Secret (Betrothed #9) - Penelope Sky Page 0,45

she did. I remembered the soft way he spoke to her, the way he offered to take care of her even though she wasn’t his responsibility. All my hatred for him died in that moment…and the only person I hated was myself. “This is the last time I’m collecting payment from you.”

He took a deep breath, like he assumed that was some kind of threat. “You’re going to kill me. You expect me to beg for my life?”

“No. I just don’t want to do business with someone like you.”

He was still, not breathing.

“Vox has been punished—in the most humiliating way possible.” I still preferred to kill him, but that opportunity may come later.

“And now it’s my turn,” he said with a bored voice. “Shut up and get it over with.”

He still didn’t get it. “I’m not going to kill you, Damien.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I’m dissolving this business relationship.”

“Business relationship?” he asked. “Robbing someone doesn’t constitute a business relationship.”

I ignored the jab. “I’m not coming here anymore, Damien. I won’t collect payment. I won’t see your fucking face. This is over—simple as that.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket so I could call Steel.

Damien was quiet, staring at me for a while as if he didn’t understand what I said. “After all of this, all the shit we’ve been through, you’re just gonna stop?” He cocked his head slightly. “What the fuck, Heath?”

“I don’t want to be in business with someone who plots against me like that,” I said calmly. “Who uses my own man against me. With the termination of this relationship, you will no longer get services from me, and as time goes on, I think you’ll understand exactly what I’m talking about.” With no representation, competitors would move in—knowing I would do nothing to stop them. Damien would be completely on his own. Hopefully, he could handle it.

Damien stared at me for a long time, reading between the lines. “What the fuck am I missing here?”

I held his gaze.

“You collect millions from me every time you come by. You’re just gonna walk away?”

“It’s never been about money, Damien.” I rose out of the chair.

He shook his head slightly. “So, I never have to see your face again?”

Time would tell. “Probably not.”

He leaned back against the chair, more disgruntled by this twist instead of the idea of me killing him. “You’re tricking me.”

“No.”

“Just a month ago, you said you were going to collect all my profits for the next three months…and now you don’t want a damn thing from me?”

Damien was smarter than I gave him credit for. Anyone else would just accept the terms because they were happy to keep their cash, but Damien had a suspicious mind. I pulled out my phone and called Steel. “Ready for you.” I hung up.

Damien rose from his chair. “I asked you a question.”

I unzipped all of the bags. “And I already gave you an answer. It’s not my fault you’re too stupid to understand what I’m saying.”

With his hands against the desk, he stared at me, like he knew something was wrong but couldn’t put his finger on it. He searched for an explanation but couldn’t find one, couldn’t figure out this puzzle.

“You think I’m giving you a break. But once I’m out of the picture, the other guys will move in…and you’ll wish you still had me.” It wasn’t a concrete threat. That might happen, that might not happen, but it was the only legitimate explanation I could give. I left it vague on purpose, so he would take it seriously. “You’ll miss me, Damien. You’ll see soon enough.”

Ten

Catalina

I opened the fridge and stared at the contents, unsure what to make for dinner. I hadn’t spoken to Heath all day, but I suspected he would walk in the door at some point, coming into my apartment without needing an invitation.

So, I should probably cook for two.

I wasn’t a talented cook like he was, only able to prepare a few simple things, like salads, sandwiches, mac and cheese, stuff like that. Maybe if I continued to wait, he’d come over and cook himself, fixing my problem altogether.

Like he could read my thoughts, the locks turned in the door, and he stepped inside. “Whatcha doing, baby?” One hand was behind his back as he stepped inside.

“Trying to decide what to make for dinner.” I shut the fridge door then turned to him. “But now that you’re here, I don’t need to worry about it.” I walked up to him, seeing