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I was grateful Crow didn’t put me on the sidelines because he wanted to protect me. He knew I had a backbone of steel and I could hold my own in a fight. That kind of respect was hard to find.
“And I wanted Cane to see yours bruises.” He didn’t flinch while eating. “A reminder that I haven’t forgotten what he’s done to you. And that I’ll never forget he laid a hand on you.” The threat in his voice was subtle but powerful. The veins in his neck bulged with hatred. He loved his brother but seemed to equally hate him.
“I think you succeeded.” Cane stared at me for most of the meeting. There was no remorse in his eyes and there never would be. He felt justified because of the person he lost. A part of me understood it completely.
He sipped his wine then returned it to the table. “Did he make you uncomfortable?”
“No.” Even after putting me in the hospital I still wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, I wanted another rematch. I wanted a steel bat in my hands so I could even the score. “It takes a lot more than a few glares across a table to frighten me.”
A small smile crept into his lips. He took another drink of his wine before he set the glass down. “When the time comes, you’re certain you’ll be prepared?”
“Yes.” I wasn’t afraid to go through with the plan. I didn’t want to be anywhere near Bones. He still haunted my dreams. But I was eager to finish what he started. I wanted to end his life, get justice for all the women who weren’t as lucky as me.
He nodded in approval. “I think it’ll work. And the world will be a better place.”
It would be an entirely new place. “I don’t think I could stop there.”
He pulled his gaze away from his plate. He watched me closely, and without saying a word asked me to elaborate. The months we spent together allowed us to understand one another at a basic level. We could communicate silently. Words had no use for us.
“When I was sold at the auction, someone pocketed three million dollars off my captivity. Three million.” I still couldn’t wrap my mind around that. That was so much money for someone who did nothing to earn it. “I want it back. I’ve been through hell and deserve to be compensated. I was the one who was a slave so I should be paid for my work.”
He examined me in silence, his entire focus directed on me.
“I want to find out who that man is. And I’m going to hunt him down.”
“I could be of assistance.”
I knew he would offer. “Thanks. I could use the help.”
“And what do you plan on doing to him?”
“Taking the cash.”
“And murdering him?”
I didn’t know about that. When I was in the situation I would make the right decision. “We’ll see.”
“I hate to dampen your vendetta but trafficking is something that occurs all over the world. It’s one of the biggest sectors of the black market. Billions of dollars are made every single year.”
“Things are about to change.”
Affection burned in his eyes. “And you think you can change it?”
“Anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.”
“I think you’ll need a lot of money and manpower to get anywhere.” He didn’t try to dismay me, but he was obligated to be honest.
“True...” I didn’t have a penny to my name at the moment.
“But you can always use my resources.”
“In exchange for what?”
A ghostly smile spread on his lips. He held my gaze with a sinister intention, answering the question without saying a single word. “You.”
“You already have me.”
“Yeah. But I could keep you as long as I wanted. I could be your silent backer who gets excellent compensation. Your fidelity. Your loyalty. And everything else.”
He didn’t need to do anything to keep me around. I had the freedom to leave whenever I wanted. The only reason why I was still there was because I wanted to be. We no longer needed a currency like buttons. “That’s a fair deal.”
“Then we have an agreement.” He poured more wine into both of our glasses.
Our relationship started off under tense terms but it was different now. We were similar to any other relationship. He wanted me to be in his life and his bed indefinitely, and I felt the same way. I didn’t think I could trust anyone ever again, but my heart was already softening for him. When it came to Crow, I felt safe. And I felt cherished. He wanted me and I wanted him—for the rest of time.
Maybe I was meant to come here. Maybe I was meant to leave New York and Jacob because I was destined for something more. Perhaps I had to push through all the darkness to finally reach the light. What if I was meant for someone just as dark and broken?
