Page 140 of Dukes of Peril

I swallow it in one gulp while Auggie heads through the door behind the bar. She’s not gone two minutes when she returns, Killian Payne towering behind her.

He looks confused. “I haven’t seen your brother, if that’s why you’re here.”

Sliding the glass away, I say, “This isn’t about Nick. We need to talk.” Killian weighs it, like he’d rather be doing anything else. Fair. I feel the same. “I’ve got something you’re going to want to hear, and I’d like it to be from me.”

He stares at me for a long beat, eyes locked in on mine. There’s an intensity that almost makes me run, but I made a promise when those guys gave me their pins, and I’m not about to fail them now. He flattens his palm on the door and pushes it back open, jerking his chin for me to follow.

I stand, reaching into my back pocket and pulling out my wallet. Fishing out a fifty-dollar bill, I push it toward Auggie. “Oh,” I say, snapping my fingers. “Remy gives his thanks for teaching Lavinia to dance.”

Her eyebrows hike upward. “No shit. She gave him a show?”

I pause. “Of sorts.”

That fucking pole dance saved all of our lives. I’m about to find out if that just delayed the inevitable.

I step in the back hall just in time to see Killian disappear through a doorway. When I get there, he’s already seated at his desk, gesturing to the chair on the other side. I take it, watching him reach beneath the desk and pull out a nicer brand of liquor and one glass. Filling it to the top, he pushes it toward me, face stony.

“What’s that for?” I stare down at it.

“The look in your eye,” he explains, watching me a little too closely. “I’ve seen it before.”

Can he really tell? Is there blood on my shirt? My neck? Are my hands still shaking? Suspiciously, I ask, “Yeah, and what look is that?”

He leans back in his seat. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Exhaling, I give the words the weight they deserve, holding Killer’s stare. “Saul Cartwight is dead.”

Killian blinks. “Nick killed him.”

“Ikilled him.” I reach for that glass, the ring drawing Killian’s puzzled gaze when I raise it to my mouth. The burn of the liquor cuts through the numbness in my chest. “We went through our channels. Voted. I did what I was called to do.”

His face goes slack as it finally sinks in. “Son of a–” The rest is a silent swear. “I didn’t see this coming.”

I set the glass down slowly. “Saul dying? I figured you’ve been wanting that for a long time.”

He waves a hand. “No, that Bruin would give up his spot–and that you’d take it.” He reaches for a second glass and fills it, this time swallowing it down himself. “Fuck. Fucking fuck.”

It’s wrong to let my guard down here in another King’s domain, but I find my muscles easing. “I know it’s not what you really wanted. Saul was a prick, but he was right about some things. The Bruin name means something here.” Shifting restlessly, I insist, “But I’m committed. The guys are committed. We’re in this. For life.”

Killian nods, taking a silent moment to process everything. “How?”

I frown. “How what?”

“How did you kill him?”

Oh. “A shot to the head. He didn’t deserve anything else.”

“Fucking asshole.” He shakes his head. “I wish I could have been there. What he did to our Lady…” Killian looks instantly murderous, and briefly, I start to reassess my need to be here.

But I’m stronger than that. “I know. He came for the Duchess, too.”

Killian gives an abrupt laugh. “That’s what it was about? Saul’s downfall was his dick?” He pauses. “Actually, I can believe that.”

I scratch my neck. “That was the final straw maybe, but to be honest, it’s been a long time coming. He pushed us to this point.” I look down at the ring on my finger, feeling the responsibility that comes with. “I wanted you to know first. Before it’s public knowledge.”

Killian looks unsurprised. “So I have your back with the Kings.”

Rubbing my forehead, I admit, “I won’t deny I’m going to need help–the same way you needed Nick’s help when you took over your father’s Kingdom.”

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