Page 31 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

“Yeah, she tried it with Axel a few times before I arrived by all accounts. Power crazy that one; she wants to be the top bitch in the Castle and Griffin will do for now. Word is, she’s after Slade, but he’s not interested.”

“Because of Avery?”

Marina laughs incredulously. “That waste of space; no Avery has nothing that interests the guys instead of what’s between her legs. Word of advice, baby, be smarter, don’t take their shit and always stay one step ahead and then you stand a chance of keeping their attention.”

I think about her words, which have surprised me a little. I’m not quite sure why she feels so threatened and know there’s more to this than she’s letting on.

Deciding to dig a little deeper, I say innocently, “What was Billy like?”

“Hardly spoke to him.”

“But you knew him?”

“Yeah, I knew Billy, but he was a closed book that one. He had his secrets and didn’t let anyone in.”

“Did he have a girl, an old lady, Sawyer’s mom perhaps?”

“Not that I know of. I mean their mom died years back and for all I knew, Billy wasn’t interested in finding anyone else. Quite impressive when you think about it because girls are on tap most of the day and night in the Castle. No, Billy kept himself to himself, much like Sawyer really. He’s a closed book like his daddy and you’ve got your work cut out getting inside his head.”

Thinking about Sawyer, I shiver a little inside. She’s wrong about him. Sawyer’s thoughts may run deep, but he’s not a man who likes to keep things bottled up. I know that already because I sense in him the same need as I have in me. We want someone to share our lives with and that means every thought, every whisper and every dream. He is no different, and I pity Marina for settling for a different kind of life.

She seems quite thoughtful, and I wonder about the feisty woman and have to ask a question that’s been burning deep inside since I met her. “Why do you stay, Marina, you could achieve so much, what’s keeping you here?”

“The Channings.” Her answer is short and yet doesn’t really answer my question.

She laughs softly. “You see, honey, I’ve never really had a family of my own, not anyone who looks out for me. When I came to the Dragon’s Ruin, I found an immediate one. Slade was the first to catch my attention and you know how that ended up. Now I’m Axel’s old lady I have a position, something of importance that gives me purpose. Yes, he’s not the man I hoped I’d find, you’d have to be seriously weird to want this life but crazy as it is, I like it. Axel’s easy to handle and occasionally I get to enjoy a little excitement and I suppose that’s good enough for me.”

“Have you been here long?”

“Just before Billy got shot. Not the best time to arrive on their doorstep, but at least it gave me a sense of purpose, helping them heal after the shooting. Maybe that’s why Axel decided to keep me around; I took the pressure off him in the running of this place while he tries to work out who shot Billy and why.”

“Is that where they’re heading now, do they have a lead?”

Marina laughs. “You sure do ask a lot of questions. I’d advise against that if you want an easy ride. As I said before, the guys don’t like the women knowing their business and you’d do good to remember that. Just look pretty and feed and water them, then act like a whore when they want to play. Follow the rules and you’ll last, go against those rules and I’m not sure your face will be so pretty at the end of it.”

We pull into the car park at the mall and I fall silent. She’s right, I don’t want to draw attention to myself because apart from the Channings they all think I’m just another girl who’s blown in off the street looking for a place to call home. The trouble is, absolutely nothing adds up and I hope that Sawyer finds what he’s looking for today because I’m not sure if there’s anything here to find.

Chapter 26

Sawyer

The meeting with the Dark Lords is as useless as breathing anything other than oxygen. It’s obvious they know nothing, and I can tell Slade is getting impatient as Axel directs the conversation down yet another dead end.

I can tell my brother’s on edge. He has been since our father was shot, and I’m guessing it’s because he found him and watched him die.

I’m not sure why Billy mentioned Ryder King. I’m pretty certain the Reapers wouldn’t care what the Dragons did. Hell, we’ve helped them out a couple of times but to kill Billy, why?

Then again, why is Ryder King bothered enough to send one of his own? Just thinking of how she has been used makes my fist ball and my vengeance strong. Millie was set up to fail, but by who?

As Axel directs a new question to Santiago, I see Slade head outside and I follow him. He leans against his bike and lights up and on seeing me, offers me one. I’m not a smoker, but I could sure use something right now, so I accept it with a nod. “What’s Axel playing at?”

“Beats me, it’s like he’s stalling for time if you ask me.”

“For what reason?”

Slade shrugs. “Who knows what goes on inside his head these days. It’s so full of Marina I’m surprised he has time for club business anymore.”

“She’s staying then?”

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