Page 40 of Scarlet Mark

Learning.

Observing.

Plotting.

“The wedding day was the only time your security team took a real break,” Killian said, clearly having figured out my intentions. “And the account was the final payment. He gave you the details to give to Clarissa, didn’t he?”

I nodded. “He did.” Amir had transferred the funds to the account through some back-end channels, and Malcom gave me the details for Clarissa, to complete the transaction. But I took the highest amount allowed by the bank, and ran.

Killian’s lips curled, not necessarily in amusement but with something that seemed akin to awe. “You had it all planned.”

“And you ruined it by tracking me down.” Not that I really blamed him for it. He was just doing a job.

“Well, as I said, you weren’t easy to find.”

“I won’t apologize for that.”

“Just as I won’t apologize for finding you,” he replied. “In fact, I’d say it’s fate. Because now you’ve given me a list of people to track down and punish. Although, I’m going to need you to tell me everything you know about Amir Assad first.”

My brow furrowed. “Hold on. You’re going to kill them all?”

“That’s what I said, right?”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he repeated. “You haven’t given me anyone outside my scope. However, I have a feeling we’ve just skimmed the surface of what you know.”

That was not what I meant. “What about me?” He couldn’t possibly be planning to do all this on his own. I deserved some revenge, too.

“Worried I might kill you, kitten?” he asked, his gaze dancing over me. “Because I gotta say, I think that’d be a waste of talent.”

“Damn right it would be. Which is why you’ll take me with you when you hunt these assholes down.”

His amusement died. “Absolutely fucking not.”

“Excuse me?”

“I work alone.”

“You need me.”

“Yes, for information. Not as a partner.”

Oh, hell no.“So, what, they try to kill you once and suddenly your need for revenge supersedes mine?”

“That’s not—”

“I wasn’t done.” I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back into the couch when he tried to move, my legs straddling his thighs. “Youneedme. This is my world, Killian. I’ve studied it for years. I know all the players. We either do this together or not at all.”

He grabbed my hips. “No, Amara.”

I fisted his shirt. “I’m not asking, Killian. You want to know about Amir and Malcom? Then we work together to take them all down. Including Clarissa and Geoff.” If anyone had earned a right to deliver their end, it was me. Not Killian.

“How the hell did this turn into a negotiation? I don’t play with others, darling. I hunt and kill alone. Always have, always will.”

I narrowed my gaze. “Then this will be the first mission you really fail, more than you already have.”

“And what the fuck does that mean?”