Page 71 of The Devil's Viking

“Because,” she said as she cocked her gun. “As you know full well with Lily and Jonah – the dead can’t bear witness, George.”

And with one last smile right into his stupified, panicked, disbelieving face, Briley pulled the trigger, shooting George Bennington straight in the heart.

Chapter Twenty-two

Five days later

Viking walked into Satan’s, looked around to see if Elle was there. He spotted her in the kitchen, helping Rebel with the lunch rush, and he smiled.

Every time he saw her lately, safe and busy and beautiful, he smiled. She was home.

Wolf, Scars and Ice were standing at the top of the hallway deep in discussion; when they saw Viking, they waved him over.

“Hey, man,” Wolf greeted him. “We were just talkin’ about the twins and Briley.”

“Have they got Cheryl set up in New York?”

“Yep. She’s always wanted to live there, apparently, so this gave her the perfect opportunity to start again in her dream city. Seems the woman is in advertisin’ and that’s a great place to get a job in the field.”

“And I’m guessing that the money you gave her didn’t hurt in finding a decent place to live?” Viking teased Wolf. “A few new outfits, a car, a full fridge?”

“Yeah, well.” Wolf looked a bit embarrassed. “Everyone needs a hand up sometimes, ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.”

Viking and Scars grinned at Wolf’s gruff reply. The man was an absolute badass tank in so many ways, but he had an incredible heart. Wolf never refused to help people if he could, and the second he heard that Cheryl needed some start-up cash, he’d told Jo to send the transfer over and to balance the books as needed by taking the money from Wolf’s own savings.

“Anyway,” Scars said. “Briley’s not sure what she wants to do yet. She didn’t want to make any decisions before she got Cheryl safe and all settled.”

“I told the twins to take her anywhere she wanted,” Wolf said. “Her house sold already so in a few weeks’ time, she’ll have a nice chunk of change to start a whole new life not in law enforcement. The guys will get her to her new home, check everythin’ out, make sure she’s OK. I figure they’ll be back in a month or so.”

“Any word from King about Utah?” Viking asked Ice, who’d been standing there his usual remote and silent self this whole time. “Anyone in the Salt Lake PD wanting to ask us any questions yet about the drama at the Garden of Satan?”

“King’s man is more concerned about chasing the remaining cult members down than finding the person or persons who blew the mess wide apart.” Ice shrugged. “King told his buddy Denton about the center in New Mexico so they’re working on the assumption that they’ve all taken off back there to lay low and regroup. Denton thinks the cult is vulnerable right now – no Gideon means no leader, so there’s a power vacuum. This is the best time to swoop on in and bust the whole group wide open.”

“So this Denton guy thinks that it’s pretty much over?” Scars asked him.

“He thinks so, but Elle doesn’t and frankly, I’ll take her word on this matter overanyoneelse’s. She knows the personalities involved, and if she says it’s not over, then I believe her.”

Viking nodded. “Agreed.”

“What did she say?” Scars asked. “Who is she worried about?”

“Some pompous asshole named Michael who managed to creep away from the compound,” Viking said. “He was one of Gideon’s true believers, you know, one of those weak losers who has no values or character of his own, so he latches on to a stronger personality.”

“But Gideon’s gone,” Scars said, puzzled. “Wouldn’t this Michael idiot just crumple up like a wet paper bag without his golden Messiah? Blow away in the wind and never be seen or heard from again?”

“Denton says yes, Elle says no.”

“What’s she thinkin’?” Wolf asked. “That this Michael prick will go lookin’ for a replacement Gideon?”

“No,” Ice said heavily. “Right before Gideon got his chest blown wide open, apparently he made Michael Right-Guardian. It means he’s literally Gideon’s right hand, the one who makes sure that the Master’s will is carried out by everyone. Elle told me that this guy is an absolute lunatic, worse than Gideon is some ways.”

“How the hell can he beworse?” Scars asked, aghast. “Thereisno worse.”

“George Bennington was a monster because he figured out how to use people’s weaknesses and bad experiences against them,” Ice said. “He exploited them to get what he wanted: money, power, sex. He neverreallybelieved what he was selling, everything he said were just tools for him to get his heart’s desires served up to him on a platter. But this Michael guy, he actuallybelievesin Gideon as his Master. Like, really reallybelievesthe teachings and the words and the rules. Elle thinks that the shiny and new Right-Guardian will make it his life’s mission to resurrect the Master by keeping the Garden going, but now everyone will have to worship Gideon as a God that will return when the group is worthy.”

“Oh, my God,” Scars said. “Maybe Briley should have bypassed the two-by-four and shotthisasshole’s chest open too.”

“The worst part is that this Michael knows about us,” Viking said. “He was one of the ones who grabbed up Elle from our parking lot, so Elle thinks that after he rebuilds the cult, he’ll turn his attention back to us.”

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