Lesser evil, p.19
Lesser Evil, page 19
She took a deep breath and didn’t resist me, letting me conquer her body like it belonged to me. Her head automatically tilted in anticipation of my lips, and when she felt my kiss, an involuntary moan released into my mouth.
My other hand gripped her ass underneath her shirt and tugged her close. Her little body was crushed into mine as our kiss turned from delicate to hungry. I lifted her into me and carried her into my bedroom, her sexy legs wrapped around my waist. We fell onto the bed together, undressed each other, and then our naked bodies were combined in a euphoric moan.
I had her folded underneath me with her pussy so slick it felt like a tight bottle of lube, and I fucked her into the mattress, nails deep in my back, hungry eyes locked on mine. She tugged on me when she needed more, and her moans were heavy with the sound of my name. “Cauldron…”
“Camille.” I got lost every time we were together, swept up in the unbridled passion that consumed us both. Good sex was easy to come by if you could afford it, but this was free, and it was so much better than the dirty shit I paid for.
The sound of her name made her come, made her buck against me with wet eyes and sharp nails. She got so tight it was like her hand squeezed my dick as hard as she could. She hit the crescendo before she came back down…slowly drifting from her high. When her eyes focused once again, she looked at me like I was a king for making her feel so good.
She made me feel like one.
She tugged on my ass and brought me deep inside her. “I want it…”
I fisted her hair, hooked my arm behind one knee, and pounded her so hard that the crashing headboard must have woken up the rest of the house.
“Yes…” Her sexy whispers filled my bedroom and inflated my ego. “Yes.” She wanted to watch me come, got off on the sight of my pleasure just as I got off on the sight of hers.
My body went white-hot before it was set aflame. Then I released with more pleasure than I’d ever felt, filling her with every drop of desire she evoked in me. “Camille…”
Her hand dug into my hair, and she kissed me, kissed me as she felt me fill her completely.
Hot and sweaty, I rolled off her, every muscle in my body loose in relaxation. She was on me instantly, one arm hooked around my waist, her head on my shoulder, her leg tucked between mine. Her body was just as hot as mine, but I didn’t push her away.
The second my eyes closed, I was gone.
TWENTY-SEVEN
CAMILLE
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Oh my god, turn that shit off.”
Cauldron reached for his phone and turned off the alarm.
I closed my eyes again and drifted away.
His weight shifted then he left the mattress.
I groaned then cracked open my eyes, seeing the morning sunlight through the curtains. There was a clock on his nightstand showing 7:08 a.m. “Are you Satan?”
With a voice deep and just a little bit raspy, he said, “I have shit to do.”
“Well, I’m not moving.” I closed my eyes and lay still. I heard him move about his bedroom, changing his clothes and brushing his teeth in the bathroom. He didn’t seem to mind my sleeping there because he didn’t ask me to leave. I heard the door shut a moment later, and then it went silent.
I went right back to sleep.
When I woke up, it was lunchtime.
I sat up in his four-poster bed and took a look around. It was the first time I’d been all the way inside, and I saw that the suite was just as majestic as he was. It had a grand sitting room with a large TV on the wall. A private wet bar, which he seemed to use often, judging by all the half-empty decanters. A private balcony that could easily accommodate twelve people. His private bathroom was probably as big as my bedroom—which wasn’t shabby by any means.
I was tempted to go through his things just to get to know him better, but it wasn’t worth violating his trust. When we'd met, he told me he didn’t let anyone in his bedroom, but here I was, wrapped up in his sheets. It would be stupid to jeopardize how far we’d come. He claimed not to trust anyone, but from where I sat, he trusted me more than anyone else.
The bedroom door opened, and he stepped inside, wearing pants and a short-sleeved shirt. He rocked his sweatpants all the time, so that must mean he had company that morning. He looked at me in his bed, his eyes combing over my appearance wrapped in his sheets.
“I just woke up.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and realized my hair was down. My hair tie must have come loose in the night, and now it was lost somewhere in the enormous bed.
“Lunch is ready.”
I half expected him to yell or throw a fit. “Alright.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
In disbelief, I sat there for a while before I got out of bed, went to my room, and threw something on. A sundress from my closet was yanked down and pulled over my head before I went downstairs. He was on the back terrace, talking on the phone.
When I approached the table, Hugo pulled out the chair for me then scooted it in as I sat down.
Cauldron’s conversation was clearly dire, given the look on his face. “That was fast.” He listened, a man’s voice somewhat audible over the line. He talked quickly, as if afraid he was wasting Cauldron’s time. “I’ll leave this afternoon.” He hung up like that was an appropriate way to end the conversation.
“Leave for where?”
He set the linen napkin across his lap then leaned forward with his arms on the table. “Botswana.”
“But you were just there.”
“It is what it is.” He cut into his food and ate, his expression dark with irritation.
“I’m coming with you?”
“Not this time.”
“But—what about Grave?”
“Trust me, you’re staying here.”
“I don’t understand—”
“I’m not an idiot.” He lifted his chin and looked straight at me. “He knows the mines require my attention, and he knows you accompany me wherever I go, so once I arrive, he’ll hit the house there and try to take you.”
“How does he know about your mines? Does this have something to do with last night?”
“It’s a small world, Camille.” He cut into his food and took a few bites. “Of course it does.”
“You think it’s safe to leave me behind?”
“I know how his mind works.”
It made me uneasy to know he would be in another country, but I trusted his judgment at this point. “Be careful.”
He ignored what I said and kept eating.
“Your bed is really comfortable…”
“It’s the same as yours.”
“It doesn’t feel the same.” It was soft and warm, the best night of sleep I’d ever had. Or maybe it was just the man beside me who made me feel that way. “How long will you be gone?”
“Depends. But not more than a few days.”
“What’s happened to your mines?”
“An asshole is drilling into my mines and taking what belongs to me. Now he’s collapsed my existing mines. Time and resources wasted. A lot of men will die for this.”
“It’s Grave, isn’t it?”
His face remained stoic.
“Because you won’t give me up.”
He never answered, and I knew he never would.
I watched him pack his suitcase.
“It’ll be dark by the time you get there. Can you wait until morning?”
He zipped up the suitcase then set it on the floor. “Why should I wait?” He faced me, wearing dark jeans and a sports coat. He was back to business, making money and killing the men who crossed him.
“The longer you stay, the longer I don’t have to say goodbye.”
The stare he gave me was hollow, his feelings so deep down they were invisible at the surface. His look continued for seconds. “I guess I can wait.”
It only bought me time, but it was still elating. The smile that lifted my lips lifted my heart too. “Thank you.” I moved into his body and felt my hands grip his arms. “Maybe I can cook for you.”
“What’s on the menu?” His arms circled my waist.
“Peanut butter and jelly.” I grinned.
He grinned back—and he’d never looked so handsome.
He lay beside me in bed, his chest shiny with sweat after our rendezvous. Dinner was in our bellies, the gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I whipped up. When Hugo had spotted me in the kitchen, he’d looked horrified.
Cauldron seemed amused.
He leaned into me and kissed my shoulder then my collarbone, his warm arm pressing against mine as he maneuvered back on top of me. It was one of those nights where the sex never ended. There were only pauses in between, rest breaks where we lay together in silence. His hips moved between my legs, and he held himself over me, his strong arms powerful enough to hold up his frame. “Beautiful.” His lips kissed the corner of my mouth as he slipped inside me, and it felt so good it was like it hadn’t happened several times already.
I gave a moan of pleasure and sank my nails into his back like teeth into flesh.
The moment was shattered by the alarm.
Cauldron was off me in a flash. One moment, he was naked. And the next, he had his sweatpants on. Then he had a gun, a loaded shotgun that he cocked.
“What’s happening?” I stumbled out of bed and grabbed my clothes.
“There’s a pistol in my nightstand. Stay here.” Unafraid, he marched out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
I stumbled on my way to the nightstand and almost smacked my head against it. With a shaky hand, I reached inside and grabbed it. It was heavy in my palm, slippery against my sweaty fingertips. I assumed it was loaded. I found the safety and clicked it off.
The alarm suddenly turned off.
Maybe it was a false alarm.
With the pistol in my hand, I headed into the hallway and ran to the stairs.
There were a dozen men down there, holding Hugo and the other staff at gunpoint. Hugo’s gun had been confiscated. The security team outside was gone, so something must have happened to them. It was just Cauldron, standing there with his shotgun in his hands.
The leader of the mercenaries had a gun aimed right at Cauldron’s head. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
“Sorry for the convenience,” Cauldron said through gritted teeth. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”
“We’re here for the woman—”
“I know exactly why you’re here, and you aren’t getting it.” Cauldron cocked the gun and stepped forward. “Now get the fuck out before I stain the plaster with your brains.”
All the men raised their weapons and pointed straight at Cauldron. Twelve to one.
The leader kept the gun pointed straight at Cauldron’s forehead, the barrel just inches from his face. “I have my orders—”
Blood sprayed the wall, and he crumpled.
Cauldron wasn’t the one who fired.
Grave appeared in the doorway, holding the smoking handgun. “Lower your weapons. Now.”
The remainder of the men all returned their guns to their holsters.
Grave stared at Cauldron.
Cauldron stared back.
It lasted for seconds, nearly a minute.
What the fuck?
Grave finally nodded to his men.
They all left the premises, leaving the hostages unharmed.
Now it was just the two of them, staring at each other in the dark, both furious with the other.
Cauldron lowered the shotgun. “You have Jeremiah.”
“Or he betrayed you.”
“I don’t buy my men’s loyalty,” Cauldron said. “I earn it.”
Grave seemed to feel my presence because he raised his chin and looked up at me.
I stared back, my heart like a stone in my stomach. It was the same look he always gave me, like his possession had never changed. He owned me then and he owned me now, and a change of hands wouldn’t alter that fact.
He turned his head back to Cauldron.
Another long stare ensued.
Silently, Grave walked out. His back was turned to Cauldron, giving him the perfect shot.
But Cauldron didn’t take it.
Hugo brushed off the whole thing like it was another day in the life and immediately got to work on the bloody wall. Security removed the dead body that leaked blood all over the hardwood floor. It all happened wordlessly, like everyone had done this before and was paid well enough to put up with it.
I stayed at the top of the stairs, still in utter shock.
“You okay?” Cauldron came to my side, his hand reaching for my arm.
“I’m fine. But—what happened?”
“I know how he thinks. But he also knows how I think.”
My eyes shifted back and forth, confused by the statement. “What?”
“He has Jeremiah somewhere. I need to get him back.” Cauldron walked past me down the hallway toward his bedroom.
“Whoa, hold up.”
He kept walking.
“I’m talking to you.”
He turned back around, no longer patient but visibly annoyed.
Instead of bursting with all the questions I’d already asked several times, I had an epiphany. “He’s family.”
His poker face was strong.
“That’s why he won’t hurt you. And that’s why you won’t kill him.”
He gave nothing away. “I have more important shit that requires my attention right now—”
“Why won’t you admit it?”
“We’ll talk about this later.” He continued to his bedroom.
“You don’t look enough alike…so he’s not your brother.”
Cauldron quickly changed his clothes then grabbed his suitcase.
“He’s your cousin. Is that it?” I followed him as he walked out, one bag over his shoulder with the handle of the suitcase in his other hand. “Why won’t you just tell me?” I followed him all the way down the stairs to the entryway. His men had already pulled the car around for him, were probably gassing up the plane as we spoke. “Cauldron—”
“He’s my half brother.” He finally turned to look at me, the rage written on his face. “But that doesn’t make him family.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
CAULDRON
Three days later, I had Jeremiah back.
Grave’s men had taken him a week ago, forced him into being a snitch. He was bruised and battered now, his face so swollen he looked like he’d been stung by a hive of wasps. The dead men were stacked in the other room, and the lock to his cell was opened.
He remained on the floor against the wall, either too afraid to move or physically unable. “I’m sorry…they tortured me.”
I couldn’t hold a grudge, couldn’t hold him accountable for his betrayal, not when he wasn’t in the game like I was. After a pitiful stare, I extended my hand to him.
He studied it timidly before he took it.
I pulled him to his feet, listening to him grimace the whole way up. “We’ll get you to a hospital.”
“You–you aren’t going to kill me?”
“No.” I threw his arm over my shoulder and walked him out of the building.
“But you should kill me.”
“Do you want me to kill you?”
“No,” he said quickly. “I just… I was the one who told them you were coming.”
“Given the circumstances, I understand.” We made it outside, where the men and the cars were waiting.
“You do?” He pulled his arm away and swayed slightly on the spot.
“I’m sorry this happened to you.”
His eyes shifted back and forth between mine in disbelief.
“If you didn’t talk, they would have killed you. And I wouldn’t have wanted that.” I gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“Nothing happened, then?” he asked. “Is Camille okay?”
“We’re both fine. When Grave realized I was there, he left.”
Jeremiah gave a nod. “Good. Glad no one got hurt.”
I got him in the car and watched them drive off. My work here was done. I appointed someone else to take Jeremiah’s position so I could return home, but my circumstances were still dire. Bombs would continue to fire back and forth, and at some point, there would be nothing left.
I took the plane back to France, but the second I landed, he called.
Almost didn’t answer.
I took the call and let my silence do all the talking.
“This can’t go on forever.”
“It’ll go on until someone caves—and it won’t be me.”
Just like in the foyer of my estate when we stared at each other, the silence stretched into infinity.
“Haven’t you tortured me enough?” he whispered.
My answer was quicker than a bullet leaving a gun. “No.”
He sighed.
“An eye for an eye. You tortured Jeremiah. Now I’ll torture Pierre.”
“I didn’t torture him for the fun of it—”
“Well, I will.”
Another pause. A heavy one. “My client is dead because of you, and I didn’t get paid—”
“So sorry to hear that.”
“And I know you’re running out of diamonds to sell. Soon, you won’t be able to meet demand.”
“Then the ones I have will become more valuable. It’s called economics.”
He was so pissed off. It was audible in the silence. “And if I cave, what then?”
I looked out the window from the back seat of the car, seeing the blue sky between the branches of the olive tree.
“Her only value to you is that I want her, so if I don’t want her, you won’t either.”
“Then cave.”
He breathed over the line, probably gritting his teeth until they were filed down just a little more.
“You can’t do it.”
Silence.
“It kills you that I have her. Fucking kills you.” Truth be told, I didn’t want him to cave. I wanted to keep torturing him. Every single night I fucked her, I fucked him too. I could do this forever, suck on the sweet nectar of revenge for eternity. The loss of my diamonds was minor compared to the joy his torture brought me. “And it’ll keep killing you.”
My other hand gripped her ass underneath her shirt and tugged her close. Her little body was crushed into mine as our kiss turned from delicate to hungry. I lifted her into me and carried her into my bedroom, her sexy legs wrapped around my waist. We fell onto the bed together, undressed each other, and then our naked bodies were combined in a euphoric moan.
I had her folded underneath me with her pussy so slick it felt like a tight bottle of lube, and I fucked her into the mattress, nails deep in my back, hungry eyes locked on mine. She tugged on me when she needed more, and her moans were heavy with the sound of my name. “Cauldron…”
“Camille.” I got lost every time we were together, swept up in the unbridled passion that consumed us both. Good sex was easy to come by if you could afford it, but this was free, and it was so much better than the dirty shit I paid for.
The sound of her name made her come, made her buck against me with wet eyes and sharp nails. She got so tight it was like her hand squeezed my dick as hard as she could. She hit the crescendo before she came back down…slowly drifting from her high. When her eyes focused once again, she looked at me like I was a king for making her feel so good.
She made me feel like one.
She tugged on my ass and brought me deep inside her. “I want it…”
I fisted her hair, hooked my arm behind one knee, and pounded her so hard that the crashing headboard must have woken up the rest of the house.
“Yes…” Her sexy whispers filled my bedroom and inflated my ego. “Yes.” She wanted to watch me come, got off on the sight of my pleasure just as I got off on the sight of hers.
My body went white-hot before it was set aflame. Then I released with more pleasure than I’d ever felt, filling her with every drop of desire she evoked in me. “Camille…”
Her hand dug into my hair, and she kissed me, kissed me as she felt me fill her completely.
Hot and sweaty, I rolled off her, every muscle in my body loose in relaxation. She was on me instantly, one arm hooked around my waist, her head on my shoulder, her leg tucked between mine. Her body was just as hot as mine, but I didn’t push her away.
The second my eyes closed, I was gone.
TWENTY-SEVEN
CAMILLE
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Oh my god, turn that shit off.”
Cauldron reached for his phone and turned off the alarm.
I closed my eyes again and drifted away.
His weight shifted then he left the mattress.
I groaned then cracked open my eyes, seeing the morning sunlight through the curtains. There was a clock on his nightstand showing 7:08 a.m. “Are you Satan?”
With a voice deep and just a little bit raspy, he said, “I have shit to do.”
“Well, I’m not moving.” I closed my eyes and lay still. I heard him move about his bedroom, changing his clothes and brushing his teeth in the bathroom. He didn’t seem to mind my sleeping there because he didn’t ask me to leave. I heard the door shut a moment later, and then it went silent.
I went right back to sleep.
When I woke up, it was lunchtime.
I sat up in his four-poster bed and took a look around. It was the first time I’d been all the way inside, and I saw that the suite was just as majestic as he was. It had a grand sitting room with a large TV on the wall. A private wet bar, which he seemed to use often, judging by all the half-empty decanters. A private balcony that could easily accommodate twelve people. His private bathroom was probably as big as my bedroom—which wasn’t shabby by any means.
I was tempted to go through his things just to get to know him better, but it wasn’t worth violating his trust. When we'd met, he told me he didn’t let anyone in his bedroom, but here I was, wrapped up in his sheets. It would be stupid to jeopardize how far we’d come. He claimed not to trust anyone, but from where I sat, he trusted me more than anyone else.
The bedroom door opened, and he stepped inside, wearing pants and a short-sleeved shirt. He rocked his sweatpants all the time, so that must mean he had company that morning. He looked at me in his bed, his eyes combing over my appearance wrapped in his sheets.
“I just woke up.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and realized my hair was down. My hair tie must have come loose in the night, and now it was lost somewhere in the enormous bed.
“Lunch is ready.”
I half expected him to yell or throw a fit. “Alright.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
In disbelief, I sat there for a while before I got out of bed, went to my room, and threw something on. A sundress from my closet was yanked down and pulled over my head before I went downstairs. He was on the back terrace, talking on the phone.
When I approached the table, Hugo pulled out the chair for me then scooted it in as I sat down.
Cauldron’s conversation was clearly dire, given the look on his face. “That was fast.” He listened, a man’s voice somewhat audible over the line. He talked quickly, as if afraid he was wasting Cauldron’s time. “I’ll leave this afternoon.” He hung up like that was an appropriate way to end the conversation.
“Leave for where?”
He set the linen napkin across his lap then leaned forward with his arms on the table. “Botswana.”
“But you were just there.”
“It is what it is.” He cut into his food and ate, his expression dark with irritation.
“I’m coming with you?”
“Not this time.”
“But—what about Grave?”
“Trust me, you’re staying here.”
“I don’t understand—”
“I’m not an idiot.” He lifted his chin and looked straight at me. “He knows the mines require my attention, and he knows you accompany me wherever I go, so once I arrive, he’ll hit the house there and try to take you.”
“How does he know about your mines? Does this have something to do with last night?”
“It’s a small world, Camille.” He cut into his food and took a few bites. “Of course it does.”
“You think it’s safe to leave me behind?”
“I know how his mind works.”
It made me uneasy to know he would be in another country, but I trusted his judgment at this point. “Be careful.”
He ignored what I said and kept eating.
“Your bed is really comfortable…”
“It’s the same as yours.”
“It doesn’t feel the same.” It was soft and warm, the best night of sleep I’d ever had. Or maybe it was just the man beside me who made me feel that way. “How long will you be gone?”
“Depends. But not more than a few days.”
“What’s happened to your mines?”
“An asshole is drilling into my mines and taking what belongs to me. Now he’s collapsed my existing mines. Time and resources wasted. A lot of men will die for this.”
“It’s Grave, isn’t it?”
His face remained stoic.
“Because you won’t give me up.”
He never answered, and I knew he never would.
I watched him pack his suitcase.
“It’ll be dark by the time you get there. Can you wait until morning?”
He zipped up the suitcase then set it on the floor. “Why should I wait?” He faced me, wearing dark jeans and a sports coat. He was back to business, making money and killing the men who crossed him.
“The longer you stay, the longer I don’t have to say goodbye.”
The stare he gave me was hollow, his feelings so deep down they were invisible at the surface. His look continued for seconds. “I guess I can wait.”
It only bought me time, but it was still elating. The smile that lifted my lips lifted my heart too. “Thank you.” I moved into his body and felt my hands grip his arms. “Maybe I can cook for you.”
“What’s on the menu?” His arms circled my waist.
“Peanut butter and jelly.” I grinned.
He grinned back—and he’d never looked so handsome.
He lay beside me in bed, his chest shiny with sweat after our rendezvous. Dinner was in our bellies, the gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I whipped up. When Hugo had spotted me in the kitchen, he’d looked horrified.
Cauldron seemed amused.
He leaned into me and kissed my shoulder then my collarbone, his warm arm pressing against mine as he maneuvered back on top of me. It was one of those nights where the sex never ended. There were only pauses in between, rest breaks where we lay together in silence. His hips moved between my legs, and he held himself over me, his strong arms powerful enough to hold up his frame. “Beautiful.” His lips kissed the corner of my mouth as he slipped inside me, and it felt so good it was like it hadn’t happened several times already.
I gave a moan of pleasure and sank my nails into his back like teeth into flesh.
The moment was shattered by the alarm.
Cauldron was off me in a flash. One moment, he was naked. And the next, he had his sweatpants on. Then he had a gun, a loaded shotgun that he cocked.
“What’s happening?” I stumbled out of bed and grabbed my clothes.
“There’s a pistol in my nightstand. Stay here.” Unafraid, he marched out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
I stumbled on my way to the nightstand and almost smacked my head against it. With a shaky hand, I reached inside and grabbed it. It was heavy in my palm, slippery against my sweaty fingertips. I assumed it was loaded. I found the safety and clicked it off.
The alarm suddenly turned off.
Maybe it was a false alarm.
With the pistol in my hand, I headed into the hallway and ran to the stairs.
There were a dozen men down there, holding Hugo and the other staff at gunpoint. Hugo’s gun had been confiscated. The security team outside was gone, so something must have happened to them. It was just Cauldron, standing there with his shotgun in his hands.
The leader of the mercenaries had a gun aimed right at Cauldron’s head. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
“Sorry for the convenience,” Cauldron said through gritted teeth. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”
“We’re here for the woman—”
“I know exactly why you’re here, and you aren’t getting it.” Cauldron cocked the gun and stepped forward. “Now get the fuck out before I stain the plaster with your brains.”
All the men raised their weapons and pointed straight at Cauldron. Twelve to one.
The leader kept the gun pointed straight at Cauldron’s forehead, the barrel just inches from his face. “I have my orders—”
Blood sprayed the wall, and he crumpled.
Cauldron wasn’t the one who fired.
Grave appeared in the doorway, holding the smoking handgun. “Lower your weapons. Now.”
The remainder of the men all returned their guns to their holsters.
Grave stared at Cauldron.
Cauldron stared back.
It lasted for seconds, nearly a minute.
What the fuck?
Grave finally nodded to his men.
They all left the premises, leaving the hostages unharmed.
Now it was just the two of them, staring at each other in the dark, both furious with the other.
Cauldron lowered the shotgun. “You have Jeremiah.”
“Or he betrayed you.”
“I don’t buy my men’s loyalty,” Cauldron said. “I earn it.”
Grave seemed to feel my presence because he raised his chin and looked up at me.
I stared back, my heart like a stone in my stomach. It was the same look he always gave me, like his possession had never changed. He owned me then and he owned me now, and a change of hands wouldn’t alter that fact.
He turned his head back to Cauldron.
Another long stare ensued.
Silently, Grave walked out. His back was turned to Cauldron, giving him the perfect shot.
But Cauldron didn’t take it.
Hugo brushed off the whole thing like it was another day in the life and immediately got to work on the bloody wall. Security removed the dead body that leaked blood all over the hardwood floor. It all happened wordlessly, like everyone had done this before and was paid well enough to put up with it.
I stayed at the top of the stairs, still in utter shock.
“You okay?” Cauldron came to my side, his hand reaching for my arm.
“I’m fine. But—what happened?”
“I know how he thinks. But he also knows how I think.”
My eyes shifted back and forth, confused by the statement. “What?”
“He has Jeremiah somewhere. I need to get him back.” Cauldron walked past me down the hallway toward his bedroom.
“Whoa, hold up.”
He kept walking.
“I’m talking to you.”
He turned back around, no longer patient but visibly annoyed.
Instead of bursting with all the questions I’d already asked several times, I had an epiphany. “He’s family.”
His poker face was strong.
“That’s why he won’t hurt you. And that’s why you won’t kill him.”
He gave nothing away. “I have more important shit that requires my attention right now—”
“Why won’t you admit it?”
“We’ll talk about this later.” He continued to his bedroom.
“You don’t look enough alike…so he’s not your brother.”
Cauldron quickly changed his clothes then grabbed his suitcase.
“He’s your cousin. Is that it?” I followed him as he walked out, one bag over his shoulder with the handle of the suitcase in his other hand. “Why won’t you just tell me?” I followed him all the way down the stairs to the entryway. His men had already pulled the car around for him, were probably gassing up the plane as we spoke. “Cauldron—”
“He’s my half brother.” He finally turned to look at me, the rage written on his face. “But that doesn’t make him family.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
CAULDRON
Three days later, I had Jeremiah back.
Grave’s men had taken him a week ago, forced him into being a snitch. He was bruised and battered now, his face so swollen he looked like he’d been stung by a hive of wasps. The dead men were stacked in the other room, and the lock to his cell was opened.
He remained on the floor against the wall, either too afraid to move or physically unable. “I’m sorry…they tortured me.”
I couldn’t hold a grudge, couldn’t hold him accountable for his betrayal, not when he wasn’t in the game like I was. After a pitiful stare, I extended my hand to him.
He studied it timidly before he took it.
I pulled him to his feet, listening to him grimace the whole way up. “We’ll get you to a hospital.”
“You–you aren’t going to kill me?”
“No.” I threw his arm over my shoulder and walked him out of the building.
“But you should kill me.”
“Do you want me to kill you?”
“No,” he said quickly. “I just… I was the one who told them you were coming.”
“Given the circumstances, I understand.” We made it outside, where the men and the cars were waiting.
“You do?” He pulled his arm away and swayed slightly on the spot.
“I’m sorry this happened to you.”
His eyes shifted back and forth between mine in disbelief.
“If you didn’t talk, they would have killed you. And I wouldn’t have wanted that.” I gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“Nothing happened, then?” he asked. “Is Camille okay?”
“We’re both fine. When Grave realized I was there, he left.”
Jeremiah gave a nod. “Good. Glad no one got hurt.”
I got him in the car and watched them drive off. My work here was done. I appointed someone else to take Jeremiah’s position so I could return home, but my circumstances were still dire. Bombs would continue to fire back and forth, and at some point, there would be nothing left.
I took the plane back to France, but the second I landed, he called.
Almost didn’t answer.
I took the call and let my silence do all the talking.
“This can’t go on forever.”
“It’ll go on until someone caves—and it won’t be me.”
Just like in the foyer of my estate when we stared at each other, the silence stretched into infinity.
“Haven’t you tortured me enough?” he whispered.
My answer was quicker than a bullet leaving a gun. “No.”
He sighed.
“An eye for an eye. You tortured Jeremiah. Now I’ll torture Pierre.”
“I didn’t torture him for the fun of it—”
“Well, I will.”
Another pause. A heavy one. “My client is dead because of you, and I didn’t get paid—”
“So sorry to hear that.”
“And I know you’re running out of diamonds to sell. Soon, you won’t be able to meet demand.”
“Then the ones I have will become more valuable. It’s called economics.”
He was so pissed off. It was audible in the silence. “And if I cave, what then?”
I looked out the window from the back seat of the car, seeing the blue sky between the branches of the olive tree.
“Her only value to you is that I want her, so if I don’t want her, you won’t either.”
“Then cave.”
He breathed over the line, probably gritting his teeth until they were filed down just a little more.
“You can’t do it.”
Silence.
“It kills you that I have her. Fucking kills you.” Truth be told, I didn’t want him to cave. I wanted to keep torturing him. Every single night I fucked her, I fucked him too. I could do this forever, suck on the sweet nectar of revenge for eternity. The loss of my diamonds was minor compared to the joy his torture brought me. “And it’ll keep killing you.”
