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Finally, Tiho came back and said hoarsely, “Well, I just figured you would be too busy to come track me down.”
“Too busy?” he said, feigning confusion.
“Yeah,” Tiho said impatiently. “Dealing with that cat. Is he still alive?”
The confirmation that Tiho had known exactly what Caden was sent a chill down his spine.
“He is.”
“He’s got to be getting pretty close to death.” There was a sneer in Tiho’s voice and a coldness that Quinten rarely encountered even in some of the dirtier business he dealt in. This man truly didn’t care that Caden could have been dying an excruciating, slow death right at that moment.
“No, he’s just fine,” Quinten said, forcing cheer into his voice. “Last I saw him, he was grabbing a book from the library.”
There was another long pause, but this time, he could still hear a faint noise, so he knew it wasn’t muted. Tiho was just surprised. “Good. That’s great. I’m so relieved to hear it,” Tiho said, sounding anything but. “You know, I was really worried when I found him like that.”
“Found him?” Quinten asked. “Is that what we’re going with?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Quinten said, letting an edge of steel into his voice, “that you’re the sick fucker who put that collar on him. We both know it. Don’t pretend. I don’t have time for games. Unlike you, I have actual responsibilities that I have to take care of. So let’s cut to the chase, Tiho. What the fuck do you want, and why should I give it to you and not just kill you?”
“You’ve got it all wrong, man.” Tiho started talking faster, scrambling. “I swear, I didn’t put that on him.”
Dare shook his head, but Quinten didn’t need him to confirm that it was a lie.
“Tiho, that’s strike two. You need to be honest with me, or this conversation is going to be over.”
The line went dead again, and Dare straightened. “Why is he lying?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t appreciate it. It does make me concerned that he has some longer plan at work.”
“Or the person with him does.”
Quinten conceded that with a quick nod. He waited another few seconds and then hung up before immediately calling back.
Tiho answered, “Sorry, my phone—”
“Shut up.” Quinten planted his hands on the desk and rose to his feet. “This was slightly amusing for a moment, but now it’s over. You come near me, my people, my ports, my fucking city, and I will put an end to you and anyone you’ve ever talked to, cared about, or worked with.”
“Quinten—”
“I don’t give a shit what you want, Tiho. I was lying. It doesn’t matter because if I ever hear your name again, I will kill you. I’ll do it even slower than that fucking collar would have. Hell, maybe I’ll have one of my witches whip something up that’s similar.”
“Listen,” Tiho said, “that’s not what happened. You see, I was going to this—”
Quinten didn’t wait to hear what new bullshit he was going to spew, hanging up.
“That was useless,” Dare said, taking his phone back.
“Maybe. Though the fact that he wouldn’t admit to what he did was telling. We’ll talk to Caden and see what he remembers and go from there.” He smiled sharply. “I’m inclined to do the Borko family a favor and wipe this piece of shit off the face of the planet for them.”
“They might appreciate that.”
Quinten tugged at the cuffs of his jacket and moved around his desk. “If he’s making a play for the top, I definitely think Vlatko would. When I send him his half brother in pieces, he might not be as thankful, but it’ll get the point across. Fuck with me, and you’ll find out what happens.”
“The Borkos may go to war with us on principle.”
“And then the Borkos will learn that I have been extraordinarily kind to them, allowing them to do business in my territory. It was convenient having somebody keep the other families from trying to establish themselves back in Chicago, and taking a percentage of their dealings added nicely to the coffers, but we don’t need them.” He stopped in front of Dare and held his eyes. “We. Don’t. Need. Them. We can protect our territory without them. If they prove to be more trouble than they’re worth, then we will take out every single one of them. It’ll send a clear message to everyone—in and outside the city—that this is our territory, and we will hold it. By blood if necessary.”
