Cross (Dark Kingdom, #4) — Chapter no 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ALEXA

“WHAT ARE WE doing here?” I ask Cross as he pulls into the parking garage at the Airport. After he told me we were going out, I didn’t have time to ask questions. He informed me I had one hour to be ready to leave.

“Grave messaged the group, saying that he was meeting Derek here.”

“What?” I shriek. “Oh God, Cross. You can’t let him fuck him up. I understand he’s an ass, but he is my brother. And if Grave breaks his legs, I’ll have to take care of him.” That’s all I need—add babysitting to my already very busy schedule.

Cross chuckles at my concern. “Calm down. The message that Grave sent said he spoke to Derek and is meeting him here. I guess Derek is helping Grave find Ethan.”

“Oh, okay. Whew.” I reapply my lip gloss, thinking that doesn’t sound so bad.

“Don’t get too excited. I said he won’t touch Derek. That doesn’t mean he won’t beat up Ethan,” he adds dryly.

Well … shit. That wouldn’t be good. Then he’d be hurting April.

Cross gets out of the car and walks around to open my door to help me out. I see Titan’s candy apple red Maserati pull up next to us and park. Then he’s helping Emilee out of the car too.

“Hey, sexy,” I say, looking her over. She wears a pair of black booty shorts and a white sheer crop top. She’s got her dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail and her makeup done heavy with red lips. They match his car.

“Look at you.” She looks me up and down. “Fucking hot, girl.” Coming over to me, she gives me a kiss on the cheek that I return. As I’m turning around, I see Titan and Cross are standing over by his car whispering.

I can’t make out what they’re saying. Cross just happens to look up and see me watching. He turns, giving me his back, and continues talking.

What the fuck? We said no secrets.

A white BMW i8 pulls up next to Titan’s car, and Jasmine gets out.

“Look at you two hot bitches,” she announces, pulling down her black mini skirt.

Emilee laughs, and I smile, but it drops the moment that I see her passenger door open and who exits. “Derek?” My arms fall to my sides.

I notice that Titan and Cross pause their secret conversation to look over at us.

I look at Jasmine. “Why would you bring him? He’s been nothing but mean to you.”

She smiles. “Yeah, but he called me and apologized. So, I offered him a ride.”

“May I talk to you for a moment?” I grab his upper arm and pull him

across the parking garage.

“Alexa …?”

“I got it, Cross!” I snap at him.

“What is your problem?” Derek asks, yanking his arm from my grip once we’re away from the others.

I point my finger in his face. “I don’t know what you’re doing …”

“I’m trying to make things right.” He sighs. “After today, I understand the dick that I’ve been.”

“This better not be a joke, Derek,” I warn.

“Look.” He looks over my shoulder, I’m guessing to make sure Cross and Titan aren’t on their way over here, then back to me. “I love you. No matter who you are with. I still think they’re fucking insane.” He presses his hand to his chest where he was burned. “But I understand that the Kings are someone to have on your side. I want to make things right. Not only for you but also for April. If Ethan is in as much trouble as you say, I want to make sure he gets the help he needs.”

“Thank you.” I give him a small smile, and he pulls me in for a hug. “But just so you know, they will kill you, so don’t fuck this up.” I pat him on the back.

I now know a little of what Cross and the other Kings are capable of. I’m sure the fire marshal in their pockets is just one person of many that they have for resources.

“And don’t mention the baby to April. No matter how much you want to give her your condolences,” I add quickly, trying to think of everything I

want to say.

“I wouldn’t. Never.” He shakes his head.

“Everything okay?” Cross asks me when I walk back over to the cars.

“Yep,” I answer.

“Alexa.” He grabs my arm, bringing me to a stop. His green eyes search mine before he speaks. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re keeping secrets from me.” I arch a brow, daring him to lie.

He lets go of me and looks over at Titan who is now talking to Bones, who just arrived in his blacked-out Lamborghini Reventon. “Yes, but it wasn’t intentional. We just started sharing an hour ago,” he whisper-shouts, getting irritated about something.

True, but he could have told me while we were in the car on the way here. “Will you tell me later?” I challenge.

“Of course.” He leans in, kissing my forehead, and I let him grab my hand, pulling me over to everyone.

Just then, a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon pulls up and parks. As expected, Grave and April get out of the car. She’s dressed in a white off- the-shoulder sweater dress. She’s got her dark purple hair braided down the center and all pulled up in a big messy bun high on her head. Her lipstick matches her hair, and she’s got smoky eyes with thick black liner. She looks stunning.

“Racing tonight?” Titan asks Grave, looking over his car. “She stays in the garage otherwise.”

“No. Just thought I’d drive her,” Grave answers. He holds his hand out for April, and she takes it, cuddling into his side with a soft smile on her face as she looks up at him adoringly.

They seem happier. Better than when I saw them together last in the Royal Suite. Grave looks over at my brother for a quick second and then dismisses him.

I have a feeling tonight isn’t going to go how the Kings are planning.

That’s just not our luck lately.

“Are we ready?” Bones asks, looking around as if he’s counting everyone.

I’m not sure where Haven and Luca are, but they must not be coming.

“Yeah,” Cross answers, taking my hand, and we lead the way into the Airport.

CROSS

WE STAND AT the bar getting the girls drinks. It’s a weekday, so it’s not as packed as the usual weekend crowd. Thank God. I really wasn’t in the mood to go out at all tonight. I wanted to spend my evening in bed with Alexa, but I needed to be here for Grave however I can. Even if that means looking for Ethan.

“He’s got about thirty minutes!” Titan shouts over the song “Raging on a Sunday” by Bohnes.

“Gives us plenty of time.” I sip on my rum and Coke, pulling my cell out with my free hand. Setting the glass on the bar, I send a quick text.

Me: We’re here.

He reads it immediately, and I look up at the black domes hanging from the ceiling, knowing they’re watching us. We’re here to kill two birds with one stone tonight.

My phone vibrates, and I read the incoming text.

Turner: Come on down.

Pocketing my cell, I lean into Titan. “They’re ready.” He walks over to get Bones and Grave while I grab Derek’s neck, yanking him to me.

“Hey …”

“Don’t leave your sister’s side,” I growl.

He nods quickly. “I know the plan.”

I lied to Alexa. We are here for Ethan, but we’re also here for other reasons. We didn’t want to leave the girls at home, so I made sure Derek came along to be the babysitter. “We won’t be long.” I shove him away. Just because he’s decided to kiss our asses doesn’t mean I have to like him. I love his sister, not him, but I might as well make him useful. He’ll be family one day since I’m going to marry Alexa. If I have it my way, someday soon.

“Let’s go,” I say, throwing what’s left of my drink back.

“Cross …?”

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Alexa. “Do not leave this bar. You understand?”

She nods. “Of course.” Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kisses my lips, and a growl forms deep in my throat at the reminder this is the last place I want to be tonight, but business calls.

“Hurry back.” She smiles up at me. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

The Airport sits on two-hundred-and-fifty acres, has five stories of the original airport, and turned the Mason Towers—what was once a hotel next to it—into apartments they rent out. But underneath the airport is where the Mason brothers play.

The Kings and I make our way downstairs to the underground tunnels.

The existing, functional airport had a bomb shelter back in the seventies.

They have safe rooms that the Masons use as prison cells. They have their own law enforcement at the Airport. Like the Kings, they don’t put up with shit. They even hung four guys once for trying to steal from them.

Made them an example. I can appreciate a man who takes action. Words are meaningless in our businesses.

We make our way down through the brightly lit tunnels and take a right at the end. Turner stands there dressed in a three-piece suit in front of a black metal door. “Kings.”

“You have something for us?” Bones asks, getting to the point. He hates them but understands they can be useful at times. Now is one of them.

“The Masons always deliver,” he states before unlocking the door and pushing it open. The joints creak so loud it makes my teeth hurt.

We step inside, where cages line either side of a single aisle. It smells like rotten eggs and sour milk. The first two jail cells are empty on either side but the third on the right has a man in it. He’s lying on the concrete floor, naked and shivering in the fetal position with his back to us.

We pass a few more empty ones and come to another door at the end.

Turner pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the padlock, pushing it open.

We step inside a large room. It’s not lit up like the cell block was. It’s darker with a musty smell. Inside the room is a much bigger cell than the others we passed to get here.

Solitude! Some just don’t play well with others, even while in a cage.

A man is standing in the middle of it with his back to us.

At the sound of us entering, he turns around. “The Kings.” He gives an evil smile, making his face look like the Grinch. If he grew a full beard and

hadn’t washed in a month.

We say nothing.

He walks over to the door to his cage and sticks his hands through the bars so he can grip them. “What do I owe this pleasure?”

“Kale, it’s been a while,” Bones states.

He snorts. “Last time I saw you, you were still sucking on your mother’s tit. Can’t say I blame you; she had a nice rack.”

Grave goes to step forward, but Bones stops him with a hand on his chest.

Kale laughs. “Grave, still so sensitive.”

His chest heaves with deep breaths. It’s taking everything he has not to kill him right here, right now.

“Cross.” His dark eyes turn to me. “I never thought you’d have the balls to kill that son of a bitch father of yours. But good for you. That paid me five grand, ya know?”

Kale Freeman was a friend of our father’s. He wanted to be a Wisemen, but there was no place for a fourth. Our fathers pissed him off, so he went out on his own. Diamonds were his niche. Rare, expensive diamonds. I have to give it to him; he’s made himself known in Sin City and is worth billions of dollars. Too bad he fucked over the wrong people.

“And Titan—”

“I don’t need to go down memory lane,” Titan interrupts him. “I’m very well aware what I’ve done in my life.”

“I bet you enjoy fucking that wife of yours.” He licks his lips, ignoring him.

Titan fists his hands, taking in a deep breath.

“Let’s talk about you.” I smile, knowing that going to the Mason brothers was the best thing to do. I knew they’d bring him to us. He’s been hiding.

Knowing the connection we have with our client. But running will get you nowhere. “You’ve been fucking over some very important clients.”

He snorts. “I haven’t fucked over anyone. It was a misunderstanding.”

“Ten million dollars is more than a misunderstanding,” Bones adds.

“What are you going to do, Bones?” He arches a brow. “Make me apologize?” Throwing his head back, he laughs at himself. I think he’s forgetting he’s the one in the cage.

“The only thing our client wants to hear is you choking on your own blood as it spills from your throat,” I state.

His eyes narrow on me as he straightens in his cell. For a man with limited mobility, he seems to think he’s God. “He could never touch me!” he hisses. “I have men who would destroy him.”

“You don’t own an army, Kale,” Grave tells him. “You have puppets that do as you tell them. Anyone can take control of those strings at any time.”

“Is that why you’re here?” He starts yanking on the bars. “Huh? To take what’s mine?” He bares his teeth like a rabid dog.

He knows he’s fucked.

“My men will destroy you and everyone you fucking love if anything happens to me,” Kale warns. “Fucking bury you with all those other bodies you hide out in the desert.”

“That’s a chance we’re willing to take,” Bones informs him. “Turner.”

He pulls a new set of keys from his pocket and walks over to the cell. He unlocks it, pulling the door open wide.

Kale steps farther into his cell until his back is hitting the concrete wall.

“I had a deal … I’ll get him the diamonds. If he goes back on it …”

“We made a better one,” I say, stepping into the cell. “We get half the

shipment just for killing you.”

“No …”

“We already gutted one of your men. He had six.” We returned those to the client. We won’t be keeping the other half—our payment. That’s what we owe the Mason brothers. They held up their end, so we’ll hold up ours.

That’s how business works. We don’t need the rest of the shipment promised to us by our client. We’ll kill this sick bastard for free.

“That’s not how this works!” he snaps.

“The game can change at any time,” Bones tells him, coming to stand beside me. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his knife and flips it open.

“I have a feeling you’ve swallowed something you shouldn’t have.”

He goes to run past us, but I grab the back of his shirt and yank him off his feet, slamming him down to the concrete floor. Bending down, I press my knee into his neck while Grave holds his hands above his head. Titan straddles his legs, and just like the last guy, Bones rips his shirt open.

“Open up,” I say.

He screams, trying to fight us, and Bones places the blade into his mouth just as Kale closes it. The blade cutting him. Blood instantly fills his mouth, and he starts to choke on it.

“Boy, Bianchi would love to see this.” Bones sighs, as if he’s sad our client isn’t here to see what he paid us to do.

“Oh, he is,” Turner adds, and we look up at him. He casually leans up against the inside of the cell. This is a typical day for him. He points at a black dome in the middle of the room.

Mr. Bianchi—Luca’s dad—made a deal with this sorry son of a bitch. It would have been a great partnership if Kale hadn’t fucked him over. Now we’ll own it. Just one more way for us to own this city.

Bones pulls the knife out, and the rest of us let Kale go. He rolls onto his stomach getting up onto his hands and knees, blood pouring from his

mouth.

“Cough ’em up.” Grave kicks his back.

We don’t really think he swallowed them. No, he sold them. He really thought John Bianchi, who is a Don—the ringleader of the Italian-American Mafia—wouldn’t give two shits that he fucked him over. Kale deserves to die a slow death just for that thought alone. Titan was right when he told Turner he’s seen men killed for less. Why he thought he was untouchable is beyond me.

Kale falls to his side. His hands come up to his neck, and he holds it as if that will stop the bleeding on the inside.

Bones leans down next to him, pointing the tip of the blade at his chest.

“I always thought you were a gutless bastard.” He smiles to himself. “Let’s see if I’m right.” Bones shoves the blade into Kale’s chest and rips it downward, cutting him wide open.