Page 90 of Devil’s Promise

“I see,” Angel says into the phone. “Send me the pic.” And then he hangs up.

“Everything all right?” I ask, realizing I’m just repeating the same question over and over.

Angel frowns. “That was Jake. We’ll talk to him again tomorrow, and you can listen, but he just wanted to tell me that they’ve lost Sver again. They did capture him on camera, however, and they are forwarding me a picture so that we’ll know what he looks like.”

“But we’re going back to New York. Why should we be concerned about Sver?” I watch Angel’s face, his grimace speaking volumes. He’s worried.

“He worked for a Russian family before he went rogue. He’s highly dangerous. And since he was seen just outside our wedding reception, Jake is worried he knows who we are. He wants us to be prepared just in case Sver surfaces in New York.” His phone dings. He opens the image, looks at it, and hands it to Knox. “Show Promise when you’re done.”

Knox hands me the phone.

It’s a picture of one of the hotel hallways, a single figure walking down the hall. He’s tall, well-muscled, graying at the temples.

His shirt is open, revealing a thickly muscled and tattooed chest.

Next to me Candy inhales a sharp breath.

I look over at her and her eyes are wide, the color draining from her face. I don’t have to ask to know…

Pressing my lips together, I stand, crossing to Angel to hand him back his phone. By the way he’s staring at Candy, he knows too.

She wasn’t kidding. She’s got terrible taste in men.

Candy’s super-hot hookup. It was Sver…

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Angel

Sver is going to be a problem.

Like I need another fucking one of those. His hookup with Candy was not an accident, but where he fits into this puzzle, I’ve got no fucking clue.

And right now, I’m headed back to New York to deal with both Don and Vincent who have teamed up against me.

Promise stands and comes back to the seat next to me.

My arm goes around her waist as I settle her closer to my body.

“Don’t worry, love, I won’t let him hurt you,” I whisper close to her ear.

“I wasn’t worried.” She shakes her head and then brings her cheek to my shoulder. But her answer leaves me unsettled. Is she unbothered because she trusts me or does she still have that fatalist attitude? I want her to trust me with her safety.

“I know that Sver is a new and interesting problem, but we’ve got an old one waiting. What’s your plan?” Knox asks, cracking his knuckles. “How are you dealing with Don and Vincent?”

“United, they are a real problem. I think my best bet would be to divide them again.”

Promise stiffens, nipping at her lip. “Are you going to make my father a counteroffer?”

I know what Promise wants, what’s kept her moving forward. She wants to expose her father and that’s easier when her husband isn’t his partner. “No. It’s officially time to shut your father down. My offer will be to Vincent.” And not just because of Promise. If Vincent agrees to a partnership, all the other New York families will fall in line. I can get my legitimacy from my partnership with the Smiths. I don’t need Don anymore.

I feel Promise relax again. “And the votes he bought?”

“He didn’t fulfill his end of the bargain,” I answer easily. “I’m not bound to mine.”

Her hand comes to my chest. “I want the world to understand the kind of man he really is,” she says as she looks up at me. “Losing his run for governor would be the perfect first step.”

Knox quirks a brow. “Blondie’s got an edge.”