Page 49 of Scorned Queen

She deserves to have me fight for her.

“Let’s go see Caleb,” I say, and I don’t reach for the file.

I know far more about Caleb than Savage believes I do.

And I’m not sure Caleb sees anything but my father’s son when he looks at me.

Which makes me a killer, even if not the kind Savage calls familiar.

Chapter forty

Calebchoosesourmeetinglocation, a two-level hole in the wall restaurant and bar, which in New York City, is eighty percent of the establishments, and usually not a testament to the caliber of the company it keeps.In this case,it is.The joint is smokey, and loud upstairs, and smokey and dirty downstairs.To add to the ambience of it all, a few seedy looking characters lurk about, adding to my certainty that this is not a place my father would ever be seen, which I assume to be the point.

With Savage by my side, we weave our way through the rectangular space, sidestepping wooden tables with barstools, both of us in silent agreement that we’re headed downstairs.The stairwell is to the right and made for one, and neither me nor Savage are small people.We share a look and I go first, with him at my back, a little too close if you ask me, but he’s on a mission to be present and account for, and charging toward that goal, even if he’s forced to go second.I reach the worn hardwood below to find a cluster of jean clad men shooting pool around a beat-up table, but there is no sign of Caleb.

My gaze lifts to the bar in the left corner, and to the right of it, there’s a hallway.

Savage, already by my side, says, “He’ll be back there,” he glances over at me.“I would.”

In other words, it’s a kill spot, and Caleb’s a killer and a money man.I’m not immune to the idea that he might have me on his hitlist.Savage as my sidekick is looking smarter by the minute as is the weapon tucked by my side.

“And yes,” Savage replies, as if I’ve asked a question.“I’m armed and dangerous.”

Of that, I have no doubt.

“Let’s get this over with,” I say.

He winks at me like a fool, but somehow, it’s this part of him, the ability to joke in the face of danger, that makes him so damn lethal.

I start walking, and again step in front of Savage as we single file our way toward those back rooms.Once we’re in the small hallway, there’s room for two, and Savage steps to my side yet again.We end up cutting right into a surprisingly large room with low as hell ceilings and I’m reminded of what Savage said earlier.

He’ll be there.I would be.

Or whatever the fuck he said.

It’s a secluded spot that might as well be a dark alley.

Never in my decades of knowing Caleb have I considered him my future hitman, but I do now.I bring the room into full view with only one person present.Caleb sits at a long wooden table, a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in front of him, as if he plans to give me a reason to drink.

Two long tables stand between us and him.I walk around them and join Caleb.He stands and faces me, ignoring Savage.“Who the fuck is he?”

“I be Savage,” Savage says.“I kill people.”He laughs.“Sounds like fun, right?”

Caleb’s gaze shifts to Savage and the two men stare each other down for so fucking long, I sit down and fill my glass.When the pair of them decide to join me, Savage downs the contents of Caleb’s glass and says, “Nice of you to provide treats.”He refills the glass.“Just so you know, if you kill Damion or Alana, I’m your Huckleberry.Should you do so, Damion offered to pay me a shit ton of money to kill you, but I declined.I love killing one ofyou.I’ll do it for free.”

I almost laugh at Savage, for no good reason.This isn’t funny.It’s not even close to funny but it’s just stupid ridiculous.Even by my standards, having grown up with my mother, It’s like something out of a movie not real life.Caleb’s gaze is steel locked on Savage’s face before it shifts sharply to me.“What is this?”

“We both know your ultimate loyalty lies with my father.”

He doesn’t so much as blink.“I’d tell you to give me a reason to be loyal to you, but you can’t win this, Damion.Therefore, I can’t win with you.”He taps the glass.“Drink it.You’re about to need it.”

“Say what you have to say,” I snap.

“All right.Let’s get right to it, no lube or booze.He’s got a bloody good plan.He’s fucking Alana’s mother for a reason.You can let your mind go wild and imagine where I’m going with this.I won’t fill in the blanks, but if anything he plans goes wrong I’m responsible.There’s a price on my head.It’s all paid for.It’s all done.There’s only one way to stop it.”

I bark out laughter.“Let me guess.Sell my stock to him.”

“Exactly,” he says, and he grabs the glass Savage has just filled and downs it.“Exactly.”His eyes meet Savages.“Unless Savage here wants to help me kill off all the contract killers in the world, of which there are more than you might think, I find myself in a quandary.”He sets the glass down and looks at me.“I either finish the job he’s put before me, or I could be the next one to die.”

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