Page 28 of Crave Me

I stood rigidly at the side of my Maserati as Asher leaned against his Beamer with his arms folded across his chest, the two of us in a deserted parking lot several miles from the jewelry store and tens of miles from anywhere else. The blanket of night provided additional camouflage.

“Elijah Bane,” Asher uttered tightly.

“I understand you’ve crossed paths with him briefly before.”

He nodded. “A few years ago, I heard rumblings of my father wanting to ally with him, something that would have provided the Infidels with a great deal more power.” He grinned maliciously. “Of course, I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Something I appreciate, as that alliance would have impacted me as well.”

“Well, you already had your own plan in motion to stop it, I just got there first.”

I started.

His grin widened off my surprised reaction. “There wasn’t much I wasn’t aware of back then, Caspian.” He unfolded his arms and pushed off his car. “Anyway, I headed down to one of his casinos, knowing he was slated to be there. My plan was to sour his opinion of my father through my actions as his heir. I challenged him to a game of poker. Of course, being the egomaniac that he is, he couldn’t resist. In fact, he made it a public spectacle, believing that he would win and he could humiliate me, and also knowing that I hate public attention. He failed. I won and took him for one of his prized yachts. As you know, he’s far from being an honorable man, but he had to pay up because he’d boxed himself in by making it a public spectacle. The money I made from selling that thing is part of what’s keeping me, Jonah, Aurora, and Killian afloat now.”

“How did you best him at poker? He’s a renowned talent. Moreover, you don’t gamble—with anything. You’re extremely calculating and a gifted tactician.”

“It was a sure thing. I made certain of it.”

The realization hit me. “Your sleight of hand.”

“In essence. Suffice to say, he absolutely detests me. There’s a lot of fear there too because I was one of the few he couldn’t control. As you know, he doesn’t do well with that.”

“He’s not going to take well to that in Caleb either.”

“How did it come to this? Where did you drop the ball? It’s you, Caspian. You’re feared and revered in equal measure for a reason. Always steps ahead.”

I’m tired. So fucking tired.

I tugged at my ponytail. “What should have been a former threat wasn’t dealt with in a timely manner by the person I’d tasked with his extermination and said threat was able to connect with Elijah and pass on classified information to him that enabled Elijah to both evade my apprehension and to then abduct Caleb and Bastian.”

“What’s his status?”

“His name is Jeremy Wheeler. He’s off the grid. Ex-military. Trained by one of the best.”

“The guy you’d tasked to hunt him?”

“Yes. Frank Bennett.”

“Your woman’s father?”

“Correct.”

“Devious. Is she aware that you put her father in jeopardy by pulling him from his active black ops activities and setting him on this guy?”

“No. It will only complicate matters. At least until results are obtained, or he finally makes contact. As it stands, they’re both underground.”

“And now you need to rescind your kill order, while not being able to reach Bennett, because you believe this guy has information on Caleb’s whereabouts?”

“Yes.”

“All right,” he said calmly, firing up a cigarette.

He was quiet for several moments, clearly thinking on it and analyzing everything I’d told him.

“I can put out word to those who run in their covert circles to rescind the order.” He pulled out his phone and typed rapidly, then told me, “Done.”

“Just like that?”

---