Page 122 of Doomed

The engine roars to life beneath us, and I feel Bianca squeeze me tighter as if she’s scared of losing me.

41

KNOX

Purgatory is alive with energy tonight—my birthday energy. The usual sleek darkness of the club has been transformed with blue lighting, my signature color splashed across every surface. The private section we’ve commandeered has been rearranged with plush couches forming a loose circle, bottles of top-shelf liquor covering every table.

I lean back, watching as Bianca laughs with the other women. She’s wearing a skin-tight blue dress that matches the décor, a present to herself—and to me. Four months, and I can’t believe she’s mine. That I get to take her home tonight and strip that dress off her.

“Earth to Knox,” Vane snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Stop drooling over your girl and pay attention. We’re discussing our Russian problem.

“It’s my fucking birthday,” I remind him. “No business tonight.”

Xavier hands me another whiskey. “Our little brother’s gone soft. One woman bats her eyelashes, and he forgets we have a psychopath trying to kill us.”

“Orlov can wait,” Landon interjects, his eyes drifting to where Sadie sits with the other women. “He’s been quiet for two weeks.”

“Too quiet,” Tyson adds, joining our circle with Lars and Cade. “My contacts say he’s planning something big.”

“Your contacts?” I laugh. “You mean the carnival fortune teller?”

Tyson grins. “Don’t knock Madame Zelda. She’s been right before.”

“Speaking of right,” Remy’s deep voice cuts in as he approaches with Colt and Nash, “your intel about the warehouse in Willow Creek was solid. We’ve got it covered.”

The growing alliance between our operations has been the silver lining of Orlov’s vendetta. Two criminal empires united against a common enemy—who would’ve thought?

“To the birthday boy,” Colt raises his glass. “May your aim stay true and your enemies die screaming.”

“Eloquent as always,” Phoenix mutters, earning laughter from around the circle.

I catch Gage’s eye across the room, where he stands silently observing. He nods almost imperceptibly. Even the carnival’s resident psychopath showed up. I’m touched.

My attention drifts back to Bianca, now deep in conversation with Alice, Flora, and Aurora. Eden seems to be telling a story that has them all leaning in, while Mira and Lia debate with animated gestures. Tilly and Sofia look on, occasionally adding comments that send ripples of laughter through the group.

“Never thought we’d end up here,” Vane says, eyeing Lia across the room. “One Hunt and suddenly we’re all playing house.”

I smirk, taking another sip of whiskey. “You complaining?”

“Hell no.” He grins wickedly. “That woman has me wrapped around her finger, and I fucking love it.”

It’s strange how quickly they’ve all become essential—these women we hunted like prey now hunting us right back in their own ways. Xavier might deny it, but Mira’s changed him. He’s ruthless in business, but he’s softer when he looks at her and thinks no one’s watching.

Landon, though—that’s the real surprise. I glance over to where he sits slightly apart from everyone, his eyes never leaving Sadie. Their relationship is like watching a psychological war unfold. Two brilliant minds constantly circling each other, neither willing to fully surrender, and both of them in love even if they won’t admit it openly yet.

“Landon and Sadie fighting again?” I ask Xavier, noticing the tension in my brother’s shoulders.

Xavier sighs. “When aren’t they? Last I heard, she hacked his security system to prove a point, so he locked her out of her own laptop.”

“That’s foreplay for those two,” Vane snorts.

He’s not wrong. Those two communicate through mind games and power plays that would break most people. Yet somehow, they keep coming back to each other, drawn together by some twisted understanding only they share.

“At least they’re never boring,” I observe, watching as Landon finally approaches Sadie, whispering in her ear and making her freeze, then flush. Whatever he said, she’s following him toward the back hallway now.

“Twenty minutes,” Vane bets, checking his watch.

“Thirty,” Xavier counters. “Landon likes to take his time breaking her down.”