Surrender (Careless Whispers #3)(7)

For his part, Niccolo shows no emotion or immediate reaction, his expression remains unchanged, his gaze fixing on my hawk tattoo, lingering there for what feels like an eternity but is only seconds, before he looks at Kayden. “Is that a claim for the woman, or for a necklace worth three hundred million dollars?” he asks, his voice cold, calculated, and etched with accusation, and I’m not sure if it’s meant to rattle Kayden, me, or both of us, but there is no time for me to react.

Kayden’s response is instant, something about Niccolo’s response is more than the word games I take them as. He moves and in a blink, draws his gun and points it, not at Niccolo’s head but at his groin. “It would be a lethal mistake to underestimate what she means to me,” he says, his voice etched with the same cold calculation as Niccolo’s question.

But there is more. Kayden didn’t pull that gun as a threat or a bluff. This is the man who killed the woman Kayden loved and the man who raised him, so he knows it’s the wrong choice. And Kayden knows all the reasons he can’t kill Niccolo now. He needs to ensure the new leader is of his choice, but that doesn’t change one fact: He wants a reason to justify killing Niccolo. And he wants that reason here and now.





two




The glass window behind us starts to lower. Adrenaline surges through me, and it takes me all of ten seconds to reach into my purse for my trusty gun, good ol’ “Annie,” and point it at the driver, who has clearly been watching us. “Don’t even think about it,” I warn before he even lifts the weapon I know he’s holding, counting on Adriel to have our backs from outside the car.

“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.