Page 69 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

She licked her lips. “I know it’s not as thorough as everyone would like it to be. Myself, especially. But I trust this is going to work out. Do you trust me, John?”

My brother peeked over at me. “She being serious?”

I shrugged. “Do you trust the girl?”

Dani corrected me. “Woman.”

I winked. “Hell yeah, you are.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “John, do you trust me?”

He sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. But this is also Max’s only shot at getting out of this as a free man.”

Dani nodded. “Which is why it’s worth the risk to me. Remember, John, you need to tell him we’re running. That we’re leaving town. Getting out of Dodge for good. And you need to make sure Benji understands it’s because of him. That’s the important part. It’s the only thing he’ll believe, because he’s just as egotistical as your father.”

I jumped in. “He’ll follow us if you make sure he understands we’re leaving due to his treatment. Benji won’t want to leave anything unfinished. If my father has rubbed off on him that much, we play this like we’d play our father.”

r /> John chuckled breathlessly. “Playing our father. Sounds like a cause of death on my tombstone.”

I sighed. “It’ll only be a matter of time before Dad’s paid goons catch up with us, too. As long as Benji makes it to us first, we’ll be good. He’ll talk. But, if Dad’s paid idiots find us with him, this might get complicated.”

My brother nodded. “Got it. Make sure it’s all about Benji, and that he makes it to you guys first. I can do that.”

Dani smiled. “We knew you could.”

John paused. “You’re sure he’s going to be at the hospital?”

I hoisted one last bag into the bed of the truck. “Positive. There’s nowhere else for him to go. He’s got no one else at his side but Dad right now, and we know Dad’s still recuperating in that hospital bed. Benji isn’t going to be at school. He can’t come to any of our clubhouses without risking his own life. And he can’t go to the estate because it’s still a crime scene. He’ll be at the hospital, either talking to Dad or waiting to see Dad. It’s a safe place to corner him.”

John paused. “If we don’t want Dad getting to you guys first, are you sure we don’t want to lure him away from the hospital?”

Dani cupped my brother’s cheeks. “John, you need to take a breath with me. Okay?”

I watched the two of them draw in deep breaths together, and out of the corner of my eye I saw some of my men on their bikes doing the same thing. Their chests expanded as their eyes closed. They were breathing with Dani, as if she were silently commanding them.

Hell, those men never listened to me like that at all. And it was inspiring.

What a woman.

“All right, John. Ready?” she asked.

He nodded. “Ready.”

“You’re the one who’s going to the hospital. Max and I are getting on the road. When you talk to Benji, follow our stipulations. And when you do, that’s when he leaves the hospital and comes after us. We’re banking on the hospital holding back your father from placing phone calls or leaving or generally fucking this up. Okay?”

He nodded fervently. “Got it. It’s all sorted out in my head now. Sorry.”

She patted his cheeks. “Such a dirty word. You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s complicated, and diluted, and risky at best. You need any other clarification?”

I stood in awe of her as she talked my brother through the bare bones of the plan with poise and confidence.

“No, no. I’m good. Thanks,” John said.

Dani dropped her hands. “Wonderful. Okay. Max, do we need any other bags in the trunk?”

I shook my head. “Got the last one in while you were doing your focus thing. We’re good to go whenever John is.”

She smiled. “John?”

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