Page 11 of Property of Booker

“And we’re scattering the clues that will bring them to that realization,” he reminds me.

“You actually leaked something to them, didn’t you?” I accuse.

He gives me a deadpan look before responding, “I have no idea what you are implying.”

“Of course you don't,” I counter. “Just promise me you’ll keep yourself out of danger.”

“Without a doubt,” he swears. “However, you’re the one I’m concerned about.”

“I really appreciate that you care about me, Branson, I truly do. However, I have covered my tracks, and whatever pieces were left behind, you took care of.”

“We’re a team now, Kendall,” he remarks.

“Yeah, a team,” I murmur, my eyes darting to the door to make sure we're still alone. “Just keep your head down. If Jerome catches a whiff of this, he'll kill us both before he even blinks.”

Branson leans into his mic, his hollow eyes scanning his own screen. “I know the risks, Kendall. I don't have a choice. Neither do you. We finish this the right way, or we don't finish it at all.”

I nod, the knot of tension in my chest pulling tighter. “I've got the Kings on the hook. They're moving. We just have to keep Jerome distracted until the time is right and they're in position.”

“And after?” Branson asks, his voice barely a whisper. “What happens to us?”

“We run,” I tell him. “We hide. We live after we grab our family, we disappear. I don't care where. As long as he's not in the picture anymore.”

Branson lets out a ragged breath that sounds like a laugh. “Sounds like a fantasy.”

“It's the only one we've got,” I reply. “And I'm not letting it go.”

“I’ll hold onto it with you,” he whispers, his voice sounding tired but firm.

I feel a strange sense of calm wash over me. It is a start. I let my fingers fly across the keys again as I check the perimeter feed. We need more than just hope. We need precision. I have to be sure he isn't tracking our uplink.

“Can you verify the firewall bypass on the main server?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

Branson shifts in his seat, the sound of his movement coming through the mic like a rustle of paper. “I'm on it. I'll mask the signature so it looks like standard maintenance traffic. He won't suspect a thing until it's too late.”

“Good.” I breathe, my eyes scanning the screen.

“What’s our next step?” he inquires.

“We wait. We keep feeding him the lies he wants, and we wait for the Kings to strike.”

“Got it,” he replies. “Talk to you on the flipside, Kendall.”

The connection fades as he cuts the feed, leaving me alone in the dark again. I lean my head against the headrest of my office chair, utterly exhausted. For the first time in an eternity, the road ahead feels open instead of a dead-end street.

I whisper a plea to the cosmos, “Please don’t let me down.” Freedom is finally within my reach, and I refuse to let any obstacle block my journey to get there.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

Booker

I push my chair away from the desk and let out a sigh as I sever the connection with Vixen. My plan to touch base with Slayer last night didn't pan out because he and Jersey had taken Boston and Carolina out of town to see her grandmother. Standing up, I pull together the files and presentation materials I spent all night painstakingly compiling to provide him with a visual summary of what’s been happening. I’m not sure if Rip has kept him updated on everything, but if he hasn’t, Slayer is in for the surprise of his life.

Thanks to Vixen’s sheer bravery, we finally have Jerome cornered—right where we want him. She wasn't obligated to contact us, provide warnings, or keep us updated on their movements, yet she chose to do so anyway. By stepping up for our club, she’s knowingly placed her own life and that of her boy in grave danger. In my opinion, the best way we can thank her is by making sure she and Kolter make it out and are able to move on with their lives free of the evil asshole who’s kept her hostage for all of these years.

I stomp down the stairs and step into the main room, the clubhouse feeling strange in its silence. I tilt my head, straining to hear a single sound, but the place is empty. It’s eerily deserted for this time of day. “Huh?” I grunt, my brows pulling together as I head toward Slayer’s office.