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“I don’t give a shit either way, but I can help you break him out, and I can tell you how to get Isaiah. Are you interested or not?”
Chao studies my face and folds his arms over the desk. Behind me, I hear the guards shift, the floor creaking beneath their feet. “Joaquin is one of our own.”
Anger pumps through me, clouding my judgment, because all I can think about is how close I came to losing Evie.
“You son of a bitch.” I bend down, whip out the gun hidden in my boots, and aim it directly at him. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t take the shot right now.”
A cold barrel presses to the back of my neck.
Chao doesn’t look fazed as he stands and brushes imaginary lint off of his collar. “If you try anything, my men will shoot you.”
I narrow my eyes into slits. “They’re not going to be able to stop the bullet.”
“You’re only going to get one shot at this, O’Connor. You’d better make sure you’re a good shot.” Chao moves from behind his desk and comes to stand in front of it. He brings his hips to rest against the front and tucks his hands into his pockets. “Are you a betting man, Mr. O’Connor?”
I remove the safety, and my pulse quickens. “I am, and I like my odds better than yours.”
If I can’t make a deal for our lives, I can at least make sure Evie’s odds of surviving are better. Removing Isaiah’s sworn enemy seems like a good place to start.
“What if I were to tell you that Joaquin was hired?”
I frown. “Why would you tell me that?”
Chao’s dark eyes fix on me, tight and watchful. “A lot of blood has been spilled on both ends.”
“Are you trying to negotiate a deal?”
Chao makes a low guttural noise in the back of his throat. “I am exchanging information. If I give you what you want, you can leave here unharmed, and we can work together to take down Isaiah.”
I take a step forward and the gun at the back of my neck follows. “And what if I don’t agree to the terms?”
Chao shrugs. “Blood stains are a bitch to clean.”
“How do I know if you’re telling the truth?”
“You can use your contacts to check. Joaquin was working for us until recently when he stepped out of line. Two days ago, he was dealt with accordingly. This morning, it was discovered that we were hacked.”
“It’s atriplebetrayal. You sent him to spy on us, but he flipped and started working for someone else.”
Chao folds his arms across his chest. “We reached him through his sister and convinced him to take us up on our offer. He’s been ours from the start. However, I don’t like being made into a fool, Mister O’Connor, as I’m sure you can imagine. Tell me what you know about Isaiah, and I’ll help you and your friends. Do we have a deal?”
“How do I know you’re not going to betray me?”
“Because I don’t like leaving loose ends, and Joaquin hasn’t finished what he started. I believe Isaiah’s house guest got first hand proof of that.”
My blood turns to ice. “Evie.”
“Yes, she is an interesting house guest.” Chao pushes himself off the table and unfolds his arms. When he stands a few feet away from me, his lips curve into a slow smile. “Isaiah has never been good at sharing.”
I glare at him. “Miss Coombes is under his protection. If it wasn’t you who sent him to kill Evie, who was it?
“I want proof that your intel is solid,” Chao tells me with a steely look. “Give me a few pieces of information, and I’ll help you and your friends leave, unharmed.”
“This won’t come back to haunt us?”
“There are no guarantees in this life, Mr. O’Connor. Do we have an understanding or not?”
I lower the gun and ignore the shiver racing up my spine. “Fine. You have my word. What do you know?”
