Debts to Dead Men

Chapter 34: Show of Assurance

The morning after was uneventful. After enough sex, sleep, and food the day before, the remainder of their energy was reserved for the trip at hand. The boys parked out front early, just in time for Rose's entourage to arrive as the sun came up.

If any of the Gloxis decided they were feeling trigger happy, Lancet had his main enforcers and a few underlings there to serve as a deterrent. Lancet stepped onto his front porch for a smoke, shirtless, and still in his sleeping clothes. Rose on the other hand, was dressed to the nines. She had an extra outfit in her car.

"It's always good to be prepared. Never know when you have to burn the evidence," Rose explained when she went to retrieve the box Isaac left on Lancet's porch the night before — makeup and shoes included.

If Lancet thought Isaac hated him before, the seething glare he wore now would make even the grim reaper tremble.

"Morning, Isaac," Lancet smirked in response to the manservant's hostile expression.

The love bites on his bare chest and neck were out on display, to Isaac's displeasure. Rose had matching marks, and since low cut blouses were part of her signature look, she didn't seem bashful about hers either.

Lancet noticed an armed vehicle that wasn't one of theirs on the grounds. It had the sharp edges his Bayonet did, but it was smaller, and had more armor. It was mostly wine red with subtle golden plated flourishes. It was the gold that triggered his memory.

"Is that from your estate?"

Rose followed his disgusted sneer towards the vehicle in question.

"Oh, yes! I named it the Riot Rose."

Lancet shook his head. "It's no good."

Rose gasped in mock offense. "Why? Because it's too pretty?"

"Because it draws attention."

Rose rolled her eyes at this, and crossed her arms. Lancet couldn't help instantly honing in on the way her forearms pushed up her cleavage.

"We're going into Gloxinia territory, remember? We'll be fine."

He didn't answer. Bickering would waste too much time, and it was a luxury neither of them had. The sooner Lucia was on this side of the fence, the better. He stuffed down his protests with a deep inhale on his cigarette.

"All right," Rose commanded, "Let's get this road trip over with. Kayos isn't exactly a tourist destination so let's make this as quick as a twelve hour drive can get — and that's without breaks."

The woman was about to walk towards the Riot Rose when Lancet called out to her.

"Rose."

"Hmm?"

"You're with Cutter."

Cutter was leaning against his Death Stalker, arms crossed and at the ready. Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Isaac piped in.

"You must be certifiably mad if you think I'm going to let our mistress go with one of yours. Might as well shoot her brains out right here."

Lancet rolled his eyes. "Trust me. There is no safer place to be than with Cutter in the Death Stalker. Besides, it was in our agreement."

Isaac's eyes widened helplessly as he looked to Rose. Just as he opened his mouth to continue lashing out, she cut him off.

"He's right, Isaac. Don't worry. We still need to get Lancet's sister back here safely. That can't happen if my brains are all over Lancet's driveway."

Isaac's face was purple with anger, but he swallowed down his fury. He shifted his seething glare from Lancet to Cutter before he finally ordered the rest of the Gloxis to get back into their vehicles. Isaac went into the Riot Rose's driver's seat instead. Lancet was inwardly impressed that the butler had experience driving an armed vehicle, but not even torture would ever get him to admit that to Isaac's face.