Hell Fire was a place where every sexual appetite, no matter how depraved, was catered to. That was fine—whatever two consenting people thought was fun was okay. To each his own. The problem was that only the customers were having fun. The women under Nicola’s control were trapped in servitude and not many escaped alive.

“Nicola’s parents David and Valerie are the only two I’m sure about.” The Eatons were a dead subject. They’d met with her and asked for Abigail’s head on a pike, selling a story about being poor grandparents losing a battle to see their grandchildren because of their bitch birth mother. That lie—not to mention the reason they really wanted Abigail found—was why they’d paid at the end of Finley’s spray of bullets. “All I know is to trust the person who knew her best, and Abigail says she’s not dead.”

“But why the ruse?”

“Fin might be the answer to that, or should I say Special Agent Abbott holds the answer. Fin’s investigation was getting close, so Nicola did the best thing she could to get her head out of the noose. If you’re trapped with no escape, what better than death to throw the feds off your ass?” She thought about the tall woman who’d introduced herself as Nicola Eaton the night they’d met at Ramon Jatibon’s club, and the way she’d carried herself. There was no denying Nicola was a bitch, no matter what last name she went by. “So go ahead and tell me what you have to say.”

“I got a call from an associate in New York, and she told me there’s plenty of money on the street here for any information about you. Whoever can get the full story on you is in for a big payday.”

“I had no idea I was that interesting,” She glanced at her watch when she heard the running above her heading for the stairs, with Emma talking loudly. “Any idea who’s behind it?”

“Not yet, but I offered up more cash to make it a two-way street of information.”

“Good, that’s one more thing we’ll have to discuss when we head somewhere I don’t feel so hemmed in. Do you have time for breakfast?” She stood and took off her jacket, then draped it over the back of her chair.

“Lead the way.”

“Hannah Marie Casey, if you don’t stop running I swear…” Emma said as Cain reached the bottom of the stairs in time to catch Hannah when she jumped from the seventh step up. “Why must you encourage her?” Emma asked as she gripped the railing and seemed to start breathing again.

“Because fearless people come to rule the world,” Cain said, kissing Hannah’s cheek. “Isn’t that right, Hannah girl? What do you say?”