Page 75 of King of Ruin

“I see. And will you keep running the same businesses as your father?”

A nerve in Kane’s jaw pulses. “I understand your need for assurance, so I’ll be forthright. No. Things will change.”

An air of that earlier hope moves in. “Which includes?”

He smirks, his dimple making a brief appearance. “Whatever helps me keep you the longest.”

Oliver chuckles, clapping Kane on his shoulder. “Never met a more murderous Romeo in my life. He’s like a giant teddy bear that wields a knife.”

“Or a gun.” I agree.

Kane shakes his head, the corners of his lips twitching with a smile. “I hope you both consider me the same after this evening.”

A thick silence moves over us as we wait for the elevator to reappear, a renewed focus on what’s about to happen.

I don’t get nervous, nor worried, but with so much out of my control, I need to be particularly cautious–observant.

We file into the small elevator and ride it the short way down to the bottom floor. When the doors slide open, the guards who were with us upstairs, retake their positions behind me when we step out into the back of a long hallway.

The clatter of nearby pans and muffled curses of a frustrated chef indicate we’re near the kitchen. My chest burns.

Don’t think of them. Focus.

I inhale a deep breath and push the images of Russ and Cat from my mind. I’ll see them soon, and when I do, I’ll have the two men we’ve all wanted for a decade in my hands.

We enter the foyer which is riddled with soldiers, most of which are wearing the chain and brooch, which means I’ll be killing them soon. I take in each one as we stride across the foyer.

There are some with sneers, others with confident smiles, and some that seem as if they couldn’t care less. None appear to have more than two guns, and about a dozen of the men have them in fastened holsters. Easy targets since they’ll be the slowest to draw their weapons.

My eyes scan over the twenty men, and I notice Sam is nowhere to be found. Kane told me he’d be in the lobby to stand over these men, and the fact he isn’t present makes me more cautious.

He’s not lying to you.

I take a breath, and as if Kane knows exactly what I’m thinking, he gazes over at Oliver. They exchange a brief look and Oliver nods. “I’ll make sure he’s around.”

The muscles in my neck unwind a fraction as we turn down a hall and stop at two doors. A man with a long, dark braid, stands near the door. He greets Kane, and a quick glance at his lapel tells me he’s working with him.

I’m ushered inside the space which is nothing more than a typical boardroom. A long oak table sits in the middle, surrounded by black leather chairs. Like mine, it seats twelve, accompanying the department heads, and any guests. Tonight, however, only one person sits at the far end of the table.

Like others have heard about me, I’ve heard of him. Only now that I’m seeing him in person, I don’t think the rumors did him justice.

Lucian Hyun.

On paper, he was an everyday lawyer that handled business affairs. Over the past two years though, he’s changed gears and is now an up-and-coming prosecutor in the East, with a winning record that seems improbable. He’s in the news quite often, usually for putting away another drug dealer or arms trader, and the threats that follow behind him are growing.

Only those that make the threats often wind up in the Savannah River.

My assumption was because in the shadows, he works for Alexi Babin. A notoriously vicious don running the entire state of South Carolina. But now, as I walk to the seat across from him, I know exactly how all those men have found their footing at the bottom of the river.

He stands as Kane pulls out my chair, putting his hands behind his back while nodding a solemn hello. When I sit, he does as well, allowing me a moment to observe him while the others take their places.

The air around Lucian is unlike any other I’ve ever encountered. It’s calm and collected while also feeling incredibly dangerous. A quick look at his surface will show just a handsome man in a navy suit, with a layer of stubble on his sharp jaw and a professional haircut. But someone like me–someone who has killed as much as she’s saved–knows that he will never be able to wash off all the blood that stains his hands.

My eyes flit to Lucian’s fingers as he drums lightly on the table. It’s a light thrum as the pads hit the wood, but it’s the flash of silver that catches my eye.

It’s a coin of sorts, a little larger than a half dollar, and his ability to wind it through his fingers as if it’s merely an extension of him is impressive. My eyes follow the path and it isn’t until the door behind him opens that I glance up.

His dark eyes meet mine briefly before he beguiles me with an inquisitive expression.

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