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“Really?” My brows furrow as I look at her, snorting, “Sweetheart, look around you. Do we look like we give a fuck about an attorney?“ I start to laugh. “Let’s not forget, you and your merry bunch of tweens have hacked my systems. Who do you think will win that case?”
“Because you’re a big bad mafia boss with some slick blood-sucking demon you sold your soul to who acts as your attorney?” she spat.
“I’m mafia.” James raises his hand correcting her, and points to me. “He is not.”
“What’s the difference?” She eyes us with disgust. “You’re all filthy crime lords.”
“Backgrounds, for one,” Ren informs her before launching into a small lecture. “The dynamics, territories, and methods vary greatly between families. And not all of us are in bed with demons or practice the same kind of... arrangements. Some families are more about loyalty and tradition. Others are ruthless and opportunistic. Knowing these differences helps us navigate the intricate web of alliances and rivalries without stepping on too many toes or getting caught in the crossfire.”
“I’m sorry, did I ask for a fucking lecture?” she growls at Ren.
“Rude!” Ren admonishes her. “Can we gag her boss?” He looks at me pleadingly.
“In a bit,” I tell him, and her eyes widen with fright. “I just need to ask her a few more questions.”
“I don’t think she’s too big on telling us what we want to know,” Ren says to me before glaring at the young woman. “And kid, you’re a black hat, which is just another type of filthy criminal.”
“I hack assholes like your boss and corporations stealing from the poor and middle class,” she spits.
“That’s funny,” Ren tells her and grins. “We do that too. But we have the guts to face them and don’t hide behind computers like cowards.”
“Fuck you!” The teenager spits again.
Ren sighs and gives me a pained look. “Can I gag her now?”
“Let’s first give her another chance!” My eyes narrow, and I scan the others on their knees. Fuck they are all so young. The one doesn’t even look like he shaves yet. What the hell! “If you don’t talk to us, I’ll ask one of your hacker buddies.” I raise an eyebrow and look at her. “I think it’s sweet how you’re protecting them, yet they gave you up in a heartbeat.”
“Because I’m in charge here,“ the young woman informs me. “They don’t need to take the heat for what I’ve gotten them into.”
“And that is?” I glance at the four dead men on the floor and frown.
The kids don’t have guns, but those guys did. They also look older, which means they’re probably hired muscle, and I don’t think they were here looking after the kids. I’m sure it was more to keep them in line.
“Making T-shirts!” she says sarcastically. “What the fuck does it look like we’re doing?”
“Have some respect, kid,” Ren warns her. “You’re lucky you and your friends are still breathing right now.”
“He won’t kill us!” Her eyes look at me with disgust. “He needs us.”
“Not all of you.” My brows rise up as I look at her, making my unspoken warning clear from my look and her face pales.
A noise has our heads turning and distracting me. There is another door. “Did anyone check out that room?” I look at my men in alarm.
“I did,” Gunther tells me. “It was clear. It leads to a hallway with some bunk beds, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a living room off it.”
I’m beginning to wonder if this isn’t a type of cyber sweatshop as I follow the noise through the door and into a hallway. I notice it’s neat and clean. It strikes me that the teenage she-devil must be the one taking care of the other three kids.
Further down the hall are a few bedrooms, each with three or four bunk beds. There is a bathroom at the end of it with a shower, bath, basin, and toilet. It also looks clean and neat, with clothes hanging on the railing and drying. I frown when I notice a dress that doesn’t look like the she-devil would fit into.
After checking the rooms, I stand still, listening for the noise I heard and hear a sneeze. It’s coming from the first bedroom to the left. The one that I guessed must belong to the she-devil as it’s more girly. It also has worn and faded girls’ clothing in the closet. Walking into the bedroom quietly, my eyes look around it. I’ve already checked the closet. There are no secret panels or compartments. I’d checked the floorboards as well. The two bunk beds and the third single bed in the room are neatly made.
Another sneeze catches my attention, and this time, the blanket on the bottom bunk moves. My head tilts, and my brows furrow. What the fuck! Pulling the covers back, I’m surprised to find a young girl no older than five or six lying in a hollowed-out mattress.
“Hello!” The child looks up at me with startling blue eyes, making me wonder if she’s related to the leader of this rag-bag crew of hackers. Her young voice is gruff. “Are you one of the bad men?”
“That depends,” I tell her. “Who are the bad men?”
“The men who come to feed us and make sure everyone is doing their work.” Her eyes don’t leave mine.
