Page 74 of Tempting Fate

His rigid posture.

The fury ticking in his jaw.

And I know that his capitulation is for show.

His grandfather has forced his hand, threatened him into compliance.

Alexander Kingsley’s word means nothing to me. Not only because he’s untrustworthy, but because of who he is at his core.

A monster.

“I note you neglected to mention that I have your word as a Kingsley.”

My bald statement hangs in the air between us. I don’t actually expect Alex to answer me—or to offer me an oath in the name of his father when we both know he has zero intentions of keeping it. Truthfully, I have no goal, other than to alert Alex to the fact that I’m not buying his act.

“You’re never content to take what’s on offer,” Hugh replies before Alex can. “You’ve always got to push for more. Dirty, little, jumped-up biker princess who thinks she’s better than she?—”

The tall, sandy-blonde haired man, who I now know is a Maddison captain, makes a move toward me.

Toker is the first to draw his gun.

Slash and Zeke are seconds behind him.

I’m shoved behind my man, and my view is partially blocked by his bulk.

At the sight of my cousin’s weapon, Hugh freezes on the spot while Alex motions his men forward. In rapid succession, each biker and soldier, Black Shamrock and Maddison alike, points a muzzle at his opposing man. They stare at each other, animosity etched on their faces, a hunger to kill clear in their posture. My heart beats thunders in my ears, deafening me as it grows louder with every second that passes while the two sides hold each other at gunpoint.

“This fight won’t go the way you mobsters envision,” Slash’s deceptively placid remark is eerie in the quiet shed. “Our calvary is about to breach the gates.”

As he mentions backup, I realise that part of the sound growing louder in my ears is external. The distinctive rumble of Harley-Davidsons rattles through the corrugated walls of the shed. I peer past Toker, down the long line of Shamrocks, and notice that my father, Joseph, and Kristoff have disappeared.

“Zeke,” I hiss in my man’s ear. “Dad’s gone.”

Irritation radiating from every pore, my fiancé steps into the middle of the two groups and glances in the direction my father was standing. He slams one hand on his hip, the other clenched around his hand grip as he realises that I’m right. My dad, master manipulator that he is, is huddled somewhere with the boss of the Australian-Irish mob and the man whose chance at becoming State Premier I torpedoed.

“Take her home,” Zeke orders Slash. “I want her miles away from here before a single bullet is fired.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

After nodding his agreement with my man’s terse demand, Slash wraps an arm around my neck and uses it to guide me toward the exit. I try to stop him, but it’s futile. Six foot eight, with the muscle to match, physically extricating myself from his embrace is impossible.

I twist as much as I can to look back at Zeke. “Come on. Be reasonable.”

“Yeah, Venom,” Alex offers in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “Let Lily stay… I mean, this meeting is about her. Doesn’t she deserve to witness it first-hand?”

“No one fuckin’ asked for your input.”

“Maybe I’m looking out for my own interests.” The man who’s invaded my nightmares for years hits me with a look I know well. Alex is about to rip the rug out from under my feet. “Maybe I want to see her face when she learns that you started Sander’s little habit, then left him to fend for himself when it became too much to handle?”

“What?” With frantic eyes, I seek out Zeke. “You didn’t… you wouldn’t…”

“But that’s not all.” Alex’s smirk widens. My heart drops as Zeke refuses to meet my searching gaze. “I also wanted to witness Lily’s fragile little heart breaking when she discovered that Nadia was fucking me senseless the entire time that I was seeing her.”

I gasp, then press my palm to my mouth. The pain that’s flaring through my body has nothing to do with my injuries and everything to do with the truth bombs Alex is dropping with delight. Not that I care about my best friend sleeping with him—it’s the implications behind that that hurt.

The folly that led to my downfall was her idea.

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