I expect something dark and cocky to come out of the Chancellor’s mouth. But it’s nothing what I expected.
“Hello, Droga. It’s been a while,” Archer says calmly.
Oh…
There are no theatrics, no show of power, no intentional craziness from the Chancellor.
Suddenly, I understand one simple thing.
Those two. It’s never been about Callie per se. She was just a chick who came between them. Archer only dated her for a short time. As per the rumors, he never cared much for any girl, changing them like socks.
“I told you this is not over,” Archer says.
The others’ glances dart around.
Bo and Ty turn to look at Kai.
And Kai…
If he could kill with a stare, Archer would have decapitated, burned to ashes, and disappeared off the face of the earth.
Kai’s stare is murderous. But there is a strange intensity in it.
No, this was never about a girl.
There is something much deeper than revenge.
Holy shit.
Now I see it.
Callie didn’t just come between two guys. She came between best friends.
One won’t forgive that a girl was more important than him. The other won’t forgive that he didn’t get the girl.
It’s about betrayed friendship. Brotherhood. Something that men don’t get over easily. Something that only a girl can ruin.
50
KAI
Anger coilsthrough me like a ball of snakes because Crone is so fucking calm, like he just came for a friendly chat.
“I told you this is not over,” he says.
I want to lunge at him and break his smug face.
I did it two years ago when we had a fight on the Westside. The madman laughed. We beat each other to a pulp. But he wants more. My ruined life wasn’t enough. My second-degree burns weren’t. Trapping us on this island was a brutal exercise of power.
And now Callie is here. This is no fucking coincidence. Like he can’t get enough of torturing me.
“I appreciate the shitty little note you sent,” Archer says calmly, the gun lowered and at his side though mine points straight at his face. “You are not good at talking, Droga. Fists and punches work better with you. So then that’s how it shall be.”
He is so fucking diplomatic that it makes me mad.
I see Callie being held by one of his goons. The sight rips my heart. I can feel her despair which resonates with mine. But I avoid looking at her. Crone knows she is my weakness. Now more than ever. He uses it.
Fucking Crone. I haven’t seen him in two years, and I wish it stayed that way.