Kit tuned out the bickering. Bishop had a point. This was all too hazy. James had a point, too. Delay could be more dangerous than action.
Holden resumed toying with Kit’s hair, which helped him think.
Kit played with the map Holden had sent. He didn’t go to that area a lot, but he was familiar with the landmarks.
And he was familiar with Darius, who wouldn’t vanish for no reason. They didn’t know why Darius went off the grid, which meant Darius knew something they didn’t. Darius didn’t act on hazy guesses, and he didn’t delay unnecessarily.
Darius had a target and a destination.
If they were dealing with Uncle Ed’s gang, Kit could have helped. He knew all of Ed’s old hideouts and business sites, for a very loose and violent definition of business. But the Rat Kings weren’t involved with…
Kit jolted, sharply enough that Holden paused his petting and asked, “What’s wrong?”
James and Bishop turned too, concerned.
“One second,” Kit said, tabbing back to the articles he’d been looking at earlier.
Different organizations, but the Rat Kings still operated in the same city, overlapping with Uncle Ed and the Viper before him. Kit didn’t know where the Rat King’s bases were, but he remembered the neighborhoods and landmarks Uncle Ed told him to avoid.
And Ms. Vehicular Manslaughter from the photo albums was arrested at one of them.
“This is purely a hunch,” Kit hedged. “You probably should ignore me. But I think Darius is heading to Lemon Beach.”
As soon as he said it, Kit wanted to take it back. What if he was wrong? Or worse, what if he was right, and James impulsively ran into enemy territory?
But he would feel even worse concealing the information. As shaky as it was.
“Why do you think that?” Bishop asked. Once again, an unfairly reasonable question.
Kit could even answer truthfully. “Ed Addersen once told me to avoid Lemon Beach if I didn’t want to get shot. That’s the only road in.”
James yanked open a desk drawer. “Good enough for me.” He pulled out a heavy handgun. “Bishop, you in?”
Bishop hesitated. “It would be smarter to let Darius do whatever he’s going to do.”
James waited, his hand relaxed on the grip, despite the tension in his jaw. Kit was afraid to breathe too loud in the quiet.
Bishop threw up his hands. “I’m in.”
James grinned. “Get anything you need from your car, then meet me in the kitchen. We’re still setting up the armory, but you’re welcome to borrow my toys.”
Fuck. After a day of waiting, everything moved too fast. Bishop left the room so quickly Kit felt dizzy, and he didn’t know what to say when James turned to him.
Apparently, James didn’t know what to say either. Worry tightened his face.
Holden draped an arm around Kit’s shoulders. “You and B have fun. Kit and I will stay in for a movie night. Maybe make popcorn.”
James twitched, clearly hating the thought of leaving Kit and Holden alone. “When I find Darius, I’m going to kill him,” he muttered darkly—then pulled Kit into a kiss.
Fire and teeth, softening into demanding gentleness. Kit kissed James back, pouring all his love and worry into their connection.
“I love you,” James murmured.
“Love you,” Kit said, no longer dizzy. “Go find him.”
James took another burning kiss. Then he followed Bishop out the door.
Darius melted into deepening shadows. A leaf brushed his cheek, and the ocean whispered. Rifle burning a promise in his hands, Darius hoped he had delayed the others long enough.
