Page 115 of Hook

My jaw clenches and I slowly turn around to face my arch nemesis. All the blood drains from my body when I seewhois standing next to him.

Smyth.

I should have listened to my instincts.

How did the detective not figure this out?

“What the fuck, Smyth?”

“My name is Darren, not Smyth,” he growls.

I shake my head, struggling to believe all this time he’s been working against me. “How long?”

On the other side of Piero is Tilly. She quit not long after I caught her and Gwendolyne in the library... There are fucking snakes everywhere.

“That’s right, he’s had enough of the way you treat him.” Piero’s eyes narrow. “You should have treated your loyal staff a little better, shouldn’t you?”

I clench my fist and start forward. “You bastard—”

The click of another gun cocking forces me to an abrupt halt, as Smyth points his gun at my head—and he never misses. “One step and I’ll murder you.”

Piero chuckles and places a hand on his arm, lowering it. “Remember the deal, Smyth. He’s mine.”

Smyth’s eye twitches.

“Why?” I ask him, my eyes fixed on my former second-in-command.

He laughs, but it’s humorless. “You’ve treated me like shit since the day we met.” He shakes his head. “All I ever did was love you—” His voice cracks on those words and my brow furrows.

“Love me?” I say, arching a brow. “What the fuck are you on about?”

Piero chuckles. “It appears that your second in command wanted more than friendship from you, Cillian.”

I swallow hard, as I’ve always known Smyth is into men, but I never imagined that he had feelings for me. If I had, I would have set the record straight years ago. Despite Smyth being a valuable asset and a friend, or the closest thing I had to one after Piero annhilated my trust in humans, I could never have felt the same for him.

It makes sense now why he hated me sleeping with all the staff at Neverland.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Smyth shakes his head. “I knew you’d never see me in that way and I was fine with that, but you treated me like shit the entire time we worked together. Over ten fucking years.”

It’s true. I didn’t treat him well. He was always there and loyal and I never thought much of it.

“Why now?” I ask, feeling sick to my stomach. I never thought Smyth would betray me to Piero.

“Money,” Piero says with a wave of his hand. “When someone has had enough, money talks.”

Glancing at Tilly, I clear my throat. “And you?”

She smirks, and it’s full of malice. “I was never loyal to you. Piero hired me to work for you.”

My brow furrows. “But, you’ve worked for me for—”

“Five years,” Piero finishes my sentence. “I’ve known about your presence for a while, Cillian.”

My blood runs cold. I can’t believe he’s been one-step ahead of me. Again, I’ve underestimated Piero, which may be my downfall.

“What do you want?”

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