Page 5 of Property of Booker

“It is, it’s smarter than I programmed it to be. It’s expanding on its own without prompts from me,” I convey. “It’s getting too dangerous to continue along this path. If we don’t work together and swiftly, everyone and everything we love will perish.”

“When is this raid on our compound scheduled for?” Riptide probes.

Squaring my shoulders, I look them both in the eye before answering, “When you go to your friend’s memorial service in West Texas. We have to act fast. We can’t let him do this.”

“You could stop it,” Indiana reminds me.

“Only if I want to be the next person to bury someone they love,” I counter.

“Would he really kill his own flesh and blood?” Indiana asks, unable to consider that as a probability.

“In a heartbeat,” I grind out, my teeth gritted tight enough to ache. “Blood ties mean nothing to him. He views everyone around him as a chess piece, and he sacrifices anyone just to gain a better position. All he cares about is absolute control. If he can’t bend you to his will, he’ll dismantle you piece by piece until you're nothing but a memory. You don’t know the monster you’re dealing with, but I do. He’s not the type to offer second chances.” My watch buzzes against my wrist. It’s a mechanical sting that cuts through the tension. I glance at the dial and then back to the men, my heart hammering against my ribs. “My time’s up. I have to go before he gets suspicious and comes looking for me himself.”

Riptide steps into my path, his expression unreadable. “Where does he think you are?”

“He thinks I’m running a routine check on your server logs,” I answer, already turning toward the exit. “Don't let me down.”

“How do we get in touch with you?” he hollers as I retreat as quickly as I can.

“You can't,” I call back, already halfway around the corner. “I'll reach out to you. Tell Booker to keep the comms open, even if the thought of me makes his skin crawl. I'll drop updates as they come, but I need a favor from you guys.”

Riptide narrows his eyes, pausing in his tracks. “What's that?”

“Tell your techie to breathe once in a while,” I say, glancing back at them. “He's burying himself in that data, and if he burns out now, we're all screwed.”

“What took you so long, Kendall?” Jerome asks. His hand wraps around my throat and tightens until the world starts to blur at the edges. I fight to pull in a breath, but his grip is unyielding. He leans in closer, his eyes cold and devoid of anything resembling warmth. “I don't like waiting for updates. Did you have trouble finishing the task I gave you?” I claw at his wrist, but he doesn't budge. My vision swims as I struggle for air.

“I ran into some issues,” I choke out. The pressure shifts as he laughs, a low and cruel sound that makes my skin crawl.

He knows I'm lying, and he enjoys watching me squirm. His snake-like eyes slit in my direction as he demands, “What kind of issues?”

“They were patrolling,” I wheeze. The words feel like broken glass in my throat. I force myself to meet his stare, refusing to look weak even as black spots dance in my vision.

He scoffs. The sound vibrates through his chest against mine. “Patrolling? You expect me to believe you couldn’t bypass a few bored bikers? You’re better than that, Kendall.”

He loosens his grip just enough for me to gasp for air, but the reprieve is cruel. He holds me suspended, waiting for a better response.

“I didn’t want to tip my hand,” I say, my voice raspy. “If I had moved faster, they might have traced my signal back to the source. You don’t want that any more than I do.”

He narrows his eyes, his hold slackening further as he considers the lie. It is a gamble, but it is the only one I have left.

He crowds into my space until his rotten stenched breath hits my face. He offers a smile that never reaches his eyes, leaving them as dead as the screen of a fried monitor. He leans in close so I feel the heat radiating off him, pinning me against the wall while he speaks low and slow. “Listen close, Kendall. If I find out you're playing me for a fool or planning a double cross, Kolter pays the price. He's the insurance policy that keeps you honest. Do you understand me?”

“I understand,” I gasp, my fingernails digging into his skin as his grip tightens. Every ounce of my remaining strength goes into trying to pry his fingers loose. I look him dead in the eye, my lungs burning and my vision clouding over. I have to make him believe the lie because if he suspects even a fraction of the truth, Kolter’s dead. “I just want him safe, Jerome. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” He humphs, releasing me so suddenly I slump against the wall, dragging in a ragged breath that tears at my chest. He isn’t done with me yet. He paces away, his shadow looming large in the dim light of the room, and I know I’m still deep in the belly of the beast.

“I think you need a reminder of who’s in charge here, Kendall,” he says as he steps into my space. His boot connects with my ribs, sending a shockwave of agony through my chest that leaves me gasping for air. I curl onto the floor, trying to shield my side, but he just kicks me again, lighter this time, to make sure I stay down. He looms over me, his face a mask of cold amusement. “Still think you’re smart enough to play me?” he asks, his voice smooth and devoid of any real emotion. I grit my teeth to keep from screaming as the pain pulses through me.

“I’m not playing,” I wheeze, my ribs protesting every shallow breath.

He leans down, his expression hardening. “Then you’re failing, Kendall. And failure has consequences. You’re going to fix our little problem with the Kings. And you’re going to do it tonight.”

Before I get a chance at a rebuttal, his fist flies toward my face. I brace for the impact, but my reflexes lag behind his speed. When he clocks me, the world around me dims as darkness consumes me. His knuckles connect with my jaw, a sharp explosion of white light that shatters the room. The world tilts, spinning on its axis until the floor rushes up to meet me. Darkness floods my vision, a heavy, suffocating tide that pulls me under before I hit the concrete. My last thought before I lose the fight is Kolter’s smile, a fragile being holding me to a life that feels like it’s slipping away.

CHAPTER

THREE

Booker