Page 138 of Cruel Promise

And that’s my greatest shame.

“You wanted to see me,” I reply. “So, talk.”

“Oh, you thought I wanted to talk?”

“Why else show up at my door? If you’d really wanted me dead, you could’ve found countless other ways to get at me.”

“You’re a hard man to track. You bought a new home since we worked together. I didn’t know where you lived.”

“But you know the businesses I own. You could have found me at any of them. Why show up now? Why after all this time?”

Anton throws a dismissive glance at the other people in the room. But then his gaze settles on Ava, and it sets my teeth on edge. “This is the illustrious wife, I take it.”

“Don’t look at her,” I growl.

Ava takes a step forward. “I am.”

I shoot her a look, silently asking her what she’s doing, but she only keeps her eyes on Anton.

“I like your mother,” Anton says. “We’ve shared some good talks.”

“If you hurt her …” Ava warns.

“Oh, I didn’t. She was too pretty for me to want to hurt.”

Camille tenses. “You’re not going to get my daughter. I told you that.”

“I don’t need your daughter. I was just hoping she’d lead me to Nik.” He sets his eyes back onto me. “And she did just that. Played her part beautifully.”

“You must have been waiting for a while,” I say. “How did you know Ava would go back to her mom?”

“I didn’t. I was just hoping. But you know I’ve always been good at playing the long game, Nik. So, I waited and waited. And then everything worked out in my favor.”

“Why not just take me yourself?” Ava asks. “Why my mom?”

“Because I’m not here to make Nik angry,” Anton explains. “If I’d taken you, he would have killed me on the spot. Nik is right. I do want to talk.”

I lift my gun. “So, then, talk.”

“No need for such theatrics,” Anton growls, lifting his own gun from his waistband. “We can talk like civilized people.”

“You just blew up my basement.”

“That’s because I knew you wouldn’t talk to me unless I came in with a bang. That’s how it always goes with us, isn’t it?”

I blow out a breath. “So, then, fucking talk.”

“I’ve missed you, Nik. I’ve missed working together.”

“So, that’s it? You want to reunite after all this time? After what you’ve done to me?”

“I made you into who you are.”

“You broke me!” I shout.

Anton shrugs. “If you want to call it that. I just needed to get your attention again.”

“How did you know who I was?” Camille asks.

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