Page 132 of Reckoning

“Fine.” I state. Though that’s not true. She’s on edge, jumpy. I may have fucked her brains out but I didn’t fuck the memory out of her head. Every noise makes her jump. Every move she’s not expecting makes her look like she’s about to have a full blown panic attack.

I’ve dealt with it my way. The only way I can think. By trying to override her brain with so many orgasms she can’t focus on anything else.

And yet still, she woke up screaming. She woke up in a complete panic last night and the only way to shut her up was to shove my cock down her throat.

“Reid is on it.” I add. He’s been going through all the footage, trying to work out where the fuck they came from. It felt like a good task to set him, a good way to ensure he’s out of the way too because I know he and Sofia haven’t exactly gotten on up until now.

“Is he still spouting that cursed shit?” I ask.

Colt shifts, wincing just enough for me to see.

Fucking great.

“There is some truth to it.” Colt states.

“In what way?”

I don’t mean to grab him, I don’t mean to pin him against the damned door but I do.

He doesn’t fight, perhaps he knows that I’m not exactly thinking straight when it comes to Sofia, the evidence certainly seems to suggest that.

I let him go, let him find his footing but I don’t move back. I don’t give him space.

The men around us shift but they keep their mouths shut.

“You know what they had, Koen.” Colt says. “You know what her father had.”

“It’s bullshit.”

“Is it? Doesn’t it answer everything?”

I narrow my eyes. Colt was never one for superstition, at least he wasn’t until Reid started spurting all his bullshit.

But the diamond is a rumour. A myth. If Horace Montague really had a jewel that valuable he would have used it to his advantage. He wouldn’t have turned into a weak, miserly old man.

“Darius knew.” Colt states. “He had to have known. That’s probably why they had a falling out…”

“Enough.” I growl, seeing the movement from the corner of my eye. Our friends are here. And the last thing I want is to be discussing the Devil’s Heart diamond within their earshot.

Five armoured trucks speed down the track. It’s a good thing it’s spitting or the dust cloud they’re producing would be engulf us all.

Barnaby gets out first. He’s clearly excited to see his new wares.

He’s got ten years on me. And he looks every day of it and more. His face is etched with as many scars as he has wrinkles. Every inch of his skin is covered in thick, fading tattoos.

I make a point of showing the surface-to-air missile first. The damned thing took an entire truck by itself. His eyes glint as he stares at it, like he’s already imagining all the chaos he’s going to create.

When we’d first spoken, he sounded doubtful that we’d be able to get this. I like the look of surprise on his face now that we’ve proven him wrong.

He takes his time inspecting the other weapons. The boring stuff. Rifles, ammo, drones. All of them necessities but they don’t exactly get your blood pumping.

With a nod of his head, his banker pulls out his phone and mutters into it. A second later I hear the ping that tells me we just got paid.

“Load it up.” He orders.

I hold out the keys to the truck with the missile. The damned thing weighed a ton. It’s easier if they just have it as an extra than bother with trying to shift it over.

He inclines his head like I’ve done him some sort of favour.

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