Page 124 of Cain

“Again!”

His pace quickens, the water splashing softly as he drives me closer to the edge. His teeth nip at my ear, and his voice becomes a low, dark growl.

“I’m yours, Cain!” I cry out his name, unable to hold back.

My body tenses as waves of ecstasy wash over me.

He doesn’t remove his fingers from me. My breathing is unstable, and my heart is pounding.

“That was wild.”

I turn my head, meeting his gaze over my shoulder. His satisfied smirk makes heat rise in me again, and he leans in to kiss my jaw.

“That was just the beginning, little rose.”

I’ve been wanting to put a bullet between Paul’s eyes for so long now, but I’ve never found the chance to do so.

I always try to be strategic and rational when it comes to business, so I sat back and waited for him to make a mistake and provoke me.Again.

Only this time, I won’t be as gentle with him.

I step out of the car, heading to the filthy, abandoned warehouse he picked for this mess. It reeks of piss, rust, and salt. My men fall in behind me, their guns in their hands, ready for whatever’s coming.

He thinks I don’t know it’s a trap. He thinks I will actually give him what he wants. Obviously, he also thinks I wasborn yesterday. Not only am I selfish and don’t share anything that belongs to me, but I’m also weary of these fuckers thinking they’re better than me—sneakier. Darker.

I walk towards the big, steel door, my men following like soldiers going to war.

Paul is already there, waiting. His men encircle him, protecting him. They don’t look dangerous. Mine do. Mine look like they’re ready to tear someone apart.

“Cain,” he chirps, a fake smile curling up his lips. “You came!”

“You asked,” I growl, taking out a smoke, lighting it up and inhaling it. “Let’s get to the part where you tell me what you want.”

He spreads his hands. “Protection. My routes are bleeding. Two ships hit last month. Ports are heating up, and my crew can’t move a crate without someone breathing down their necks.”

I stare at him. “And you thought of me as your solution?”

“Bygones be bygones, pal. We both win if I run under your flag. I give you a cut—fifteen percent—and you keep my routes clean. You’ve got reach; I don’t. We could make something big.”

I chuckle slowly, shaking my head. One last pull and I toss the smoke on the ground. Shit’s getting serious.

I stroll closer to him, my eyes never drifting away from his. His men are ready, their fingers on the triggers. But so are mine. I turn my head to the side to signal my men and stop them before they do something stupid.

It’s not time yet.

My gaze returns to him. “And what do you give me, besides a headache?”

He tries to smile, but he doesn’t succeed. He’s shitting his pants. “Access. Loyalty.”

Bullshit.

I tilt my head. “Interesting offer. Shame you’ve got neither.”

He chuckles—forced again. “Come on, Cain. We could own the coast. Imagine what we could build together.”

“I don’t build with cowards.”

His jaw tightens, as if he’s trying to choke back his anger and disappointment. He didn’t expect me to play hard to get, and that makes him pathetic and stupid. And everyone knows I’m not known for my appreciation of idiots.