Ruthless Kingdom (Boneyard Kings #3) Read online

  RUTHLESS KINGDOM

  BONEYARD KINGS #3

  BECCA STEELE

  C. LYMARI

  Ruthless Kingdom

  Copyright © 2022 by Becca Steele & C. Lymari

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Editing by Rumi

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s crazy imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  Synopsis

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Epilogue

  Thank you

  About Becca Steele

  About C. Lymari

  Also by Becca Steele

  Also by C. Lymari

  SYNOPSIS

  Bad things happened in threes, but they turned out to be a blessing in disguise. There was no escape from the Boneyard Kings, but now we’re on the same side.

  Our enemies came, but we didn’t let them break us.

  They thought they could take us down, but they underestimated our strength.

  Now, three rivals stand against three kings and their queen, and they’re about to see just how ruthless our kingdom can be.

  The game of chess is in play, and only one side can claim victory.

  Who will be the one to call checkmate?

  To Rumi, who had to deal with us being last minute AF, and still managed to get our BonerRyard boys out on time.

  You’re the real MVP.

  PROLOGUE

  There once was a kingdom built on blood, flesh, and bones. The people were good, but the rulers were cold. Money was power, and corruption brought gold. This empire was powerful, and no one dared disturb the throne.

  Then one day, its rulers made not one, but two mistakes that brought forward a whole new game.

  In the shadows, new alliances were made, and three little orphans learned the plays. They discovered horrors and uncovered lies. Still, every night, they asked themselves, "Why?"

  No matter how close they got to the truth, something was missing. The most important clue. Rivers of blood flowed through their town, and they vowed to expose the culprits somehow.

  They made their home a boneyard, built their kingdom on top, and crafted their crowns with metal to match.

  But what was chess without its queen; except they never expected her to have three kings. So now the game comes to an end.

  Who will be the one to call checkmate?

  1

  They say your life flashes right before your eyes just as you are about to die. I felt like I had lived years in just a few short seconds. My eyes burned from trying to see more than I could in the dark. Warmth spread over my body, hyperaware of the blood running through my veins. My heart skipped a few beats, my chest feeling hollow and weak.

  Fuck.

  My legs were shaking, and I felt like I would fall to the ground. This was not how I envisioned tonight going.

  I finally blinked, and my eyes felt some relief. When I opened them again, my surroundings had gotten brighter, but my hearing had faded.

  How did things go so horribly wrong?

  The woods seemed to come to life. The wind blew on the leaves, all of them witnessing the scene. How much time had passed? My ears still rang from being so close to the gun.

  "Nothing a bullet can't fix."

  Callum jumped into action while I stayed unmoving. "Fuck… Hold the wound," he yelled. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, Callum's hands were covered in blood. I never knew blood could be so bright and red. He was so pale, so maybe that's why the blood looked staggering against his skin.

  I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

  "Turn him on his side," Mateo barked.

  His face was like stone. No emotions whatsoever, and that was what scared me the most. Death was in the air tonight, wasn't it? Someone was not coming out of these woods alive. We had been too naïve to think otherwise.

  “Not yet. He’s not breathing.” Callum started to do compressions, and for once, I was glad he always had a clear head. I turned my head, and my eyes made contact with Lorenzo, and I couldn't do anything, just stay motionless. A smirk curved over his lips, and my body was on overdrive, that I didn't even feel myself shiver.

  "What the fuck did this accomplish?" Callum seethed as he pushed his hands up and down. More blood soaked them. I wondered if the warmth of the blood bothered him.

  Lorenzo's smirk turned into a full-blown smile. He walked closer and then put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  "Now we are all in this together," he spoke with a cheery bravado.

  I took a deep breath, and it burned my lungs—kind of like when I was swimming. Denying air to my lungs for a short period did that.

  "So this was your plan all along?" Mateo spoke in a deadly calm voice, and the last few seconds replayed all over again.

  With every step deeper into the woods, unease spread through me. I turned to look at my brothers, and I knew they were thinking the same thing. When we saw Lorenzo, all of us were on our guard, prepared for his next move, and we forgot to keep an eye on what Rigo was doing.

  The moment Lorenzo pulled the trigger, I couldn't blink. I felt that I would miss what would come next if I did. It was going to be either Mateo or me. Callum was on the other side, and I thanked God. He was out of harm's way. The bullet moved fast, but somehow, I could follow its trajectory. I turned my head as the bullet passed me until I saw the two people behind us.

  The man next to Rigo staggered as the bullet made its impact. His hand came up to cover the place where the bullet had hit. He wore a white button-up shirt that quickly began to turn red.

  Fuck.

  Nothing a bullet couldn't fix, right?

  Suddenly, Lorenzo's words made all the sense. Nothing said “we are on an even playing field” like being accessories to murder.

  I waited for Lorenzo's answer, and he simply shrugged. “I’d say we are even now, wouldn’t you?”

  Callum cast a side-look at L
orenzo, but his focus was on the man lying on the ground. Mateo had turned him to see if the bullet had made an exit, but his back was clear of red.

  I shook my head and sprang into action. For a few seconds, I was sure that bullet was meant for one of us. And now, I felt guilty that someone else was paying the price for the loyalty Lorenzo wanted us to have.

  I kneeled next to Callum, blinking furiously to ensure that my vision did not fail me. The man whose blood Cal had on his arms couldn’t be that of Robert Parker-Pennington Sr. There was no way Lorenzo was that fucking insane.

  “He’s going to die unless we get him help,” Mateo barked at Lorenzo, while Callum did everything he could to help the mayor stay alive.

  Lorenzo nodded to Rigo, and he just nodded in return. I watched Callum and the mayor so intently, that I missed the moment Lorenzo came to me. He took my arm, and I watched as he put the gun in my hand, forcing me to grip it, ensuring my fingertips were all over it. Then he took it away with a rag.

  Everything felt cold, and I knew Callum and Mateo were about to blow.

  “So we're all going to kill the mayor, is that it?” I asked. “And to make sure none of us snitch, you’ll keep the missing piece, so if we ever step out of line, the blame will be on me?”

  I was pissed.

  Lorenzo stepped closer and looked down at the mayor with disgust. “Nah, he can still be of some use to me.”

  “You’re going to save him, just to use him?” Callum spoke. “Why not just threaten him?”

  Rigo bent and started to carry the mayor as Callum helped.

  “I didn’t want him to think I was all bark and no bite.”

  With those words, we silently loaded the mayor into their car.

  2

  “Hello, Everly. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  The words rang in my ears as I met the gaze of the tall man with the dark, swept-back hair, heavyset brows, and a crooked nose. “I suppose I should introduce myself. Commissioner Peterson, chief of police.” He lifted his hand, something metallic gleaming in his clenched fist.

  Handcuffs.

  “Be a good girl, and I won’t have to use these on you.” He spoke with no inflection in his tone, and I suddenly became aware of just how dangerous my position was. The chief of police had me. No one knew where I was, other than Lacey, my uncle’s maid, who was fearful and desperate to get away. This wasn’t my uncle. This man was an unknown entity.

  Calling on every ounce of strength I possessed, I straightened up in my chair, and stared him down. “You were waiting for me? How did you know I’d be coming here?”

  A smile curved over his lips, and it chilled me to the bone. “Humans are rather predictable. In my years in law enforcement, I’ve become somewhat familiar with patterns of behavior. After I received a call from your uncle to inform me that he had you locked in his study, followed by another call to tell me that the security guard had witnessed a girl being driven away by one of the members of staff, well…” He shrugged. “It was simple enough. I’m sure the maid informed you that her cousin holds a position of employment at the station.”

  Internally, I groaned. I should have remained in the car. This was my fault.

  A horrible thought struck me. “What will happen to Lacey?”

  “The girl who brought you in?” His tongue darted out to lick his lips, and he leered at me. I could barely contain my shiver of revulsion. “She is rather pretty, isn’t she? I can see why Martin was so keen to keep her employed.”

  Fuck. You couldn’t trust anyone in this city.

  “Please, don’t…”

  Steepling his fingers, he raised a brow. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be negotiating, Miss Walker. But perhaps…” A thoughtful look came over his face. “Why don’t you share with me just what you were hoping to discover in your uncle’s study, and we can see about letting the girl go.”

  “You let her go, then I’ll tell you.” Holding my composure was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. My trembling hands were hidden in my lap, out of sight, and I had no doubt that this man would seize on any perceived weakness, scenting it like a shark with blood in the water.

  This time, he gave me what appeared to be a genuine smile. “A spine of steel. I like that. Your uncle has taught you well.”

  “Do we have a deal?” I asked, instead of responding to his comment.

  “The girl is inconsequential. You have a deal, if the information you give me is satisfactory. I’m afraid I can’t let her leave before then.”

  What should I tell him that would satisfy him? My uncle had probably already told him everything that had happened, but I needed to be careful not to reveal anything other than what my uncle already knew. “I was in his study. I’d gone in there to look for more family photos—we’d been looking at them earlier that evening. He’d fallen asleep, and I didn’t think he’d mind. Then…” The sudden tremble in my voice wasn’t even faked as I recalled how he’d stormed into the study, yanking me around and screaming in my face. I’d never seen him like that before. He’d always been so controlled. “Then he came bursting in, ranting about residue in his glass, and shouting about me going to the ball and something about the junkyard. I thought he was drunk, or on drugs, or something. I’ve never seen him act that way before.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I allowed my very real fear to surface. Something flashed in the police chief’s gaze, a second of uncertainty, and I pressed home my advantage. With a wobble in my voice, I continued, “He locked me in his study and left me there. Why would he do that to his own niece?”

  Commissioner Peterson’s mouth thinned. “Perhaps we should continue this interview after I’ve spoken to your uncle again.”

  “Can I leave?”

  He laughed humorlessly. “That won’t be possible, I’m afraid.”

  “You can’t just hold me here against my will! I’m not a suspect! This must be against the law!”

  “Miss Walker. Have you forgotten who I am? I am the law.”

  I didn’t know how much time had passed, because there wasn’t a clock in the interrogation room, but by the time the sound of the door unlocking echoed through the small space, my throat was bone dry from lack of water, and I was starting to feel light-headed and sleepy. This wasn’t good—I needed to be on alert.

  Straightening up in my seat, I rubbed at my eyes and attempted to clear my throat, mentally preparing myself for another round of questions.

  But that wasn’t what happened. Instead of the chief of police, my uncle filled the doorway, a dark look on his face as he met my eyes.

  Fuck.

  He stepped into the room, and closed his hand around my bicep, his grip hard and bruising. “You’re coming with me.”

  All I could do was stumble along with him as he hustled me down a long corridor, around a corner, and out of a door. The night air hit me, and I took a deep, gulping breath.

  Wait. I was outside. And there was no one else around that I could see.

  Taking my chances, I suddenly dropped my weight and twisted. My uncle, unprepared, stumbled forward, his grip on my arm loosening, and I tore myself away from him and ran.

  My lungs were burning, and the sound of my shoes on the asphalt was loud in the quiet night. I pushed forward, gasping for air, aiming in the direction of the road.

  I had a sudden sense of déjà vu, except when I’d run from the Boneyard Kings, I hadn’t been this scared.

  Fuck, I wished they were here. But they weren’t, and it was up to me to save myself.

  Almost there.

  A voice rang out in the darkness, loud and commanding.

  “Stop, or I’ll shoot.”

  I pushed forward.

  A shot sounded, a burst of noise that rebounded off the buildings. There was a resounding, metallic crack as the bullet embedded itself into the side of the parked car I was passing right at that moment.

  “Final warning.”

  A sob tore from my throat before I could stop it. I c
ame to a halt, gasping for breath, tears of frustration and despair gathering in my eyes.

  When I turned around, the chief of police was there with his gun trained on me, and my uncle was next to him, his face a mask of cold fury.

  “You made a big mistake, Everly,” my uncle ground out. “A very big mistake.”

  Then he yanked my arms behind my back, and cuffs were clicked into place on my wrists. When I opened my mouth to scream, the gun was pressed to my temple. My whole body trembled as I was picked up by Commissioner Peterson, bound and helpless, and carried to a dark, hidden part of the parking lot.

  A nondescript van was parked there, and my uncle unlocked the doors. Everything in me wanted to struggle, but the cold metal of the gun was still pressed against me, and I had the feeling that the chief of police wouldn’t hesitate to shoot.

  I was pushed inside the van, and dark, rough fabric brushed against my cheek. It had obscured most of my vision before I registered that it was a bag being placed over my head.