Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
I could see a man approach my table out of the corner of my eye, his massive size casting shadows in the already dark club. His large hand placed a glass of booze on the table before he slid into the leather booth.
I kept my expression neutral and didn’t seem surprised by his unexpected visit. It was my fault for letting my guard down by wondering about Annabella’s perfect curves, fantasizing about those full, red lips.
Now, I paid the price.
Deep blue eyes pierced mine. Full of warning, unmistakable threat, a horde of demons, he was the man of nightmares. He relaxed in the seat with his fingers loosely gripping the glass in front of him. He cocked his head slightly as he examined me, full of indifference but also intrigue.
The Skull King.
I’d evaded his grasp for years because of our mutual interest in avoidance, but I knew my time was up.
“We haven’t officially met.” He shook his glass so the cubes tapped against the sides. He glanced at the glass without taking a drink then lifted his eyes to mine once more. He was identical to his twin brother, carrying the same muscularity, possessing the strength of a Clydesdale. “Heath.”
“I can already tell I prefer Balto.”
A slow smile crept onto his lips. “Not the first time I’ve heard that. Must be doing something right.” He finally took a drink, his thick throat shifting as he got the fire into his belly. His eyes stayed on me as he dropped the glass back onto the table.
“Or something wrong.” I wasn’t easily intimidated. Maybe that would be my downfall someday.
He shrugged. “Time will tell.”
I kept up my relaxed posture and held his gaze with a bored expression. “Something I can help you with?”
“You know why I’m here, Damien.” He placed one arm over the back of the booth, his fingers slightly curling into a fist.
The Skull Kings were the gatekeepers, keeping the various factions of the underworld in line. He collected royalties as payment, a percentage of the total profit of the business. He expected me to pay my due, but that wasn’t gonna happen. “And you know you aren’t getting a dime from me.”
Like this was funny, he smiled. “I disagree. You and Hades are past due.”
“Hades is out. It’s just me.”
“That’s too bad. Give him my best.”
I took a drink to moisten my mouth.
“I like you, Damien. Don’t make me torture you until you cave. Don’t make me kill you if you choose to be stubborn.”
“You don’t know me. If you did, you wouldn’t like me.”
He continued to smile. “You’re right. I’m starting to like you less…”
“It’s not gonna happen, Heath. You expect to be paid for a service—and I’ve received no such service.”
“You have no idea what goes on behind the scenes.”
“But I do know that Maddox destroyed my business before he destroyed my life. Where were you?”
His smile disappeared.
“I asked you a question.”
After a long pause, he answered. “We were in transition…”
“I don’t care about your excuses. You weren’t there, so I’m not paying for a fictional service.”
He gently tapped his fingers against the glass. “I’ll cut you a deal. I’ll consider your overdue balance a wash. We’ll start fresh now.”
I smiled because it was ridiculous. “There was no overdue balance. I didn’t owe you shit, so you weren’t going to get paid anyway. And asshole, I’m not gonna pay you now. Maybe you can push around your smaller clients, but you can’t push me around. I’ve absorbed Maddox’s business and his men. I’m unstoppable—we both know it.”
That sinister smile was back. “That’s a bit arrogant.”
“Heath.” My tone darkened. “I’m not paying you. Not now. Not ever. So, get the fuck out of my face.”
His smile faded, and his blue eyes darkened like the deepest part of the ocean. He straightened in his seat then leaned forward, bringing an intimacy that was sharp as a knife. “You just won a war. But now you’re tired and weak. You don’t have the strength to fight again. The money is nothing to you, so take the easy way out.”
“You could ask for a euro, and I’d still give you the same answer.”
He relaxed into the booth again. “You’re proud. I respect that. But it’s not worth your life, Damien.”
“You’re right. It’s not worth my life—and it won’t be worth my life.”
His expression didn’t change. “I’ll give you some time to think about what I said.” He grabbed his glass and finished it off before he slid out of the booth. “But trust me, our next conversation won’t be so civil.”
I stepped into Hades’s office first thing in the morning.
He was sitting at his desk, a large piece of mahogany wood with a picture frame on the corner. It was Sofia kissing Andrew, her face glowing with motherhood. A vase of flowers was on the coffee table, his wife’s touch, obviously. She’d added a few pieces to the room to make it cozier.