Arranged love

I rush him, my hand tightens to a fist, and I swing, knocking him out with one hit.

“Oh my God, Cross,” Alexa squeals rushing over to her brother, who now lies on her living room floor, but Bones grabs her. Wrapping an arm around her from behind, he pulls her back.

“Take her to Kingdom,” I tell him.

“No!” she shouts, fighting in his arms. “What the hell are you doing?”

Bones suggested we bring her brother and Mitch to Kingdom tonight. Play with them in the meat locker, but we can’t move him there right now. We don’t have the trunk space to get him back there and I don’t want to use her car just in case I have to bury him later. So, I’ll have to take care of him here instead. That means she must leave.

“Take her to Kingdom,” I repeat at Bones as he just stands there with her. This isn’t up for debate. I dig into my pocket and throw my keys to Titan. “Pull my car into her garage and load her into it. Don’t want the neighbors to see her leaving kicking and screaming.”© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

He nods and takes off through the kitchen toward the garage.

“Cross …” she cries. “Please don’t do this,” she begs. “What if it wasn’t him?”

I can’t blame her for holding on to the hope that her brother didn’t try to burn her dreams down. “Then I won’t hurt him,” I answer simply.

“And if he did?” she asks nervously.

I look at Bones. “Leave. Now.” He picks her feet up off the floor and starts to carry her out of the room. She screams my name, but he must cover her mouth with his hand, muffling it. We don’t want the neighbors hearing her and calling the cops.

“What do you want to do with him?” Grave asks, looking down at Derek.

I wanted him to stay here with me. Grave deserves to blow off some steam. Right now, it’s the only thing I can give him.

“I’ll see what I can find.”

_______________

I SIT DOWN on the coffee table in front of the couch and slap Derek’s face. “Wake up.”

His head jerks to the side and then snaps up. He opens his eyes, blinking rapidly. “What …?” He tries to move but realizes his wrists are tied behind his back with a piece of rope I found in the garage. Along with his ankles as he sits on the couch. “Alexa?” He shouts, starting to regain consciousness.

“She’s not here.” Grave informs him, entering the living room, pocketing his cell.

Derek shifts on the couch. “Where is she?” He swallows nervously. “What have you done with her?” His voice rises.

“She’s safe.” Is all I give him.

He sucks in a deep breath. “I told her to stay away from you.” His eyes go to Grave. “And you … you fucking …”

I slap him across the face. “Pay attention. I’m only going to ask this once. What do you know about Lucky’s?”

“I know you set it on fire!” he shouts at me. “I know that you want to hurt my sister. You Kings are fucking evil!”

I make a tsking sound with my tongue and teeth. I lean forward and rip his shirt down the middle, exposing his chest.

“What are you doing?” he shouts, trying to pull away from me unsuccessfully.

I reach inside my shirt and pull out the cross and remove it from my neck. Then I adjust my ass in order to dig into my jean pocket and retrieve my Zippo, lighting it up.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he screams.

“This is going to hurt,” I tell him.

Grave walks behind the couch and shoves a dish towel into Derek’s mouth. Then he leans over the back and wraps his tatted arm around his neck from behind, pulling his ass off the couch just a little, holding him in place for me.

Derek struggles but can’t do much when he’s tied, gagged, and in a chokehold.

I let the cross hang from my hand while my other holds the lighter to it. When it gets as warm as I want it, I press it to his chest.

His screams are muffled due to the gag. When I remove it, he sucks in deep breaths through his nose, and Grave takes a step back, letting him go.

I remove the gag. “You son of a bitch!” Derek snarls at me. “You better not have hurt her. I’ll rip your head off,” he warns.

I almost laugh at that. Instead, I say, “I would never hurt her. You, however …” I hold up the lighter and cross again, heating it for round two.

“What?” he asks, his dark eyes wide. “No. No. No. You think I did it?” He shakes his head quickly. “I didn’t do it. I swear.”

I pause and shut the Zippo closed. “You knew it was set on fire,” I state.

“Yeah, because that’s what Mitch told me.” He rushes out, trying to adjust himself on the couch to sit up straighter.

Grave and I exchange a look. “When?” I demand.

“This morning. He told me that he spoke to Alexa. She told him it was arson.” He licks his lips. “I may be mad at my sister, but I would never hurt her.”

I pull my cell up and dial Bones’s number. He answers on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Ask her if she spoke to Mitch this morning,” I demand.

Has she been talking to him this whole time? If so, why? We haven’t seen him at Crown since that one time. Maybe she told him I’ve been watching out for him and to stay away.

I hear him ask her but don’t hear her response. Seconds later, he’s back on the phone. “She said no. She hasn’t spoken to him since that night at Crown.”

ALEXA

I PACE THE Royal Suite back at Kingdom. It’s been two hours since Bones dragged me out of my house and brought me here. He and Titan haven’t left my side. They even took my phone from me.

“How long are you going to keep me here?” I demand to anyone who will answer me.

Titan sits at the table, glaring with his arms over his chest. Bones stands in the kitchen, ignoring me while typing away on his phone.

“I’m not staying here.” I shake my head and start to walk toward the door.