Page 111 of Princess of Vengeance

Nico holds my gaze longer than the others, his mismatched eyes searching my face. “Everything okay?”

“Fine,” I say automatically, the lie slipping out from habit.

He raises an eyebrow, calling my bullshit without saying a word. It’s one of the things I love and hate about him at the same time—he always sees right through me.

“No,” I admit with a sigh. “It’s not fine. None of this is fine.” I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up. “Living with Malcolm, pretending I don’t want to slit his throat every time he touches me. Playing his dutiful wife while plotting his murder. It’s fucked up.”

“Completely fucked up,” he nods. “And it ends tonight.”

“I know.” I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “It will be fine once we pull this off. Once Malcolm is dead, and I’m free, and we never have to be apart again.”

“Then let’s make sure we pull it off.”

We gather around a table in the back corner, where Atlas has spread out a map of the city.

“We’ve had every available member of both crews searching for Kane,” Atlas says, his finger tapping a spot on the east side. “Damon finally spotted him at The Fourth Quarter about two hours ago.”

“That shithole?” I grimace. “Doesn’t seem like the kind of place a New York crime boss would hang out.”

“Maybe that’s why,” Killian suggests. “He could be keeping a low profile, knowing nobody would expect to find him there.”

“Either way, he’s there,” Nico says. “Hudson is keeping eyes on him in case he moves, but he’s been there for a while and it looks like he’s settling in.”

“Is he alone?” I ask.

“Completely,” Atlas answers. “We should be able to handle him pretty easily if things go sideways.”

“It won’t go sideways,” I say, silently praying I’m right.

“So what’s the plan?” Atlas asks. “We grab Kane and stash him somewhere until it’s over?”

I shake my head. “That’s too risky. If he gets free somehow, or if someone finds him tied up, the whole plan falls apart. We need something with a little more finesse.”

Nico reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small vial of clear liquid. “This will put him out for at least a few hours. It’s tasteless and odorless. He won’t even know what hit him.”

“I’ll approach him at the bar,” I say, taking the vial and carefully tucking it into my bra. “I’ll walk up next to him and order a drink. Maybe I’ll say hi to him or whatever. When he’s distracted, I’ll slip it in his glass.”

“No,” Killian says immediately, shaking his head. “That’s too dangerous. Let one of us do it.”

“A strange man approaching him is going to raise red flags,” I argue. “But a woman at a bar? That’s just another night for him. He won’t suspect anything.”

“She’s right,” Nico reluctantly agrees. “Kane will be more relaxed with her.”

Atlas frowns. “I don’t like it. What if he recognizes you? You’re Malcolm’s wife. If word gets back to him?—”

“He won’t recognize me,” I say firmly. “I haven’t been part of the Syndicate long enough that someone like Kane would know who I am.”

The truth is that I don’t want any of them anywhere near Ronan Kane. If something goes wrong—if Malcolm somehow discovers our plan—I don’t want my men implicated. This way, if I get caught, I can say I acted alone.

“Besides,” I add, “I’ll be disguised.”

I see the argument forming on Killian’s lips, but Nico cuts him off with a sharp look. “We’ll compromise. You approach Kane alone, but all three of us will be in the bar, keeping watch. If anything seems off, we intervene.”

It’s not ideal—I’d rather keep them completely separated from this part of the plan—but I know there’s no way they’ll let me walk into that bar alone.

“Fine,” I agree. “But the three of you have to stay in the background. I don’t want anyone connecting us.”

Fifteen minutes later, I’m staring at my reflection in the grimy bathroom mirror, barely recognizing myself. The dark wig I’m wearing is a far cry from my usual teal hair, styled in loose waves that fall just past my shoulders. I’ve done my makeup differently too—heavier around the eyes, with a darker shade of lipstick than I’d normally wear.

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