Page 44 of Brutal King

“Mmm.” I play the video again, studying the man. “Do you have any theories on his identity?”

“I do,” she says, gladly.

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Watch the video again. I’ll give you three guesses.”

“I’m literally replaying it over and over. Just spit it the fuck out. Who is it?”

“Look again.” She blows out a breath. “Hey, you’re the one that likes games. Five hundred dollars if you guess right.”

“Scar.”

“Ugh. Fine. It’s Noah Esposito.”

“You’re sure?”

“I followed him for a week. It’s him. Looks like the alliance isn’t just fighting you. They’re doing each other little favors. Hekilled the judge on behalf of Arran Maxton. He had no other reason to have done it.”

“Well, well. Arran finally took his revenge.” I sit back and take a moment to process the information. Time is of the essence if I’m to take advantage of the deal I made with Thomas Cameron.

“So, planB?” Scarlet asks.

“You know I have a plan B?”

“You always do. So? What is it?”

I don’t respond right away.

Though it wasn’t what I preferred, I did have a contingency plan should Thomas die. It just didn’t occur to me that Arran would actually be that bold, and it makes me wonder if it will work, or put his daughter in real danger.

However, there’s no time to reformulate.

Once word gets out of the Judge’s death, his debts will be called in. It was a failsafe I put into place, making sure that anyone he owed money to knew of his daughters’ trust fund. Thomas’s enemies will come after them, and when they do, I will give the girls their only way out.

“Are you at your place in Philly?” I ask.

“Yes. You want me to head to Cameron’s house?”

“Gather the men and have them meet me there. I need you and Itsuki to pay a visit to our friend, Wesley Ritter.” Itsuki is Scarlet’s male counterpart. His quiet reserve balances her well. He’s loyal to her, but first and foremost, to me. I often pair them in hopes that they’ll make a good match in other ways.

“Ooh. I do love paying Wesley visits,” she says evilly. “I scare him.”

“You scare a lot of men.” Hence my choice of Itsuki for her.

She laughs. “Only the shitty ones.”

After giving Scarlet detailed instructions, I go in search of Sofia. I find her in the dark room.

“One second!” she calls out when I knock.

A moment later, she comes out, her hair secured on top of her head with a pencil and the sleeves of her very expensive blouse rolled up to her elbows.

“Yes?” she asks hurriedly, as if I’ve just interrupted something important.

“You’re wearing that to develop photos?”

She glances down. “I have an apron.”

---