The Sinners - Ruby Vincent Page 0,9

finished rifling through the duffle and tossed it behind us. “You came through.”

Something akin to hope swelled in my chest.

“And our deal?” Royal pushed.

“The triplets are forgiven following a discussion about where their loyalties lie. Your grandmother will receive an unexpected check from the insurance company. And as for the lovely young Ember—”

My door unlocked with a soft click. Scrambling out of the car, I made to slam it with the full force of my contempt.

“—we’re done for now.”

I froze.

“For now?” Royal and I repeated.

Rio addressed him. “The note may not have been a message but the fact remains she knows Frank and Lenora Bancroft better than anyone. She is the best bet to finding them and I intend to.” Rio twisted to give a smirk that curdled my insides. “You did not get what you deserved, Ember, but what is a Horseman if not the hand of retribution? One day we will deliver yours.”

He peeled out with the money and my damn peace of mind in the backseat. Rio Cruz was never going to make it easy.

“Shit,” Royal swore. “I knew he’d pull this. Twenty-five million is too much for him to ignore.”

Royal encircled my wrist, drawing me in. I planted my feet but found myself skidding over the gravel and curled into his side. “He’s not fucking with you again. That’s the first and last meeting you’ll have with Rio. Whatever shit he wants goes through me first.

“Today was too close. Rio likes to get rid of people who aren’t useful anymore, and he doesn’t give them the chance to prove otherwise.”

I stared at him, watching his jaw work, and making little sense of what he was saying.

“If he truly believes you can’t lead him to your parents, he might get it into his head you know too much. We can’t let him get there.” He looked down at me. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Your father,” I burst out. “That man is your father!?”

“We’ve all got one,” he replied, tone measured. “He just happens to be mine.”

“And the money was for your grandmother. Is there a reason you couldn’t have told me straight out?” I twisted out of his hold.

“Yes. There is a reason. You would have tried finding her and dealing with her one on one. Not a damn option since she would’ve refused to accept money from you and definitely would’ve lost her shit if she knew about the Horsemen’s involvement.”

I shoved him. “That’s no excuse! I’m so fucking tired of your lies, Royal! I’m starting to think you’ll keel over and die if you ever told the truth!”

“You want to pull that, princess?” he snapped. “How about you and the triplets lying about the payments and getting us into this mess in the first place!”

“Yeah, I want to pull that,” I screamed, shoving him again. Stress, fear, rage, helplessness, and about twenty other emotions I didn’t have a name for ravaged me into a mindless husk acting out of instinct. “Because my uncle did not give you a fucking cent! I don’t know who that man was or where the money came from, but they did not pay the ransom.”

I plastered myself to him willingly, fisting his white cotton shirt. “So, tell me, Royal, where did you get one hundred grand in less than a day?”

“They—”

“Do not open your mouth to lie to me again.” I said once I’d never seen anyone snarl. Who knew weeks later I’d direct one of my own to the boy who put my world back on its axis?

Royal’s lips peeled back, matching my ferocity. This spot for lovers warped in our charged atmosphere like a horizon bending in the haze of heat.

“My car is on the other side of the park,” he said out of nowhere. “Let’s get out of here.”

Royal strode off. I stood there, steamed to hell, until he disappeared into the trees. The jerk wasn’t about to piss me off and leave me stranded in the Estate.

I caught up to him just outside the tree line.

A convertible Camaro awaited us. I prepared myself for red or bright green, and instead got black. Like his hair. Like his drawings. Like his soul.

“Nice car.” My tone didn’t match the compliment. “Did you steal it?”

“Nope. Paid in cash.”

“With money you got from stealing other cars,” I shot back.

“Naturally.” Royal slid into the front seat and unlocked my side.

I plopped down, slamming the door shut. “It’d be beautiful karma if this was jacked out from under