Page 107 of Hard Bargain

Keegan’s gaze dropped, deciding what to give up, how much, how fast. Then a decision seemed to settle in him. “Mercer’s obsessed with you,” he said. “Not just curious. Obsessed. Everything you do, every move you make… he measures himself against it.”

Dominic didn’t react, not so much as a muscle. Knox had seen him do this before—the deliberate blankness, the refusal to give the other person anything to read. Keegan was talking to a wall and the silence was making him talk faster.

“He’s jealous,” Keegan added. “Of what you’ve built. How tight you run things. He thinks he should be where you are. He’s trying to grow faster than he should. Making moves he isn’t ready for. Promising people things he can’t deliver.” Keegan leaned forward, lowering his voice. “He’s planning to take what’s yours. Piece by piece. Territory. Distribution. All of it.”

Dominic’s fingers tapped against the table. “And you’re telling me this out of generosity?”

Keegan shook his head. “I’m telling you because it’s going to blow up. And when it does, you’ll come down on everything connected to him.” A beat. “I don’t want to be part of that.”

Knox believed him. Not because the words were convincing—words were easy—but because of everything underneath them. The swallow before each answer. The way his hand had gone still once he’d committed, like he’d passed the point of no return and knew it. The fear was real. The calculation behind it was real too. This wasn’t a man playing both sides; this was someone who’d already done the math.

“You want protection,” Dominic said.

“Yes.”

“Give me something I can use, and I’ll consider it.”

Keegan held Dominic’s gaze, steadier now. The worst part was over: he’d said what he came to say and hadn’t been killed for it. “I can give you locations, routes, names,” he said.

“Start with something useful,” Dominic said.

Keegan exhaled. “There’s a warehouse. South side. He’s been moving more through there the last two days than anywhere else.”

“Address.”

Keegan gave it without hesitation.

Dominic leaned back. “We’ll verify. If this checks out, we talk about the rest.”

Keegan didn’t relax. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “I figured.”

Dominic stood, Knox followed, and neither of them looked back.

* * *

Five minutes later they were back in the car. Knox leaned into the seat and exhaled slowly, letting the conversation replay.

He glanced at Dominic. He was already on his phone, speaking in clipped tones. “Check the address. I want eyes on it now.” A pause. “No, don't engage. Just watch. Call me the second you see movement.”

He ended the call and put the phone away, gaze shifting to the window.

Knox studied him. “You believe him.” It wasn’t a question.

Dominic didn’t look at him. “What do you think?”

Knox shifted in his seat, one arm resting against the door. “I don’t think he was lying.”

Dominic watched him for a moment, something thoughtful settling behind his eyes. “Good.”

“That’s it?”

A brow lifted. “You want a gold star?”

Knox snorted. “Figured there’d be more feedback.”

Dominic leaned back in his seat. “I trust your judgement.”

It was simple. Direct. But it still did something to Knox’s chest he didn’t want to examine. He looked away, eyes drifting back to the window. “So what now?”