Page 163 of Riordan's Revenge

Kneeling, I rinsed my blade of her blood.

It was done. After everything, we’d unmasked the killer and delivered justice. I could tell Dixie that I’d avenged her. I’d made sure to reference each woman so she met her end with their names in her head.

All of that because she wanted a job.

The shite people pulled to get ahead.

My brain got stuck in processing all that happened, and in a numb state, I trudged back up the short slope that had kept us out of sight, expecting to see Riordan waiting at the top. He wasn’t there.

I discovered him face-on with a fresh hell.

The mayor was awake and pointing a gun directly at the man I loved.

“What the fucking Christ is going on here?” his voice boomed.

I froze, horror stealing my thoughts. The mayor had his back to me, so I sank to my haunches, keeping out of sight under the ridge of the slope. How could Moniqua not have searched him? Fucking amateur hour.

“I know you,” the older man uttered.

Riordan’s voice was low and sure. “You should.”

“Why did you bring me here?”

He didn’t know that Morgue-Minded Moniqua had been the one to capture him. In the distance, sirens sounded, and a curtain twitched in the nearest house, a side window giving them a view down to the end of the road and the wasteland. They couldn’t have seen Moniqua’s end, but they were witnessing everything between Riordan and the mayor. Shite. They’d called the cops. Probably recognised the high-profile man whose face was everywhere on billboards and on leaflets through doors. Or maybe scared of the gun he held.

No way was he hurting Riordan or allowing him to be arrested for the ghoul’s crime.

Cursing the dead fucker for not disarming him, I scanned the area. I couldn’t see either of my brothers, though one had gone on a fool’s errand of finding Don, but at the far end of the road, two dark SUVs were parked up. Arran and Shade were here.

My mind raced.

Riordan said something to the mayor that I couldn’t make out, but the reply was loud and clear.

He held the gun up. “Move a muscle and I’ll kill you.”

My boyfriend didn’t flinch. “You know, I thought you’d recognised me in the past. Maybe even kept tabs on me. Piers Roache made a jibe about you not having a son you could be proud of, and I assumed you’d talked about me. I almost wanted it. But not now.”

“Piers? Where is he? What have you done with him? I need him.”

My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it out, reading the message under the cover of the slope.

Shade: Piers is in the boot of my car. Trade?

They were watching, then. Stealthy as fuck because I couldn’t see them. It was a good solution to get Riordan out of the crosshairs. Not that we’d give him up for real.

The distant sirens grew louder, and the mayor cocked his head. “Hear that? The police are coming for me. I assume this is a culmination of all the pranks you people have been pulling? My house is ruined. I have people breaking in or calling me at all hours. My workplace is a shambles. Sex toys are being brought to me by my admin team. Why? I demand answers. Rest assured you won’t get away with this.”

He was right. We needed the bastard dead, which would be harder to bribe our way out of if a dozen cops witnessed it as well as the nearby residents. My heart thumped, another thought piercing my panic. If they’d reported the weapon the mayor held, gun cops might arrive. Shots could be fired.

For Riordan’s sake, I needed to think smarter. Quickly, I tapped out a message to Arran.

Cassie: Do you still carry cash in your car?

He answered with the affirmative, and I arranged for him and Shade to meet me at the vehicles. Then I sent another to my brothers.

Cassie: Sin, keep eyes on Rio. Struan, meet me up the road at Arran’s car.

With a final look at Riordan, and a silent promise to return, I jogged down the riverbank to climb up out of sight,

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