Page 122 of Hunter's Revenge

“Why? Tell me, Malik Volkova, the youngest Volkova brother.” Esperanza looks back at me. “Why now? You went through a lot to find my dead husband’s daughter. A woman I could never find myself. What do the Knights want with our cartel and a pharmaceutical company? Why would you do this? You have an insurmountable amount of wealth, and you don’t work with any cartel.”

A quick glance at Diego, who has gone completely quiet, tells me he already knows the answer. Esperanza isn’t privy to it, though. The woman is one hell of a bitch who can hold her own, but it’s obvious she’s been kept in the dark when she needs to be. That’s okay. I have no problem bringing her up to speed.

“Taking what you own was the best kind of revenge for what your people did to me.” I set my shoulders back and lift my chin higher.

“What the fuck did we do to you?” She throws back. “We have no dealings with you.”

I chuckle off-key the way a psychotic madman would before he loses his shit.

“Where do I start? When your husband realized I was investigating his black-market dealer friend, Barabbas Jones, he came after me. His people killed my old Navy captain, Jim Davison. Then you took me captive for over a year in Kazakhstan.” Gwen’s eyes are back on me the moment the words fall from my lips, but this time, I don’t look at her. “Your animals kept me alive to torture me senseless, and no one ever knew who took me. I doubt you wanted me to be found, but I suppose you mainly wanted me out of the way and the torturing was just to teach me a lesson that even I, a Knight and a Volkova, can have my wings clipped. But here I am.”

“I have no knowledge of this happening.” Esperanza grips the edge of the table and takes in a slow breath.

“Well, now you know.”

“What proof do you have that we were involved?” Diego asks, his voice more hesitant than when he last spoke.

This motherfucker is one nasty piece of work. He knows I have proof. He already suspected it when he sent Manuel to watch me days ago. But judging from the look on his face, he just wants to know what exactly I have so he knows what he’s up against.

I take out the last item in my box. It’s a tape recorder. It holds the evidence that set today in motion.

I press the play button, and the room fills with Diego’s voice telling Barabbas Jones about how his father imprisoned me in Kazakhstan when they thought I was a problem.

The truth is revealed within that two-minute conversation, and the recording stops playing.

“I should kill you all,” I say with ease, staring Diego down.

“I am not responsible for my father’s sins.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I’m holding you responsible, and this is what I’m doing.”

Diego’s face hardens. “This is not over yet.”

“Oh, but it is.” I say that with confidence, but I agree with him. I know this is just the beginning. “All you need to do now is gather the men in your alliance in Mexico and prepare them to meet with us in a few days. I’ll let you know what day and time.”

“For fuck’s sake, I bury my father this week.”

“Obviously, I don’t care for your father one way or the other. If you want to still be a part of this cartel, you will get what you need to get done and do whatever I tell you to do.”

Knowing I’m not fucking around, he backs down like a subservient dog.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Good. You may go now.”

Neither like the way I’ve dismissed them, but they stand, gather the documents I’ve given them, then make their way out of the boardroom.

Esperanza is the first to leave, but just before Diego walks through the door, he glances back at Gwen, who is already looking at him.

In those silent moments of seconds ticking by, I almost see his mind working.

When he looks at me, I know I’m right. The motherfucker is already coming up with a plan.

We all know how this works and how it doesn’t.

Everything goes back to my dear wife—the queen.

If she’s married to me, we own the cartel.

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