Page 64 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

I sipped my coffee and kept eating toast. The men around us looked at each other but stayed silent. All eyes and focus were on John as he murmured to himself and slid his hands down his face. I had to admit, he was trying. I gave him props for that, too. Benji had been John’s little project. While it was my job to uphold John’s wishes, it was John that originally denied Benji entry into the club. Denied him a chance at being a prospect. In my brother’s words, “He’s got too much to offer this world to be running around with a bunch of bloodthirsty men.”

I knew John wouldn’t like any plan that put Benji in harm’s way.

“You’re right.”

My brother’s voice pierced the air before my eyes panned to his face. I watched him heave the heaviest, most burdened sigh to ever come from any man’s lips.

“You’re right. There’s no other avenu

e to exploit. And now that we’ve tried taking Dad out once, he won’t stop until we’re both dead.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“Which means it’s us or him.”

“I know.”

He reached for his fork. “So how do we make this happen? How do we orchestrate this?”

I placed my hand on my brother’s shoulder, trying to provide him with some sort of comfort.

“We lure Benji out of hiding. Right now, he’s hunkered down somewhere. Waiting for some sort of signal, no doubt. We lure him out. Make him think I’m an easy target. With Benji’s incessant need to get in good with people, he’ll never be able to fight the temptation to take me out in order to show Dad what he’s made of. And once we’ve got him right where we want him? We get him to admit who he’s working for.”

John nodded. “And why.”

I nodded. “Exactly. Who, when, where, and why.”

“Which will hopefully get Rupert off the hook for these bogus-ass charges.”

“And put Dad away for good.”

22

Dani

The first thing I smelled was a lack of him. His cologne was fading away. And the cool sheets on his side of the bed startled me awake. I quickly rose up, whipping my head around to see if I could find him. But when Max was nowhere to be found, I threw the covers off me.

“Max?”

My feet hit the floor and I hissed at the cold. I stumbled around, trying to get my bearings. It was morning. The sun was trying so hard to peek through the blackout curtains in his bedroom. I made my way over to the bathroom and flipped on the light, straining to see if he was in there.

“Max, where are you?”

I turned around and read the room. At least, I tried to. I rubbed my eyes, clearing them of their crusted sleep, and that’s when relief washed over me. The drawers on the dresser hung open. A shirt had been cast to the floor. A pair of socks lay in the corner, as if they had been tried on before someone said ‘nope, no thanks.’

Max is up for the day.

The room didn’t look disheveled. It didn’t look as if someone had a fight or was hurt, in any way. I drew in a deep breath, trying to get the trembling in my hands to go away as my legs found their strength. I was still on edge. Even after falling asleep next to Max last night, I still felt worked up. I had to find a way to calm myself down, to ground myself again.

Max is fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.

Except for his father still being alive.

Something lit up in the corner, though, and it caught my eye. I wandered back over toward the light, only to find my phone flashing on the bedside table. I saw my father calling, and I picked up the phone. I ignored the phone call to check and see if Max had sent me anything. Or called of his own volition. But the numbers that reflected back at me raised my eyebrows.

“Thirty-seven missed calls?” I murmured.

My phone started flashing again with my father’s name popping up. I sat myself on the edge of the bed. At some point in time, I’d have to talk to them. I couldn’t simply cast them out, like I had Hannah. They were my parents. And I knew they’d pester me until kingdom come if I didn’t answer the phone.

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