Page 133 of Falcon's Prey

“I did a little job for Sergio; he asked me to stay.”

Alas, Sergio wanted more manpower in this meeting.

“Petal,” he murmured.

My skin broke out in hives.

Gideon’s eyes went molten, and a seductive smile flashed from that pretty mouth of his. “Why won’t you look at me? Is it because the last time we saw each other those pretty thighs were wrapped—fuck.”

My little scalpel was lodged between his middle and index finger, a small clean cut staining the white tablecloth red. Everyone was looking at us, a smile on most of them, thinking I was cute.

Leaning into Gideon, I ignored the smell of his cologne. “Yes, handsome. It was just a fuck.”

Bastian pulled my chair out for me so that I could get up. My hand was resting on the table for support…and then I heard the loud thud and felt sharp metal between my index and middle finger. I looked at the black dagger—my black dagger—that was now lodged between my fingers. Unlike me, Gideon didn’t pierce skin.

“Did you not like my message?” Gideon mocked.

“Los veo mañana para irnos a la selba.”I’ll see you tomorrow so that we can go to the jungle.

I ignored Gideon and walked away. Bastian kept a distance from me, appearing to be aloof like he was just my guard dog and I his master. In reality, he was my crutch; he just didn’t know it.

And he never would.

That dagger was from early imperial Russian and worth millions, and now it was missing the fucking rubies, and I’d just left it behind because I couldn’t stand the English prick. I’d seen him from afar the day of the Estacado fight. I’d kept a reasonable distance as I watched Ren Falcon and tried to gauge what kind of man he was.

As soon as he lost his job and went off the grid, I was sent to kill him. Damian was not happy with me, but what use could we have with the Ember? Other than having another thing no one else could. It was nothing for us. So I was punished by doing all the shit work, but I liked it better that way.

“I need a favor,” I said as soon as we walked into a room and checked it for bugs.

“You know my offer to give you a good dicking still stands.”

I rolled my eyes at Bas. That was his thing—humor and sarcasm to cover up the fact that we were knee-deep in shit.

“Come on, Gideon couldn’t have been that big… He’s not bigger than me, right?”

“I need a meeting with Franco,” I told him.

Bastian started coughing.

“Estacado?” He gaped. “The man who they were just discussing—thatFranco?”

“Yes.” I opened the balcony doors, looking out at the ocean.

“So beautiful, yet deadly.”Gideon’s words rang louder than before.

“Why?” Bas glared at me.

What I was doing was reckless; to set foot in Italy to go see the king of the Estacado's was suicide.

I made a vow covered in snow and dripping in blood. That I would burn down the pillars in which our kingdom stood. Watch the ashes blow as I laid the foundation for something new—something better. I vowed I was going to make them all pay. The time had come.

“It has begun.”

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