Page 201 of Endgame
“Mr. Alder—” someone from my staff starts.
I hardly register who, because myguestpushes past him.
“Everett.” Winston barges in. In a gray suit and a douchebag smile, he acts like he owns the place. As if the whole month didn’t happen. He’s up to something, the bastard. “Son.”
My fingers tighten around the handle of the gun. One squeeze, then I let go.
Though I’m entitled to shoot this intruder, he’ll suffer longer behind bars.
He won’t get to win. Alive or dead, Winston is bound to lose.
The asshole offers me his hand. I arrange my features into an expression I hope reflects my disinterest.
Given the way he drops his hand to the side, I’ve got it right.
“What do you want, Winston?”
He has the nerve to scan my office before taking the seat in front of me.
If he were hoping I’d offer him a drink, he must be more of a sociopath than I’ve realized.
“We”—he undoes the button of his suit jacket, his eyebrows lowering—“have a problem that needs to be dealt with.”
“Oh?” Instead of throwing accusations at him, at how he’s been the fucking problem all along, I tilt my head to the side.Steeple my fingers on top of my desk. “Enlighten me, please, on what that problem might be.”
“Aurora.”
One word. One fucking word and my pulse spikes, my blood roaring in my ears.
My eyes have gone dry because if I blink, I’ll lose it. I’ll take the gun out of the drawer and empty it on his repulsive, contented face.
“I thought I made it clear.” I’m talking as slow as possible.
Anything to keep calm. Anything to hide the fact that I’m about to empty my gun on his ugly face.
“Aurora is mine. She isn’t your daughter anymore. She sure as fuck isn’t your problem.”
“My point, exactly. You’re furious and I’ve barely said anything. And it’s her fault.” A smug smirk spreads over his lips. Staying in place is an effort. How I’d love to bash his face in. “The moment she came between the members of our Royalty group, Aurora made herself a problem. We pledged our loyalty, or have you forgotten about that?”
Says the fucker who broke his vows in the first place.
Tick tock, tick tock,the dials of the clock on my wall go as I examine my opponent. My enemy.
He doesn’t break a sweat under my inspection.
He should.
Because Lord help me, I’m trying not to shoot him. I’m doing my absolute goddamn best to keep silent when all I want to do is kill him.
“I haven’t forgotten.” I’m the picture of calm as I continue, “Stop beating around the bush and say what you came here to say. I’m busy, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Busy doing what?” He places an ankle over his knee, practically gloating. “You’ve taken the day off. You can’t be that busy.”
It shouldn’t surprise me that he’s had me followed. I suspected as much, hence why I had a rental car waiting in the hospital parking lot this morning.
My driver was already there, ready to switch places as soon as Aurora disappeared behind the sliding doors.
Once I confirmed no one had tailed me into the lot, we swapped cars.
