Page 76 of Blind Devotion
Erel’s tone grated on my nerves. Anyone else but him, and they’d already be bleeding from a knife wound. I knew this confrontation was coming, so I shook off my rising anger and strode to the bar cart.
“Is this how it’s going to be?” he said with barely concealed rage.
“Be more specific.”
“You told me when you took over as Caïd to the Milieu that your priorities now rested elsewhere than Endgame. Some silent partner you’ve turned out to be,” he groused.
“If you’ve got something to say to me, say it.”
“You demand to take on a job for a thrill. That I get. But you botch it. And yeah, I know this one’s on you. Mr. Perfection. Never misses. Never hesitates. What the fuck do you call this?”
“Watch it.” I served myself a finger of cognac, the warm spices and fruity notes smooth enough to remind me to keep calm.
“I confirmed it with the team,” he continued, my warning unheard. “None of them left a living mark on that boat. But you rescue and treat your fuckup’s injuries. Not only that, but come to find out, you knew what she was from the moment she set foot on your yacht. And what do you do? You have the nerve to lie to me about how this is going to play out.”
“Don’t insult my honor.”
“You gave assurances. That was your word.” He slammed his fist against his chair. It was sobering to see Erel’s composure break. The man shielded himself behind humor and utter control. “I’m your partner in this, not just an overseer of the clan heads and gangs managing the Milieu businesses, damn it. I deserved to be consulted. But no, I don’t even get that courtesy. And what do you do? You go ahead and fuck Endgame’s biggest liability yet.”
I took a sip of my drink. “We done with the recap?”
“You’re not even fucking denying it.” He hissed through his teeth and dragged a knuckle over his chin. “If this is you handling it, I have a new appreciation for our business.”
A mirror rested against the wall behind the bar cart. I stared, focused on that shelf of memorabilia locked behind a cabinet panel. Gilly, the ghastly rhinestone-decorated stuffed animal only a child could love, an origami butterfly and lion set, a tray with every letter we’d exchanged, even the unopened ones, a keychain she brought me back from a trip to Colombia, other tidbits, and lastly a framed photo of us shortly before her eleventh birthday. At sixteen, I held her up under my arm by the belly, her head tilted up for the camera, arms out wide. She was giggling as I tickled her. Even I smiled in the picture.
I had tortured myself for so long with the items on that shelf, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the sudden fuzziness building inside my chest. She made me happy back then. She did more so now. I wasn’t letting go of that.
“One miss won’t kill the business. It’ll hurt, but we’ll bounce back.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“If you check your account, you’ll see it’s all there.”
“What’s there?”
I swirled my drink and tore my gaze away from the mirror. “The contract price, both our shares. All two million of it.”
“Why the hell would I want that?”
I downed my drink. The glass clinked against the bar as I set it down. “Because you’re going to inform Rurik Leontyev that we’re voiding the contract and refunding him.”
“The work was done.”
“Not all of it.” I gave him a hard look. “And it never will be.”
“Endgame is not losing face because you want to wet your dick.”
“Erel,” I warned.
“It’s my turn tohandlethis since you can’t.” He shoved past me, flicking his knife open, but I grappled him into a chokehold.
“Now you’re going to listen. I’m giving you this one courtesy. I’m going to ignore your words and threats because of our friendship and our shared stake in this partnership. But don’t forget I remain Caïd. Speak to me that way again, and I will demand a finger. Threaten her again, and I’ll take your head.”
He elbowed me and twisted out of my hold, his eyes blazing. He shoved me off, that barely held restraint fisting his fingers. “All for a random woman?”
“All for Persetta.”
“You don’t talk to her for years, now you want to use her as a bargaining chip?” He chuckled. “You’ve got some nerve. After everything we worked for? You want to risk throwing it all away for a target that might or might not look like the woman you abandoned?”
