Page 105 of Black Sheep

My pulse continues to race long after she’s gone. I can’t ignore the impact of her words although I’m not completely certain what that impact is. So I shove it to one side and take care of the long overdue business of firing Malone.

The detective accepts his fate with more dignity than anticipated. “For what it’s worth, I have a bit of news.”

“Yes?”

“Two of the four have found their way into non-extradition countries in the last six months. Unless you have superpower connections, they’re virtually untouchable.”

“And the others?”

“I’ve drawn a blank so far.” He clears his throat. “Do you want me to—?”

“No. Our association is at an end, detective. Goodbye.

“Wait! One more thing. Your brother Ronan has been…uhh…stirring things up with the Armenians in the last few days.”

My fingers tighten around the phone. “In what way? Be specific.”

“I think he’s planning a takeover of what’s left of the kingdom. Whether it’s hostile or not, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out.”

I hang up and stare into space, my mind churning. Picking up the phone, I dial again.

He answers on the second ring.

“Ronan, I told you to stay out of my way.”

He laughs. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”

“Twenty million.”

He hesitates. “I don’t want—”

“It’ll buy you a lot of power. At a safe distance from my crosshairs. It’s a good deal, brother. Way more than you deserve. Take it.”

“Why the hell should I?”

My breath stalls for a moment before I speak. “Because I choose to believe we were all pinned under a yoke that was impossible to shift. We all have blood forced on our hands we can’t wash away. But don’t make things worse. That time is over. His time is over. But you won’t be inheriting what’s left of his fucked-up kingdom.”

“Why? When you’ve never wanted any part of it?”

“Because it needs to end. You have forty-eight hours to accept. Then I’ll offer the money to the Armenians to kill any deal you’re hoping to strike with them.”

I end the call.

He may be the firstborn son and by rights the heir. But I’m going to inherit the kingdom I never wanted.

And then burn it to the fucking ground.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

AXLE SHIFT

Cleo

He’s quiet. Scarily quiet.

Has been for the last two days. Ever since he met with the woman who looks like Mary Poppins’s middle-aged aunt but without the English accent. Something about her rattled me. B too, although for only an instant. I asked her what was wrong. She waved me away. I chose to let it be.

But Axel’s dangerously brooding. The way he fucks me has changed too. There was always an edge to the way he took me, but that edge has intensified even more. And where he once left the bed shortly after we fucked, now he stays. All night. His arms tight around me, and with an after-sex tenderness that is slowly destroying me.

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