Free In Wicked Chains (The Wicked) by Avril Ashton

empty place where Elina’s car sat not even an hour earlier.
    “You have until midday.” Niko hung up.
    King dropped his phone on the seat next to him, knuckles white as he clenched his fists.
    She left, without a word. He hopped out of the truck and ran upstairs, looking for a note, a sign, a clue.
    He found nothing.
    The bed was made, room pristine except for the faint musk of sex, their sex.
    Her MP3 sat on his night table. Guess she forgot that in her hurry. King sank down on the edge of the bed. He should’ve left a note, should’ve told her he’d only be gone for a short while.
    He came back with the intent of talking the serious talk, about them, about the words she spoke last night. Te Amo.
     
    Guess they carried no weight in the light of day, when he wasn’t bringing her to orgasm. He picked up his house phone, to call her, question her actions, but decided against it.
     
    Retracing his steps, he got back into his car and headed to Sasha’s house, to turn his sister’s world upside down.
     
    * * * *
     
    Niko let Kingston into the house, the bald man’s expression somber.
    “Where is she?” Kingston handed over the coffee he brought and walked into the foyer.
    “Kitchen.” Niko closed the door and motioned King forward. “She’s expecting you.”
    Kingston rubbed a hand over his jaw. “What did you tell her?” He did not anticipate this conversation. Stubborn Sasha wouldn’t want to wait around for Earl. She’d insist on finding him pronto.
    Shrugging, Niko walked past him. “I told her you wanted to talk about something important.”
    King grunted as they entered the kitchen. Sasha sat on one of the high stools surrounding the marble island, munching on bacon and talking on the phone. He walked up to her, planting a kiss on her cheek.
    “Hey.”
    She held up a finger and continued on her call. “Yes, lilacs. Two bouquets delivered to the address I gave you. Uh-huh. Yes, the note should say exactly that. Thank you.” She ended the call and met King’s eyes. “What’s up?”
    Kingston gulped, his stomach churned. “We, ah. We need to talk.”
    “I got that part.” She took the cup of coffee Niko offered and sipped. “What do we have to talk about? Did you go to Elina and fix whatever you did like I told you to?”
    “I did, but this isn’t about that.” He didn’t want to think about her reaction if she ever found out he slept with her best friend. Meeting Niko’s eyes, Kingston cleared his throat and took a seat beside Sasha. He held her hand.
    “Jesus. King, what is it? You look…scared.” Sasha snatched her hand from him, gaze darting from him to Niko and back. “What the hell is going on?”
    Niko smoothed a hand down her back. “Babe, let your brother speak.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “One of you better start talking.”
    “I’ve been getting hang-up calls on my cell phone lately,” King said softly. “Maysin put a trace on it and it led to Earl.”
    Sasha stiffened. “Earl your father, Earl?” Her tone was soft, dangerous.
    “Yes. I suspected it was him before Maysin confirmed it. I saw him in my neighborhood last week, standing at the side of the road with his hands in his pockets. Today he said he’d been watching the club, watching you.”
    She hopped off the stool. The white, long-sleeved shirt she wore hung to mid-thigh. Shoving a hand through her hair, she paced the wood floors on bare feet. “How did Earl get your number?”
    “Don’t know. I’m not in the book so he’d have to really be looking.” Kingston got up and went to her. “I’m sorry.”
    She swung her angry gaze to him. “Why are you sorry?”
    “He’s not done torturing us and I know he’s only alive because he’s my father.” He looked at Niko when he spoke the last part.
    “No.” Sasha shook her head. “You’ve done nothing wrong. We can’t help who gave birth to us. When did you see Earl?”
    “I went to his house this morning.”
    “Hmm.” She twisted the black