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“You’re fucking your wife, aren’t you? That’s why you keep pushing me away? That bitch doesn’t deserve you. What would your family say if they knew you were fucking a Veylor? Aren’t you ashamed of betraying them like that?” she spat, eyes glassy with tears.

Her question managed to hit somewhere deep, even if I didn’t show it. My father, my uncles, the whole goddamn family, theywould’ve lost their minds if they knew what I felt for a Veylor. A few months back, I would’ve lost it too. But right now, I couldn’t care less what Eleana or anyone else thought about me and my wife. She was mine, and I was already pissed at myself enough for just starting to act like her husband.

“What happens in my marriage is none of your business,” I said, voice flat and cold.

I walked to my drawer, pulled out my gun, and held it in my hand, just to make my point. “I don’t want to have to lay hands on you to get you out, so here’s how it’s gonna go—if you’re not out of my sight in five seconds, the Korven’s are officially going to war with the Sawyer’s, because I’ll put a bullet in the head of the family’s bitch in heat. And believe me, that idea almost makes me smile, considering I still regret letting your brother walk away after he dared to breathe the same air as my wife. Get out, Eleana. Don’t push your luck. I’m not that nice.”

This time, my tone did the job. She scrambled out fast, shooting me a look full of hate before storming out the door. I listened to her heels clacking down the stairs, across the living room, until finally the front door slammed behind her.

I called my men right after, telling them Eleana Sawyer was banned—no matter what. Then I changed the security code on the door. Only after all that shit did I finally get in bed.

The next day, I finished off the work that had piled up before heading out to an emergency Big Six meeting. On the way, I stopped in front of a flower shop. Yeah, Krash finally got in my head.

“Mr. Korven, what kind of flowers would you like? What’s the occasion? Are they for your wife? Would you like to add a little love note?” The florist hit me with back-to-back questions before I even got a word out.

I scowled. Everyone in this city knew the Big Six heads, and times like this made me wish they didn’t. His goofy, upbeatenergy made my skin crawl. This shit wasn’t me.

“Don’t ask me questions. Just take those flowers and send as many bouquets as you can to the Korven estate. No words. Don’t say who sent them.”

I pointed at a cluster of white flowers—tall stems, wide petals that opened up like clean blades, bright and heavy at the same time. I didn’t know the name, didn’t care to ask. All I knew was they looked beautiful and felt right. Yeah. That would do. It was a way of saying I’m sorry without opening my mouth, and that was exactly what I needed. It was perfect.

“You’re sure?” the florist asked, watching me with doubt in his eyes.

His hesitation got under my skin, making me pause. And maybe he had a point. She had to know they came from me so she’d understand what I meant. “Alright, maybe you can add a card with my name on it. Nothing else.”

He kept looking at me, worried, but finally wrote it up. I paid, got out, and finally headed to my meeting.

When I stepped into the Big Six conference room, all the families were already in place—Marquette, Draven, Hollister, Crowhurst. My eyes landed on Sawyer, father and son, and my face shut down.

Judge Marquette came forward and laid out the reason for this meeting. “You’re all aware that since the Veylor seat has been empty, our business has been out of balance. The Veylor casinos used to clean all our money and what’s left can’t handle the load. That’s why we need the Sawyer’s. With their private galleries and their massive art collection, it’s the perfect new circuit for laundering. This meeting was called to vote on the Sawyer’s joining the Big Six. They’ll take the Veylor seat and work hand in hand with every founding family in Emberwick.”

I looked at Seylan Sawyer, and he met my gaze. I hated the confidence in his eyes. Giving him a seat at this table would onlygive him more wings. I could already see another war coming, because I could read in his eyes he planned to piss me off, circling around my wife. His hand still carried the memory of what I did to him at the gala, and by the way he stared me down, I wouldn’t be surprised if his little sister gave him a play-by-play of our meeting last night.

But that wasn’t the whole story. I never liked the Sawyer’s, never trusted them. They were calculating and willing to do anything to get a seat at our table. The old man was the worst, always scheming. I’d taken the time to study him, dig up everything I could about him and his business when I pretended to care about Eleana. Yeah, I wanted to send a message to the Big Six by seeing her, but the real mission was always to find out what these snakes were planning. That was how I knew we didn’t share the same values. He’d fake team player right up until he wanted more, and then he’d turn on us. He wasn’t getting in as long as I was here.

“Who’s in favor of letting the Sawyer’s join the Big Six?” Judge Marquette asked.

Hollister and Marquette raised their hands. That was it. They looked surprised when Draven, Crowhurst, and I didn’t join them.

“Who’s against?” he asked, jaw tight.

All three of us raised our hands. Draven was always going to stand with me. We’d been close since we were kids, and when he’d taken over for his father, he was the one who suggested an alliance with the Korven’s—the same kind Hollister and Marquette had. We looked out for each other, always. So blocking the Sawyer’s had always been the plan. What I hadn’t counted on was Crowhurst siding with us too. He was a lone wolf, only moved when it mattered, always too mysterious to predict. No one ever knew where he stood until the last minute. Today, he stood with us.

“Very well,” Judge Marquette said, disappointed. “Three votes to two. The application of the Sawyer’s is declined.”

“This is ridiculous,” Sawyer Senior snapped. “You’re not seriously sticking with this decision. We’re a real asset to Emberwick. Our operations—”

I wasn’t listening anymore because my phone started buzzing. When I checked, my heart hammered up into my throat—the message was from Vixen.

VIXEN

She wants you. Now.

Fuck, I didn’t expect that. The sun hadn’t even set yet, but I didn’t care. I’d promised her if she called, I’d come running.

So I got to my feet, already moving for the door.

“We’re not finished here, Korven,” Judge Marquette called out.