Page 61 of Cruel Revenge

Her eyes narrow, like she’s assessing her next move.

I’m sure she has two different scenarios in her mind, and at least one of them ends with me dead.

I could kill her now before she ever has a chance to kill me.

Pulling the knife from my pocket without her noticing would be impossible, but she didn’t spend her life training to be a killer.

From everything Gia has told me, Zoe was involved with the Rinaldos, but her business was in running the strip clubs.

Or maybe she was the stripper. I’m still unclear. I didn’t think it was relevant beyond the fact that Noah didn’t have much to do with her until she got older.

That could be her downfall now. She might have more experience fighting than she used to, but I could probably get to her before she ever thought about getting a hand on me.

It would be easy to slip the knife between her ribs. I’d puncture her lung. Twist the knife and drive it toward her heart after. Slit her throat. Leave her to die on the laundromat floor while I got to work staging a mugging.

The hoops stabbed through her ears have to be worth at least a grand.

I would happily stab her for that much money, and I don’t even need it.

However, it’s a devil-you-know-or-devil-you-don’t situation.

I could kill her, but I don’t know who would step up to replace her.

Jace is dead, and we don’t know who is acting as her right hand at the moment. It could be someone worse than her who would be twice as hard to take out.

After a long pause, Zoe sits up straight. “I won’t be coming to the table over negotiations, and this is me letting you know that.”

“You should reconsider.”

She snorts and shakes her head. “I’m not going to reconsider, but you should pay closer attention to the people around you.”

“You want to tell me what you mean by that?” I move closer to her, hand drifting to my pocket. “Right now, that information isn’t of much use to me. If I were you, I would consider telling me everything you know, instead of playing games.”

“No games.” Zoe smirks, the lie obvious. “Although, from what I hear, it sounds like your new husband has no clue who you really are. How long do you think you can keep hiding that side of yourself from him?”

My blood runs cold, but I don’t react. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Laughing, she gets down from the machines, stalking closer to me like she has me right where she wants me. “You knowexactlywhat I’m talking about.”

I shrug. “I have no idea what you think you know, but I’m sorry to disappoint you. You’re not going to be able to use it against me. Joshua knows everything about me.”

The words come out as easily as the truth would.

As far as I’m concerned, he does know everything he needs to know. The rest is none of his business. Not if I want him to look at me with the same hunger, that look in his eyes that seesme, instead of disgust.

Still, what does she know and who told her?

And how much does she actually know?

Zoe rakes a hand through her hair like this is just another walk in the park for her. She tips her head to the office. “Wouldn’t it be better to discuss business there?”

I follow her, a chill running down my spine.

The blinds are pulled shut still, not a single light from the inside entering the laundromat.

Something doesn’t sit right about any of this.

She sits in my chair behind the desk. “Interesting little operation you have here.”

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