Read Online The Belial Ring (The Belial Series 3) by R.D. Brady - Free Book Online
Authors: R.D. Brady
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man’s shirt, he emptied his gun into the man’s heart.
The man collapsed.
Laney dropped to the ground next to the assailant. “Who are you?”
Blood poured from the man ’s mouth. “One of many.”
CHAPTER 13
L aney watched the light leave the man’s eyes. One of many? What the hell does that mean?
Patrick grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “You need to go.”
“ You mean we need to go,” Laney said.
Patrick shook his head. “Laney, they weren’t after all of us. They were after you.” He pushed her toward Jake. “Get her out of here.”
Jake took her arm. “Let’s go.”
Laney shook Jake free. “Wait just a minute. They weren’t after me. They were after all of us. We all need to get to safety.”
“ Patrick’s right.” Henry stepped next to her. “The rest of us were just in the way. For some reason, they were trying to get to you . They didn’t shoot at you, Laney. They were trying to take you.”
Laney stopped moving, picturing the attack, the men running after her in the lot. The Fallen who’d grabbed her could have killed her. But he didn’t. He’d tried to leave with her instead. Was it possible? “But why?”
“ We need to get you to safety,” Henry said.
Laney shook her head. “No. You need to stay with the boys and Kati.”
“ He should go with you,” Patrick argued. “I’ll take care of Kati and the boys.”
Laney looked at his shirtsleeve, now soaked in blood. “Uncle Patrick, you’ve been shot. We need to get you to a hospital.”
Patrick shook his head. “ I told you it’s just a graze. I’ll take care of the boys and Kati.”
Henry nodded. “Patrick should stay with them, but we need to go. I left Kati and the boys with my operatives. They’re fine. And they’re not the ones these guys were after.”
Laney looked around, trying to wrap her mind around everything. “But why would anyone be after me?”
Jake took her arm, pulling her way. “We’ll figure that out later. Right now, we need to move.”
CHAPTER 14
Johnson City, Tennessee
A mar walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing off the heavy wood floor. The architect of this home had designed it to look like a farmhouse, but it was really a king’s farmhouse. Everything was overdone just a little.
The marble floor was imported Italian. The chandeliers were dripping in crystals. The fireplace mantelpieces had been taken from a castle in Austria. Everything was just a little more than it should be.
Just like me , thought Amar.
This house was so different from where he ’d grown up. He curled his lip in distaste when he pictured the squalor his parents had lived in. They’d sold him when he was seven. He’d been one of a legion of child beggars on the streets of India.
And o ne day, when he was nine, his owner had decided he needed new eunuch. Amar had disagreed.
He smiled. That day had been the beginning of his awareness of what he could do. The beginning of his empire.
Amar entered his dining room. His throne chair stood at the end of the table, his lunch covered by a silver lid.
His cell phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket, stepping toward the large windows overlooking the yard.
“ Sir, they escaped us at the park. They’re heading to Chandler’s car. Should we give chase?”
Amar paused for a moment, trying to place the voice. It wasn’t Zeke— it was Zeke’s second in command. “Why are you calling me? Where’s Zeke?
A pause . “Zeke’s dead, sir. Jake Rogan killed him.”
Amar went quiet, his mind flashing on his son. They didn’t have a close bond—at least, not one based on emotion. But there was a connection there. Zeke had been made from him. And Zeke, therefore, belonged to him. Amar was the only one allowed to take his life.
His a nger boiled up, but he kept a lid on it. Their goal was too close. He couldn’t let it cloud his judgment, but his rage was making that hard to remember.
The man collapsed.
Laney dropped to the ground next to the assailant. “Who are you?”
Blood poured from the man ’s mouth. “One of many.”
CHAPTER 13
L aney watched the light leave the man’s eyes. One of many? What the hell does that mean?
Patrick grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “You need to go.”
“ You mean we need to go,” Laney said.
Patrick shook his head. “Laney, they weren’t after all of us. They were after you.” He pushed her toward Jake. “Get her out of here.”
Jake took her arm. “Let’s go.”
Laney shook Jake free. “Wait just a minute. They weren’t after me. They were after all of us. We all need to get to safety.”
“ Patrick’s right.” Henry stepped next to her. “The rest of us were just in the way. For some reason, they were trying to get to you . They didn’t shoot at you, Laney. They were trying to take you.”
Laney stopped moving, picturing the attack, the men running after her in the lot. The Fallen who’d grabbed her could have killed her. But he didn’t. He’d tried to leave with her instead. Was it possible? “But why?”
“ We need to get you to safety,” Henry said.
Laney shook her head. “No. You need to stay with the boys and Kati.”
“ He should go with you,” Patrick argued. “I’ll take care of Kati and the boys.”
Laney looked at his shirtsleeve, now soaked in blood. “Uncle Patrick, you’ve been shot. We need to get you to a hospital.”
Patrick shook his head. “ I told you it’s just a graze. I’ll take care of the boys and Kati.”
Henry nodded. “Patrick should stay with them, but we need to go. I left Kati and the boys with my operatives. They’re fine. And they’re not the ones these guys were after.”
Laney looked around, trying to wrap her mind around everything. “But why would anyone be after me?”
Jake took her arm, pulling her way. “We’ll figure that out later. Right now, we need to move.”
CHAPTER 14
Johnson City, Tennessee
A mar walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing off the heavy wood floor. The architect of this home had designed it to look like a farmhouse, but it was really a king’s farmhouse. Everything was overdone just a little.
The marble floor was imported Italian. The chandeliers were dripping in crystals. The fireplace mantelpieces had been taken from a castle in Austria. Everything was just a little more than it should be.
Just like me , thought Amar.
This house was so different from where he ’d grown up. He curled his lip in distaste when he pictured the squalor his parents had lived in. They’d sold him when he was seven. He’d been one of a legion of child beggars on the streets of India.
And o ne day, when he was nine, his owner had decided he needed new eunuch. Amar had disagreed.
He smiled. That day had been the beginning of his awareness of what he could do. The beginning of his empire.
Amar entered his dining room. His throne chair stood at the end of the table, his lunch covered by a silver lid.
His cell phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket, stepping toward the large windows overlooking the yard.
“ Sir, they escaped us at the park. They’re heading to Chandler’s car. Should we give chase?”
Amar paused for a moment, trying to place the voice. It wasn’t Zeke— it was Zeke’s second in command. “Why are you calling me? Where’s Zeke?
A pause . “Zeke’s dead, sir. Jake Rogan killed him.”
Amar went quiet, his mind flashing on his son. They didn’t have a close bond—at least, not one based on emotion. But there was a connection there. Zeke had been made from him. And Zeke, therefore, belonged to him. Amar was the only one allowed to take his life.
His a nger boiled up, but he kept a lid on it. Their goal was too close. He couldn’t let it cloud his judgment, but his rage was making that hard to remember.
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