Page 30 of Cruel God

Colton walked back to his seat. “I know that he should have his dick cut off and his balls fed to him through a motherfucking straw.”

I looked at X with an amused grin. “I think we found our perfect candidate for the job, don’t you think?”

X just shrugged, clearly not amused.

“What does he have that you so desperately need, Rex?” Colton took a seat. I didn’t miss the look X gave Colton when he addressed me by my first name. Everyone around here addressed me as Mr. Cain. But since Colton wasspecialand probably wouldn’t be around for too long, I thought it beneficial to establish a more…casual relationship with the man. After all, I had been fucking his sister for quite a while now. But Colton didn’t need to know that—not yet anyway.

I got up, walked around my desk and leaned against it as I stared at Colton. “I know you know that I had my father killed.”

Colton nodded. “I also know that my previous employer, as you put it, was the one who murdered your father. That’s why you had him killed before you recruited me.”

I shrugged. “Tying up loose ends and all that.”

“I’ve been in this game long enough to know that there will always be loose ends.”

“Probably. But Anatoli is one giant motherfucking loose end that I need tying up as soon as fucking possible.”

Colton studied me for a moment—his eyes narrowed, and brows slanted inward. “He has something on you, doesn’t he? He knows you had your dad killed.”

Clever motherfucker.

“He’s blackmailing you.” This time Colton wasn’t asking a question.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, pursing my lips as I took the time to choose my words carefully. “Anatoli has a recording of a private telephone conversation between an associate and me.”

“What was the conversation about?”

“My father’s death.”

“So, he knows you’re behind it?”

I nodded.

Colton leaned his head to the side. “And if your other associates find out you had your father killed—”

“I’ll lose their loyalty, yes.”

“No.” His gaze met mine, flashing with amusement. “You’ll lose everything.”

“Watch what you say to me,” I warned through clenched teeth. The smug look on his face had me clenching my jaw as I fought the urge to stab him in the fucking eye. He knew way too much of how we did business, how betraying your own blood was seen as an unforgivable sin within The Ruin. If your own family couldn’t trust you, why would others?

Colton leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “What does he want?”

“That is none of your concern.”

“If Anatoli Pavel is blackmailing you, it means you have something worth more than his millions can buy. What is it?”

Well, well, well. Seems like I had underestimated Hope’s big brother. This man had a nose for lies and a sixth sense when it came to bullshit.

I stood straight and squared my shoulders. “I have something Anatoli wants, something my father promised him before I had his throat slit.”

Colton shrugged. “Give it to him then. Easy as that.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why is it not that simple?”

“Because my father promised to give Anatoli something that wasn’t his to give away in the first place.”

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