He lets go, and Mitch takes in a deep breath. “I have them.”
The cell falls silent, and I reach up, scratching my chin. “You?” I question. He’s clearly lying to buy himself some time to try and figure out how he’ll get past us. But how would he even know we’re looking for them?
Bones snorts, clearly also not believing him.
“I swear,” he rushes out. “I was here to meet up with Kale weeks ago …” He side-eyes Rachel for a quick second. “He gave them to me to hold just in case Turner was setting him up.”
“Bullshit.” Turner laughs at the mention of his name.
We never did find the other six—the ones we owe the Mason brothers per our deal. Like we had expected, they weren’t inside of Kale. We hadn’t given up looking for them, but that was put on hold after finding out who was involved in the burning of Lucky’s.
“I’ve worked for Kale for the past couple of months. He approached me here at the Airport and asked me to move product for him.” He licks his lips. “I was going to tell him no, but he had seen me talking to Alexa and promised me I would have her.”
I punch him in the face for even saying her name. I go to do it again, but Turner pulls me back and Mitch spits blood onto the concrete floor.
“You’re lying!” I shout.
He shakes his head. “He knew her. Said he was friends with Lucky, who gave her the bar. That’s where I first met him last year. I was up there seeing her, and he sat next to me at the bar.” Blood drips down his chin. “He knew how much I hated you all. He asked me to work for him, then …”
Grave snorts.
“It’s true.” Mitch goes on. “How do you think Derek knows so much about you guys?”
We all look over at Derek. He nods, not even bothering to deny it. “Mitch told me everything I know.”
“Kale told me how he was friends with the Three Wisemen and how they stiffed him out of Kingdom.” He licks the blood from his busted lip. “He saw you with Alexa here at the Airport and came to me.”
I start to pace the room, my right hand playing with my Zippo. It makes sense. It’s fucking crazy, but it connects the dots we’re missing.
“He then called me and said that plans had changed. You were hot on his trail, and he needed to get rid of you, and the best way was through Alexa. I never meant to kill her. I knew she wasn’t at Lucky’s. I just needed her to think you were after her,” he admits.
Rachel sobs, knowing that whatever he had originally told her was bullshit. He set her up. It was about Mitch getting back with Alexa all along.
“But Derek showed up before it could burn.”
No one says a word, letting everything he’s confessing set it. Bones was right—he’s telling on himself like the scared little bitch he is, thinking the truth will set him free.
“I swear,” he continues when none of us say anything.
“Okay,” I bite, coming to a stop. “Where are the diamonds?”
“I …” He trails off, looking over at her again.
“Look at me,” I demand, running out of patience. I have a girls’ party to get to.
“I saw you here the other night with her at the bar, and I wasn’t able to get ahold of Kale. I knew something was wrong when I saw you guys head to the basement,” he states. “I panicked and swallowed them.”
Bones eyes light up, and Titan gives a soft laugh at the change of events. Finally, luck is on our side.
“I can get them,” he rushes out. “I just need ten minutes.”
“That’s not necessary,” Bones state, flipping open his knife. “Derek,” he orders.
Derek grabs the zip ties and yanks Mitch to his back on the concrete floor. Grave straddles his legs while Derek holds the side of his face down. Mitch tries to fight them as Rachel jumps to her feet and tries to run away. I grab her from behind, wrapping one arm around her stomach, pinning her arms to her side while the other comes up to cover her mouth and force her to watch.
Bones shoves the knife into his stomach and cuts downward—blood pours out and onto the floor around him. Bones reaches in and digs around for a few seconds and then pulls out a tiny bag. Bones holds up his hand as blood drips from it onto Mitch. He lies there, his body convulsing a couple of times, then stops completely—he’s dead.
“I believe we had a deal,” Bones announces, standing and tossing the bag to Turner, who catches it midair. Some blood splashing on his clothes.
He smiles. “Never doubt the Kings.”
“Hold her.” I shove Rachel into Grave’s arms as he stands.
I kneel, flip the Zippo open, and light it once again on my jeans. Holding it to Mitch’s pants leg, I wait for the flame to catch and light him on fire. Then I stand and turn to Grave.
“He said she’d be there.” She sobs in his arms. “That leaving the stencil behind with the company name would frame you. But you’d get off because of your connections. She’d be dead … and I’d have you.” She rambles out everything we already knew. Mitch played her, but she would have killed Alexa to play me.
“You were willing to let her die for what you wanted,” I growl, the burning body quickly heating up the cell.
She sniffs, her eyes full of fresh tears. “Cross … please?” Her hands reach to me to get away from Grave.
He lets go of her, pushing her into my chest. “Now I must do the same.” I shove her down to the floor onto Mitch. The fire catches on her clothes, and she screams as it attacks her like a wild animal needing to feed in order to survive.
The smell of burning flesh gets stronger. It’s a smell you’ll never forget. It lingers for hours. And we all stand around watching them burn, making sure nothing is left, knowing that my Queen is safe.
EPILOGUE TWO
CROSS
WE ALL SIT around the table at Grave and April’s, having Sunday breakfast. It’s our newest tradition as our family grows. The girls coming into our lives makes us more and more human. Less evil in our everyday life.
“Hey, Alexa,” Grave starts.
“Hmm?” She looks at him, slowing her chewing.
“Do you mind staying on at Crown? That is, until Lucky’s is back up and running, and I can find someone else to take over.”
She looks at me confused and then back at him. She swallows her food. “I don’t mind, but I don’t want to take that away from you.”
“You’re not.” He reaches over and takes April’s hand, bringing it to his lips. He kisses her knuckles, making her blush at the intimate act. “I want to come home and be with my wife after a long day at Kingdom.”
Alexa starts nodding. “Yes, sure, that’s …”
A silence falls over the room, and April starts laughing.
“No!” Jasmine breathes, her palms slapping the table. “You got married without us?” she asks in disbelief.
“No, but …” April holds up her left hand and smiles brightly, showing off the massive diamond that’s on her ring finger. “We have a wedding to plan.”
The girls start jumping up from the table, screaming and hugging one another. The guys laugh. Bones walks over to his brother and slaps him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, brother,” Bones tells him. Grave nods, smiling, but I can see him trying not to get choked up about marrying the love of his life.