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Thank God for small favors.
“I don’t understand why you’d do this. You’re one of Simon’s men.”
“Wrong. I’m Gio’s. I knew from the beginning Kyros’s son was soft like him. You are a liability, just like his mother was.”
“How the fuck am I a liability?”
“You’ve changed his priorities. We’ve watched it happen. Now we’ll use it to shift the power to the rightful Drakos. Albert understands the way of things, as does Hal.”
“The rightful Drakos is in power,” I gritted out. “Taking me won’t change it. My brothers will destroy you.”
“Keep thinking that. They’ve signed on as allies to Albert.”
“Not a chance.” I shook my head.
I knew all of it was bullshit. Papa hated Albert for his treatment of my mother during their youth. Papa had a way of letting people believe he’d support them without outright giving a formal commitment, which never bound him to do anything.
Ignoring my words, he gestured with his chin to another man. “Open the cab. Let them in.”
A second later, the doors opened, and Hal stepped out with a group of men I recognized from the engagement party. All of them belonging to families that were supposed to be allies of my father and brothers.
Oh God, this couldn’t be happening.
Hal’s attention zoomed in on me, and he strode in my direction. My assessment of him from that night in the botanical gardens was beyond accurate. He couldn’t hold a candle to Simon in the way he carried himself.
Hal tried too hard to emulate his older cousin and failed—in style, swagger, everything.
Yeah, my opinion was skewed in favor of Simon, but it made it no less the truth.
Damn, I sounded like a lovesick puppy, even in my head.
“Hello, princess. Or should I call you goddess, as Simon prefers?”
“Nyx will do.” I glared at him. “What do you want?”
“I have a proposition.” He threw a coin on the table behind me. “Something I encourage you to consider in exchange for keeping your secret from going public. Have a seat.”
Not waiting to see if I’d comply, Justin forced me down into my seat and then stepped back.
“Go see if you can find the footage for tonight’s game and the lockbox.”
I smirked. They’d never find it. We hid it in a different location after every event, and the only people who knew the exact spot to search were Stevie and me.
“You don’t scare me, Hal.”
“It’s not my intention to scare you. You should have met with me that day instead of standing me up. It would have saved us this trouble.”
“You mean holding me against my will in a hotel room?”
“Hotel suites are your specialty. Although, you do seem to enjoy penthouse balconies for some of your more engaging activities. You and my cousin gave my men quite the show. Live-action porn at its best.”
My face heated, remembering how Simon and I were so lost in primal need that after the initial worry, I hadn’t given any more thought to the idea of anyone watching us.
“Just so you know, that shit won’t fly with me. I don’t fuck in public.”
I frowned, cocking my head a little, studying his face. He gave me a deadpan stare as if I was stupid for not understanding his meaning.
He couldn’t be serious.
