Surrender (Careless Whispers #3)(40)

“By being an asshole?” I demand. “That’s been tried. It fails. All it does is piss me off. So let me tell you what I know, Carlo. I’m loyal to Kayden, which means I’m loyal to The Underground. I will fight for it. I will kill for it, and it would not be the first time I’ve killed. I will protect your back and your life, but if you come at mine with bad intentions, you won’t like the outcome. Because I am my father’s daughter, and he taught me to win—and that means other people die, not me. And not the people who I’m protecting or standing beside.”

I inhale, realizing then that I’ve leaned forward in an aggressive stance, and I force myself to ease back into my seat. Adriel and Matteo have returned, standing behind their seats, while Kayden stands in the open doorway, his presence sucking all of the air out of the room, a force to be acknowledged. Our eyes lock, the connection stealing my breath. We stare at each other for several long beats, and I see amusement curving his lips.

“I see you found out Ella’s no pushover, Carlo,” he says, moving forward to stand between the seats Adriel and Matteo reclaim.

“I guess you could say I did,” Carlo confirms, his gaze meeting mine. “It’s my way to test people. And believe it or not, it makes me a damn good Hunter.”

Thinking of the nerve he hit, I say, “Actually, I do believe it.”

“Truce it is, then,” Kayden declares, drawing our attention and holding up a folder. “Alessandro stole three million dollars from Neuville.”

“He’s officially insane,” Sasha says, echoing the words in my head.

“He’s a dead man walking if Neuville finds out,” Carlo replies. “I fucking love it.”

“He’s going to find out,” Kayden says. “Because you’re going to make sure he finds out.” He slides the envelope across the table to Carlo, who catches it easily. “Get that to the Jackal you know will sell out Alessandro and go to Neuville, preferably in Paris, but don’t let yourself be the source. When Alessandro falls we’re breaking up The Jackals. The existing members will have these options: follow my rules, leave the country, retire, or suffer great consequences. They’ll report to me through you.”

“Understood,” Carlo says, all of his cockiness remarkably, if only momentarily, washed away. “I won’t let you down.”

“Then hear me, and hear me well, Carlo. Alessandro does not die until Neuville and his second and third are dead, and it’s assumed to be retaliation. Do not get trigger happy and blow that. You communicate with me. We’ll design the timing. When he leaves for Paris, you and I will, too.”

It’s what I expected him to say. He wants to end this. I knew he would. Adriel, however, isn’t pleased. “You can’t get anywhere near this.”

“I’m ending this,” Kayden says. “One way or the other.”

“Aside from incriminating yourself,” Adriel argues, “this is dangerous as fuck. You’re too important to the stability of Europe to take that risk.”

Adriel convinces me he’s right and I open my mouth to agree, but somehow, some way, I remind myself that for now, at least, Kayden needs me to argue with him behind closed doors.

But Nathan doesn’t stay silent. “You can’t risk being connected to this.”

“I can back up Carlo,” Sasha says. “I know it leaves Gallo exposed, but Alessandro will now have other things to worry about. And I know Paris, and Neuville’s people. And I’d be happy to kill any or all of them that survive Alessandro.”

“You can back us both up,” Kayden says, his gaze warning me not to debate my role in this in this room.

A concern outside of Kayden’s safety hits me, and I speak up. “Niccolo will know that you released the information he sent you.”

“Here’s the piece of the puzzle you need to put it together,” Kayden replies, to me and everyone else. “Niccolo didn’t give me this file to satisfy me, or to offer you protection. He’s not that honorable. He knows what Neuville did to Ella. He knows I want Neuville dead. He led Alessandro into crossing my path and endangering Ella. He wanted me to use this to get rid of a stepbrother he wants dead.”

“Without starting a mob war,” I supply.

“Exactly,” Kayden says. “But we aren’t doing his dirty work, leaving ourselves that exposed. We’ll clear the path for him or someone he trusts to do the job. And that’s what I’m going to tell him in person tonight.” Kayden considers a moment. “In fact . . .”

He glances at Adriel. “Contact our man inside Neuville’s operation. This is starting to read like a setup by Niccolo. I’m betting Neuville’s still wearing his watch, and the gift to Carlo was a plant, meant to hit a trigger with Ella and make me go after him.” He looks at me. “Niccolo knows you were running from his stepbrother.”

“We can’t assume it was Niccolo,” I warn. “It could have been Neuville.”

“It fits Neuville’s style of manipulation,” Sasha says, quick to support my worries.

“I’ll tell Niccolo I’m going to kill Neuville, which is what he wants,” Kayden says. “If he did send the watch he has no reason to deny it, and will likely gloat about how brilliant his plan was.”