Page 158 of Knights Game

Silently.

Assessing.

Waiting.

Waiting for Black to arrive. Waiting for him to get word from the Covenant that the hit has been made.

Waiting for him to lead me to her.

A dog never ventures far from its owner and Asher Black is no different.

With the news breaking from within the Covenant, it will make its way through the right channels, and my people will hear from it.

They will mourn me, I will mourn them, but this is the only way.

When the time is right, I will get word to them. But not yet.

Not until she’s safe.

Until then I’m a dead man walking.

Asher Black arrives seven minutes later and joins the rest of my friends, all except for Rome. I can’t hear what they are saying. But I see the moment he gets the phone call. He turns off to the side, his back facing my most trusted people, and the tension in his face eases knowing that I’m no longer a threat.

He thinks he’s won.

They all do.

They think they’ve outsmarted me, outsmarted Levi, but John has underestimated me, and he’s underestimated Layla.

Asher joins them, speaking quickly and making his excuses, then leaves. I place the bike helmet over my head, and throw my leg over the Yamaha YZF-R7. The model is sleek and classy and making it the perfect companion to the likes of Snow, whose bike it is.

Nothing will lead back to me now.

She is sorting what comes next, there are certain people you meet in my line of work that are useful.

Kara Snow is one of those people.

She is one of a handful of people in this world who can truly help you disappear, without the need for a bullet.

Asher crosses the street and climbs into a Mercedes that sits idling at the curb. It indicates and pulls into the emptying streets, the blue lights from the emergency services and flames reflecting off the sleek paintwork as it tries to disappear into the night. Except I don’t let it out of my sight.

Following at a safe distance, I let him lead me to Layla.

I just hope I get there in time.

Five hours ago, I was stabbed and bleeding out.

Five hours ago, I had a plan that would bring down the Covenant.

But five hours is a lifetime in my world.

And now, as I follow the black Mercedes into the depths of London’s East End, Langley territory, I know that if I pull this off, if she survives, this is the start of the next chapter.

Where we are both dead.

No longer looking over our shoulders.

Layla once asked meDid I ever want more?I want the whole fucking world, with her next to me.

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