Page 71 of Devil's Queen

As Rex paces and mutters to himself, a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. He’s right. This situation is spiraling out of control, becoming more complex by the minute. I never anticipated that my initial decision to help Diaz recover his stolen bike would lead us down this treacherous path.

“What do we do now?” Tinley asks, her voice trembling with unease.

Cheyenne shoots me a concerned look, her eyes filled with worry. “Remy, we need to come up with a plan. We can’t afford to let Diaz dictate our every move.”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. “You’re right,” I say, determination creeping into my voice. “We need to regain control of this situation, but where do we start?”

“The bakery next door.”

The four of us peer up as Maya walks across the glass-covered floor.

“What does the bakery have to do with this?” Cheyenne retorts. “The last thing we need is pastries.”

“It’s not the pastries, Chey. They have cameras too. Most of the businesses around here do. They didn’t account for that.” Maya whips out her phone and shows us the screen. A grainy video plays. We watch as two masked men break into the garage from the employee entrance. Twenty minutes later, they emerge, disappearing down the alley. She exits the video before she plays another one of the men farther down the alley, where two Harleys are parked behind the dry cleaners.

“Please tell me you have a video from the dry cleaner.”

“I do.” She hits play a third time, and just as they are about to ride away, one of the men rips off their mask, revealing a familiar face.

“Wolff,” Rex growls. “I fucking knew it.”

“Do we know where he went?” Tinley asks Maya, who shakes her head.

“He went north. With any luck, he went down Bourbon Street. There are enough bars that someone should have him on video. I was going to head there next, but I wanted you to see this first.”

As Maya finishes explaining her findings, a glimmer of hope flickers in my chest. Maybe this is the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for, the piece of the puzzle that could lead us to Wolff and unravel the tangled web we’ve found ourselves in.

“Rex and I can go walk Bourbon Street,” I say, urgency infusing my voice.

“No, you and Rex need to get back to the house. We know it’s Wolff. He’s gunning for you both. The last place you need to be is out in public, walking the streets. Let us handle this.”

She’s right. I know she is, but I feel like a coward hiding away.

“Beaux and Birdie, Remy. They need you to protect them more than I need you to watch my six.”

Cheyenne’s words stop me in my tracks. The determination in her eyes and the confidence in her voice tell me that she has a plan, and I need to trust her on this one. Reluctantly, I nod, knowing that our situation is too precarious for me to argue.

“All right,” I say, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. “But be careful. We can’t afford any missteps now.”

Cheyenne gives me a reassuring smile as she gathers Tinley and Maya around her. “Don’t worry, Remy. We’ve got this. Just get back to the house and regroup with Rex. We’ll bring you a lead soon.”

With a last glance at the group, I turn on my heels and head back to our bikes with Rex trailing behind me. I’m lost in my thoughts, trying to rectify the damage to the shop and the confirmation that Wolff is truly behind this. The thoughts envelop me until we’re back in my driveway. Rex stills on his bike next to me.

“What is it?”

“Didn’t you have a couple of Queens stationed here at the house when we left?”

“Yeah, Marissa and Harlow. Why?”

“Where are they, Rem?”

I frown, a sudden wave of concern washing over me. Their bikes, which were parked on the street, are gone. The only vehicle in the driveway is Mama’s Oldsmobile. “They should have been here,” I mutter, scanning the empty driveway and the darkened windows of the house. “Something’s not right.”

Without another word, Rex and I spring into action, dismounting our bikes and cautiously approaching the front door. We exchange a look, both of us knowing that danger could be lurking on the other side.

I reach for the doorknob, my fingers trembling slightly. I turn the knob and push the door open, ready for whatever awaits inside. The house is too quiet. Nothing moves inside.

“Stay here.” Rex moves past me toward the hallway. His heavy footsteps thud as he takes them quickly. The floor creaks above me as he clears the upper floor.

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