Kings of Chaos (Dirty Broken Savages #1)(86)

Then four men step out of the shadows.

My heart skips a beat, and I have just enough time to wonder if Ivan brought backup after all for this little shit show, but when I look up, I relax.

It’s the Kings.

Knox comes closer, a savage grin on his face. “Allow us, sweetheart,” he says, and the pet name somehow fits perfectly with his dangerous tone.

My fingers are so tight on the wire I used to choke Ivan out, and I don’t want to let go of it. But I know this isn’t done yet. We need to get him out of here to finish the job. He’s unconscious, and I let him go, getting to my feet.

On cue, the guys move in and grab him.





36





RIVER





I’M SHAKING as the men carry Ivan’s unconscious body away and dump him in their car, which is parked just a little way off the path. They peel out, leaving me standing there alone in the dark.

My body doesn’t want to move at first, rooted to the spot, trying to process the million different thoughts running through my head. I always knew I would get this far, but now that I have, it’s a lot.

Eventually, I get moving, taking one step, then another, leaving the path and the scene behind me.

I get back to my car and open the driver’s side door.

Avalon is curled up in the passenger seat, and she jumps when I open the door. Her eyes are still wide and terrified, but there’s a touch of relief in them when she sees it’s just me.

“Did you… did you do it?” she asks.

“It’s almost done,” I tell her. “We’re taking him somewhere else.”

“And what about me?”

“Do you have somewhere you can go?” I ask. “Somewhere your pimp and his people can’t find you?”

She thinks about it for a second and then nods. “My cousin’s place. She doesn’t have any ties to any of this. She’s religious. No one would think to look for me there.”

“Perfect.” I start the car and drive the fuck away from that sketchy park. Even though I know Ivan is being treated to the best hospitality the guys can offer, I can still feel my skin crawling from having his hands on me.

I’ll need a shower or something to make that go away. Or just to revel in killing him. I’m itching to go back to the house and get it over with. Having him there while I’m not feels like such a loose end, and it bothers me.

But I wouldn’t have had this shot in the first place without Avalon, so I owe it to her to make sure she gets somewhere safe.

She’s quiet for most of the drive, telling me where to turn and what exits to take. Her cousin lives in a nice little suburb that’s mostly dark and quiet at this hour.

She’s right. It’s the last place someone from the red light district would look for her.

“That one there,” she says, pointing. “With the blue door.”

There’s even a fucking floral wreath on the door, even though we’re not close to any major holiday where a wreath would matter. It’s too wholesome.

Avalon unbuckles her seatbelt and goes for the door handle. “Keep your head down,” I tell her. “Don’t go to work for a while, you know the drill. I’ll be in touch.”

She nods and gives me a nervous little smile before getting out and walking quickly up the drive. The motion detector lights come on, and she knocks on the door.

I wait until I see a light come on in the house and a sleepy looking woman in a bathrobe come to the door. Avalon talks to her for a second, and then she’s ushered in.

Once the door closes behind her, I drive off, making tracks back to the house.

The guys are already back, and Ash greets me when I walk through the door.

“He’s in the basement,” he tells me before I can even ask. “Knox took him down there, and we saved him just for you. But you’d better hurry, or Gage might just do the job for you.”

“He’d better fucking not,” I retort.

Instead of rushing down to the basement, I head upstairs. Despite what Ash said, I take my time. I want this to be perfect.

I’ve been waiting for this for so long.

The last name on my list.

The last piece of my revenge.

I’m not going to rush and fuck it up now that I’m at the finish line.

I go in the bathroom and pull out my makeup, doing it carefully. I take care with every line, every smear of powder and swipe of color on my face. It has to be perfect. I’ve been waiting for too long for this not to be perfect.

And then, when I’m finally ready, I go down to the basement.

All of the men are gathered there, and they turn to look at me as my heels clatter on the stairs. They do a collective double-take when they see what I’ve done with my makeup.

A perfect skeletal skull on my face, grim and as realistic as I could make it.

Knox grins, taking it in and looking almost proud. “You look like an angel of death.”

I grin back at him, but then my gaze slides away from Knox to Ivan, and it’s like he’s the only one in the room I can see.

He’s chained up on the wall, like all the people who have the misfortune of ending up down here. Like that guy Knox and I tortured together. Like I was, what feels like forever ago. But unlike both of us, Ivan’s not leaving this basement alive.