Page 41 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

Her face relaxes. “Listen, there’s no way in hell I’m sticking around to be passed around like a rubber doll, so if you like we could head out together. Slade told me to make myself scarce anyway because he’s got business to attend to and is taking Sawyer with him. Maybe we should follow their example and head out ourselves. I know a great little bar not far away and they serve a mean seafood platter if you like that sort of thing.”

Feeling as if I’ve just dodged a bullet, I smile with gratitude. “Thanks, you’re a life saver.”

“Yeah, well, nobody else would give you the heads up.”

Once again, I think about Marina and feel the anger clawing at me inside. I’m guessing she won’t be so happy to warn me because for some reason, I get the impression she doesn’t care what happens to me. In fact, she keeps away from all the women and that’s strange in itself. At the Rubicon, the women are a tight bunch, even tighter than the men, and I can’t imagine Ashton ever turning a blind eye to something that would hurt one of the women. Then again, the Dragons are a strange bunch and it appears that it’s every man and woman for themselves here.

Thinking of Ruby, I wonder what she thinks of Griffin’s party night and say in a whisper, “Is Ruby ok with the um, party?”

Avery shakes her head. “Not really, I mean, would you be? The thing is, she actually has feelings for Griffin and does what he asks, even if it means throwing her own principles in the trash. It’s sad when a woman lets a man control their soul, it shows how weak they really are. Take Marina for instance. She talks the talk, but when it comes down to it, she’s as trapped as the rest of them. Not me, honey, I see it all as plain as the fact I’m leaving soon before I let the lot of them drag me down to hell in a hand basket.”

“What about Slade?”

For a second her face falls and I see the uncertainty linger in her expression. Then she sighs and says sadly, “I’ve never met anyone like Slade Channing. He’s worth the risk, but I’m not a fool. If he desired me, loved me and wanted to make a go of it, he would have done something about it by now. Sometimes you have to walk away from what you want the most for them to realize its importance. How long they take dictates whether they lose interest or not. I’m not holding my breath with Slade because he can’t see further than his thirst for revenge over his dad’s death. Mark my words, revenge is a tainted chalice to drink from because it will only have one conclusion, someone will die.”

She looks up at the clock on the wall and grins. “I should be going; I said I’d help Ruby with some cleaning. Hard to believe it goes on, but we do our best to keep the vermin out, the four-legged kind, anyway.”

She sighs heavily and heads off, leaving me with a thousand thoughts running around inside my head. The trouble is, I’m not sure she told me anything I can use, and I feel frustrated as I figure I’m nowhere nearer to learning what the hell is going on in this place. At least we have an evening out tomorrow. Maybe Sawyer will have something I can use to draw the information I need out of her. I hope so because I am getting more frustrated with life at the Dragon’s Ruin as the minutes tick by.

Chapter 34

Sawyer

Ihead to Axel’s office with Slade and know I will have to come up with something fast to keep them from sniffing a rat.

As we walk inside, I see Marina clinging onto Axel’s arm as they look at some papers on his desk. She looks up and my heart sinks when I see the yearning in her eyes as she steals a look at Slade, who completely ignores her and sits down heavily with his feet up on the desk.

She sighs a little and then kisses Axel on his cheek. “I’ll leave you boys to business. Catch you later.”

Nobody answers her as she walks slowly past Slade, who just blows a mouthful of smoke in her general direction as he drags on his cigarette.

Axel waits until the door closes and as we hear her footsteps head down the hall, nods to Slade, “Check she’s gone.”

Slade grunts and swings his legs off the desk, before opening the door and saying, “Coast clear.”

He closes it behind him and Axel whispers, “What did you find out? I’m guessing that night at the cabin was an excuse for pumping the Reaper for information.”

Slade grins slyly and I nod. “You were right.”

They look at me eagerly, and if anything, I see a dart of worry in Slade’s expression. “She told me the Reapers knew Billy. They worked together and had no problem with him. She also said that Ryder King sent her to find out who killed him because all the time they’re in the frame, the real killer is loose and uncontrolled.”

I look at them through hooded eyes for any sign of alarm, and if anything, Axel looks confused. “Well, if it wasn’t them, who the fuck was it and why did Billy mention Ryder King in his last breath?”

We look at Slade, who for some reason looks unconcerned. “Beats me, although I did hear some news you may be interested in.”

I sit up a little straighter. “Turns out he has a wife.”

I try so hard to keep my expression devoid of emotion and Axel growls, “What the fuck are you talking about? If Billy was married, I would know; are you sure they’re not talking about Saskia?”

“No.” Slade’s eyes blaze as he looks at me. “Turns out he married a friend of theirs a while back. Rose Finley, the woman who runs the Coyote bar.”

Once again, he stares at me and I shift on my seat, feeling a little uncomfortable but as I’m trained to do, remain impassive. “How do you know this?”

My voice is even with a steely edge, and I hope he thinks it’s because this is news to me. “A contact from the Dark Lords.”

“What contact, we’ve had several meetings with them and they’ve said shit about Billy and a wife?”

“You think I’m sharing my contact. I told her I’d protect her identity.”

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