A LIL' LESS LOST (The Kingsmen Book 2) by Tara Oakes Read Free Book Online

stood. Pop nodded to Leo and the double doors  closed behind us. We all shared a look.
    “OK.. let's hear it, Shade.” Pop was all business, cold, lethal. The speaker slightly crackled. We had men working on tracing Shade's cell, but it came to a dead end. The number we had used to contact him after Lil's bar fight was disconnected. If they were anything like us, the Slayers would be using pre-paid, throwaway phones, less chance of being traced or recorded.
    “So eager to please, Vince... I like it. Pretty big change since the last time we talked about boundaries, hmm?” I was clenching my jaw hard to enough to break glass as I listened to the motherfucker.
    Pop was not an extremely patient man. He doesn't play games. “Get on with it.”
    Laughter vibrated through the receiver. “I want everything west of, and including, the industrial park. Any businesses you got in that part of town... they're mine. The pawn shop, the check cashing spot, the strip club.... mine.”
    Butch leaned forward, “Fine... they're yours. Where the fuck is my daughter, you son of a bitch?”
    Vince held up his hand to Butch, “I'll see what I can do on that front. Those are club businesses... we need to take a vote.” Pop paused, “But, before I even bring that to the table I need reassurances, Shade.”
    I propped myself forward on the table, bracing my weight on my arms waiting for the man to speak. “Seems my guest isn't much in the mood for talking.”
    That was it. I had heard enough. I pushed through the two men flanking me and grabbed the phone. “You piece of shit... I swear if you so much as touch her I'm gonna beat you within an inch of your life before I finally take you out of your fucking misery.”
    “Well, well, well... I'm not quite sure threats are conducive to these little negotiations..” He was a dead man.
    I inhaled sharply, pushing down hard on my hatred, focussing on the bigger picture.
    “I need to know she's okay before we take anything you say seriously.” It pained me to even speak to this animal when all I wanted to do was slowly torture him, break every bone one at a time.
    Silence. Butch and Vince stared at the phone in my hand, waiting for it to show some sign of life. “Jay?” We all breathed our relief at the sound of her voice. I took the phone off speaker mode and held it to my ear, collapsing into the chair closest to me and closed my eyes.
    “Baby... it's me.. I'm here. Lil's are you OK? Are you hurt in ANY way?” I bit my tongue awaiting her answer. I know that she must be in close proximity to Shade, eavesdropping on our conversation and wouldn't be able to tell me if she was really physically fine, but I needed to ask. I needed her to hear me ask.
    “Jay... how's Em? She... they... shot...” Her words were shaky, chopping off of one another. She was messed up, I could tell this was too much for her.
                  I opened my eyes and carried on, Vince and Butch's eyes boring into me. “Lil's... you need to know that we are all here.. we're working this shit out with Shade. It's going to be fine, baby. I swear to you nothing else is going to happen. It's almost over, Lil's.”
    She was sniffling up her tears on the other end. What the hell had she been through? God, I hope she didn't see them take out that girl, whoever she was. “Baby... I need to know that you hear me.”
    She was gulping through her suppressed cries. “I'm so sorry. It's all my fault... She... I...”
    Fuck. She had seen it. I rubbed my hand down my face. This was not good for her to have on her head, especially now. Shit, stress like this could do a number on the strongest of people. In her condition, it could be catastrophic.
    I softened my voice as much as I could, trying to soothe her in whatever small way I could from afar. “Baby, listen, I know you ran to help her. You did everything you could. I.. I saw what a hurry you must've been in when you left..”
    I needed to be as indirect as I could