Page 202 of Knox Academy Omnibus
“When the driver stopped to fuel up, I went to use the toilet, or so I told him. That Christos guy. He was still on the phone and didn’t pay me much attention, so I slipped into the front seat, locked the doors, and started driving. I didn’t get too far before he realised what was going on and started shooting. I had to pull over, and when I did he managed to wedge open the divider between us.”
I watch as Amelie takes a deep breath, composing herself. The slight tremble in her shoulders tells me that her adrenaline is starting to wear off. I think she’s going to crash soon, and hard.
“That’s when I stabbed him in the neck with the nail file. Things escalated fast though. I grabbed my bag and jumped out of the car, prepared to run, but to where with no phone? I knew I had to fight.”
“I managed to catch him off guard and spray him in the eyes with the perfume. We fought, but I used the paperweight towhack him over the head. I must have hit him in the right spot because he dropped like a sack of shit and I managed to tie him up with the dental floss.”
“How did you get him in the boot?”
“He started to stir and I freaked out and stabbed him again, but that made him mad, so I told him who my boyfriends were and promised that I would make sure they didn’t kill him.”
A laugh slips free of my lips at that. Onyx gives me a hard glare that says ‘like fuck are we not killing him’ and I agree…but she didn’t say Baxter wouldn’t be the one to end him.
“So, reluctantly, he helped me get him up and I shoved him in the boot. I whacked him on the head again, so that he wouldn’t try to escape while I drove. I’m pretty sure I knocked him out, but I didn’t want to get too close to check if he was breathing. I also took his phone to call Smalls, because I only know his number by heart.”
Onyx stands, ready to leave. Ready to kill. I’m going to make damn well sure that she knows all of our numbers off by heart by the end of the week. I didnotlike being told she was in trouble by some guy on the other side of the world.
“Well, you did an amazing job and we are so proud of you. But I need you to understand that we have to go out now for a few hours.”
She nods, and we all get up and join Onyx. I look over at Kalen.
“You’re staying here with Amelie. Get the dog, watch some chick flicks and look out for Amelie.”
“Are you serious right now?! You can’t expect me not to come!”
“That is exactly what I expect,” I demand.
“I’m coming and you can’t stop me,” he sulks.
“I can. I’m your superior and it’s a direct order that you stay and watch Amelie.” I turn to Amelie. “We will be back. Rest. No getting up, Kalen is now your slave.”
Kalen perks up and says, “Sex slave.” Which makes Amelie laugh.
The twins and I leave while Kalen is subdued and not causing a scene. We all pile into Onyx’s car, and I dial Baxter.
“Is everything ready?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
Onyx turns on the stereo and ‘Killing in the Name Of’ byRage Against the Machineblares through the speakers. It’s Onyx’s go-to song when he feels rage. Fitting.
Besides the music, we drive in silence. I just hope Baxter hasn’t started without us because he isn’t one to wait. He prefers to work alone, but this one isn’t solely his, and he knows it. Him and Amelie may be friends, but she is ours.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Baxter
‘Zadok The Priest’is playing in the background. Onyx may like to thrash heavy metal to torture people, but I prefer classical. Not only can you hear your victims’ screams of pain, but it washes over your brain like a warm bath on a cold day too. The asshole has been in and out of consciousness for the last hour.
“Good, you’re awake,” I say, taking a blow torch from the table of pain as I like to call it. His eyes widen as I fire it up.
“I was beginning to think I killed you before the party arrived, and we can’t have that.”
“See, while I’m loyal to The Order because it is my birthright, I also take on side jobs. Amelie’s fraternal grandmother is a woman I can respect, and she made me promise to watch over her granddaughter. I now have to explain to her how this happened on my watch…”
“Do you know how pissed off that makes me? I’m good at what I do. And unlike you, I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. So pissing off an old woman, especially one who runs a criminal empire in Australia, is not a move I wanted to make.”
“It may not seem like a big deal, but you’d be surprised at the connections a person can make by the time they are that old. It boils down to respect. But I guess a bottom feeder like yourself wouldn’t understand anything about respect.”
