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I was dreading this.
After the beef we’d had, he would never come to the bank…unless I got on my knees and begged.
Fuck that shit.
I walked inside and found him in the center of a boxing ring. His trainer held up padded boards for him to slam his fists into. He was shirtless, all of his cut muscles and tattoos visible. He really was a beefy guy.
A few pretty girls hung their arms on the ropes outside the ring, dressed in sports bras and little gym shorts. They watched Liam like he was the next man they each wanted to conquer.
He was working so hard to get his ex-wife back, so I wondered if he was screwing any pretty woman who checked him out. He did cheat on her the second they lost their baby, so I didn’t have high expectations for the guy.
With sweat dripping down his face and flushed cheeks, he finished the set then stepped back. He hopped in place and shook out the tension in his biceps and triceps. He paced the ring before he pulled off his gloves and grabbed his jug of water from the ground.
I stood opposite the girls, my arms resting on the ropes.
He chugged the water as his eyes moved to me. It took him two heartbeats to recognize me, and when he did, he stopped drinking, so the liquid splashed all over him. He pulled it away from his face then marched toward me. “Got a death wish, motherfucker?” He threw his bottle on the ground, the water spilling all over the place.
The entire gym went quiet, the sound of bars and weights suddenly going silent.
He opened an access point through the ropes and slipped through.
I backed up and returned my hands to my pockets, responding to his hostility with indifference.
He marched toward me, his muscled mass covered in sweat and tattoos. He stopped in front of me and stared at me with wide eyes, as if he was waiting for the right moment to give me an uppercut that would knock me out.
Maybe visiting him during his workout was a bad idea. He was pumped full of adrenaline, testosterone, and protein. He was trained in the art of killing, and he probably wanted to turn me into his next carcass.
“Caught you at a bad time?” I asked like a smartass.
His eyes narrowed. “I just need one reason to bash your skull in…”
“That wasn’t it?”
He lunged at me.
I didn’t move. I didn’t blink.
It was a fake-out, and he stilled after his failed attempt. “I’m not coming back, if that’s what this is about. I warned you.”
“We both know no one can help you like we can. If you don’t launder your money right, you’re gonna have a lot more problems later. We know all the right people to get the bad people off our backs. And the biggest reason of all…you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. You love money, right?” I pointed at my chest. “Because I love money, and I’m not leaving a single euro on the table.”
He continued to breathe hard, his shoulders moving up and down like he was still exhausted after beating the shit out of the pads his trainer held. “I don’t want to work with a jackass like you.”
“Good news, you won’t have to. You’re Hades’s client.”
He continued his hard stare.
“Come on, let’s cut the shit, Liam. You need us, and we need you.”
“Why are you here instead of him?”
I rolled my eyes. “Said I fucked it up, so I should fix it…whatever that means.”
“Alright.” He stepped closer to me. “But on one condition.”
Fuck.
“Apologize. Bitch.”
No way in hell was I gonna do that. I’d rather Hades shoot me than forsake my pride like that. “I’m not gonna apologize, but before you get all huffy and puffy, just remember you don’t want me to.”
Both of his hands tightened into fists.
“Your ex-wife is also a client of ours. Wouldn’t you want me to execute her wishes? Protect her privacy? Treat her with the same respect I treat you? What if a new guy came along and demanded the same things you are? Wouldn’t you want me to have her back?” It was a pretty compelling argument. I could negotiate and manipulate when I wanted to. I had more brains than Hades gave me credit for.
Liam still wore that ticked expression, but the rest of his body softened a bit. “If there is some other jackass, you tell me. I’ll take care of him.”
Good to know.
“Fine. I’ll come back.”
“I’ll let Hades know.”
He turned around and headed back to the ring. “But you better not piss me off again, Damien.”
I had a feeling that might happen. “Can’t promise anything…”
I let myself into Hades’s office. “I fixed it.”
His hand was on the mouse, and his eyes were focused on the computer. After he clicked on something, he turned his head toward me, that restrained hatred still in his gaze…constantly. “Congratulations. You did your job.”
