Page 123 of Kings & Carnage

I watched as he scribbled at the end of each line and a picture formed in my mind: the map in the binders from Dean Giordana's office.

Roberto was drawing the cabins owned by the four families, the trails leading between them.

"You will be given a three-minute head start," he said. "Then we'll start the chase, along with teams from the other cabins that will start their game at the same time.”

Other teams… I understood now. He was talking about other members of the four families, all staging from the other cabins.

All prepared to chase me through the snowy woods.

"Sounds like a dumb game," I said. My feet were turning numb from the cold, my exposed skin stinging with it. "And definitely not a fair one.”

Roberto shrugged. "I won't deny you’re at a disadvantage, but that's life. It's a real bitch, isn't it?”

"Says the guy with every privilege who uses it like a coward to hurt innocent girls," I said.

The redhead laughed, stroking his beard. "This rabbit has bite.”

"Your complaints are noted," Roberto said. "Nevertheless, these have been the rules for years. No special treatment for you." He walked toward me, stroked my cheek with the back of his knuckles, ran a finger down my neck, into the cleavage displayed by my bustier. "The good news is, if you can outrun us, we might let you live.”

That was a lie. They were never going to let me live now that I'd seen their faces, knew about their little game.

But I wasn't going to bother arguing the point.

"And if I can't?" I asked.

"If you can't, we get a little playtime before you join your sister and the others out here," he said.

I had to force myself to keep breathing. They’d done this to Emma and the other girls. Buried them somewhere in these woods where no one would ever find them.

I didn't want to think about what these men had done to them before that.

I tried to keep myself calm. The Kings would already be tracking me. They would be here any second.

Then Roberto slipped a finger under the velvet ribbon around my neck and tugged.

The choker gave way.

He looked down at it with a sneer. "My son thinks he’s the king. He and his friends. But tonight I’m going to show him who's really king.”

He tossed the choker aside and stepped back, nodding at the two men still holding my arm.

For a few seconds, nobody said anything.

Then Roberto shrugged and simply said, "Run."

Chapter59

Neo

Idrove like a bat out of hell, my gaze switching from the road to the red light showing Willa's location on the tracker app.

I had no idea what had happened at St. Andrew’s, but I smelled a rat.

It was too much of a coincidence that a fire had started right before Willa disappeared.

This had my father written all over it.

"How much longer?" Drago asked from the backseat.

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