And I liked that.
It was difficult to focus at the office because I was deliriously tired.
I’d slept…three hours, maybe?
I owned this goddamn joint so I could leave whenever I felt like it, but I had meetings and other bullshit to take care of.
My phone vibrated with a text message, and instead of it being Annabella like I hoped, it was one of my clients. Let’s meet tonight at 9. The usual place.
I groaned in disappointment but texted back the answer they wanted. Alright.
Hades walked into my office a moment later. “What the fuck is this?” He threw a pile of papers on my desk.
“This should be fun…” I suppressed the yawn that wanted to stretch my jaw open because that would push him over the edge.
“Are these numbers right? Because if they are, we’re in trouble.”
I kept my cool and flipped through the pages. It took me a few seconds to figure out the problem. “Typo.” I grabbed a pen and made the change, adding the zero at the end of the number. “There.” I passed it back.
His eyes were vicious, as if my change just made the situation worse. “How could you just drop a zero?”
“Shit happens, alright?”
“Not shit like this.” He slammed his hand down on the stack of papers. “That zero is the difference between billions and millions.”
“And you knew there was something wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come in here. So calm the fuck down—”
His temper exploded, and he threw the papers in my face. “I’ll calm down when you’re in the grave, asshole.”
Summer was over and fall had arrived, so I wore my leather jacket over my t-shirt and walked up the sidewalk to the bar where I was meeting my client. Some of my guys didn’t want to be publicly seen inside a bank, so they preferred these incognito meetings under the cover of darkness for the privacy…and the booze and women.
I opened the double doors and stepped inside.
There was no bass from the music. There were no people.
And the doors behind me were locked by two big guys before they blocked the exit with their size.
It only took me a nanosecond to figure out this was an ambush, and if I didn’t call for help, I’d end up in the dumpster outside. I could call my men, but they were on the other side of town. I would normally call Hades first, but he wanted me to die tonight.
I glanced around me and recognized Heath in the center, his arms crossed over his chest with a cruel smile on his lips.
I pulled my wrist and casually glanced at the time. “Isn’t it too early for this?” Thankfully, I wore my Apple watch so I picked the person who could help me best…if he honored his debt. I discreetly called then dropped my wrist, hoping he would listen to the conversation, figure out I needed help, and then would trace my call.
It was a long shot…but my best option.
With his head cocked slightly and his bright-blue eyes so cold they looked like maps of the Arctic, he was enjoying this mirthlessly. If he’d just wanted to issue a warning, he would have come alone, but since he brought his boys…there would be a body tonight.
And it was probably going to be mine.
Heath dropped his arms and stepped farther into the center of the room. “I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”
“Brunch?” I asked, keeping it casual, even though nothing about this was casual. “Mani-pedi?”
He turned his wrist and examined his fingernails. “I do have a lot of ingrown fingernails…”
I wanted to slide my hands into my pockets, but I forced them to remain by my sides, so the watch wouldn’t be muffled deep inside my pocket. “Well, should we get a drink? Or you want to get straight to the point?”
He chuckled. “You’re brave.”
“Bravery implies you’re afraid of something. I’m not afraid.”
“Not even of death?” he asked.
I didn’t bother answering.
“Or someone else’s death?”
Now I couldn’t keep my same indifference.
“I still have hope we can work this out, Damien. So, I’m not going to kill you.”
I continued to hold my breath because the worst part was coming.
“But I’m gonna kill someone else…to straighten out that attitude.”
The first person that came to mind was Annabella…and all my strength left my body.
He pulled out his phone, made a call, and put it on speaker. It only rang once before someone answered. “I’m ready, Heath.”
My breathing increased, and my limbs tightened.
He held the phone close to his mouth. “You got our guest of honor?”
“Yeah, he’s tied to the chair.”
He? Hades? I was relieved it wasn’t Annabella, but this was just as painful.
“Put him on.” Heath stood with one hand in his pocket and held out the phone to me.
My night became worse when I recognized his voice. “Son, I’m okay…”