Page 73 of Chaos Crown

“Me too, but they don’t make it easy like the partying Paris, or the alcoholic cop. As long as we can get the Bedlam Boys to do what we want with just the girl, we don’t overplay our hand.”

They shrugged. “Where are we putting the sheriff’s body? We don’t need him to be found when he’s conveniently onvacation. When he goes missing, the cops will spend all their time looking in the wrong place.”

“That would be convenient, but as I said, I’m a man of my word. The town will wake up tomorrow and find Sheriff Sharpe’s mangled body in the town square, surrounded by a ring of fire.”

***

IVY

One eye swollen shut, but Quinn managed to glare at me just fine through the other one. I’d give this monster something, she didn’t go down easily.

“Where is Sheriff Sharpe!”

“I’m not... telling you... shit,” she wheezed. “But you can go back... and tell Cairo... how you failed.”

Her laugh rattled in her chest. “He’ll die... and it’ll be all your fault. Cairo will never forgive you.”

I shook—the bloody club trembling in my hold. It killed me that she was right. Cairo would never forgive me, because I was too late.

It was seven o’clock.

The party had started. Steven Ellis was stepping up to a podium at that moment to grandstand, and wax on about destroying our town for his profit being the best thing for everybody.

Anger corroded my veins. I wasn’t done with that cheating bastard yet. First I lose my sister for protecting Cairo. Now I lose Cairo because this bald shit stain was protecting her buddies. The Men of Honor had taken so much from me. When would it end?

“Hours of questioning and you didn’t crack.”

“Fucking right I didn’t.” She spat blood in my direction. “Never will.”

“Then, there’s no point asking you about the Black Letter Crew. Who is in it or what you’re planning?”

“None at all.”

I bobbed my head, lips pushed out. “That makes things simple. If I’ve got nothing to lose, Cunningham, I’ve got nothing holding me back. You might as well die now.”

Quinn’s bloody smile slipped. “What? You’re not—”

“I hope you and Zoe enjoy yourvictoryover me in hell.”

“Don’t you dare—”

“Goodbye, Quinn.”

I swung, striking her chest dead center. The hit knocked the air out of her, trapping her scream in her throat. She got no chance to recover before I hit her again. Then again. And again.

I didn’t stop until she did—her screams fading in the night.

***

DANTE

My car rumbled down the dirt drive. Ten years ago, this place was a charming bed-and-breakfast that didn’t get a lot of visitors, but those that did came back every year on holidays and anniversaries. That is until Foundry came in and offered the elderly couple who owned the place to sell for far more than they thought it worth.

Foundry and Steven Ellis were a leech on this town. They were plague. Poison. But the blame could not be shifted away from the fools who chose to drink. Why did no one else see what we had in Bedlam? This town we built on blood-soaked soil was worth fighting for.

If no one else would do it, we would.

We climbed out of the car, taking rickety, rotting steps to the busted front door. There was no good reason Sheriff Sharpe should enjoy his accommodations. Not after all the trouble this man caused Cavendish and now me.

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