Fall and Rise of the King (Kings Duet)

by Ruby Wolff

  "I'm going to talk to Ben and Stuart. We don't know how safe she'll be there, but…" Vinny stops talking, and I can see why they're all like this. He’s fighting a family alone, and they don't know who they can trust. One thing is for sure. Alice has men that will always love and protect her.

  "I'll get more pro—"

  "Who? For all you know, Pike is the mole," Vinny interrupts.

  I shake my head. There’s no way Pike would betray me like this. I know that without a doubt. It's not him. "Vinny…"

  "I need to go.”

  Before I can even fight to talk to Alice, the line goes dead, and I throw my phone onto the desk.

  "Cut the call before three minutes so it can't be traced." Drew sighs and takes a step closer to me. "Angel, Alice wants to be with you. She loves you, and hates that she isn't here when you need her the most, but…"

  "I know, Drew. I know." I look up at her. "Are you staying?" I ask. I get the feeling she only left because of all this. Now that I know the truth, there’s no reason for her to hide.

  "Not sure yet, but I'm going to be with Ellie and Gwen for now. Then, I'll see," Drew rubs my arm as she leaves my office.

  I walk around the desk, grabbing the whiskey and a glass, then plop down into my chair. What the fuck is happening to my family?

  "What did you find out?" Pike asks as he shuts the door behind him.

  I sit up in the chair, down my drink, then fill it up again. Who can I trust? Who is fucking stupid enough to cross me? "How long have we been friends, Pike?" I take my drink and watch Pike sit down.

  "Since we could walk we've been making trouble." Pike fills his glass up and leans in closer. "Angel, what did she tell you?"

  "I know you'll always have my back…"

  "Just like you'll always have mine. Angel, what did she tell you?" Pike asks again.

  I search Pike's face. I've never had to think about Pike not having my back but, at this moment, I don't know. I don't know if my best friend has betrayed me. As my gaze roams over his face, all I can see is the man I love like a brother. I shake my head for even thinking he’d do this to me.

  "We have a fucking mole. They told the Midlands everything about Alice, and everything about our attack on the Young family," I say. Then I know what my expression was like when Drew told me because I see it on Pike’s face now. Shock isn't really the best word to use. I don't even know what word I'd use.

  "They must have that wrong, no one—"

  "Pike, we have men watching the bar, the house…. Think about it. We’re always one step behind Ben's intel. She was safe. They knew nothing about her. Then, in a short time, they know everything about her," I explain.

  I remember the conversation with Ben, and everything he said now makes sense. Everything Vinny’s saying… I can see it now. Alice isn't safe with me, and she's not safe with him, either. I'm just hoping he can talk to Ben and Stuart and make them see that she'll be safer with both him and I watching her.

  "Can we trace where Vinny is?" Pike asks.

  "He cut the call within three minutes." Taking the pain killers out of the drawer, I pour several into my hand. "I want to know who it is, and I don't plan on making their death easy."

  "Are you telling your dad and Warren?" Pike asks.

  Leaning back in my chair, I say, "I have no fucking idea what I'm doing just yet." One thing I do know is that I need to get to my dad’s now. I need to be there for my family. I need to help them through today. "Today, we'll be there for Gwen. Today is about Elijah. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, we plan.” I down my glass and leave my office.

  Tomorrow is the day I bring my queen home, and I don't care who I have to kill to do it.

  Chapter 6

  Alice

  “Vinny, if you can just talk to Ben and Uncle Stuart. Yes, Angel has a mole, but with the both of you, I'll be safer there.” I stop to take a breath. I’ve been fighting this same argument for a few days now. “And do you really think Angel's even going to let me out of his sight?”

  “Alice, please stop. I’m talking to them. Stuart said I should do what's best. Now, I’m just waiting for Ben to get on the same page.” Vinny starts pacing the hotel room with his phone to his ear.

  He's getting so tired. He's beginning to double-check everything. He's so tired he doesn't even know what day it is.

  I told Vinny that being this close to Angel wasn’t the best idea until we knew what we were doing. The Midlands are everywhere at the moment, and coming back to the hotel where we usually meet Ben might not be the best move. I know Vinny's on the same page as me and thinks that with Angel by my side I'll be safer. Plus, he sees how much I miss him. All I want is to see his face, have him hold me and tell me that I have nothing to worry about.

  The longer I’m away from him, the more I feel like I’m losing a part of me. I’m losing the part he made whole.

  “Ben, if you think I can…” Vinny stops, telling me Ben's saying something to him. “Ben, I know they have families helping them. That means there's only me hiding her from over a hundred people. If Angel's with her, then it’d be….” He looks at me, then takes a few steps away from me. He turns his back to me, but I take a step closer. “Ben, if you could see her… She needs to see him.”

  I do need to see him. I could talk to Ben myself, but I know him well enough to know he won’t listen to me. For me, he has put his life at risk. I know he regrets nothing, but I wish Ben was able to spend more time with me, spend time with his family. Instead, he’s spending his days with men he hates, just to protect me.

  “Ben, do you know where they are now?” He listens. “Again, they're close. I’m taking her to Angel. The way you’re talking… Ben, if Harvey captures her, you don’t know where he'll take her… You’ve spoken to Angel—you’ve seen what he can do. You don’t think he won’t… Ben, they have a mole, but Angel's still the only one who can help me protect her right now.” Vinny turns around to look at me, and I hope he can win this fight for me.

  I know he's doing everything he can, but we both know we're hugely outnumbered and can do with all the help we can get.

  Vinny puts his hand out. I look at the phone and already know Ben's not going to let us win this argument.

  “Hello,” I say.

  “Alice, I’m going to agree to this. I know it’s getting hard, and you’re both tired. Did Vinny talk to you?” Ben asks. He’s not happy about this—he sounds pissed off.

  “He did. I know,” I say in a whisper. The things Vinny told me were enough to scare the hell out of me, and he also mentioned that me being Angel’s girl will make Harvey enjoy his time with me even more. To get one over on Angel is his main goal. That didn’t really make me feel any better about the whole thing, but I understand why they had to tell me.

  “Give Vinny the phone.” Ben doesn’t sound happy about it, but I think he knows we’re doing it the way we want and there's nothing he can do.

  I hand the phone back to Vinny.

  “I'll call him… How many men? I'll call soon as the bar’s open. I don’t want to risk a gunfight with that many people there.” Vinny ends the call and walks over to me.

  “Ben’s not happy about it,” I begin as he starts rubbing his head. “Get some sleep, Vinny. You look like shit.” He’s not slept more than an hour here and there, and it’s really starting to make him double think everything he's doing. He needs is a night of good sleep.

  “As soon as we get to Angel, I'll feel a little better. The mole, I think, it’s going to be a race to see who kills them first. Ben, Angel, or me.” Vinny walks over to the bar and pours himself a drink.

  I can’t wait to find out who the mole is, because I'd love to give them a piece of hate as well. I know their death will be a painful one. “When are you calling Angel?” I ask, hoping he’ll let me talk to him for a moment.

  “I’ll call him now and tell him that once the bar’s closed, we'll be over.” Vinny takes his phone out, but doesn’t hit call yet, and smiles at me. “You
want to talk to him?”

  “Yes,” I shout before he can change his mind.

  “You know you have to end the call when I say,” he says. I nod and wait for him to make the call. “Angel, I spoke to Ben, and we'll be coming once the bar closes… You have about twenty men outside the bar... Be ready for a gunfight. They won’t let Alice go that easily… I thought he’d be close. He knows that sooner or later, Alice will come back to you… Just have everything ready.” Vinny ends the call.

  “Vinny, you said I could talk to him.” I push him, annoyed he teased me like that.

  “I’m giving you a new call, so you can have more time.” Vinny hands me the phone, and I wait for Angel to answer.

  “Vinny, will—”

  “Angel.” My voice comes out quiet. I don’t know why, but it feels like I’m talking to him for the first time.

  “Alice, are you okay?” Angel asks.

  “Yes. Are you? I’m so sorry about Elijah,” I say, That's the one thing I’ve wanted to say to him, but haven’t had the chance.

  “I’m so much better knowing you'll be with me again tonight. God, I’ve been going crazy without you here.”

  “We had no choice. Have you found out who—”

  “Alice, I'll find out who it is, and I promise I'll make their death painful and slow.” Angel goes quiet for a moment. “I know you have to end the call soon. Alice, just know that from the moment I woke up, I’ve been trying to find you.”

  “I know, and I’ve thought about you every day. I'll see you tonight,” I whisper before ending the call. Tonight, I might be in more danger than the last three weeks put together, but I know as soon as I’m with Angel, I'll be as safe as I can be until he deals with the Midland family.

  Just the thought of seeing Angel tonight brings me peace for the first time in weeks. In this dark world I’m stuck in, for me, Angel's a bright star protecting me.

  ***

  “You stay with me. If anything happens to me, don’t look back. Get to Angel, and only Angel,” Vinny says. His eyes are filled with worry. There’s even a little fear, which he's trying very hard to hide from me. Being with Angel, I’m getting a better feel of what men are hiding.

  “Vinny—”

  “Alice, time to go,” he interrupts. He pulls his phone out. “Angel, we’re leaving… At the hotel, so it won’t be long.” Vinny looks at me for a moment. “How many more?”

  I answer the other phone when it rings. “It’s Ben,” I tell him, and he tells Angel to hold so he can talk to Ben. He puts both phones on speaker.

  “You’re both on speaker. Ben, Angel said there are more than twenty men outside the bar.” Vinny hands me a gun. I already have one, but it looks like things are about to get ugly.

  “They know I’m on my way. Keep Alice close. Angel’s outnumbered,” Ben says before ending the call.

  I look up at Vinny as a rush of cold blood runs through me. Ben always keeps his conversations short when he's worried and feels the worst is about to happen. I’m now more scared than ever.

  “How did they know?” Angel asks.

  “Like they know everything else. They’re one step ahead.” Vinny lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “Just be fucking ready. The only thing I care about is getting Alice to you.” Vinny ends the call and shouts a few curse words.

  How do they know everything Angel's doing? The only person Angel would’ve told is Pike, and that would only be if Angel were one-hundred-per cent sure he wasn’t the mole.

  “Vinny, it’ll be…” I stop as he turns to face me. “Take each step as it comes,” I whisper. I have no idea what I should be saying to him. I have no idea if we should be going to the bar. I have no idea where I'll be in the next ten minutes. One thing I do know, either way, is that I’m fighting. I know that whatever happens, Angel will protect me or find me.

  Vinny’s grip on my hand tightens as we drive up to the bar. There are enough cars to block our way. They wanted us to get out and walk. They’ve thought of everything.

  “Stand behind me. Fire at anyone who approaches. I don’t care if they're on Angel's side, you shoot everyone.” he gets his gun out, and I do the same. We both get ready to fight.

  Vinny steps out of the car and runs over to my side with his phone next to his ear. “Get out of the bar. The fuckers have blocked the road,” he shouts. He looks behind him as I hear shots fired.

  He starts walking, and I stay close as he fires towards the men walking towards us. Then I see someone coming behind us and do the only thing I know, shoot. My arm jolts, the power of the recoil startling me.

  “Vinny, there are too many!” I shout. More are coming towards us. “Vinny, Harvey,” I cry as I see him stalking towards me. His smile says he knows he has me—knows he’s won.

  Vinny quickly turns me around, so he’s now facing Harvey. Suddenly, he jolts back into me. All I hear are shots being fired. I look up the road where the bar is and see Angel and Pike running out, shooting.

  “Alice, get to Angel,” Vinny groans. I look at him as he slides to the ground.

  “Vinny!” I scream as I realize he’s been shot twice. Kneeling down next to him, I press my hands to his wounds.

  “Get to Angel,” Vinny tries to shouts, but only just gets the words out.

  I get up and see Harvey standing above me. I try to run, but Harvey grabs me by my hair, nearly ripping it from my head. He cinches his arm around my stomach. I try to fight him, but he's a big guy.

  “Angel!” I scream as he starts to pull me away. “Vinny!”

  “Get Alice,” Angel shouts.

  I see Pike running over to me. I bring my hands up and grab Harvey’s neck, my nails dig into him hard. He shouts as I scratch as hard as I can. Bullets fly all around me. I see Vinny trying to stand. Thank god he's breathing! I look around as I fight in Harvey’s arms, but it’s getting me nowhere.

  “Angel!” I shout again.

  “He won’t save you,” Harvey growls next to my ear as he pushes me hard. My back hits the car, Harvey opens the door and tries to push me in, but I place my hands on the top and try to push away from him. Harvey spins me around to face him and grabs hold of my neck, squeezing and making it hard to breathe. “You’re mine now.”

  I scream when the sting of a slap hits me. A punch follows, making my head hurt. Before I can clear my head, I’m pushed into the car.

  I look down at my arm when I feel a pinch, and see a needle sliding into my flesh. I try to pull my arm away, but I’m too late.

  Chapter 7

  Angel

  I run towards the car. They’ve got Alice! I shoot the car, aiming for Harvey. Pike stands next to me as we aim for the tyres. We hit the car, but it’s too late, and the car speeds off.

  That bastard has my queen, and he’s about to make her time with him the worst she’s ever felt. And there’s nothing I can do to stop him. I'll search every inch of this city until I find her, though.

  “Angel—”

  “Check on Vinny,” I command as I stare at the empty street, feeling like I’ve just lost my whole world.

  “Fuck!” I shout.

  I was so fucking close to having her back, but they outnumbered me. They always know what I’m doing. I’m going to kill everyone who’s worked with the Midlands.

  I turn around as I hear Vinny coughing. He took two bullets, one in the shoulder and the other seems to have grazed his waist.

  “Be… Ben, they’ve—”

  “I want to know every family who’s worked with the Midlands. I want to know where they’ve taken her,” I shout into the phone as we make our way back to the bar.

  The anger within my body right now is like hot lava ready to escape the volcano. It only wants to do one thing right now—Destroy them all. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way.

  “Harvey's taken her, and no one knows where they’ve gone. Bruce’s trying to call him, but nothing. I’m working every angle I can,” Ben says in a panic.

  Not answering Ben, I give the pho
ne back to Vinny. We head back to my office. I tell Craig to call Doc for Vinny, and tell Warren and my dad to get here now. It’s time to find out who’s that fucking stupid to cross me.

  I pace my office, trying not to think about what they'll be doing to Alice once they get her wherever they’re taking her. Rubbing my forehead, I take the glass from Pike and down the whole thing.

  “Angel…”

  “Vinny, you don’t need to tell me—I already know,” I cut him off.

  He’s going to tell me that she's strong—I know she is. He’s going to tell me that she'll fight; I already know that. I need someone to tell me that the things running in my head aren’t going to happen to her, but no one will tell me that because we all know it will.

  I look over at the door as Doc walks in. I point to Vinny. It’s best that I don’t talk to anyone.

  “Your dad and Warren are on the way,” Craig says.

  I give him a nod as I watch Doc cut Vinny’s shirt.

  Vinny puts the phone to his ear. “They’ve got her, Stuart. I’m sorry.” He looks out of the window, staring down at the empty bar. That man’s going to kill himself every day for what’s about to happen to Alice. “Ben’s looking into it, but he doesn’t know where she is.” His voice changes as Doc starts cleaning him up. “Yeah, he’s here… Not good. I'll call you later… I will.” He throws his phone on the floor and looks at the door as Warren and Dad walk in.

  “What’s happening?” Warren asks as they both stare at me.

  I haven’t told them about the mole because I didn’t know how to tell them. How do I tell them one of our close friends or family's selling us out to the enemy?

  “Doc, Craig, can you leave for a moment?” I ask, looking down at the floor. “Vinny, you good for a few minutes?”

  “Yeah,” he replies, and I wait until they leave.