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“I think there has to be. Something he’s missed or overlooked, someone who works for him who hates him or isn’t loyal and can be bought. Something that will let me get close enough to kill him.”
Gage shakes his head. “Anyone who sold him out would be dead before they could reap any benefit from it.”
“Not if I kill Ivan first. Who’s going to step in to defend him if he’s gone?”
The broad-shouldered man narrows his eyes as he studies me like he’s trying to look right through me, but I hold my ground. Like I said, I’m not letting him intimidate me. The other two stay back, letting Gage handle this, but they’re watching with clear interest.
“Why do you want him dead so badly?” Gage finally asks.
My stomach churns as a rush of memories flow through my head, but I keep my features neutral. “That’s not important.”
Gage’s expression hardens, his jade eyes flashing. “The fuck it isn’t. You have to be smart about this. We can’t risk you fucking this up because you’re too trigger-happy to use your brain.”
I glare at him. “If that was an issue, I would’ve already tried to get to him by now. I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“I’m not sure I believe that,” he fires back. “What is it? Does he owe you money?”
“Yeah, that’s it. He borrowed five bucks off me and didn’t give it back. Mystery solved. Good job, Sherlock.”
“It has to be something. You’re serious about this. Are you his illegitimate daughter?”
I just make a face that tells him what I think of that.
“No? Scorned lover then? Ex-best friend? He killed someone you care about?”
That’s getting too close to the truth, and I surge to my feet, stepping around the dog as hot anger floods my veins.
“Let it fucking go!” I snap. “It doesn’t matter what the reason is. I’ll kill him like I said I would. That’s all you need to know.”
“You’re defensive about it.” Gage cocks his head, his full lips turning down. “Which means there’s a story there. Some loose end. I hate loose ends.”
“Well, it’s not your fucking loose end to deal with, so you don’t need to worry about it,” I spit back.
“I do if it’s going to come back to bite me and mine in the ass later.”
“It won’t.”
“How do I know that? If he’s some jilted lover of yours and he wants revenge against you too—”
“Shut the fuck up!” I shout, getting even more pissed off. Just thinking about Ivan being myloveris enough to make me want to throw up right here on their stupid white rug. Gage is trying to push my buttons, trying to get a rise out of me… and it’s fucking working.
Fuck this shit. I don’t have to take this. Not from some wannabe gangster who doesn’t know shit or when to shut his fucking mouth. If they want to kill me, then they can, but I’m not some goddamn puppet for them to boss around or control.
I turn and storm out of the house, slamming the door behind me.
Not even two seconds later, Gage yanks the door open and steps outside, yanking it shut behind him before striding over and squaring off with me in the middle of the driveway.
“You don’t seem to get it,” he says, looming over me as his voice drops to a low, dangerous register. “I don’t give a shit about your history because I want to know you. It’s about making sure this isn’t gonna come back to fuck us. I need to know who I’m getting in bed with.”
“I told you all you need to know, so mind your own damn business.”
He takes a step closer, getting in my face, and I don’t back down. He’s taller than me by a good bit, well over six feet tall, but I’m not afraid of him. I’m just as pissed off as he is, riding my anger and letting it make me bold.
“You need to watch your mouth,” he growls, the words rumbling in his chest.
“Oh, fuck you!” The words explode out of me, carried on a wave of anger. “You’re not the fucking boss of me. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“You don’t realize the position you’re in.”
