Chapter 35
Kian
Dawn crept through the edge of the curtain, casting a soft glow in the bedroom. Sophie’s body molded to mine under the sheets as she slept, her back to my front and my hand covering hers.
She snored lightly, making a little humming noise every time I kissed her neck. It made me feel content and full of devotion. I wanted to hear that sound for the rest of my days.
She was well and truly fucked after the night we’d had. All I could think about was that I was fucked too, because I’d thoroughly fallen for her.
Exhaustion sank heavy into my bones in the best way possible, and I considered actually staying in bed for once. But I had a meeting that couldn’t wait. The kind that would ensure Sophie’s protection once I rid the earth of Jacqueline.
Sophie was all I cared about, and I wouldn’t sit back and let a woman I loved become a victim. Never again.
Careful not to wake her up, I slipped from the sheets, showered, then headed into my office. Amir was already waiting for me there.
I shook my head disapprovingly. “You should be with your wife.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, drinking his coffee. “You need a wingman in case those idiots from the Black Oil Syndicate try something.”
“They wouldn’t dare pull a move on my territory. Besides, it’s not really their MO.”
They destroyed people from the shadows, ruining them until they were overcome with madness and eventually pushed them into suicide. And then if that didn’t work, they’d eliminate them the old-fashioned way.
I pressed my fingertips against the hidden panel of the gun safe built into my desk. The scanner hummed, then gave a quiet click as the lock disengaged. The door swung open just wide enough to reveal the matte-black handgun resting inside.
“Then why are you taking your gun?” Amir snickered.
“Insurance.”
I wrapped my hand around the grip, the familiar weight settling in my palm. Out of habit, I released the magazine. Full. I slid it back into place, racked the slide once, and listened to the solid, reassuring snap.
Satisfied, I eased the weapon into its holster and closed the safe, the panel sealing itself.
“Okay, let’s get going,” I said, heading outside. The sun was barely flickering over the horizon, throwing rays over the calm surface, its color reminiscent of Sophie’s eyes.
How in the fuck would I ever be able to look at this sea and not think of that woman once she went back to the States?
I subtly shook my head, clearing the nagging thought. I needed to focus.
Once in the car, Amir drove us to the same warehouse where Jacqueline’s entourage had been eliminated. Two men followed in the car behind and there’d be two more waiting for us there.
When we arrived, we were met with the head of Black Oil, Baron Madoc, and his three brothers.
Only a year separated each of them in age, and yet the four moved through the world as if they were a single entity—inseparable and dangerous.
That fact alone made this meeting a reckless gamble.
If this was a setup, it wouldn’t just be a hit; it would be the erasure of the entire clan in one stroke.
Looking at them now, you’d never guess they were oil moguls who thought nothing of stepping over the law when it suited them. Power clung to them in subtler ways. In their stillness. In the way their gazes weighed a room.
Rumor had it they cycled through women like they were competing in an Olympic sport, though I couldn’t see the appeal. Maybe it was the confidence, or the danger threaded beneath their casual smirks.
They wore jeans and plain white T-shirts. Cowboy hats shaded their eyes, and their scuffed and well-worn boots called to attention their Texan roots.
The charged and restless silence between us hummed. One wrong word, one wrong move, and it would snap.
“Kian,” Baron said at last. As the eldest, his voice carried the most authority. “I was surprised when you demanded a meeting on Albanian soil.”
“Take it as a gesture of goodwill.” I let a thin smile curve my mouth. “Besides, you were practically in my backyard.”
His brow lifted beneath the brim of his hat, skepticism sharpening his gaze.
“Have you been following us?”
“Yes.”
“And what of this goodwill you speak of, Kian?” Baron retorted wryly.
“Oh, it’s there.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I had my men watch your backs while we hunted your cousin down.” I put my hands in the pockets of my suit, studying him. He didn’t seem overly upset, so it might be best to cut to the chase. “I’m willing to offer you something in return for Jacqueline.”
Their shoulders stiffened.
“You have her location?” Baron asked.
“I don’t yet, but I will.”
“So you expect us to find her and deliver her to you?” he questioned, eyeing me suspiciously.
“If you know where she is, I want her location. I can get her myself.”
“And you’ll kill her?” his youngest brother questioned.
“I will. She hurt a young, innocent woman by snatching her off the street and trying to traffic her. Not to mention she put a gun to my woman’s head.”
It didn’t matter that it happened before I met Sophie. The bottom line was that Jacqueline would pay for her sins, and nothing but her death would be satisfactory.
“What does that have to do with us?” Baron demanded.
“You have her on a do-not-kill list.”
“And?”
“That’s not an option,” I drawled. “Jacqueline’s a dead woman. It’s only a matter of time.”
The four shared a fleeting glance, then a barely noticeable nod.
“And what do we get in return?” Baron asked slowly.
“My land in Brazil has oil. I’m willing to give you a hundred thousand barrels of it in the next twelve months to look the other way.”
The four scoffed in unison.
“You’re willing to give away upward of six million dollars.”
“Yes.” No hesitation. I’d give them a lot more than that if they demanded, but I wasn’t willing to lay it all out on the table. They’d have to negotiate for it.
The youngest brother whistled and Baron said, “Done.”
“It’s a good deal,” Baron’s brother drawled. “For us. You’re losing out.”
I let out a sardonic breath. “Far from it.”
“It’s a deal, then.” Baron extended his hand and we shook on it. “Jacqueline has been causing problems for a while now.”
“She’s on an unregistered yacht, hiding in Greek waters,” his brother chimed in. “Have at her.”
Fuck, she was close—too close—to Sophie.