“Tell him to get out of the car,” Kayden orders Niccolo, “or I’ll shoot you in the leg.”
Niccolo laughs, low and deep. “Temper, temper, Hawk.” He flicks a look over Kayden’s shoulder. “Giorgio, leave us so The Hawk can regain his control.”
It’s an obvious attempt to downplay Kayden’s control, but whatever the case, it works. Giorgio hesitates, then backs away from the window. Kayden seems to know. “Tell him to raise the glass again.”
Niccolo doesn’t comply, and while I don’t dare look at him, I sense the challenge in his stare, as if he really believes Kayden’s focus on the business side of his role as Hawk dictates his actions right now.
“He’ll do it,” I say, not daring to look away from Giorgio. “And he’ll just clean up the mess the way he cleaned up all of the others before you, no matter how bloody.”
“Should I do it?” Kayden taunts Niccolo.
Another few beats ticks by before Niccolo says, “Do as he says, Giorgio.”
Giorgio’s compliance is instant, the glass rising, and I slowly lower my gun, turning to find Niccolo looking at me, not Kayden, despite the weapon at his groin. “It’s quite the powerful reaction you create in men, now, isn’t it? First my brother, and now The Hawk, ruler of two countries.” He flicks a look at my gun, then at me. “There is more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there, bellissima?”
I have about three seconds to worry that I’ve shown my hand, or our hand, before Kayden says, “What she is is the one and only reason that I’m willing to team up with you to destroy your brother, rather than doing it on my own. And I did that to offer her the protection we both give her.”
Niccolo’s gaze snaps to Kayden’s. “You might want to protect her, but you also want to avoid the war that shooting me, or stealing my necklace, would create. Put down the gun we both know you won’t use.”
Kayden doesn’t comply, instead leaning closer to Niccolo. “There won’t be a war if anything happens to her,” he says, his voice tight, hard. “There will only be the moment I look you in the eyes before I kill you.”
“You want to kill me,” Niccolo says, no question in his voice.
Kayden’s reply is slow; an edgy, dark power rises off of him before he says, “No.” His gun slides back into his holster before he leans back, his tone absolute as he adds, “Death is too kind for you and your brother, Niccolo. But luckily for you, we are one regarding his destruction. And for that reason, and that reason alone, I’m going to find that necklace for you. And then watch with amusement as you try to figure out how to take it to the grave with you.”
Kayden makes this declaration with such cold intent, I almost believe him, while Niccolo seems to make his own assumptions. “You do not fool me, Hawk. You’re thinking that when he’s dethroned and I’m gone, you’ll gain the kind of power no Hawk has ever had before. You’ll own our two countries. The problem is, whatever you think you know about me, you don’t.”
“I think and know a lot of things,” Kayden replies dryly, “none of which I plan to share with you. And on that note, I have a necklace to locate. We’re done here.”
He starts to move, and following his lead, I reach for the door, my hand freezing as Niccolo announces, “The men I sent to retrieve Ella the night in the alleyway disappeared that same night.”
“When were you going to tell me this?” Kayden demands, shifting back to face him, playing this game oh so well, acting as if there is no chance this is an accusation aimed at him or Adriel, considering Adriel killed those men right after they attacked me.
“I’m telling you now,” Niccolo replies, while I discreetly settle Annie back in my purse, my hand resting on the soft leather, ready to draw her again should this turn nasty.
“Why now?” Kayden asks. “Why not last week when I told you about Ella?”
“Aside from the fact that I had yet to conclude my internal investigations, until now, you hadn’t committed to finding the necklace for me.”
“But you committed to protecting her.” Continuing to act as if he didn’t know the men are dead, Kayden adds, “And if they took the necklace, the attention turns from her to them. Where are they now?”
“They’ve yet to reappear, and no one I’ve persuasively given incentive to find them has any clue where they are—which leaves me with one of two assumptions. Either they were attacked when Ella was attacked, and they’re now dead, or they’ve betrayed me, and they’re as good as dead.”
“In other words, they mugged Ella and took the necklace,” Kayden concludes.
“Negative,” Niccolo says. “They didn’t know about the necklace. They knew about the woman.”
“I intercepted internet chatter about that necklace and that location,” Kayden says, protecting his inside source. “Don’t tell me they didn’t know about it too. You have a leak, Niccolo.”
“And yet, the necklace hasn’t gone on the auction block. Obviously,” he flicks me a look, “Ella didn’t have it with her that night.”
“Or,” I say, “the two men who worked for you attacked me, took it, and disappeared with it.”
His gaze sharpens. “I don’t remember saying ‘two men.’?”
“I don’t remember referencing anything you said,” I counter. “I simply stated a fact: two men attacked me in that alleyway that night.”
“You remember your attackers?”