Although I’ve spent years adrift, attempting to coast alone to save those around me from the destruction of my hidden path, they’ve refused to let me fly solo.
The synergy is back, and it’s powerful. I can feel it between us now as we crest on the same breeze, wings wide open, scars from our separation the same depth, shape, and color. Sean dips his chin, confirming my line of thought as we feel the absence of one, never to be forgotten. And it’s then I let the rage totally consume me.
“This is the illusion, Antoine. Ready? Watch closely.” I cup the king in my palm, making sure he sees it before effortlessly shifting the pieces with a sleight of hand. “But this is who I am.” I pinch the pawn between my fingers and lift it an inch from his gaping nose. “It’s who I’ve always been, and I accepted that early on.”
Cupping the back of his head, I press the chess piece against his gaping nose as he shrieks in pain, his body shaking violently in his chair as I lean in and whisper every word.
“But as I told you in the beginning, I never make the same mistake, twice. And because of that, you’ll die a coward because you showed me your weakness in our first meeting—ego.”
I glance at Sean, handing him the king. “Shall we feed his greed?”
Sean nods, taking the king from my hand as Antoine jerks violently in his hold while he shoves the chess piece in, breaking some of his teeth while forcing it to the back of his throat. Antoine begins to choke, his face beet red as he gags.
Sean allows him some air as he tries his best to spit the piece out, blood pouring from his mouth between gasps.
“So, let’s move down the checklist, shall we, Sean?”
“Let’s,” he says, as he holds a struggling Antoine in his iron grip.
“We stole his money?”
“Yep.”
“Palo took his wife?”
A nod.
“We’ve trashed his reputation?”
“He’s a fucking laughing-stock, but in truth, he did that himself.”
“We stole his kingdom and gave a set of keys to the lieutenant fucking his wife, and positioned him to our advantage?”
Sean’s menacing smile appears, and he nods. “Palo is going to have a damn good year.”
“Did I leave anything out?”
“His mistress just fled France.” He shrugs. “Something must have spooked her.”
Antoine snaps his gaze between the two of us, his features twisted in utter defeat as I step toward him and press the barrel of my Glock to the center of his forehead. “And I didn’t have to lift a finger because I’m just a pawn, who managed to find a queen and make her fall in love with me. But what good is a pawn, who can check, without a mate?”
I press the gun into his skull, tilting his head up, forcing his eyes to mine and pull the fucking trigger.
“No, no, no. Come on, man, no!” Eddie all but shrieks as we enter his bar. I can’t help the laughter that bursts out of me as Tobias scowls at him. The last time we were here, Tobias all but destroyed this place due to our stand-off. From the looks of it, Eddie put the consolation money I left him to use. Glancing around I give him a low whistle. “Looks great in here. New lighting.”
Eddie towels off a glass. “Wonder how long I’ll keep it.”
A voice sounds up from behind us. “Chill, Eddie, we might only swing from the chandeliers once tonight.” I turn to see Jeremy at the door, a grin splitting his face as I rush him and he catches me mid-flight.
“Damn, girl, you only get more beautiful,” he whispers as he lifts me from my feet in a bear hug before gripping my arms. “How you been?”