Page 115 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

Make the right choice, and I’ll make it so the data shows those girls voluntarily climbing into your vans. I can delete the proof that the coke came up through you. Make the right choice, and you live to spend the remainder of your black money. But turn the wrong way, and I’m not the only trained marksmen looking for you.

Ten million, then you disappear. I can have a new identity created for you in under six minutes. Throw in a burger and an extra twenty, and I’ll make your new passport photo flattering. I know that double chin bothers you.

Where will you go, Bishop?

“You’re mean,” Spence laughs. “Don’t pick on the dude’s jowls.

“And a liar,” Jay adds. “Those weremyeleven-hundred-yard shots. I want my praise, dammit.”

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From: Colum Bishop

To: AcesAndEights

Subject: re: Reconsidered?

How do you play into this?

Whose side are you on?

What did I ever do to you?

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From: AcesAndEights

To: Colum Bishop

Cc: Kane Bishop

Subject: It’s always about the money, Lieutenant General.

Annoying pricks like you is how I pay my rent. I don’t give a fuck about your happiness, nor do I give a fuck about Kane’s. I just need to buy more groceries, and this week, you’re the lucky recipient of my undivided attention.

But make no mistake, if you don’t pay, Kane will.

Either way, I get more caramel latte ice cream and hotdogs.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my father fold so fast,” Jay murmurs. Standing behind me, he massages my tight shoulders and stares at my laptop screen. “You’re slamming him each time he speaks.”

“And she speaks of fucking dessert,” Eric laughs. “She’s threatening the dude and throwing in talk of ice cream.”

“Are you guys gonna be okay with him going to prison?” I meet Kane’s dark eyes across the room and study the rage that brews in them. “If he comes to me, he’s going to prison. I’m not going to slit his throat, no matter how tempting it is.”

“Areyouokay with him going to prison?” Jay spins my chair and stares into my eyes. “What’s going on in your head?”

“I…” Drawing in a long breath, I let it out again and let my shoulders fold in. I’m disappointed, because I always imagined the man responsible for my sister’s pain would burn in hell. Prison seems so easy… But the fact he’s Jay’s dad changes things. Not because I think Jay would be sad, but because executing his own dad is next level trauma I’m not willing to push on him. “Ellie won’t come back, no matter what happens to him,” I admit. “We’ve found him; we’ve exposed him, and we’ll remove him from his position of power. That’s gotta be enough. Right?” My voice cracks as I stare into Jay’s eyes. “It’s enough, isn’t it? It has to be.”

“Why does it have to be?” he whispers. “Prison is low on the list of possible outcomes.”

“Because… killing someone in cold blood is entirely different than killing someone in self-defense. And when that someone is your own dad… No. I can’t.”

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From: Colum Bishop

To: AcesAndEights

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