Cross (Dark Kings 3)

We exit the elevator, and I fall back, allowing Derek to get ahead of me. I watch him make his way through the crowd and over to a table. He slaps Mitch on the back and starts up a conversation with him. Sitting beside him is Rachel, sipping on a margarita. They have no idea what is about to hit them.

Derek leans down, whispering something in his ear. Mitch nods a few times, then turns to say something to Rachel before he gets up and walks away with Derek.

They start to walk past me, and I turn my back to them, ducking my head. Once they are out of sight, I turn and make my way over to the table. Rachel sits there playing blackjack. Removing my wallet from my back pocket, I pull out a hundred-dollar bill and toss it down while taking the seat beside her—the one Mitch was just sitting at.

“That was fast …” She trails off, looking over at me. “Cross?” She swallows nervously.

“Rachel.”

Her breathing picks up, and she looks at the dealer wide-eyed, expecting him to help her out. He won’t. They don’t get paid for this kind of shit. That’s what makes this place so dangerous for women like her and Alexa. They will turn a blind eye and walk away.

I reach out and pick up her drink. She has over half left. “Here.” I hold it out to her.

She takes it with a shaky hand. “I don’t know …”

“Shh,” I tell her, pushing her hair behind her ear, and a shiver runs through her. Leaning in, I whisper in her ear, “Drink up. You’re going to need the liquid courage.”

The ice rattles in her cup from her shaking hand holding it, but she does as I say and brings it to her lips. She takes a sip and goes to pull it away, but I put my hand under it, keeping it tilted to her lips. She can’t swallow fast enough, and it drips onto her exposed chest and shirt. “Good girl,” I praise her, and she chokes on it as I pull it away. “Let’s go for a walk.” I grab her arm and yank her from the table.

“Cross … please,” she begs, her heels trying to keep up with me. “I didn’t start that fight. Alexa attacked me.”

I laugh at her. She really has no idea what this is about. Good for her sticking to being innocent. She stays silent as I pull her down the tunnels and to the other wing of the basement. We come to the cells, and Turner stands there.

“What is this?” she asks nervously when she spots him.

“Rachel.” He nods at her. “Cross, the Kings are waiting for you.” Then he opens the door.

She goes to spin out of my hold and run away, but I grab her hair, yanking her to me. She screams out as I bend and throw her over my shoulder. She kicks her legs, and her fists pound my back the best she can, but she’s weak.

I pass the row of cells and come to the next open door. Stepping in, I see Bones, Titan, Grave, and Derek in the larger solitary cell with Mitch kneeling in the center. He has his hands zip-tied behind his back, and he has two more around his neck, but it’s not pulled tight enough to cut off his air. Not yet anyway.

I drop her in the middle, and she falls to the floor next to him. She quickly jumps to her feet, but Bones grips her hair, forcing her to her knees. “Cross …” She cries like I’m going to save her.

“I know what you did,” I tell her, not wanting to waste time. Alexa is over at Emilee and Titan’s right now with the rest of the girls. They are having a girls’ night—whatever that consists of—and I plan on crashing it and taking her home.

“What the fuck, man?” Mitch snaps, still pretending he has no fucking clue.

“No. No. I didn’t do anything,” Rachel rushes out. “It was Mitch …”

“You bitch!” He goes to throw his body into hers, but Derek grabs him by the zip ties around his neck, pulling on it, choking him.

“Look familiar?” I drop a stencil from Tit for Tat in front of her.

She begins to cry. “It wasn’t my idea.”

“You wanted her dead!” Mitch manages to get out, still fighting Derek’s grip. “You told me ... I have proof of that.”

He does. I saw the photos in the report of their text messages. He did his part to throw her under the bus and was very careful with how he worded things. I’m sure, in person, he fed her full of shit. Got her wound up by promising her the world with me once Alexa was out of it.