Page 96 of Brutal Knight

Coulter stood, signaling to the waitress to bring another round of drinks.

I wanted to get the hell out of there but felt obligated to stay, otherwise theputasmight feel dissed, so I downed the rest of my whiskey, then ordered another. I would stay just long enough to make them feel special, then make some excuse to leave. Coulter seemed to feel the same. He pulled out his phone and began tapping on it—most likely checking some secret video feed for one of his projects.

More drinks came and the pills came out. The music seemed to get louder and the four men loosened up, otherwise ignoring us, except for Ahanu, who only continued to brood at me.

I checked my watch, ready to make my excuse when suddenly, I saw something that changed everything. My phone beeped with a new text from Dante:Avery got source on heroin. Veracruz.

Hot, white heat rushed through my body.

This wasn’t about my property at all. Or even about the Kings.

This was a personal vendetta going all the way back to Cuba.

And this knowledge, combined with what had happened to Tatiana, changed everything.

Then, after a few moments, some girls showed up, and they began pairing off. One of the girls went directly to Ahanu, straddling his lap, pulling his attention from me. She had a tight, short white dress that rode up her ass, and she began to grind on him.

Belt buckle stood, being led by a girl wearing a tight purple dress and black stilettos out onto the dance floor. As they began dancing, she pulled her long, braided hair to the side, revealing a necklace.

The exact necklace I'd given to Tatiana for her birthday.

TWENTY-THREE

Gripping tight,I pulled the limp body along the rocky desert landscape. It was that time of day when the sun was barely kissing the sky, so the light was minimal. Just enough to see my way; the perfect time for killing.

As I walked, a sorrowful nostalgia of memories washed over me. Riding the ferris wheel with Tatiana, chasing waves, hopping from rock to rock, laughing as we raced each other down busy streets.

Red ribbons tied to long, beautiful pigtails that I was so entranced with. The same ribbon, blowing in the open window, a symbol of her pain.

Years passing by, from innocence to corruption, as we both grew up to grim realities.

Then, blood and death everywhere. The night that everything changed for me.

And through everything, she’d been there for me, even when I’d pushed her away.

Tatiana was my past, my present, and my future. She wasand would always bemy everything.

And, tonight, when I buried my face in her hair, fucking her, I knew that I would never, ever let her go.

She didn’t want to forgive me, fine.

Wanted to run from me for forever, let her try.

With that one word—Veracruz—I knew that I would betray the Kings, the men who were brothers to me, to protect her. And then, I would chase her to the ends of the earth to make her mine.

Despite our past, wrapped up in our present, she was the one and only woman for me, and I was never letting her go.

By the time I reached the site I'd prepared, I was drenched in sweat, despite the chill of the Nevada desert night air. I dumped him in the hole, big and deep enough for the both of us, then grabbed my leather bag.

After checking to make sure everything was ready, I jumped down, joining Carlos Garcia in his grave.

If I was wrong about this, then, well, the guy was just having a really shit day.

I couldn't kidnap a cartel member and let him live.

I'd reached the point of no return.

The moment I'd taken him, I'd betrayed my family. The men and women I loved, more than I'd ever loved my own parents.

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