Page 19 of Judgment Day

His scowl disappeared, and his face paled when he saw the frozen image on the screen. Check-fucking-mate.

“You’d be amazed at what you can find on the internet these days,” I said as I clicked Playon the video of Gregory on the receiving end of a blow job, courtesy of his nineteen-year-old stepdaughter. It wasn’t on theactualinternet, not yet, anyway. I found it while tapping into his phone after he’d tried tapping into mine. Stupid motherfucker. “I have a friend in New York ready to hit send on over one hundred emails with this video attached. He’s just waiting on me to tell him not to.” I leaned back in my chair, pulled a cigar cutter out of my pocket and casually cut the end of my cigar.

His beady eyes narrowed, assessing me with a cold stare. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to resign.”

He scoffed. “From my own company?”

I ran the cigar under my nose again. Fucking perfect, musky, like cedar and hay. “From everything. Your company. The Brotherhood. Walk away and your secret is safe with me.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

I pulled the cigar tube back out. “Because that’s not the only video I have. If I wanted to destroy you for the simple sake of destroying you, I’d have done it a long time ago.” I tucked the cigar back inside its tube, then into my jacket pocket.

Gregory’s jaw flexed. “And if I don’t do as you ask?”

I stood up, flattening my palms on the smooth surface of his desk as I leaned forward, meeting his eyes. “You will. Because I don’t bluff. My guy will send the emails. You’ll lose your job, anyway. Your wife will leave you. And what do you think will happen to your son with this type of shit stain on your family name? It will destroy you the way you and Winston plotted to destroy me.” I cocked my head and smiled. “Yeah. I know all about that.” I schooled my features. “And if you even think about double-crossing me, just remember that every day for the rest of your life, you’ll be looking over your shoulder. I’ll wait for you, just like I did today. You might find me in the back seat of your car or in your kitchen when you go grab a bottle of water at midnight. And when you do find me, I will slice you open, then leave you lying on the floor choking on your own blood.” I leaned in closer. “Don’t fucking test me.”

“Winston won’t stop. You should be careful who you trust.” He paused for a moment as if assessing his next words. “This wasn’t his only ploy to get to you. He won’t give up.”

“Neither will I.” I straightened my posture, rolling my neck as I squared my shoulders. “I guess we’ll just have to see who has more stamina.” I started to walk away, then turned back as though I’d forgotten something. “Oh, and just so you know I’m serious about not testing me…” In the span of one second, I reached down and gripped his wrist, holding his hand in mine. And then I slid the cigar cutter over his pinky and pinched it closed. The finger fell to the desk with athwump.Blood gushed from the open wound. Gregory’s screams pierced the air as he gripped his hand and cradled it against his chest, smearing blood all over his expensive suit. His skin flushed red as tears welled in his eyes.

This was why no one questioned me when I made threats.

I tucked the cutter into my pocket, thankful it wasn’t my favorite one. I’d have to toss it as soon as I got home. And then I walked out the door. My phone rang before I got to the elevator. “We just lost Byrne,” I told Caspian instead of a usualhello.

“Fuck that guy. He’s always been a dick.” He made a noise like he was shivering. “Where are you?”

“California.”

“The fuck?”

“I told you, we just lost Byrne.”

“I don’t even want to know.” Caspian chuckled low and under his breath. “Call me when you’re alone. We need to talk.”

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside. “Everything okay?”

“I just got off the phone with Chandler.” There was a pause. “There’s something you need to know.”

THIRTEEN

“Grey?”Caspian said as though he’d been calling my name for hours.

Maybe he had.

Time was irrelevant.

I unbuttoned the cuff on my shirt and looked out the window as the plane climbed higher above the world below. The ground beneath us fell away, leaving nothing but clouds and blue sky within view. The plane tilted, then leveled back out. I reached into a nearby ice bucket, then plopped three cubes into a crystal tumbler.

Mindless movements. Instinctual. Habitual.

“I’ll call you later,” I told him.

The line went dead.

The tan leather seat was lush and cool against my back. The ivory carpet was plush underneath my feet. It smelled like vanilla and bourbon.

---