Page 33 of Intent to Kill
She huffed with a sharp exhale through her nose, like she was one step away from breathing fire. Throwing the door open, she stalked up the hall. She was a few paces ahead, but still he called to her.
“Come on. Please. You want to take him down, don’t you?” She stopped, but didn’t turn. “Help me. I can’t do it without you, baby.”
“My God, no,” she yelped. “You’re putting everyone in danger, ruining everything we’ve done to build lives without you. To be safe.”
“Baby,” Adam said. “A safe life isn’t a great life. Nothing worth having ever comes easy.”
“My life is fine just the way it is.”
“Is it? I don’t know why you’re sleeping next to Dorian Blake every night, I really, really don’t. But I’m sure there must be a reason.”
She shrugged and shook her head, but the gesture was more annoyed than anything else.
“Whatever the reason is, I’m sure it wasn’t so that Dorian Blake could get everything he ever wanted. Was it?”
She paused, staring at him, her eyes intense and angry, but also giving away slivers of hurt. She had built up such a hard shell, if Adam didn’t know her so well, the pain could very well be mistaken for anger.
“Fine,” she relented. “Not for you, though. I won’t do it for you. But I will help.”
“You will?” he said, failing to hide his surprise.
“Yes, I will fucking help you take him down. But be certain that I’m only doing it for Paul, Dan, and Carlos.Neverfor you.”
Adam smirked, breaking past the façade and getting straight to the point.Whyshe felt it was so important to specify that. “Oh, it’s all for me, isn’t it, baby?”
“Fucking hell,” Mercedes sighed. “Just tell me why, Adam?” She closed her eyes. “Can’t you just leave well enough alone?”
Adam exhaled sharply, clenching his jaw and shaking his head. “You know exactly why.”
At his hard stare, she nearly softened. But he’d been holding this pain and this grudge a lot longer than five years. And he couldn’t stop the words from forming. “Where is the honor in what he does? In how he takes and takes without reason. What is loyalty if it is bought with a paycheck? When I am on top, everyone will be beside me out of respect. And no amount of money will buy them.”
She raised her brows, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. That was their mantra, after all. Hers and his. Back when they were still partners in crime. Back when he had her whole heart. And hewouldwin it back. In a fight to the death with Dorian Blake.
“You’ve apologized, so you can go now.”
“Can I have my car keys back, please?” he asked nicely, holding out his hand.
She shoved through her silver clutch and placed the keys into his hand, their touch lingering before she flicked away.
“Mercedes?” he called out softly behind her. She flipped her head to him, her wide eyes filled with disdain. “I like your necklace.”
Her expression changed so quickly, it was like she had been slapped and had to take a physical step back to deal with the blow. She clutched at the space where the diamond infinity necklace was still resting against her skin.
She stared at him for a moment, meeting his gaze, before frowning again like she’d caught herself misbehaving. Then she walked away, leaving him alone with his heart in his hands. And hers around her neck, in the shape of infinity diamonds.
* * *
The mansion filled with the smell of rotting bodies and blood. One of Dorian’s most favorite aromas. It reminded him of all his greatest victories. All of which inevitably ended in bloodshed. Out on the back terrace, those who were lucky enough to survive the yacht party fire now had him to deal with.
It was nearing nighttime, at the lowest part of the sunset, and Dorian Blake strutted down from the pool deck onto the terrace to interrogate his final witness. Four fresh, bloodied corpses already poured red, and all that was left was one lone survivor on his knees.
Dorian stood over him, staring with his infamous murder-filled gaze. Yani, the most blood thirsty and ruthless of his Seconds, approached from the house, loading a fresh clip into his gun. It went like this: if he wanted someone chased, T.B. was the driver. If he wanted someone drugged or bullied, Antonio was the muscle. And if he wanted someone brutally murdered, killed, or shot, then Yani was the hitman.
“Fresh clip is in, locked and loaded,” Yani said.
“See? We’ve already used a full clip of bullets on your friends. Talk.” Dorian kicked the survivor in the chest with careless regard.
Dorian felt his shoulder pull back and Yani came into his direct view.
