Page 41 of Reckless Games

Cillian flips through a few more video clips I’d rather not watch—but this is business. Finally, he lands on the most interesting one and turns the sound all the way up. In this video, Evan is sitting at the edge of his bed and talking on a phone he thinks he snuck in.

He’s a fool if he thinks my men would overlook something so crucial. I wanted him to have it, just to see what he would do. And like the perfect pawn Evan is, he played right into my plan.

“Of course they don’t know about the merger. Why would they?”

He pauses for the person on the other end of the line to respond.

“I don’t care.” Evan shakes his head. “I’m going to rip Tygart Industries apart from the inside, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

Cillian slaps the laptop shut and sits back, watching Evan, who has lost the color in his already pale face.

“Let’s start again.” I walk around Evan’s chair and lean against the desk with one ankle crossed over the other. “How much for the sale of your company?”

My father’s been after Evan’s family business for years, but they’ve continually refused to sell. We offer, they turn us down. Over and over. Both families continue to amass fortunes and run in the same familiar circle.

Until we received word Evan’s next takeover will impact one of our upcoming business ventures.

That’s when I was given the order.

Dad doesn’t actually do the dirty work. He uses his sons for that. And since I handle the family business, I was tasked with Evan Michaelson’s fall from grace.

“We aren’t selling.”

“But you are.” I tip my head toward the laptop on the desk. “You can either lose a little credibility with the enormous discount you’re going to give us and retire peacefully with your family somewhere far away. Or I can send your wife and board of directors a little present, seeing as you so kindly fucked them all over this weekend.”

I was fortunate enough that Evan is not only a cheating bastard, but also planning to dismantle his own company from the inside out. Sometimes, the universe works in your favor.

“So this is what you do?” Evan huffs.

I lean in, the stale smell of cigarettes stronger the closer I get. “You’reluckyif this is all I do. Try to fight this, and I promise it will get worse.”

This close, Evan turns to look at me, an evil grin stretching his cheeks. “The unbeatable Adam Kingsley. You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you? But you forget, I’m not the only one who has been enjoying myself this week.”

My blood turns molten. Of all the things this vile piece of shit could use against me, he went after Lakeyn.

I reach my hand out, and Dante, one of the guards, hands me a gun. I wrap my hand around Evan’s throat and his eyes go wide, as I press the barrel to the center of his forehead.

“What were you saying?” I ask him.

Evan sees me the way I want him to. Rich, business savvy. He thinks he can threaten me, and I won’t make him pay for it. I will, especially when he’s threatening Lake.

He fights for breath, but he doesn’t move as his eyes focus on the gun to his head.

“Nothing.”

“That’s what I thought.” I tighten my grip. “I’ll say it again, clearer this time in case you missed it. You’reluckyif this is all I do. Test me and find out.”

Rearing my hand back, I backhand him with the gun, splitting open a nasty gash on his eyebrow. Blood spills as I take a step back, and he grabs his face, wincing in pain.

He’s a rat.

A piece of trash.

And he isn’t worth my time now that he understands the threat. But I still need him around long enough to sign his company over to me or I’d be tempted to end him right now.

“Cillian will help you sort out the details.” I hand the gun back to Dante. “Nice doing business with you, Evan. I expect you’ll make the right decision.”

I glance at Cillian. The sick smirk on his face is why we get along so well. Morals aren’t something you should have if you want to spend too much time around a Kingsley. Blackmail is the gentlest of my family’s methods.

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