Page 121 of Hunter's Revenge

I was going to present it just like that, but when I remembered Gwen would be here, I decided against doing so.

She’s scared enough. She doesn’t need to see my more unsavory habits.

I place the ring right in front of Diego.

When he looks at it, his eyes fixate on the spider insignia on the front. This ring is worn by all the members of his crew, so he knows what he’s looking at. And who it belongs to.

His gaze switch to mine, and I give him a warm smile. The kind you’d reserve for family when you see them during the holidays.

“How about we agree not to bullshit each other or lie.” I nod.

He straightens. “What is this about, Malik Volkova?”

“I’mtaking over the cartel. Not you.”

At first, he looks at me as if I’ve lost my goddam mind, then he laughs.

“Is this some kind of joke? You, take over the Navarro cartel? I know you people think you’re God, but you can’t do that.” His accent gets stronger with every word.

“I already have.” The humor on his face falls with my declaration, and his eyes darken like the sky before a thunderstorm. “As of Saturday at six p.m., everything was transferred to me, including Astori.”

“Impossible,” Esperanza speaks up in a sharp accented voice that is too deep and rusty for the softness in her face. It’s almost as if it doesn’t belong to her. “This is entirely impossible.”

“And yet here I am, because this is happening.”

She switches her gaze from me to Gwen, and I know she’s figuring things out.

They both should be by now because they know there’s only one way I could have taken over the cartel.

“Who is this woman?” Esperanza spits, balling her hand into a tight fist as she stares straight at Gwen, who tenses next to me.

“This is my wife.” It feels strange to say those words. I look at Gwen, and she stares back at me. “Why don’t I let her tell you a little more about herself?”

Real fear brims within Gwen’s eyes as she continues staring at me. I nod at her, giving her some reassurance and pushing at the same time.

She looks away and stares Esperanza in the eye. “My name is Gwen. Santiago Navarro was my father. I am his heir.” Considering she looked so scared moments before, her tone is confident and sounds like a person who’s been dying to tell a secret they’ve been burdened with for a lifetime. I suppose she has.

This must be the first time she’s ever said those words. And to the wrong people.

I’m a bastard for doing this. But war is war, and this is how you bring down giants.

Esperanza is already giving Gwen a poison-tipped glare, but Diego is stunned. His dark skin has even gone pale.

“Santiago was the founder of the Navarro cartel, and everything you have belongs to him,” I state. “According to his revised will, he left his entire legacy to his daughter. This woman here, my wife.” I point to Gwen.

“What proof do you have that this is Santiago’s daughter?” Diego presses a fist into the table and clenches his jaw so tightly the vein in his neck pops out as if it’s going to explode.

“I have everything here. Starting with a paternity test.” I pull the next documents from the files and hand them each a copy. It has details back from the lab confirming Gwen’s paternity. I got everything back this morning.

Gwen gives me a narrowed look because she didn’t know I did this.

Diego and Esperanza scan the test confirming Gwen’s DNA match to Manolo’s then look back at me. They both know they can’t fight me, and if they try, they won’t win.

Esperanza glares at me then at Desmier. “Desmier Volkova, you truly sanction this? You are the second-in-command to your Pakhan. This is an outrage.”

“I sanction it completely,” Desmier answers with a firm nod. “The entire legion of Knights and our Bratva Brotherhood all stand by this decision.”

Hearing that makes her eyes blaze. If looks could really kill, Desmier would be a memory.