Page 46 of His Prize

I shrugged. “I needed people who would back me and not slam me with a pet grooming truck.”

His face fell stiff as stone. “You can’t get rid of all of them. It isn’t possible. I hope you know that.”

“No clue what you’re talking about. I’m trying to preserve things, not destroy them.”

“Is that why you’ve come? To talk about the one you can’t find?”

I smiled. “I suppose that depends.”

“It does depend, yes.”

My eye twitched. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”

He grinned. “You really don’t know, do you?”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re trying to talk around things, you aren’t doing a very good job of it.”

“Or, you’re simply not suited for what’s currently going on.”

“You’re aware this phone conversation is being recorded and listened to right now, correct?”

He nodded. “I’m aware. Are you?”

“Awkward question, given the fact that I just proved I did.”

He smiled viciously. “Proof is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Say, how’s Israel doing nowadays?”

My gut locked up, and my back stiffened. I didn’t like that segue. The jump in topics my uncle made didn’t sit well with me. Worry filled my chest. Was something wrong with Israel?

Wait. The man from the truck.

“What do you know about PetShop Galore?”

He leaned back. “It’s the best pet grooming place in the entire city. I figured you’d already know that, though.”

“What do you know about their trucks?”

His eyes grew angry. “Is that really all you came here to talk about? Some stupid truck that ran into you at an intersection?”

I grinned. “How did you know it was at an intersection?”

His eyes grew stern. “You can’t get rid of all my men. And neither can that pesky bedmate of yours. I don’t know what you thought you would accomplish by coming here, but as far as I’m concerned, this conversation is over.”

“So, that’s it?”

He blinked. “What?”

“You’re just going to give up? Let go the woman who’s slowly taking your empire and turning it into something you don’t approve of?”

He growled. “Trust me. This trial won’t take much longer. And while I’m thankful you’ve kept my seat warm, don’t expect to keep it forever. I’m coming for it, and I’m coming for you. You’ve been nothing but an ungrateful child, and I should never have taken you in like my wife insisted.”

I ground my teeth together, and, for a brief second, I regretted not killing the man myself when I’d had the opportunity. As I gazed into the eyes of the man who had single-handedly toppled my world onto its head when I was only a child, all I could think about were the many ways to kill him. I envisioned strangling him. Poisoning him. Slitting his throat or drowning him. I thought about what Israel might do if I simply threw him to the dogs. Kicked him and his family out onto the street and let them fight for their lives like I’d had to fight for mine all these years.

Remember, you didn’t even want this power.

I drew in a deep breath to settle my raging mind. “Goodbye, Pava,” I said.

He narrowed his eyes. “What did you call me?”

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