Page 99 of Pretty Vengeful Queen

Her chin lifts, showing that defiant spirit I fell so fucking hard for. “I don’t care about plans being changed, I care about you being careful. I love you, Dante. Don’t fucking… don’t let anything happen. Promise me you’ll be all right.”

“Fuck, princess,” I breathe out, resting my forehead on hers.

I want a taste of her more than I want just about anything, but I know I can’t. The way to sell my defection to McKenna is to turn off anything that stops me from believing it myself, at least on the surface.

I can at least give her this, though, even though I know it’s a promise I can’t guarantee to keep.

“I’ll be all right.”

She holds my gaze, searching for the truth. “And you’ll come back,” she finally says.

“And I’ll come back,” I promise, pressing my hand to the ink she put over her heart before stepping away.

Logan tosses me the keys to the Escalade we finally got back from the body shop. It’s Maddoc’s ride, as distinctive as the tattoo on the finger I’ve got in my pocket, and driving out in it is one more way we’ll signal to the world that Madd is gone.

I take one last look at the three of them, then head out, choosing the most direct route to West Point’s territory.

I use the drive time to get my game face on, letting the last of my emotions drain away so I can focus on what I need to do. All I care about is moving up in Halston’s underground. The Reapers were on the rise when the Crows sent me in, and befriending Madd was just a means to an end. I felt nothing when I took him out; nothing except the rush of finally having a chance to get ahead after being stuck as his second for all these years.

I sink into the story, making it my own as I navigate to a strip club where McKenna’s men are known to be seen on the regular.

I’ve got no doubt that the minute the Escalade crossed into West Point territory, about three miles back, I was on their radar, and it’s no surprise at all that the minute I walk into the strip club, all eyes are immediately on me.

“Reaper,” one of the bouncers grunts as he moves in front of me, blocking my way and spitting on the floor at my feet. “You got a death wish?”

“I’ve got something.” I smirk. “Not for you, though. Where’s McKenna?”

“Funny you should ask,” he says with an ugly smile as two other bouncers grab me from behind and rough me up a little, not even pretending it’s about me resisting—which I’m not—before they take me prisoner.

And then, just like I asked very fucking politely in the first place, they finally take me to see McKenna.

“What the fuck were you doing in West Point’s territory?” he asks when his goons finally throw me down in front of him about ten minutes later, after offering me a luxury ride in the trunk of one of their cars.

They’ve zip-tied my hands behind me and weren’t gentle getting me in and out of that trunk, and the way McKenna smirks down at me as I get back to my feet tells me he’s actually stupid enough to think the low-budget intimidation tactics can hide what an incompetent piece of shit he is.

Case in point, he doesn’t wait for me to actually answer and provide any useful intel before trying to swing his dick around a little more.

“I should kill you right here,” he threatens, getting up in my face. He slowly draws a finger across the front of my throat. “Send you fucking Reapers a message in your blood.”

He has a few familiar faces in the room with him. His own seconds, and a couple other high level weasels.

It’s like he’s showboating for them.

I snort. “A message in blood? Come on now, you’re gonna have to do better than that. Especially when you can’t seem to hire a decent assassin. Seriously, how the fuck do you expect to get anything done with losers like that on your payroll?”

McKenna’s smirk turns into a murderous scowl, and he sucker punches me in the gut. “Watch it, Reaper.”

I straighten back up. “It’s Dante, actually.”

“I know who you are.” A vein starts throbbing in his temple. Then he gives me a slow, sadistic smile. “I also know how much Maddoc Gray will enjoy getting you back in pieces.”

It takes everything I have not to grin.

Seriously, though, could the asshat have given me a better opening?

“Kinda hard for him to enjoy much of anything since I just took him out.”

Chatter erupts amongst McKenna’s people, cutting off abruptly when he shoots them a hard look. Then he turns back to me, his eyes narrowing as he studies my face. “Do you want to repeat that, Reaper?”

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