You. You’re the one. You and Viktor and all the rest of you. You’ve been going after the women and taking them back.”
“Don’t like anyone making war on helpless innocents. Had enough of that shit in the school. Took a vow, Karlin, and we don’t break the code. You need to tell me or you’re going to take a long time to die and it’s going to fucking hurt like hell.”
“I don’t care if you take back the bitch. Garry got away and he’ll kill her before you get to her anyway.” There was a wealth of satisfaction in his voice. Bragging even.
Master’s eyebrow shot up. “Really? You think we didn’t know he was there? I could have cut his fucking throat a dozen times. We have men on him. No matter where he goes, he isn’t long for this world, and he certainly isn’t going to have the opportunity to kill Stoddard’s wife. You don’t look too happy, Karlin. If that information changes your mind and you want to hold out, I’ll give the brothers the go-ahead to go to work on you.”
“Fuck you, Master.”
“You’re not my type, Karlin.”
“She’s in an empty house in Fort Bragg. She’s been there all along. No one ever checks those empty houses.” He gave the address without so much as hesitating.
Master passed it on. “Tell me about Helena and Crawley Prison. How many she has working for her there. She wants Fender dead because he knows too much about her business. She talked too much, made mistakes.” He poured contempt into his voice. “She likes to control men by sleeping with them, but sometimes she just can’t control herself and she talks too much, isn’t that right, Karlin, and then you have to clean up after her.”
Karlin’s back straightened and his shoulders went rigid. “She doesn’t make mistakes. She always knows what she’s doing. Fender is the pitiful one. Drinking too much. Making a mess out of his life. He had a chance to serve her, and he didn’t see her greatness. Fuck him. He deserves to die, and he will. So will Viktor. You can’t save him, Master, or his family. They’re marked for death. His wife. Every child. He’ll see them dead and then he’ll die.”