Page 127 of Underground Prince

“Simple.” He sat back and took a long sip of whiskey. “Because they can.”

“I have to stop this.”

“How, Scarlet?” His black eyes penetrated mine, the flat look on his face almost frightening. “By going up to his daddy and telling him no? By kicking Trace in the balls and scampering away in the hopes he won’t catch you by the hair and slit your throat? Don’t you think Sax has already tried everything? Don’t you get—”

“It’s you who doesn’t see,” I said. “Meeting Theo, having that entry point where he and I crossed paths, it changed everything. I was deadened, an aimless drifter who had no reason to stay alive but did so anyway because it was the one selfless thing I could do. In spite of my drinking, fucking, not caring and pissing on anyone who dared cross me—I could at least keep breathing.”

Kai pushed himself up on his hands. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through—”

“No. For once, for the first time, I have a reason to live. If I lose him…if I—” I fought to speak through my swollen throat. “He cannot die.”

He went rigid. “What are you talking about? Now we’re onto Sax’s imminent demise?”

I said, while pacing the apartment, “There’s a shipment tomorrow night that he’s responsible for, and I have this horrible inkling that something is going down. He met Rada about it yesterday.”

“Rada. As in Khalaji.” His tone had no inflection.

“Yes.”

“Where?” Still, Kai gave no indication of how he was feeling.

“A shipping dock in Williamsburg. A boat’s coming in, but not there. It sounds like a supply ship, docking in Manhattan, but somehow the goods are going through a second transfer, to a warehouse in Williamsburg. It’s complicated. Rada kept using code, saying ‘Cinderella will arrive in her luxury quarters at midnight.’”

Kai exploded with movement, hands to his hair as he spun to me and said, “This isn’t bad. It’s monstrous. Since when is Sax responsible for transfers?”

“Since his father deigned it so.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. He’s the poker guy, the games officiate, he wasn’t supposed to be—”

“That’s what I mean! Why escalate him so quickly? Why put him on the front lines when Trace so clearly enjoys it? Kai…” I walked up to him, putting my hands on his shoulders so he could feel the weight of my next words. “There’s a plan that we don’t know about. Trace—or Gordon—they’re up to something.”

“No. Not possible.” He pushed out of my hold.

“Think about it! Theo spent most of his youth rebelling and defied his father when he took up with a girl Gordon specifically told him not to be with. He’s the loose cannon of all the brothers and can fire off at any point. Yes, he’s been behaving for eight years, but it was only a matter of time. Gordon must’ve been waiting for it. It was inevitable something would happen to bring Theo back to who he truly was, to…”

“You. You’re the trigger.”

I collapsed onto the arm of the couch. “This is all happening so fast. It’s too sudden.”

“To keep him constant for eight years and then in one night decide to amp him up to a major player?” Kai filled the space beside me. “I think you might be right.”

“Who can we talk to? To figure out what’s going on?”

“Nothing. No one. The Saxons are impenetrable if there’s no blood. And much as I love you, you’re no gangster.”

I met his stare dead-on. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“I’m in Looney Tunes Mafia-ville,” Kai muttered as he moved off the couch and tracked the room, his long steps bringing him back to me before spinning away again. “What’s next? Ward becoming responsible for collections? Hell, the kid shakes when he starts losing at Clue. Now Sax is getting tapped into bringing MDMA onto U.S. soil…”

Kai continued ranting, but after he mentioned Theo’s name, I heard nothing else, simply the ringing in my head, sirens in time to each realization, hitting me with impeccable slams.

Bang. Kai befriending me the instant he saw me.

Bang. Kai offering to teach me the game.

Bang. Kai more than happy to be the ear to my woes, offering up advice but also listening intently. Something a friend would do.

A friend admitting something personal of himself to bring me closer, to gain my trust.

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