Page 62 of To Curse A Knight

From the first moment I’d watched her at the bar over a whiskey, I’d considered Hillary a smart woman; a cunning woman; fucking beautiful and sinful... and aforce. I never thought I could best her because she was weak and gullible. I thought I could best her because I was thebest.

It was a hard lesson to swallow that she’d figured me out long before I’d done the same for her.

The jig was up. How I played this would determine if I walked out of the apartment as a human man, or as a slew of ribbons for Bellatrix’s dress.

What did I want? I realized I couldn’t answer that question without including her in it. I wanted to complete my assignment and have her in my life. I wanted to seek revenge on Marco, and be by her side to see him carted off to prison.

I wanted a life with people who understood me and chose me, anyway. I didn’t want an island hut all alone with all the riches in the world.

I’d been envious as all hell as I watched her friend’s family as an outsider. An entire group of misfits had found something in each other and made a home. And damn it if that seed hadn’t been planted in my pretty little head.

“What if I don’t want it anymore, Blondie? What if I found something I want more, instead?”

No amount of torture training could keep my heart from beating out of my chest as I held her gaze. Aaron stayed motionless outside of our fixated little bubble, but I’d no sooner trust him not to stab me within seconds if Hillary gave him the nod.

“And what would that be?” Still no emotion, still no insight into her devious mind. The truth might set me free, but it might also get me killed.

“Well, I want the job done,” I replied smoothly, staring into those turbulent seas as I let the honest words roll off my tongue. “I want Marco Alvarez to rot in hell, and you and I be the overlords of his dungeon. I want to complete my assignment, so I don’t get myself murdered by some pretty powerful baddies, and then I want to figure out what the rest of my life looks like—but I know this, Blondie. I’d like to keep you in it.”

“And how do you propose you do that?”

I drew in a breath and held it in my lungs, contemplating that answer. I repeated the phrase she’d said to me not so many days ago.

“Blondie, I’m just treading water here while I’m tethered to you lot. Once Alvarez was taken out, I was going to figure it out then.”

Still nothing in those icy depths of hers. Did she get the same training I had? This woman was hard as stone.

“I see.”

She said the words as if she really saw me; I didn’t know what to make of it. I didn’t want to read into it too heavily and find myself headless, but—

“I’ve known all along you were after something from me, Lucky.” Her words interrupted my melting brain spiral. “So, this isn’t some kind of ‘epic betrayal’ where my heart is broken and you’ve left me in pieces. I played you like you played me.”

My brows rose, and my heart stuttered in my chest. A con man being played by a mark? It was a testament to how fucked up I was. Knowing Hillary Lane had one upped me this whole time turned me on more than the hardest hit of Viagra. My dick ached in my pants despite the circumstances.

Had I finally met my match?

And why did that statement bring me this overwhelming sense of relief?

“I don’t have it in me to play you anymore. There’s too much at stake. So, decide—are you in or out? And if you’re out, Aaron is going to make sure you’rereallyout, if you catch my meaning.”

I finally grew my balls back with that threat. If we were moving forward based on any equal footing, this direction wasn’t it.

“I don’t know if being blackmailed with my life proves my allegiance to you, Blondie. Do yeh want me to stay because you want me to, or because you’re forcing my hand? Which is it?”

She cocked her head at Aaron, and they seemed to have a private conversation in ones and zeros across the room. I didn’t make any move to look at him. He would do whatever she told him to—she was the one I needed to convince.

“Tell me something real, then. Something that will fuck you over just as hard. Then, we’ll be even.” I posed my challenge, watching as she put the wineglass down on the coffee table, awfully close to the priceless artifact, and folded her arms across her chest.

“You want tostarta relationship built on trust?” The words were edged in jagged defiance. “I knew you were trying to con me, and yet, I still brought you into my deepest, darkest hell, and presented you with the poison to kill me. What’s yours?”

So, a little less blackmail, but still material to use as blackmail. Blondie had a funny way of sealing the deal, but really, what else was there? Other than signing our promises in blood—wouldn’t put it past the gruesome tailor over there—I couldn’t see any other way forward.

Tilting my head to look up at the ceiling, I blew out all the breath in my lungs and scrubbed my hands over my face.

Now or never, then.

“I was handpicked for this job. Didn’t question it, because I’d been wanting to come to America for years to get close to Alvarez, and I wasn’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Ma already lived here. You were just a beautiful mark, and acquiring high-valued items is my specialty. Everything came together easily.

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