Defiant Queen (Mount Trilogy #2)

I flop back onto the most comfortable bed my body has ever touched. “I can’t. It’s all spinning, Mags.”

“Shit. You’re such a lightweight when it comes to anything but whiskey. Makes no damn sense.”

“When does the spinning stop?”

“After you either throw up or pass out.”

“Ewww. I don’t want to puke.”

“Good, because you’re no rookie, so don’t act like it. You laying down?”

“Yeah.”

“Then hang your leg over the side so you can touch the floor. That should help with the spinnin’.”

“Okay.”

“You put everything back where you found it, right?”

“Mm-hmm, yeah. Ten-four, Magpie.”

“Shit. You’re really drunk.”

“True story.” I yawn. “Gotta go. The spinny thing is gettin’ worse. I’ll try the leg trick. I’m tired.”

“Yeah, and from the way you’re slurring, you’re gonna hate yourself in the morning.”

“That’s a given, ’cause I gotta give that piece of shit Brett all the money Mount put in my account so I don’t go bankrupt. Fucker.” At this point, I don’t know who I’m talking about.

“I don’t think Mount’s gonna let that happen, Ke-ke.”

“He can’t stop me.”

“Okay, sweetheart. You get some sleep now. Set your alarm.”

“Already did. Night, Mags. Love you.”

“Love you too. And before you pass out, you need to get it through your head that nothing about how Mount is treating you is normal. If I had to guess, I’d say you’re making him break all the rules.”

“Mount makes all the damn rules. None of them apply to him.”

I disconnect the call before she can respond. Or I try, but the phone lands on my face, cracking me in the nose.

“Ugh. Fucking Russians. Who could possibly like that shit more than whiskey?”

It’s the last thought I remember before I fall asleep.





Mount





From my position on the dock, I stare down at the fucking idiot bound hand and foot in the bottom of Ransom’s airboat. Saxon stands beside him, and we all wait for the douchebag to wake up so he has a few minutes to realize just how badly he fucked up by breaking his end of the bargain and coming back to life.

Saxon shoves the toe of a muddy boot into the man’s ribs. Brett Hyde’s head jerks back, his lids flickering open but closing again as the spotlight Ransom holds shines directly into his eyes.

“Bet you wishin’ you stayed dead, Brett,” Ransom says, his tone conversational and his bayou accent as strong as ever.

“What the hell happened?” Brett’s words slur, probably because I didn’t spare any force when I pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness.

Ransom nudges him. “Givin’ you a chance to send a prayer up to the Almighty before we take you out for one last midnight ride.”

Ransom’s a silver-tongued bayou rat who started smuggling around the time I was adopted into the empire I now rule. There’s not a corner of these swamps he doesn’t know, and luckily for me, he doesn’t give a shit about what he’s transporting as long as the price is right.

I don’t have friends, but if I did, I might consider him one. We’ve done plenty of business over the last twenty years.

Out of the two of them, he’s the talker. I suppose it helps in the transport business.

Saxon prefers to stick to the shadows and speak as little as possible. But I’ve never met a man better with a gun, knife, garrote, or even a fucking pencil when it comes to killing. He’s a true professional in every sense of the word, and I trust him with my most sensitive jobs. I wouldn’t even let my own employees touch the shit I have him handle. I’ve never met a man who has his emotions locked down tighter than Saxon. Smart motherfucker.

Instead of sending up a prayer, Brett Hyde takes the chance to run his mouth.

“Fuck y’all. Fuck that cunt bitch too. Spoiled little princess. Is she taking it up the ass from you to get your help saving her precious distillery? Is she so good you’re payin’ her for it? Maybe I shoulda spent more time in that pussy.” Blood bubbles from between Brett’s missing teeth when he talks, and I feel no remorse when Saxon lands another kick to his face, cracking a few more.

“Shut your fucking mouth, you piece of shit.”

Brett spits out his broken teeth. “You’re the piece of shit, Mount. I heard you were found covered in it.”

It occurs to me in that moment, I couldn’t give a shit if he insults me. He’s down to the final minutes of his life. But even so, insults against Keira will be met with more and more pain.

“You held a gun on your fucking wife and threatened to kill her family. I’d say you’re winning the piece-of-shit contest,” Ransom says.

Brett glares at him. “I didn’t marry her for that cunt she’s got. I wanted the money. Thought she was the cash cow, ticket to easy street. But she had that fucking distillery in debt up to its eyeballs as soon as she took over. I could only skim a few dollars here and there because she had hardly any extra left.” He coughs up more blood before continuing. “And fuck her family too.”

Saxon kicks him in the ribs once more, and Ransom goes off again.

“Don’t you know it’s disrespectful to talk about your fucking wife that way? For fuck’s sake, what the hell is wrong with you? You took vows.”

Hyde spits blood on the deck of the boat. “Fuck, it wasn’t real. I married some bitch in Reno when I was twenty-five and never got that shit taken care of. Keira was never really my wife. Total waste as a fuck and a mark.”

I jump off the dock and land in the bottom of the boat on both feet, rocking it from side to side. “You were already married? Are you fucking kidding me?”

Hyde nods. “What do you care? If you thought you were gonna find a gold mine in that distillery, joke’s on you because they ain’t never gonna make a dollar. Screwed yourself on that deal, Mount.”

I crouch down and speak low, so only Brett can hear. “That’s where you’re wrong, you worthless piece of shit. I got everything I wanted out of this deal. It was never about the money. It was always about her.”

Brett’s eyes go wide in the spotlight as realization sets in. “No fucking—”

I stand up and land a kick to his face, wishing I could finish this job myself, but I won’t. There’s somewhere else I’d rather be.

I climb out of the boat and look at Saxon. “Get creative. Take your time with it too. He doesn’t need to die fast.”

“Hey—” Brett protests, but Saxon kicks him in the head and he goes silent again.

Saxon turns back in my direction and gives me a nod.

Knowing that piece of shit was never actually married to Keira doesn’t change anything, but it will surely matter to her. Then again, it just shows how badly she was conned.

Maybe I won’t tell her. It won’t matter in a few minutes anyway.

I step out of the boat and look at Saxon. “You got this?”

He almost looks insulted at my question. “Of course.”

My gaze shifts to Ransom. “Make sure the body’s never found.”