Kings of Chaos (Dirty Broken Savages #1)(22)

I bristle at his implication, narrowing my eyes. “Why don’t you share what you know about him then?” I challenge him. “Maybe it’ll help me since you think I’m so fucking useless.”

He drags a hand through his dark brown hair and then nods curtly. Whatever these four men do other than run a nightclub, they’re clearly well-connected enough in the criminal world to know something. Enough that they have issues with Ivan in the first place.

“He’s got heavy security,” Gage says. His face is all hard lines and sharp edges, and I can’t even quite imagine what it would look like if he smiled. I doubt it’s something he does often. “The man is so paranoid he’s gonna end up with a knife in his back that he doesn’t go anywhere without his team. He rotates them often, and he doesn’t let anyone get close. He rarely conducts business outside of his home, since it’s more easily defensible than going somewhere else. He forces people to deal with him on his turf, and more than a few people have gone missing after trying to strike a deal with him that didn’t go the way he wanted it to.”

A lot of that is shit I already know. Ivan is big enough in the crime world that he has his own legend about him. Rumors fly, and it’s not always easy to tell which are true and which are exaggerated. With Ivan St. James, it’s probably best to assume they’re all true and play it safe.

“He’s also a slumlord,” I put in. “He’s got a shitload of properties scattered around the city, and basically everyone who lives in one is doing his dirty work in one way or another. Even if they don’t know it yet. There has to be a weakness, though. I know he’s crazy paranoid and doesn’t take big risks, but everyone has a weakness. The thing about powerful men is they think their power keeps them safe, when really it just paints a big, red target on their asses.”

“You think there’s a hole somewhere?”

“I think there has to be. Something he’s missed or overlooked, someone who works for him who hates him or isn’t loyal and can be bought. Something that will let me get close enough to kill him.”

Gage shakes his head. “Anyone who sold him out would be dead before they could reap any benefit from it.”

“Not if I kill Ivan first. Who’s going to step in to defend him if he’s gone?”

The broad-shouldered man narrows his eyes as he studies me like he’s trying to look right through me, but I hold my ground. Like I said, I’m not letting him intimidate me. The other two stay back, letting Gage handle this, but they’re watching with clear interest.

“Why do you want him dead so badly?” Gage finally asks.

My stomach churns as a rush of memories flow through my head, but I keep my features neutral. “That’s not important.”

Gage’s expression hardens, his jade eyes flashing. “The fuck it isn’t. You have to be smart about this. We can’t risk you fucking this up because you’re too trigger-happy to use your brain.”

I glare at him. “If that was an issue, I would’ve already tried to get to him by now. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” he fires back. “What is it? Does he owe you money?”

“Yeah, that’s it. He borrowed five bucks off me and didn’t give it back. Mystery solved. Good job, Sherlock.”

“It has to be something. You’re serious about this. Are you his illegitimate daughter?”

I just make a face that tells him what I think of that.

“No? Scorned lover then? Ex-best friend? He killed someone you care about?”

That’s getting too close to the truth, and I surge to my feet, stepping around the dog as hot anger floods my veins.

“Let it fucking go!” I snap. “It doesn’t matter what the reason is. I’ll kill him like I said I would. That’s all you need to know.”

“You’re defensive about it.” Gage cocks his head, his full lips turning down. “Which means there’s a story there. Some loose end. I hate loose ends.”

“Well, it’s not your fucking loose end to deal with, so you don’t need to worry about it,” I spit back.

“I do if it’s going to come back to bite me and mine in the ass later.”

“It won’t.”

“How do I know that? If he’s some jilted lover of yours and he wants revenge against you too—”

“Shut the fuck up!” I shout, getting even more pissed off. Just thinking about Ivan being my lover is enough to make me want to throw up right here on their stupid white rug. Gage is trying to push my buttons, trying to get a rise out of me… and it’s fucking working.

Fuck this shit. I don’t have to take this. Not from some wannabe gangster who doesn’t know shit or when to shut his fucking mouth. If they want to kill me, then they can, but I’m not some goddamn puppet for them to boss around or control.

I turn and storm out of the house, slamming the door behind me.

Not even two seconds later, Gage yanks the door open and steps outside, yanking it shut behind him before striding over and squaring off with me in the middle of the driveway.

“You don’t seem to get it,” he says, looming over me as his voice drops to a low, dangerous register. “I don’t give a shit about your history because I want to know you. It’s about making sure this isn’t gonna come back to fuck us. I need to know who I’m getting in bed with.”