Page 27 of Her Cruel Empire

There’s a pause.

“I assume you’re not doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

“No,” I agree. “I want something in return.”

Another beat of silence.

“What kind of something?”

“I want the Gattos eliminated.”

Brie laughs. A light sound, bright and dismissive. “I see. Just a little mob war, that’s all. Come on, Eva. Just tell me you want to clean out the city entirely.”

“No. Just the Gattos. I want them gone, every last leech. And I think you’re the woman for the job.”

“Word is, you were meeting with them yourself just yesterday.”

“I did. And now I want them obliterated.”

She exhales slowly. “Look, destabilizing Vegas isn’t inmybest interest. I won’t burn it all down to satisfy your bloodlust. I’d need a damn good reason to start something like that. So what did they do? Insult your taste in shoes?”

I roll my neck. The muscles are tight. I don’t like needing to justify myself, but I do. Just this once.

“They’re trafficking women,” I say flatly. “They took me into one of their auctions as though I’d approve. But I don’t. And so now I want them gone.”

Silence.

Then Brie’s voice drops into something hard and lethal. “You have proof of this?”

“You have my word. And a new deal on any arms you might need to remove them from the face of the earth.”

Another pause. Then: “Well, I’ll think it over.”

But I can almost hear the sharp turn in her mind. Brie’s clever. Cunning, anyway. She smells the rot too. And she has a weakness for taking the moral high ground.

It’s a new experience for me.

“If what you’re saying is true,” Brie goes on, “I think the Styx Syndicate might be interested as well.”

“They’ve never exactly rolled out the welcome mat for me.”

“I’ll talk to them.”

“Then let me know when you’ve made your decision.” I end the call, satisfied.

The Gatto problem is in hand.

Still, I’m left with the bigger problem: Robin.

I sit again and lean back in the chair. Let the tension bleed out of my shoulders. My mind is sharper now, free of the Gatto irritation.

Butshe’sstill there. In the shadows of my thoughts.

The war between protection and possession rages in my chest. I want to wrap her up and keep her safe from every hard thing in this world.

I also want to strip away every innocent thought in her head until she’s begging for my touch, desperate for my approval, ruined for anyone else.

I could walk into her room right now. Wake her with my hands, my mouth. She’s mine, after all. Bought and paid for. I could have her on her back, her knees, however I want her.