Page 150 of Blood in the Water

I opened my mouth to sass something back, but Cas spoke through the radio. “He’s here, princess.”

“He’s here,” I repeated to Konstantin. “Show time.”

A few tense moments later, Max walked in through the club entrance with Elio trailing behind him. My eyes locked on him, and everything froze.

There he was, the man who ruined my fucking life. The man who I loved since I could understand the word, still as devastating as ever. I clenched my fists as I leaned back against the bar, both elbows resting on the wood.

Even through the mass of dancers and the people filtering around the bar with their drinks, he immediately became the center of the room. Women turned to stare. Men glared but kept a wide berth. Everyone in the room wanted to watch him but felt too nervous. I knew the feeling. I’d grown up with it. And now, I stuffed it deep down inside and buried it.

Max buttoned his jacket as he looked around the club, searching for Konstantin. His eyes roamed over the bar, first pausing on the giant blond as if he knew him personally.

Then, they landed on me, and for a few silent moments, the rest of the room disappeared.

He stared, mouth partingjusta hair. He took a stuttering step forward before he paused.

I could almost see the gears turning in his head as his gaze went from me to Konstantin and back to me. I saw the moment he put two and two together: this was a trap.

He murmured something to Elio and moved to turn and head back out the entrance, but Ryuji and Wynn were already there, blocking the door, just like we planned.

Max huffed a dark laugh. He played right into my hand, and he knew it. All it took was a jerk of Ryuji’s chin in my direction for Max and Elio to relent and walk to the bar.

“Leona,” he said as he came to stand before us. “I didn’t expect to see you here with the head of the Bratva.”

“Sorpresa,Max,” I said with a predatory grin.

“And you, Makarov?” He turned to the Russian. “If you’re ready to talk business, we can do so privately.”

Kostya tilted his head back and stared down at Max like he was an ant. “This is private enough for me.”

Max sighed in annoyance. “What are we doing here then? This is a waste of my time.”

“I don’t think so, Max.” I crossed my leg over the other so he could see my Hellcat on full display. “You have two people in front of you with bones to pick. I think that’s more business than you can handle.”

His eyes flashed. “Alright. Let’s start with you, then. What could you possibly have to say to me? I already told you once I would never marry you.”

Heat flared through my cheeks. “I’ll give you one chance to fix what you did the night you killed my father. Give everything back to me right now, and then leave. Never show your face back in New York. If you don’t, you won’t leave here alive.”

“What power do you think you have over me? What leverage?” he deadpanned, that soulless look returning to his eyes. I suppressed a shudder. I still wasn’t used tothisMax—the heartless murderer. Where was that boy who used to chase me around the house playing monsters? We weren’t playing anymore; he had grown into one. “I have everything, and you have nothing. Even your name is dirt.”

Obi chose that moment to slip through the crowd and take the chair on the other side of me. He narrowed his dark eyes at Max and stared for a few moments.

“And who are you?” Max asked.

“We’ve not met, Maximiliano Volpe. I am Obi, of the Shadows.”

Max’s titanium eyes snapped to mine. Was that a flash of fear? “The Shadows. You hired the Shadows?”

My mouth quirked up at the side. “Something like that.”

“How?Oh,” he said, his eyes flicking between me, Obi, and Makarov sitting patiently on my other side. “I didn’t realize you’d sold your body for favors, Leona. Even so, I’d never have guessed your body was even worth that much.”

My eyes narrowed at his cruelty while I opened my mouth to object, but Obi’s rich tone sliced through the air like a knife.

“The Shadows belong to Leona, and she belongs to us. We have claimed her.” His voice was hard and unyielding, and even I wanted to flinch from his tone. “Insults to her are insults against us, and I believe you know very well how seriously I take threats.”

Be still my heart. I swallowed, staring at Obi, incredibly grateful for his commanding presence. He draped his arm around my shoulders as if he needed to reinforce his point, and I practically melted. He was warm and solid, like a shield protecting me from harm.

“So now what? You hired them, and they’re here to take me out?” Max asked as Elio tensed beside him. “It won’t be easy.”