The Skull Ruler Read online

  “But are you sure?” he asked. “Because if you’re wrong, you both die—”

  “Yes. And even if I weren’t sure…I’d still have to do this.”

  Case glanced at Heath. “We’re going to need his help. I’m not going to be able to get you to that compound without him. There are men posted everywhere, I’m sure. We won’t be able to do it alone.”

  “Yeah…I guess you’re right.”

  Heath watched us with suspicious eyes. “What are you two talking about over there?”

  Case looked at me. “If he’s difficult, I’ll distract him while you run for it.”

  “Alright.” I moved closer to Heath. “I think I can disarm the bomb if you get me to it.”

  Heath crossed his arms over his chest. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because Lucian taught me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Even if that’s the case, we have no idea where he is—”

  “I know exactly where he is. And I need you to take me there.”

  Heath continued to watch me, arguing with himself in silence. He had his orders from Balto, but if there were any chance he could save his brother, he would want to take it. “Balto wants me to keep you safe, not get you killed. It would make this whole thing pointless—”

  “That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Are you with us or not?”

  Heath placed his hands on his hips, looking pissed just the way Balto did. “If we pull this off, he’s going to kill me.”

  I finally smiled, the tears still fresh. “Let’s go.”

  Heath took out the men guarding the perimeter. There were only a handful on that side of the wall, so he took each one out without much fuss. Bodies hit the ground, and we pressed up against the stone wall.

  Case knotted his fingers together to give me a lift. “I’ll throw you over.”

  “Let me go first so I can cover her.” Heath stepped on his hand and jumped to the top of the wall. He pulled himself over then dropped to the other side.

  When silence continued, we assumed everything had gone well.

  Case helped me next. “Be careful, alright?”

  “I will.”

  “I’m serious,” he said. “If you can’t figure out how to disarm it, you need to leave. No sense in getting yourself killed. I need you, alright?”

  “Okay, Case. We really don’t have time to talk about this.” I jumped on his hand then launched myself onto the other side.

  Heath caught me then pulled out his gun. He nodded to the small building I’d described. “Get in there. I’ll keep an eye right here.” The area was covered by trees and bushes, as if Lucian was trying to keep it hidden in plain sight on the property.

  “Alright.”

  “And Cassini?”

  I turned back to him.

  “Remember how worried you were about Case? Well, this is my brother. So please disarm that bomb.”

  I nodded, touched by what he said. “I’ll do my best.” I moved to the door and was relieved it was unlocked. I stepped inside and came face-to-face with the concrete cushion that would keep the bomb contained. The door was made of black metal, the room behind it so small that most furniture wouldn’t be able to fit inside.

  I turned the knob and was pleased to find it was also unlocked.

  I stepped inside and came face-to-face with Balto, who sat in the small chair and wore the exact expression I expected him to have. Stoic and emotionless, he didn’t look the least bit scared that a bomb was about to rip him into a million pieces.

  But my heart ached at the sight. The vest around his body was attached to the chair, so he couldn’t move even with the door unlocked. This man took my place and accepted a fate he didn’t deserve. It made me want to cry again.

  He finally said something. “What the fuck are you doing?” He wasn’t happy to see me. On the contrary, he was livid. The vein on his forehead pounded through the skin, and the red tint of his face showed his true rage. “Get the hell out of here. Now.”

  I turned to the timer on the wall.

  He only had two minutes left.

  I had to hurry.

  I kneeled in front of him and examined all the wires and nodes. Lucian had more explosives wired than usual, probably because he really wanted to decimate Balto’s body entirely. I pulled out the scissors from my back pocket.

  “Baby, leave. Don’t make me ask you again.”

  “Shut up, alright?” I felt the wires with my fingers and traced each one, trying to determine the correct one in order to disarm the bomb without making it explode. “I’m concentrating.”

  “You cut the wrong wire, and we’re both dead. I didn’t take your place so you could die. Now, get out of here—”

  “I’m not leaving you.” I lifted my gaze and looked at him, even though I was wasting time. “We’re in this together. If you die, I die. Man and woman, we go together. Now let me focus on what I’m doing. Lucian taught me how to disarm his bombs. If you would shut up for a few seconds, I might be able to figure it out.”

  He clenched his jaw in irritation but didn’t say a word.

  I looked at my hands and studied what I was doing. The color of the wire was meaningless in this case because Lucian didn’t build his bombs that way. All that mattered was the connection. I had to sever the wire that was connected to the power that would ignite the explosion. The only way to do that was to trace it.

  It took me forty-five seconds to narrow it down.

  “Baby, you need to leave. You only have thirty seconds—”

  “I got it.” I held the scissors to the wire.

  “Don’t cut it unless—”

  I cut it.

  The countdown froze.

  Balto looked at the timer, in awe that it had stopped. Then he slowly turned his head to me, shocked that I managed to stop it in time.

  I rose to my feet and pulled a knife out of my pocket. I sliced the vest off his body, getting him free so we could leave the explosives behind. “We’ve got to move quick. He’ll notice the clock stopped, and he’ll detonate it himself.”

  Balto tossed the vest in the corner once it was loose then moved to the door.

  We both got through the door and shut it just before the explosion hit.

  The door immediately felt hot, going from a few degrees to a thousand. And the sound nearly popped my eardrums.

  Balto took my hand, and we hurried outside.

  Heath emerged from behind a tree. “This way. Come on.”

  Balto gave his brother an incredulous look. “You’re part of this—”

  Heath hugged him hard, lowering his gun so he could embrace his brother. “I love you, man.”

  Balto dropped his anger and hugged him back. “I love you too.”

  “Now, let’s get out of here.” Heath released him and nodded to the wall. “He’ll check on the damage any minute, and it’ll take two seconds for him to realize you didn’t explode with that bomb.” He moved to the wall and put his hands together. “Cassini, you first.”

  I stepped on his hands and crawled over the wall. “Be quick.” I dropped to the other side.

  Case grabbed my arm. “Did he—”

  “Yes, Balto is okay. But Lucian is going to figure it out any minute, and we have to haul ass.”

  My brother smiled at me, pride in his eyes. “I can’t believe you did it. You disarmed a bomb. That’s crazy.”

  I shrugged. “Lucian shouldn’t have underestimated me.”

  12

  Balto

  We piled into the SUV and took off. Heath pressed down on the gas, making us speed down the country road back to the city. We had only minutes before Lucian figured out what happened. He might send his men to chase us, or he might realize he was too late.

  I was pissed about a lot of things.

  I was pissed Cassini risked her life for mine.

  I was pissed my brother betrayed me and helped her.

  I was pissed Lucian tried to blow me into a million pieces.

 
I would never admit it to her, but I was fiercely proud of the stunt she’d just pulled. Like a badass, she walked in there without a hint of fear, found the correct wire, and saved my ass. Most people would have been too cowardly to do that, but not this woman. She was loyal to me, just as loyal as one of my own men.

  But I was still pissed at her.

  She sat beside me and reached up to touch the bruising on my face.

  I pushed down her arm. “I’m fine.” I pulled out my phone and called Brutus.

  “Balto?” he blurted into the phone, surprised to see my name on the screen. “Is that really you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “Wait, how did you—”

  “No time for small talk. Round up all the men. We’re hitting Lucian at his estate.”

  Brutus stopped asking questions. “You got it, Balto. You’ll have to tell me how you escaped when this is all over.”

  “Preferably over a bottle of scotch.” I hung up.

  Heath looked at me in the rearview mirror. “I’ll head back to the compound.”

  “No. Go to the Underground,” I ordered. “We need supplies.”

  “What about Cassini and Case?” Heath asked. “What do we do with them?”

  “We’ll leave them at the Underground. They’ll be safe there.”

  Cassini turned on me, her eyes wide in offense. “I’m not staying behind.”

  “You bet your ass, you are.” I faced forward, being cold to her when I should be thanking her. I wanted to show my gratitude and how much her loyalty meant to me, but I didn’t want to encourage that kind of behavior. She could have cut the wrong wire and killed us both. I’d sacrificed myself so she would live a long and happy life. “You’ve done enough for the day.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” she asked. “I just saved your life, and you’re pissed at me?”

  “Damn right, I am.” I couldn’t control my expression as I stared at her. I was so livid at her impulse decision. “You should have let me die. I took your place so you would be safe. If that had gone in another direction, it would have been a complete waste.”

  “But it didn’t,” she snapped. “Now stop being an asshole.” She slapped her hand across my face.

  I turned with the hit, adoring her even more for calling me out on my bullshit. I was being a dick, and I knew it. There were so many emotions inside my chest that I didn’t know how to process them. Just minutes ago, I’d made my peace with my imminent death. And now I was looking into the eyes of the woman who risked her life to save mine.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said firmly.

  “Like hell, you are,” I countered. “It’s going to be a massacre. I can’t slaughter those men and protect you at the same time.”

  “Lucian is mine. I want to be the one to kill him. I’m not sitting back at the Underground and waiting for news. That man ruined my life, and I deserve to be the one to pull the trigger, to watch the light leave his eyes as I stand over him in victory. I know he’s wronged you, but he’s been a million times worse to me. Let me have this. You owe me.”

  “I owe you?” I whispered.

  “I saved your life. Now give me Lucian’s.”

  I preferred to have this conversation in private, but we didn’t have a choice. We were too pressed for time.

  Heath watched us in the rearview mirror. “Let her have it. Come on, she’s earned it.”

  She turned to him. “Thank you—”

  “Stay out of this.” I kept my eyes on her beautiful face, seeing a woman who was confident, not scared. She clung to me for protection because I was the only thing in the world that made her feel safe. But now the adrenaline was in her veins, making her braver than she’d ever been before. She’d outsmarted Lucian by cutting that wire, and now she wanted more. She wanted to finish the job—finish him.

  “Please.” Her voice filled the car even as a whisper.

  I deserved to kill Lucian as much as she did. He’d stolen something irreplaceable, started a war we could never finish. He was a pompous prick who had been my enemy for years. The fact that he hurt this woman so much made me feel even more entitled to his death. But I knew she’d suffered in ways I could never understand. She was forced to submit to a cruel man, to be a trophy wife that he showed off to the world. She’d been tricked into that position. This guy didn’t just keep her as a prisoner, but he’d manipulated her into being the prisoner he wanted. She deserved this closure. “Alright.”

  Relief filled her gaze. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll take out his men and clear the area. When we have our victory, I’ll bring you in so you can execute him.”

  “Thank you,” she repeated.

  I faced forward now that the conversation was over.

  Case borrowed Heath’s phone and called Dirk to let him know he was okay.

  I felt Cassini stare at me, felt her gaze roam over the side of my face. She examined my cuts and bruises, but she also examined the line of my jaw and the look in my eyes. A silent conversation passed between us, a prelude to the real thing. We would have to discuss what happened eventually…even though it was so obvious that words seemed redundant. I took her place because it was the only choice I had. I’d never thought I would survive the ordeal, so I hadn’t thought I’d have to face her again. But now that I lived, she knew how I felt. She would question me about it—and I would be backed into a corner.

  Dying would have solved all my problems.

  We left Case behind and headed to the estate with the entire army of Skull Kings.

  Lucian didn’t stand a chance.

  If he were smart, he would have taken off and headed to the airport. But if he were smarter, he would have understood there was nowhere to run. He’d had me in his custody, a bomb strapped to my chest, and I’d still slipped out of his grasp. We could keep playing this game forever, but we both knew how it ended. His life wouldn’t be spared anymore because of the diamond. His death was far more valuable at this point.

  We approached the estate and parked on the side of the road.

  Cassini sat beside me, a bulletproof vest wrapped around her chest. She had a pistol, which I didn’t need to show her how to use. She’d stolen Heath’s gun weeks ago, knew how to turn off the safety, and she had good aim.

  I killed the engine and looked at her. “I’ll come back for you.”

  She watched my men gather outside the vehicles and prepare to take the estate. Two tanks were in the front, and they would barrel through the gates and kill most of the men before we set foot on the property. She turned to me, concern in her eyes even though this was a slam dunk. “Be careful.”

  “I’m always careful.”

  She stared into my eyes, her green emeralds shifting back and forth slightly as she looked at me. She’d been fired up just minutes ago, but now she was concerned once more, just as she was when I left the house in the middle of the night. “I just got you back, and I’m afraid to let you go again.”

  Now wasn’t the time for this conversation. My men were waiting for me to lead the assault. It would be easy for me to stare into her beautiful eyes forever, but there would be time for that later. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

  “You can’t make a promise like that—”

  “Yes, I can.” My hand cupped her neck, and my fingers slid underneath her hair. I leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth, grateful that I was able to do this again. My mouth treasured hers for only seconds before I pulled away. I didn’t look at her again as I left the SUV and joined my men. I wore a bulletproof vest at Cassini’s request, and I had my guns strapped to my belt. A knife was in my back pocket. But my best weapons were my boots—because crushing skulls was my game. “Let’s go. Tanks first.”

  The tanks rammed the iron gates until they caved under the high pressure. They were pressed aside, bent like pieces of straw. Gunfire began as Lucian’s men tried to hold their position on the property, but against two tanks, that wasn’t going to happen.

&nb
sp; When the tanks took out the foot soldiers, we moved in.

  Dead bodies lay everywhere, blood soaking into the perfectly manicured gardens that surrounded the property. Only a few men remained behind, using the house for cover. They were outnumbered, but they continued to fight anyway.

  I raised my hand so my men would stop shooting. “If you surrender, you will be spared. But I have one condition. You join our ranks and hunt down your master with us. Help us locate him, and you’ll be set free.” I knew exactly how these men would respond. They weren’t loyal to an asshole like Lucian. They only fought for the paycheck. Loyalty was something you couldn’t buy. It was earned through respect—something Lucian lacked.

  They lowered their weapons and emerged from their cover.

  I grinned because it was another form of vengeance. I got his own men to turn on him with just a few simple words. When Lucian was held at gunpoint by his own men, it would make this moment more delicious. “Bring him to me. Now.”

  Every single man turned on his master, and they entered the building in search of him. It was only minutes later when he was dragged out, his men holding each arm as he was forced down the steps and into my presence.

  “Traitors!” Lucian tried to twist out of their grasp, but it was pointless. Every man on that property had marked Lucian as his enemy. The execution was so sad it was almost difficult to watch.

  Almost.

  They threw Lucian at my feet.

  He fell to the ground, lacking the will to rise once again. He stared at the ground, so ashamed that he couldn’t look up to make eye contact. He breathed hard, panicked and covered in sweat despite the winter chill.

  I patiently waited for him to meet my gaze. His humiliation was so entertaining.

  He finally found the strength to look up, to see the man he’d tried to blow up just an hour ago. “How did you escape? It’s not possible…”

  Heath stepped onto the property with Cassini in tow, ushering her on to the estate so she could pull the trigger herself.

  I kept my eyes on Lucian, despising this man for everything he’d done to her. I was angrier about that than anything he ever did to me—including when he tried to blow me up.