Page 98 of King of Ruin

A pounding starts on the door. “Maddie,” Vigo calls. “I’m home. Miss me?”

“Fucker,” Lucia mutters. “You got anything that could pass for a weapon in here?”

I frown. “An umbrella maybe?” I whisper back.

“Let me in, sunshine, so we can talk.” Vigo pounds some more.

I draw in a stuttering breath. “He can’t know we’re here, can he?”

“I like your shiny new car,” he says as he keeps banging. “But how does a blind woman drive a Tesla?”

“Shit,” Josh says.

Here I am again. Vigo knows I’m here.

Last time, I answered the door. This time…

“Think we should go out the back?” We’re trapped like rats if we stay in this closet.

“How long until Roman arrives?” Lucia shifts, like she’s looking at her watch. In the dark of the closet, I can’t see anything.

“A few minutes.”

Josh lets out a long breath, but the sound is interrupted by Vigo kicking the door. It holds, but barely.

We don’t even say the words, we just move back to the door, opening the closet.

The door to the backyard is right next to my bedroom, the hall keeping us blocked from view.

“Make sure Vincent isn’t waiting at the back door,” I hiss, Josh slowly turns the knob.

“It’s clear,” he mutters and we all step into the late-afternoon heat.

It’s a covered veranda, where I would keep most of my animals. The fans are off since the yard is empty, which means I can hear Vigo’s assault on my front door.

I hear the creak of wood above and I look up, seeing the blurry outline of a person.

“Mrs. Higgins,” Lucia hisses waving her hand, “come down!”

My upstairs neighbor. Who is deaf…

I wave my arms wildly, gesturing to her to come but I have no idea if she sees my efforts or not.

The front door gives, the sound of wood splintering echoing down the street,

We all duck down, heading for the small back gate that’s hidden by a few overgrown bushes. It leads into a back alley, and Josh shoulders the gate open just as I catch the scent of gasoline. “No,” I turn back toward the yard and Mrs. Higgins on the stairs, just in time to hear the ignition of gasoline converting to fire…

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Roman

Leo speedsround the last corner to Maddie’s house, the Civic taking the corner like it’s on rails, as Vigo’s bright yellow Lamborghini comes into view.

Vigo is kicking at the door while Vincent…

Fuck.

He turns from the trunk, a very large weapon in hand. I don’t even get the chance to identify the rifle before it’s showering us with bullets.