Page 62 of Knuckles & Knives

“You should see the other guy,” he replies. He stops about ten feet away, his hands visible but ready. “Thank you for coming.”

“You said you had information about the attack.”

“I do.” His ice-blue eyes meet mine directly. “The burner contact Elias used? My uncle paid for it. That middleman Marcus flagged in his logs? One of Uncle Richard’s people. He’s been recruiting your people under our radar for months. Tommy and Elias were just the ones you caught.”

Everything snaps into focus like a puzzle piece sliding into place. Marcus suspected a pattern, but he didn’t know who was orchestrating it. Now we do.

Richard Sterling wasn’t just behind one hit. He’s been planting rot at the roots of everything we’ve built.

“How do you know? Marcus hadn’t found that link.”

“Being attacked twice… I can’t handle this. I had to go back over the first one, and I’ve spent the last forty-eight hours tearing apart every communication, every financial record, every contact my family has.” His voice is clipped and professional, but I can hear the underlying fury. “When I confronted him about it, he didn’t deny it. He said it was necessary to maintain family honor.”

“And that’s when he gave you the matching facial accessories?”

“Among other things.” Kieran’s hand touches his split lip briefly. “He’s planning another attempt, Raven. Bigger, more coordinated. He’s reached out to the Kozlov family and two other syndicates.”

My blood runs cold. The Kozlovs are notoriously brutal, even by our standards. If they’re getting involved, this isn’t just about territory anymore.

“Kieran…”

“I know you doubt me at times.”

“I don’t,” I protest.

“You doubt my family, and you should. Clearly. What happened to Dom should have happened to me. I should have been the one taking that bullet.”

“Kieran—”

“No, let me finish.” He takes a step closer, and I can see the raw pain in his expression. “I’ve been lying to myself, thinking I could play both sides. I told you I would walk away, and I did, but then I went back to use their money… I never should’ve. I never should’ve tried to keep my family happy while… while pursuing this thing between us. Watching him get shot protecting you made me realize I can’t have it both ways.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I choose you.” The words come out fierce, definitive. “I choose all of you. Dom, Axel, Marcus, and especially you. My family can go to hell. We can light them up for all I care.”

The sincerity in his voice makes something tight in my chest loosen. I’ve been waiting for this moment—for him to prove where his loyalties truly lie—but now that it’s happening, I’m almost afraid to believe it.

“That’s a big decision to make in forty-eight hours,” I say softly.

“I made it the moment I saw Dom bleeding.” Kieran’s hands frame my face. “I made it when I realized that losing you would destroy me more than losing my inheritance ever could.” His thumb traces my cheekbone.

I lean into the touch. “Your family will never forgive this.”

“I know.” His smile is positively wicked. “I’m counting on it. Makes it easier to do what comes next.”

“Which is?”

“Help you destroy them systematically.” His eyes glitter with cold promise. “I know every weakness, every secret, every dirty deal they’ve made. Richard wants to play with the big boys? Let’s show him what that really means.”

The kiss comes suddenly, fierce and desperate and full of everything we haven’t been able to say. I taste blood from his split lip.

“I need to know you’re serious about this,” I whisper against his lips.

“There was never any going back,” he replies. “Not from the moment I first saw you again.” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a flash drive. “Every communication, every financial record, every contact list I could access. Consider it a down payment on my loyalty.”

I take the drive, our fingers brushing. “And your uncle?”

“He’s expecting me to report back about this meeting. Tell him whether I could confirm you were behind the attack on our shipments.” Kieran’s smile turns predatory. “I’m going to tell him exactly what he wants to hear.”