Page 35 of Bastard

“Seemed relevant to inform you of danger to an important board member.”

He gave me nothing. No emotion, no ticks, nothing. His gaze drifted lower, unfocused for a moment, then snapped back. “Why are you really here Mr. Malone?”

Cutting straight to the chase. Maybe this meeting wouldn’t last very long after all. “If you mess with Sam I will end you.”

He studied me for a few more moments, then picked up his pen and began fidgeting, but not because he was nervous, to help him focus. “It really is that simple for you, isn’t it? You’re a man with a singular objective. And you’re a man who follows through. What’s your body count?”

That stung a little. “I don’t know.”

“Come on. A man who kills so ruthlessly must keep count. Does your club hand out badges or trophies each time you level up?”

I didn’t keep count because I wanted to forget every single kill. “Yes, I have complete focus on Ms. Stroman’s safety. And yes, I always follow through.”

His eyes danced with delight when I refused to answer him. “It must be high. Lucky Larry—do you know Lucky Larry?”

The president of the Dragons? Yeah, I knew him.

When I didn’t say anything Hiten kept talking. “Of course you do. Of course. Well, Lucky Larry says you’re the deadliest member of any club on the east coast. Says you’ve well earned your name and that your hands are soaked in the blood of your enemies. So trust me, Mr. Malone, I respect your abilities.”

The look in his eyes said otherwise. “Let me be very clear, Mr. Feyereisen. When I say I will end you, what I mean is that there is no amount of security that will stop me from hacking your offshore accounts and syphoning off every hidden dollar, cryptocurrency, blockchain, NFT, or dark money you’ve invested in. And then once your accounts are empty, I will slit your throat in your bed while you sleep so that no one finds your bloodless corpse until morning. We clear?”

The light in his eyes disappeared as they went as hard and cold as they were the day we met. “Very clear.”

“Excellent. In that case, I have a business proposal.”

Hiten laughed from his belly. “You have a business proposal for me? Oh please, do tell me. Are you hoping for a new career in organ harvesting?”

Disgusting. “Devil’s Wrath understands you have a beneficial relationship with the Dragons, however, if you were interested in tapping into the abilities we have to offer, Devil’s Wrath would be interested in coming to a deal that would benefit us all.” Bile rose in my mouth as Todd’s ambitions were spoken into existence.

Hiten stared at me, the light returning until he started laughing so hard he couldn’t stop. “Wait.” He pounded the desk with his fist, gasping for air. “You want. To. Kill me…and do business with me? Oh, how I wish my brother was here.”

I let him get more of his laughter out of his system. When he started to calm down I laid out the plan in an even voice. It was Todd’s ambition and his words, but I needed this deal, too. “Protecting Ms. Stroman is my top priority. You leave her alone and you have nothing to worry about. My club sees this opportunity as an advantage for both parties. We can offer connections you can’t get anywhere else, with muscle you can’t match. You won’t even have to work with me.”

“And what does Devil’s Wrath get from us?”

I held my hands wide. “New opportunities for diversification.”

“I wasn’t kidding about organ harvesting. That too rich for the Devil’s Wrath blood?”

My stomach turned. Fucking organ harvesting? Jesus Christ. “Nothing is too rich for the club.”

“You understand this works both ways, right? Devil’s Wrath fucks us over and we take our revenge on your pretty princess.”

My stomach twisted again. “We have an understanding then?”

It was perfect in their eyes. They could trust me because they held the only thing I cared about as collateral. Not that it was new to me. My feelings for Sam had always been held over me.

Except this time it was the key to ending everything.

14

As I left Hiten Feyereisen’s office a short man with a rumpled suit slipped in the open door and closed it. I was escorted to the elevator and out the front of the building. It wasn’t until I was halfway back to Stroman that I pulled out my phone and dialed up Riddick.

“Hey boss. How’s it hanging?”

“Just spent a few minutes hanging with Hiten Feyereisen.” I felt like I needed a hot shower to get the cooties off me.

“Fuuuuuuck. Why?”

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