Madness: Part 2 – Chapter 14

Less than six hours later, we’re pulling up to the most prestigious hotel and casino in none other than Las Vegas.

I hate this city! The people, the noise, it’s too much. I prefer the secluded life. Middle of nowhere, hidden in the mountains, woods, and a basement. I thrive in the darkness. It’s where all monsters feel most at home.

But here I am. I’ve been in this town for all of twenty minutes now. I didn’t expect to meet with the Kings, but the events that have taken place over the past four days have led me to their doorstep. Literally.

Getting out of the car, Adam and I walk up the fifteen steps and through the double glass doors. A man dressed in a black three-piece suit greets us. He reminds me of Jessie.

“Gentlemen.” He nods, walking over to a private elevator. “They’re waiting for you in the conference room.” The elevator door slides open, and we step inside, where he presses the thirteenth floor.

I look around the mirrored box as it ascends. Glancing at my watch, I see it’s almost three in the morning, which means the sun will be rising at Carnage soon.

The ding notifies us that we’re stopping, and the door opens. We step out, and the man holds open a glass door for us, and we enter the conference room.

The Kings stand around a large table that sits every bit of twenty people with all eyes on us.

“It’s too fucking early,” the one I know as Grave mumbles before throwing back a Monster.

The Kings and the Lords have been in bed with one another for years, but we’re not close with them. Our fathers had business with theirs back in the day. I don’t know how fucked up their fathers were, but I know what ours were capable of. I can only guess how fucked up it got.

Adam walks over to Cross and gives him a handshake hug. “What’s going on, man?” Cross asks him.

“Same ole, same ole,” Adam jokes.

“Haidyn.” Bones nods, gesturing toward a seat at the table. “This is all we were able to recover.” He points at the three cardboard boxes that sit in the center of it.

Last time I saw Bones wasn’t a friendly encounter. I got in his face in New York, defending Kashton’s actions over a friend of his. But I wasn’t wrong—he has no clue how far a Lord will go. I’d also like to tell him that there’s a lot about his friend he doesn’t know, but he can figure it out on his own. Eventually, the truth will come out. It always does.

“I appreciate it,” I say, looking over the table.

I called as we were taking off, updated them on what little we had to go on, and asked if they could help us out. Adam thought Las Vegas was the best place for us to start, and I agreed with him. “What was it?” I ask, looking at the boxes.

“Fire,” Cross answers.

I snort and joke, “Creative.”

“As far as I can come up with, I’d say that he had someone ready to torch the place when he didn’t return by a certain date,” Bones presumes. “But if I had to guess, I’d say he meant for it all to burn anyway.”

“Benny wasn’t planning on bringing Ashtyn back here.” I shake my head.

The words he said less than ten hours ago are still fresh in my mind. “I’m not going to kill you.” He laughs at Saint, his masked head shaking. “I’m going to lock you all up down here in the cells. I’m going to chain her up in the one right next to you. Let you listen to her cry and sob as I fuck her each day. While I feed her just enough to stay alive but not enough to keep your baby alive. Once your baby dies, I’m going to take her with me and leave you all here to rot in this hell that you love so much.”

Benny was adamant that Saint had knocked her up, which could be possible. He wanted her to lose Saint’s baby like she did his four years ago when he raped her. And he was committed to making sure it happened.

I rip open one of the boxes and pull out a few things that hold no value whatsoever. It’s just a few papers with burned edges. Then there’s a set of playing cards.

Opening the second box, I see a set of pictures. My stomach sinks when I realize who they are. Ashtyn. They are Polaroids of her sleeping naked in a bed. Some she’s awake, staring at the camera. Kissing the camera. She’s got her legs spread, her hand between them, playing with herself and staring at him while he’s taking the photos. “Goddammit.” I slam them face down so the Kings can’t see them, but I’m sure they already have. I can at least spare Adam.

“Told you we should have shredded those,” Grave mumbles to Bones.

I reach in and grab an old wicker basket. Flipping it open, I growl when I see more fucking pictures, but looking over them has me curious. “You guys know who is in these photos with Benny?” I ask, showing the Kings.

“No.” Titan and Bones both answer. Cross shakes his head, and Grave opens another Monster. There’s a fifth guy who stands in the corner—Oliver Nite. I know him even less than I do the Kings, but it can’t hurt to ask. Obviously, they are close with him if he’s in here. He too shakes his head.

“You?” I put it up to Adam’s face.

“Nope.”

I go back to digging in the box, and something at the bottom catches my eye. I pick it up and remove the chip before tossing it onto the table. “Where is this from?” I ask, seeing there’s more covering the bottom. Maybe five thousand dollars’ worth.

“Mason brothers.” Adam is the first to answer, looking down at it. I’ve kept in touch with Adam over the past four years, but I’m not always aware of where he is. Whatever his job is—keeps him busy traveling the world. He comes and goes as he pleases, and I don’t ask any questions.

Bones picks it up, and his hard eyes meet mine when his fist tightens around it.

“Are they here in Vegas?” I ask, looking at Adam, and he nods.

Grave explains. “They run the Airport…”

“I want to meet with them.” I interrupt him, not really caring what the Airport is.

Bones shakes his head. “We don’t do business with them.”

“I don’t give a fuck what you guys do or don’t do with them. I have questions, and they might have answers,” I inform him. We flew all this way, and I’m not returning to Carnage until I get what I want. Ashtyn and Kashton have been blowing up my phone. Saint has been dead silent, but I expected that.

Adam made it very clear that Benny wasn’t going to speak. I don’t doubt my brothers—Kashton and Saint—I can’t say that they can make Benny talk, but I can say that Saint will just kill him. He won’t do it on purpose. It’ll be a heat-of-the-moment sort of situation. Especially after he recently kidnapped and raped Ashtyn for four days.

“Let’s go.” Adam is already headed to the double glass doors.

“I’ll take you guys⁠—”

“Grave.” Bones interrupts his brother. The growl in his voice tells me he doesn’t want Grave anywhere near these Mason brothers. Again, I don’t give a fuck. Grave is a grown-ass adult and can do whatever he wants.

“I’ll join them,” Cross adds, and Titan stays silent.

I’m not here to start problems, but I’m not leaving until I get what I came for. And the less time I’m in this godforsaken town, the better.

“We don’t need babysitters.” Adam chuckles.

“Not just anyone can walk in and speak to them,” Grave points out. “I can’t even guarantee they’ll give you what you want.”

“I can get us in,” Adam states, and everyone turns to look at him as if to silently ask him how he can do that, but he keeps quiet.

Good enough for me. “Let’s go.” I turn to give them my back and head for the glass double doors.

“This morning?” Cross asks.

I face them, and Grave downs what’s left of his second energy drink. “Yes. Now.” I rip the door open and exit the conference room. The sooner I speak to them, the sooner I get back home.

The Airport is exactly what I thought it’d be. An actual airport in the middle of the desert. But by the lack of planes, I’d say they’re not pilots. I want to ask what exactly this place is but I just can’t bring myself to care enough.

We pull into a parking garage and climb out of the back of the SUV, walking with Grave and Cross toward a bank of elevators.

“The Mason brothers don’t give information without something in return,” Grave informs me.

I nod, placing my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “Nothing worth knowing ever comes free.” Lords are always willing to pay in blood. A pound of flesh is the only acceptable payment.

Cross snorts, and Grave nods in agreement while Adam remains quiet.

We enter the building, and the flashing lights and blaring music remind me of a nightclub. But it’s got multiple levels and looks exactly like an abandoned airport.

They take us up a flight of stairs and knock on a door before opening it. We step inside, and a guy sitting at a table looks up at us and smiles at the Kings. “Grave, come to fight?”

He laughs. “Not tonight.”

One of the guys looks at me and bows his chest. “Bringing in strays, Grave? That’s beneath a King.” Then he looks at Adam.

I reach into my pocket, and the guy sitting at the table jumps to his feet and removes a gun from his hip, pointing it right at me. Before I can say sit the fuck down, Adam punches him in the face, knocking him back into his seat. He yanks his gun out of the waistband and points it at the guy’s head.

“Whoa.” Grave raises his hands. “We didn’t come to kill anyone tonight.” There’s laughter in his voice as the guy rubs blood from his face while glaring up at Adam.

I remove the poker chip from my pocket and toss it onto the table.

“You can put the gun away,” the one standing orders Adam, picking up the chip. He flips it over, eyeing it, and then tosses it back to me. I catch it as he speaks. “You can cash in your winnings in the basement.”

Adam slowly tucks his gun back into his jeans.

I remove the picture from my back pocket and drop it onto the table as well. “Know either one of them?” I ask.

The guy huffs his annoyance but looks down at the picture before his eyes meet mine. “What’s it worth to you?”

“Whatever you want,” I answer, and his brows shoot up in surprise. I have a feeling that most don’t offer them that, but I also am not like most men.

The one bleeding from the face wipes the blood from his nose. “Not sure what you can give us that we can’t get ourselves.”

Grave smiles. “Where are my manners? Mason brothers…I introduce you to two of the Spade brothers.”

The one sitting in the chair swallows, and the one standing looks down at him, narrowing his eyes. Then he looks back up at Adam for a second. It’s as if he recognizes him but wasn’t aware he was a Spade brother. I’m not surprised. It’s not something we publicly announce. His eyes meet mine when he speaks again. “Let’s see what we can do for you guys.”

Just then, the door opens, and we all turn around to see a man walk in. He seems to resemble the other two in looks. I’m guessing another brother. He slams the door and speaks, “Christopher just backed out tonight.”

The brother who obviously runs the show looks at Grave. “I’m going to need you to fight tonight.”

“Fine.” Grave sighs as he picks up an open Red Bull that sits on the table and slams it like he’s a college student at a frat party. Then he looks at me and Adam. “You two owe me.”

Add it to my fucking tab.