Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“The Cartel, which you take so much goddamn pride in… it seems like they’ve had enough of you. It seems like they’ve come to a reasonable decision. They want to write off my city as a lost cause. Unless you can take it, but you can’t, Gabriel. You could never take anything from me. You’re too weak.”
I’m goading him, but I don’t give a damn. I can’t stop, I don't want to stop.
It’s the way he’s looking at me, as though he finally realizes how foolish he was, thinking we could stand toe-to-toe with me.
“Weak?” he whispers. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“My answer is no,” I tell him flatly. “I won’t leave the city. I won’t give it to you. I won’t let you rule over these people, acting like you’re some tough guy. Not when I can stop you. Let’s see, Gabriel, old friend…let’s see how tough you really are when the threat of the Cartel isn’t there backing you up.”
He looks at his second, eyes wide as though pleading for help.
When he finds none, he turns back to me, his lips curling.
He stares bleakly.
“Don’t make me do it, Gabriel.”
Then I realize. I’ve thought about it before myself, sneaking a gun in here. There are places a mercenary’s quick search wouldn’t find…and even the most hardened of paid killers would find it awkward, searching Gabriel too hard, knowing one wrong word could see them taken out.
“I take it you have a gun,” I say.
He flinches, swallowing. “Don’t make me do it.”
“You brought a gun into a sit-down, which we’ve all sworn – us on the Bratva, you on the Cartel – we’d never do. You’ve disrespected everyone in this goddamn room. You’ve disrespected the very idea of running this city intelligently, not being driven by ego.”
“You talk too much, Damien. Take it like a man.”
He moves his hand as though to reach under the table.
“Don’t,” I say fiercely.
His hand pauses, a flicker of something like fear passing across his face. He winces and stares at me for a few moments.
“I’ll give you a chance,” I say, resting my elbows on the table, looming over him so he can feel how much bigger I am than him. “Leave the city. Disappear. Never return. If you do that, I might let you live.”
“Let me live?” He laughs, but it sounds hollow. “I think you’re forgetting something, Damien.”
“The gun you’ve hidden under the table. Or up your ass. Or in a holster on your back. It can’t be a big gun, a small-caliber pistol, perhaps. You’ll need to grab it quickly, aim it, then shoot.”
I study his men as I talk, their expressions half-seen in the shadows. There’s distaste on their faces. They know what I’m saying is true, and they also know that their leader is powerless without the proper backing of the Cartel.
Gun or no gun, he can’t do a damn thing.
“Go for it,” I tell him once I’m reasonably certain his men aren’t armed.
Reasonably certain.
Blood might still be spilled, my blood.
“Go for your gun. Let’s see how that works for you.”
Gabriel’s eyes flit from side to side as if he’s just realized how foolish this was, arranging to meet about Nick and then hitting me with this.
“Look at you,” I growl. “All you want to do is snort and smoke and fuck and act like a complete piece of shit. You can do that anywhere, any damn place in the world. You don’t need to be in my city.”
Gabriel looks at Lucas, his second. “What do you think?”
Lucas second stares straight ahead, sharp features tight, not wanting to look at Gabriel.
None of his men are looking directly at him, now that I pay attention, and that tells me something else.
None of them believe he can do this. None of them support him. They’re only here because desertion means death in the Cartel.
“You’re alone,” I growl, sitting up, feeling like I’m inflating with all the rage inside me. “Nobody’s going to back you up. Leave the city and count yourself lucky.”
My fists are clenched, my mind still flooded with the scene that started this all when Gabriel looked at Liliana like she was dirt. When he said those awful things and called her those unforgivable names.
The primal beast in me howls to hurt him, but I know I have to hold myself back. Have to try, at least.
Unless he gives me a chance to make him pay.
I ache for it, to punish this evil piece of filth for how he spoke to my woman.
“I…,” Gabriel blinks as though waking up, as though he’s only now realizing how alone he is. “You can’t….”
“I don’t know if you’re high or just fucking stupid,” I snap. “But anybody could see these men want nothing to do with you. Stand up. Walk away.”