Page 91 of King of Wrath

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Nia

I’m goingto kill that Brit with my bare hands.

In this moment, I’ve never felt more like a phoenix rising.

“From the ashes,” I murmur, and I know Jake hears me by the way he shifts in his seat.

I take two steps toward the man coming out of the cockpit, my teeth gnashing together when I realize something is wrong.

Even in the shadow of the doorway, I can see that he doesn’t look quite right. The nose, the eyes, the cut of his hair.

“Nia,” Luke clears his throat. “Meet Triston Smith.”

My chin pulls back. “Triston?”

The Brit shrugs. “Our mother pulled most of our names from the family tree. I think I fared far better than my brother, Griswold.” And then he gives me a wicked grin.

Luke starts for the door. “I’m going to patrol the perimeter, make sure none of our friends circle back.”

I don’t turn away from Triston. He knows exactly who I thoughthe was. “How is your brother?” I ask, intentionally making my voice sugary-sweet.

I know that I only just gained the trust of the Kincaids and I don’t have a lot of room here, but then again, my cousins are a lynch pin in this plan and I’m no wilting flower.

“He’s good. Yourself?”

“Very well,” I say, waving my hand with the ring.

Behind me, Jake chuckles. “This is going to be fun.”

I look back at him and he gives me a wink. It tells me that I have his support for whatever I say next. Which is good. Because Gris and I have a debt to settle.

I see Triston’s slight wince and I know that he knows….

“That’s wonderful that he’s doing so well,” I say, my chin rising. “Because the rest of us have been through hell.”

Triston takes a step forward. “Now listen, it seems to me you ended up with a pretty good deal so?—”

“Big mistake,” Jake mutters behind me, but Triston hears him and stops.

“Will the police be coming, do you think?” This is a question I ask Roman, not Triston.

“No,” Roman shakes his head. “There is no one around here to report anything.”

“Then the cleanup can wait for Gris to arrive?” I say with a smile. “Someone is going to have to bury my father’s body.” I put emphasis on the last word because this has been anything but a good deal.

I know I’m moving toward a good place. I’m supposed to be with Jake. But that doesn’t change all the fear I endured, or the fact that I had to have the kind of standoff with Toni that is the stuff of nightmares.

Jake…he’s paid for his part. He’s bleeding in a chair because he took on my fight. It was me Toni wanted dead, and it was Jake who saved me.

But Gris will pay for what he did just like the rest of us. Make no mistake. My spine stiffens along with my resolve. Am I hurt and angry about everything that went down today? Maybe.

Does Gris get to just walk away a winner? Definitely not.

Triston brushes past me and kneels in front of Jake. “Let me look.”

Jake eyes him. “You know what you’re doing?”

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