Page 70 of Queen Of Dark Money

“Dominick, meetMissSinclair.Rafe,Jasper,Ithink you’re all already acquainted.”

Iwatched in awe asStone’sjaw sank to the floor, a brow quirked at her appearance.Rafehad the decency to blush.Iwasn’t sureIwanted to know why.Hisface turned away from her, butIcaught him sneaking glances in her direction as she pointedly ignored him and moved to sit onRiver’slap.

Luckybastard.

“Now, we all remember theKingsmentioningMissSinclairawhile ago.She’sbeen with me this past few days, and before that,Stonekept her for them.Butshe’s insistent that she isn’t who we think she is, and after a phone call toEddySinclairtoday,I’minclined to hear her out.Iinvited you all here to listen, as well, andIput in a message to theKings, butIdon’t expect them to make an appearance–”

Someoneat the door behind me cleared their throat, andIturned to seeGatt, their gun runner and resident pacifist, standing there in all hisItalianglory, popping fucking chewing gum like he was a teenage girl at an after-school assembly.

“Arthurcouldn’t be pulled from his meetings tonight, so they sentmi,”he purred, that thick accent of his catching the ear of our lovely captive. “Ihope that is alright with you gentlemen.”

“Gladyou could make it,Gatt,”Stonegrumbled, his tone telling the room he probably would have rather choked on nails than deal with this man.

“So, what exactly did you wish to discuss, boys?Surelythisbambolottaisn’t causing you any trouble?”Hestrode over to where the girl sat onRiver’slap and ran a hand over her hair, smiling that megawatt smile down at her. “Youwouldn’t do such a thing, would you,MissSinclair?”

Stonesnorted into his gin.Whenall eyes turned on him, he pointedly looked the other way, choosing not to dignify that reaction with an answer.

Iput a bookmark in that to revisit later.Therewas a story there, andIwanted to hear it.

“I’mnot who you thinkIam,” the girl started, her eyes locked onGatt’s. “I’mnot aSinclair.Imean, technically,I’mhalfSinclair, butI’mnotEddy’sdaughter,Cait.I’mher twin.”

Gattdidn’t even flinch at this news. “Hertwin?”

“Yes.Myname isKerenza.Therehas to be a wayIcan prove to youI’mnot who you thinkIam.Imean, just look at me.”Shewaved her hand down her body, and we all obliged her, not that it was any hardship to any of us.

“Oh, believe me, we’re looking, sweetheart,”Imuttered under my breath, perhaps not quietly enough, because her eyes shot to me, and she frowned asIpointedly took her in, in all her glory once more. “Andwhile you’re easy on the eyes for sure, what does how you look have to do with not being who we think you are?”

Riversat up straighter, rearranging her on his lap with a simple touch. “Whenshe calledSinclairat theKings’ orders, he insisted she was just out of her mind, delirious with stress, and that he’d cooperate with theKingspost haste to get her home safely.Shemade sure to tell him that time was running out, but there was something in his voice when he told her he had everything under control that didn’t sound quite right.”Hecleared his throat, making a face atMissSinclairas she ran her fingernails across his shoulder. “NotthatIbelieve a captive over our informants, or our employers, but does this really look like the girl from the dossier?Andcan we truly trustSinclairto be upfront and honest about anything?Imean, the man is almost as much a criminal as we are.”

Hehad a point.Icould see the doubt creep in on everyone’s faces as they all thought over what they knew, or thought they knew.Therewas even some hesitation inGatt’seyes as he whipped out his buzzing phone, his frown deepening.Hebrought it to his ear, all seriousness.

“Gatt.”Therewas a pause as he listened to the voice on the other end.Hisgaze turned toRiver. “Blake.Doyou have aTVin here anywhere?”

“Whatchannel?”Riverasked, stretching behind him to grab a remote.

“Thenews.”

Heflipped the damn thing on wordlessly and turned it to a local news channel, and we all sat back in shock at what we were seeing.

Standingfront and center in the middle of the screen was none other thanEddySinclairhimself, the cheap rat bastard who’d told my bosses he didn’t negotiate with criminals.Hewas talking into the mic held by the reporter next to him, her wide smile hammed up for the cameras.

“Turnit up!”Rafeyelled, twisting in his seat to take in the scene before him.

“I’mtrying,I’mtrying, dammit, hold your horses.”

“--the criminal syndicate known as theKingscontacted my office and insisted they had my daughter in their clutches.Asyou can see,Diane, she is fine, right here with us, and none the worse for wear.”

Thebastard stepped to the side to reveal a woman identical to the one onBlake’sleg, though much more gaunt and sunken-in.Shedidn’t smile, and there was no light in her eyes as the microphone moved in front of her.Shecoughed, her voice as frail as the rest of her.

“I’vebeen at home recovering from the flu for the last week.Ifelt unwell at the gala, and we left early.Dueto my health,I’vebeen attempting to rest up at home soIcan support my father in his bid for re-election.”

Herhand rose to grab her father’s arm, and he shifted so she was again behind his shoulder, almost obscured from view of the cameras and the crowd. “Thereyou have it,Diane.Mydaughter,as you can see, is safe with me, contrary to the claims made by theKingstonight.”Hiseyes met the camera head-on, and that smile he wore turned evil.Icould practically feel it through the screen, like a nasty taste you can’t wash from your mouth, or someone staring for far longer than they had a right to. “WhoevertheKingshave, it’s not my daughter, but rest assured, we will find you, and we will take you down, mark my words.Aslong asI’mactingD.A. in this city, criminals willnotrule here.”

Thescreen went black asRiverturned off the newscast, watchingMissSinclair–or whatever her name was–pace the floor.Shemoved like a caged tiger, all grace and elegance in those heeled shoes, until she turned and you caught a look at the expression she wore.

Purefucking hatred.

“Ishould have never trusted that fucking sonofabitch,” she snarled, her hands flying as she worked out her anger on the air around her. “Nothingbut a pawn to him.Expendable.Fuckme, he’s probably never going to help me.I’mfucked.Fucked!”Shespun on a dime and turned her attention toGatt, who was staring at her just as stunned as the rest of us. “Letme guess–is this where you tell me that, as collateral, you’re going to have to off me becauseI’mtoo much of a risk ifI’mturned loose?”Shehung her head back, baring her throat. “Slitit quick, and make sure to send the head to my fucking deadbeat daddy, the piece of fuckingshit.”

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