Page 25 of Immoral (Park Avenue Kings #3)

DIMITRI

I F I’D THOUGHT I was pissed before when I was luring Benoit into a trap, it had nothing on the pure, violent rage coursing through me now.

Three guns were trained on me, but that did little to keep me from attacking.

I wanted the big boss. I wanted the head of that snake on a fucking platter, and that was the only reason the men walking beside and behind me were safe for now.

Benoit included. The goddamn traitor.

At least I didn’t have to look at him right now.

His betrayal burned through my veins, but why was I surprised?

Because I’d thought he was different? I wasn’t delusional enough to think he was with me for any other reason than I was paying him to be.

This was the way of the world. Money and power, seduction and double crossing. It was par for the fucking course.

It didn’t take us more than five minutes to get to the nondescript house they’d commandeered.

Of course they’d been close. They’d want to get to Benoit—or me—as fast as they could if something went down.

The question was, how had they been watching?

Or tracking? No doubt they’d been following us since the moment Benoit arrived at the castle in Prague?—

Shit. No. They’d been watching long before that.

Benoit had been a trap in Dubai, one I’d fallen for hook, line, and sinker.

Was he really even a dancer? He had to be.

No one moved their body the way he did. No one captivated with just a look like he could.

But there was more to the man I’d let into my bed than he let on.

Who the fuck was Benoit Olivier, really?

A sharp shove to my shoulder came from behind.

“Keep moving,” Alessio said, forcing me to keep walking down the dark hall of the house.

There was nothing on the walls, not a personal item in sight that would tell me anything about the people it belonged to.

It had a vacant feel, like its purpose was for this meeting only.

I took note of my surroundings, the exits, every window we passed, the stairs to the left. Listened for every breath, every creak, any indication of how many others were in the house with us.

The room I was brought to had no windows, and no other doors besides the one we came in through, but it wasn’t as sterile as the others.

A roaring fire in the fireplace joined the overhead chandelier in lighting up the space, and there were a couple of cream couches and leather chairs set up that gave the impression that this was a far cozier meeting than it was.

As we drew closer, the lone figure in the room rose from one of the chairs, tall and dark-skinned, with a powerful set to his shoulders that told me without words he was the man in charge.

My fingers twitched at the savage urge inside, the one that said to hell with the consequences and to take every one of them down. If they thought they had me trapped in a cage, they should think again. All it would take was a spark and I’d burn their world down.

I narrowed my eyes at the man as he turned to face us. And just who are you, motherfucker?

“Dimitri Stavros,” the man said, stepping into the light so I could see his face.

And right there was my second surprise of the night—the big boss, the one orchestrating this whole thing…was Tyrone Kingston? One of my high-profile clients? Or, rather, my mentor’s client. He’d been on my list to contact when I headed to the States, but it seemed he’d grown impatient.

“No shit. And you’re Tyrone Kingston.”

“Indeed.” Tyrone moved closer, his eyes shifting to the others in the room. “You can leave us.”

“Boss?” The one who’d threatened to blow my head off my skull stepped up beside me. “I don’t think?—”

“I said , leave us, Lachlan.” Tyrone’s eyes came back to mine. “I don’t think Dimitri here wants any trouble. We’ll be just fine.”

If fine meant the second they were out the door I’d have him incapacitated, then yes, we’d be just fucking peachy.

Lachlan looked unconvinced. “He seemed to want plenty of trouble earlier.”

“Is that true?” Tyrone asked, his stare unwavering as he took my measure.

“What do you think? I had two guns pointed at my head.”

“Only because you pulled a weapon on Benoit.”

“And what would you have done if you found out you were fucking a traitor?”

“The same thing.”

“Yet you sent him in anyway.”

Tyrone shrugged. “I sent him to watch you, not?—”

“Fuck me?”

“Correct. That was”—Tyrone looked to Benoit, who had been silent longer than I could ever remember him being—“his decision. Lachlan, Alessio, out.”

The two muttered something, then reluctantly turned to leave, and Benoit backed up a step, about to follow.

“If it’s all right with you, King,” he said in that lyrical voice that was so familiar, “I think I might go with?—”

“ You stay right where you are.”

“ Oui , okay. I wasn’t sure what you wanted.”

My ass he wasn’t sure. Benoit wanted to make a quick getaway, that much was clear. He’d done what he’d been sent in to do: seduce the schmuck, fuck his brains out, then leave once he was finally caught. It made sense he’d want to cut and run now.

As the muscle exited the room, and the door clicked shut behind me, I looked at Benoit.

He still held my gun in his hand, but that would be easy enough to wrestle back.

I had him by a good couple of inches—and I had a feeling that if he were to shoot, it wouldn’t be to kill.

When I’d mentioned doing just that earlier, he’d practically turned green.

“Now, where were we?” Tyrone said. “Ah yes, introductions. You are correct, my name is Tyrone Kingston. But most call me King. Business associates included.”

“And why the fuck would I care about that?”

“Because that’s what I’m hoping we will be.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Business associates.”

“Yes.”

“So you sent in a spy?”

Benoit stepped forward, holding up a finger. “I don’t really like the term spy , per se. I like to look at myself as a social chameleon. Someone who can fit into any situation and?—”

“Get information for their bosses using underhanded, traitorous moves?”

Benoit opened his mouth to retaliate when King held up his hand. “That’s enough, Benoit. I understand this is not how you like to conduct business, Mr. Stavros, but we needed to know if we could trust you.”

“And this is the way you decided to go about it?”

“Yes. We needed more information. All we knew about you was that you were Giorgos’s second-in-command. After his untimely demise, I’m sure you can understand how we might have questions for his successor.”

“Which you could’ve had answered if you’d set up a fucking meeting. How am I supposed to trust you now?”

King slipped his hands into his pockets, his outward appearance all calm and patient despite my obvious agitation.

I, on the other hand, was fucking livid.

Not only had I been lied to, but all my previous business dealings had now been compromised.

All because this fucker wanted to make sure I passed the Q I couldn’t deny that. The sheer amount of power on that list was something I didn’t want going to another dealer. At the same time, I was still pissed with the way things had gone down.

I looked down at the check in my hands, contemplating the best way to go. “If I agree to this?—”

“If?” King shook his head. “No ifs. I need an answer.”

“And you’ll get one if you stop interrupting me. Remember, you want what I have. What I can get you.”

“But can you get it, in that amount?” King said, the uncertainty in his voice pissing me off to no end. “That’s the real question.”

I took a step forward and was shocked not to see musclemen one and two come racing in to protect their “king,” because there was no way they weren’t monitoring my every move.

“I can get it. Anything and everything you want. But not for”—I glanced at Benoit, who seemed pleased by my answer, and that just wouldn’t do—“at least two weeks.”

“Two weeks?”

“Yes. In case you’ve forgotten, this little trip you sent your minion on is a business trip. One I plan to continue.”

“Fair enough.” King nodded as though agreeing with me. But newsflash: I wasn’t asking for his fucking permission, and nothing about my next condition was going to be fair.

“I think so, and he ” — I pointed at Benoit—“is going to continue with me.”

“Wait, what?” Benoit stepped up beside King. “Why would you— Why would I do that? There’s no need now.”

“For you, maybe.” I narrowed my gaze on him as all of his lies, his betrayals, came rushing back in. “But I paid a hefty price for your company, and if I recall, you have at least two weeks until that deal is complete.”

Benoit let out a laugh. “That’s funny, mon monstre. But you only paid me half. I’m happy to let you keep the rest. You know, to wipe away your tears over our lost moments together.”

My hands clenched by my side. My desire to grab Benoit, haul him in close, and teach him a lesson ran a tight race with my desire to throttle him.

Instead, I turned my attention to King. “He comes with me or the deal is off.”

King opened his mouth to refute me, judging by the stony expression on his face, when Benoit touched his arm and said, “I’ll go.”

“Benoit, you?—”

“I’ll go.” Benoit looked at me. “Dimitri knows you’re watching me now. That you’re watching him. He won’t hurt me.”

“I don’t like this,” King said. But, not about to let this opportunity slip away, for Benoit to slip away without answering for his transgressions, I spoke up.

“He’s right. I won’t hurt him. Plus, you’ve just offered me something I want more than him.” Insult flashed in Benoit’s eyes. “I’m not about to jeopardize that. I am, however, going to take him with me as a sign of good faith and trust. After all, isn’t that what we all want here?”

I could see King thinking over my offer, then he turned to Benoit. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“ Oui . I’ll be fine.”

King looked back at me. “You hurt him and you’ll regret it.”

“Fair enough,” I said as Benoit handed him my gun. “But if I catch you following me again, the deal is off…both of them.”