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Brantley
I had two options before I walked into The Palace. One, I could kill Hector on the spot and talk later, or two, I could wait. Study his answers, move around the words he says to find the truth in his lies. He’s good at that. Lying. Bishop is filling Hector in on what happened, though he doesn’t need to. Hector is no longer holding the gavel, but Bishop being Bishop, he wants to keep his father close.
Me? Not so much.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you…” I say to Bishop, my finger working my upper lip to hide the smirk on my face. If I don’t think about her, about everything that just happened, it doesn’t exist. She never existed.
Bishop’s eyes narrow on me, pausing mid-sentence with Hector. Hector shuffles in his seat. “You shouldn’t.”
I glare at Hector. “Oh, no… I should. You see, I wanted to be the one to destroy you if you had done anything to put Saint in harm’s way, but I realized something. You were counting on that. Because if there’s one thing you ca
“What the fuck are you both talking about?” Bishop hisses, and Nate moves around the other side of Hector. Nate is like a shark when it comes to murder. He can smell it. Sense it. Revel in it. Feast in it. He’s exactly as his last name is translated. Evil.
“When I chased him out of the ceremony, he had taken Saint out. Away.”
Bishop leans in closer.
“Veronica stepped out of the passenger seat of the town car he had her in, but I’m guessing Hector was shocked to see her. I’m thinking he had another plan for her.” I kick my leg out in front of me. “Am I right?”
Hector’s face falls. Over the years, time has been good to the old king. He looks painfully similar to Bishop, only older. Side-shaved head, tattoos over his neck and some on his face, built strong and tough. When we were kids, there was nothing scarier than being stared at by Hector Hayes. The problem with fear is, if you show any weakness, it does just that. Weakens.
“I knew she was there, Brantley. What I didn’t expect to see was you. We had all pla
My eyes narrow. I’ve been spending all of my days trying to figure out why he seemed shocked and where he could have been possibly taking Saint when all along, I could have played right into his hand.
My fists clench to my sides.
Bishop interrupts, “Why? Why were you taking her to Veronica when we had already pla
“Bishop,” I say smoothly, but the indents of crescent moons into my palms claim anything but. “He has four seconds to explain his redemption before I kill him.” I bring my eyes to his. “And you know I will.”
Three.
Two.
“I had pla
“So before you told us the plan, you had already set it up? So you knew there would be Gentlemen there that night?”
“Son.” Hector looks to Bishop. “The Gentlemen aren’t our only enemies right now. And to answer your question, yes, because I knew you would go along with it to protect her.” Hector’s eyes come to mine.
My lip curls into a half-smile. His eyes travel down my chest and to the button of my jeans. I tap at the black button clipped there.
Hector stares up at me, exposing a glimpse of the man everyone fears. He nods.