Page 29 of The Carver

I looked at the pictures on the wall and saw one I didn’t like.

A picture of Adrien and Fleur on their wedding day.

She looked happy and beautiful, and it made me fucking sick. I’d never been a jealous man, but I’d never had a woman I wanted all to myself, so perhaps I didn’t recognize the emotion because I’d never met it in the flesh.

I continued to stare at the picture and debated whether I should destroy it. Smash it into pieces right there in the foyer and let the old man clean up the broken pieces.

Adrien joined me a moment later in sweats and a t-shirt. He was wide awake, so he hadn’t been asleep like last time when I’d barged in. He looked at me with a guarded expression, showing a hint of fear, like he didn’t know what was about to go down.

He was a handsome guy, but he wasn’t built like me. He didn’t have my spine or my integrity. He didn’t deserve the woman who was now mine, didn’t deserve to watch her walk down the aisle to him in that white dress.

“I never know if you’re here to kill me or talk,” he said.

“Neither do I,” I barked. “This is the second time Oscar has given me heat about your operation. I withheld your identity because I’m not a fucking snitch, but I’ve grown tired of covering for you. This man will not stop until he’s got all your vertebrae in a shoebox under his bed. It’s only a matter of time before he hits one of your crew and they roll on you. So, this ends now. The business is done.”

“Do you stop doing business just because someone threatens you?” he asked incredulously.

“Anyone who’s ever threatened me is dead, asshole,” I snapped. “You haven’t done shit to Oscar, and you know he’s been on toyou for months. Don’t act like we’re the same, because we’re not the fucking same.”

“I can’t stop dealing. My livelihood depends on it, and so do the guys in my crew.”

“He’s coming for you, Adrien. This is the only scenario where you keep your life and your money. Let it go. Get into another business. Retire. You’ve got better options than waiting for him to cut you into pieces. And understand this—I will not stand in his way. Not even for Fleur, not when I warned you what would happen.”

“You’re doing this for her?”

“You think I’m doing this because I give a damn?” I scoffed.

“If you’re doing this for her, then that means she still cares.”

“She cares because she’s a bigger man than you’ll ever be. But make no mistake—she’s all in with me. You tried to scare her off, but she’s in my bed right now, waiting for me to come home. If you care about her at all, then you’ll walk away with your head still on your shoulders. Because if she knew about this, and like hell would I ever tell her, she would want you to walk away.”

Adrien stared at me and said nothing more. Didn’t agree to the terms. Stood there and thought it all through like there was something to think about.

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“You’re the Butcher. You’re the one who’s supposed to monitor this.”

“I don’t get involved with the bullshit between dealers. You want to kill each other, then go for it. If he walks in here right now, Iwill not retaliate. I respect his business a hell of a lot more than I respect yours. He wants to preserve the Republic, while you seek to undermine it with your black-market deals. He’s not the only one who frowns upon it. If he really wanted to destroy you, he could put a bounty on your head, and people would start to talk. I suspect that’s what he’ll do next. I told him I would get you to end the business, and the second I tell him that I failed, you’re fucked.”

He continued to stare at me, his thoughts his own.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“It’s all I have,” he said simply. “Fleur’s gone?—”

“You had Fleur and the business, and you still fucked around. You’re one of those assholes who’s never happy with what he has. Everything could be fucking perfect, and you’d still find something to bitch about. You’ll cheat on your next girl and then the next one?—”

“Fuck you, you don’t know me.”

“I see you, Adrien. I fucking see you.” I stepped closer and got in his face, forcing him to take a step back like the pussy he was. “Cut the shit and keep your head. And if you aren’t willing to do it for yourself, then do it for her.” I stepped away and grabbed the wedding picture off the wall, an eleven-by-fourteen frame, threw it against the wall, and made it shatter into pieces. “Pick that shit up—not your butler.”

I was angry for the first ten minutes of the drive, fuming in the back seat, infuriated that such a small man had had such a bigwoman. That someone so pathetic and idiotic had hurt her…made me want to hurt him.

But I didn’t want to walk in the door with a chip on my shoulder, so I texted her.Face down with your ass up, sweetheart. I’ll be there in five minutes.

You’re serious?

You’re about to find out. Call my bluff and see what happens.

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