Page 83 of The Silencer

“You did.”

“I think we really scared him.”

“We did.”

He bounces on his toes and then sighs. “But I am a little sad I didn’t get to keep him.”

“Another time,” I reply, and he nods.

“Cool. Gonna go see if Agatha has a snack for me,” Bane says.

He bounds out of the room with an off-tune whistle as I turn toward the men before me. They’re all watching me intently, curiosity in their gazes.

All but Luca, who’s running a hand across his jaw and grinning at me.

“Just so you all know, if that wasn’t clear, Tatum is Anthony’s. He’s very…possessive,” he says with a smirk.

I nod and pour myself a drink.

“I am, now back to what we were discussing.”

“Yeah. Chop, chop. He has someone to get to,” Luca interrupts, and I eye him.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“It’s true,” he replies, and I flick my knife out toward him.

“Don’t make me use this on you.”

Luca grins but snaps his lips shut, his eyes gleaming. I’d never hurt him…well, maybe in the boxing ring, but not with my knife. He’s loyal, almost to a fault. But he does like to poke at me, and sometimes it makes me want to stab him.

“Now back to what I called you all here for,” I say and then begin to discuss the ways we can infiltrate the Fallen Aces and bring them down, once and for all.

That little shit isn’t where I told him to be. After everything I do for him, he doesn’t even listen.

My heart races in my chest as I stride from my room, my tie loose around my neck.

He disobeyed. Intentionally.

I’m going to make sure he begs for forgiveness when I find him.

I search the house, asking the bodyguards if they’ve seen him, but all are reluctant to say. He seems to have endeared himself to all of them in such a short amount of time. Seems that they feel a sense of loyalty to him that I’m not quite sure he deserves.

I’m the one who pays them, they should be answering to me.

And yet, part of me loves it. Craves the chase.

“Where are you off to?” Luca asks, suddenly appearing at my side and sliding an arm around my shoulder. He smells like cigarette smoke, having blown through an entire pack after our meeting to discuss how to deal with the current situation involving the Fallen Aces. They’ve gone after two of my money laundering locations. Luckily, we were able to head them off, but still. It was too close for comfort.

“None of your business.”

He scoffs and then our eyes meet. “I see what this is.”

“You may see but I still won’t share.”

“Didn’t expect you to. Not that I’m into guys.”

I scoff and peer over at Viktor whose cheeks are red.

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