Page 15 of The Rebel King

Grim’s head drops to his hands, and he releases a frustrated exhale.

“You’re a dumb fuck, aren’t you?” Abe demands with a caustic laugh. “I’ve got your piece of pussy right here, and you dare insultme. I have six men who don’t mind sharing. There’s seven, but one of them doesn’t like girls, so you know. To each his own.”

Fear sends my heart nose-diving. Rage breathes fire down my neck.

“Don’t,” I choke out. “Don’t hurt her.”

“Say you’re sorry and maybe you’ll win the game.”

Die. Die. Die.

“Say it, you idiot,” Grim snaps. “If you don’t want her dead before he hangs up, say it.”

Kimba’s gasp, her tears. Mr. Hunter’s wide, terrified eyes. Jin Lei’s anxious frown. The disdain of Grim’s stare.

I messed up, and if this psychopath harms even one hair on Lennix’s head because of my stupidity, I’ll never forgive myself.

“I’m sorry.”

“Very good.” His pause screams delight and contempt. “Now beg.”

“Please.” It comes easily because I’d say anything to save her.

“I’ll think about it.”

The line goes dead.

“Dammit!” I bang the handset on the table once, twice, three times, four, until it cracks down the middle.

“King, stop,” Grim says. “Breaking the phone won’t change anything. You messed that up real good, brother.”

“I… I’m… Shit.” I push shaking fingers through my hair and squeeze the bridge of my nose. “I know. I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry. He just… He has her, Grim. What will he do to her?”

He shakes his head and shoots a furtive glance at Mr. Hunter.

My gut knots at the finality in that look.

“Wehaveto find her,” I tell him. “Wehaveto go get her.”

CHAPTER 5

MAXIM

“I found her,” Grim says a few hours later, striding into my office, triumph and trepidation equal shareholders on his face.

“The signal?” I ask. “The tracker?”

“Yup. Wherever they are is remote for sure, and at first we couldn’t pick it up to activate. They may have been in a forest so dense we couldn’t grab it. They must have left an area we couldn’t detect it for a place where we can.”

“When do we leave?”

“We?” Grim cocks one brow.

“You can’t possibly think I’m letting you do this without me. While I do what? Stay here like some house pet waiting for you to come back? The fuck. You know me better than that. He has my girl, Grim.”

“You’re not trained for this.”

“I’m an excellent shot.”

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