His face turns red. “Where the hell’s my daughter, you miscreant?”
My mouth fills with the taste of burned chicken, and I swear. Where are my mints? “Don’t tell me you were careless enough to lose such a precious jewel.” I put enough of an insult in my voice that he prickles instantly.
He stands up, looking close to having a heart attack. “I know you have her. In the quick escape from the bar, your people missed several traffic cams in the area.”
That’s probably the truth. “She’s staying here, Mathias.”
“You sure about that?” He leans in, his nostrils flaring. “This isn’t my first kidnapping or ransom.”
I smile, knowing the sight is chilling. “I have what I want.”
His gaze turns calculating. “Actually, I have what you want.” He reaches to the side and uses both hands to lift a raw uncut garnet in front of the screen. It’s at least ten pounds—even bigger than the one connected to me. “Rumor has it you’re looking for this.” Mathias plops the stone on a surface out of sight and fury claws through my chest. “I’m proposing a trade.”
I’ve sent so many feelers out for a garnet that size, it’s a waste of time asking where he gleaned his information. I let coldness glimmer in my eyes. “You seem to be forgetting that I have your daughter.” Am fully planning on keeping her. But that stone. I can feel its power. Can it cure me? Save Malice Media?
He scoffs. “This is a onetime offer—my daughter for this crystal. An exchange like in the old days. If you say no, I’ll cut this thing up and grind every molecule to dust.” His gaze narrows. “It’s bigger than the one you have, but not by much. Why are you searching so hard for it?”
I can’t tell if he’s playing me or not. If he knows why, then he had a hand in creating the virus to destroy my garnet and my life. If he doesn’t, then he’s probably in danger since I’m sure he’s the person who charges the stones for Aquarius Social. “The why of it is none of your business.” I rapidly think through my options and don’t like any of them. “Your daughter is safe here. You failed to keep her so.”
“No, I didn’t. I had guards in the bar and they helped take out the would-be kidnappers.”
So he has the truth as well. “Who was behind the attack?” At the very least, I’ll put them in the ground.
“Don’t know yet,” Mathias says. “We’ve traced the squad to the Twenty-One Purple gang, but so far, nobody knows who hired them.”
Fury pounds through me. Alana is mine and nobody can take her, especially her asshole father. “I have someone on the inside of the gang and will find out. Alana stays here.”
“Absolutely not.”
Heat slashes through my chest. She’s mine and she’s fucking safer with me. “Still need a sacrificial lamb, do you?”
He doesn’t like my sneer and his cheeks puff out. “My family matters are not your concern. Watching this stone be ground down might be.”
Damn it. I need that garnet, but Alana has slid right beneath my skin, and the idea of letting her go is unthinkable. Still, I’m no good to her if I’m dead—I’ll do whatever I must to secure a future with her. The memory of her sighing my name last night calms me. Slightly. “I’ll trade you an alexandrite in a natural pyramid shape for the garnet.”
“No. I want my daughter back.”
I’m surprised. Maybe he does give a shit about her. “If you fail to keep her safe, I’ll hunt you down and rip off layers of your skin, piece by piece.”
His eyes cloud and then clear. Obviously confused. “She’s engaged to another man, Beathach. Let’s just get this over with.”
I might kill him anyway. I can’t tell her why I need the garnet. She’ll tell her old man, and he can’t have that knowledge over me. “All right, but I want your entire cache of garnets in addition to the large one. I’ll send you coordinates half an hour before the meet in two hours.” That way my snipers will be in place long before his.
“If you’ve touched her, I’ll kill you,” Mathias threatens. I’ve done a hell of a lot more than touch her, but that’s none of Mathias’s business. What happens between Alana and me is ours. I’m not sharing any of it with this asshole. “Don’t be a moron.”
“I want the quartz crystals and the four alexandrite pyramids you stole from me as well,” he blurts out.
My smile feels cruel. “Sorry. Your garnets for one beauty. I’m keeping the crystals.” I’m also keeping the beauty, as this is a temporary swap.
“Listen, you bastard.” He leans closer into the frame. “If you want a war, I’ll give you one. You won’t win.”
Considering I’m nowhere near done with his daughter, I might have to kill him if he doesn’t retreat. That’ll probably anger her. “Stop threatening me, little man. One more word and I’ll forget my good intentions about returning your daughter. Piss me off, and I promise you’ll never see her again.” I glance out the window and see Dermot and another one of my men feeding the creatures in the moat.
Mathias snarls. “I want to see my daughter and I want to see her right now.”
I glance at the darkened sky. “It’s four in the morning. Your daughter is peacefully asleep. I’m not waking her up.”
“I want to make sure she’s okay.”
I can’t tell if he’s being truthful or not. So far, in my opinion, he hasn’t been a very good father. Does he miss his daughter or does he just need his best influencer for Aquarius Social? “Get used to disappointment,” I mutter. “I’ll send you the coordinates of the location fifteen minutes before the meet.”
“You said half an hour,” he sputters.
“I changed my mind.” I click off. Appearing contradictory to one’s enemies is a good thing. I don’t want him having any idea what I’m capable of. I look again at the icy garnet on my desk. If he had anything to do with giving me this virus, I’ll make sure he precedes me to meet the devil.
EIGHTEEN
Alana
Fury sparks like live wires in my bloodstream, and it’s a feeling I hold on to with both hands. So much better than pain.
Thorn woke me with a rough order to get ready to go. No explanation, no hint of regret. I hurriedly dressed before meeting him down in the vestibule.
A blush of dawn begins to tinge the sky pink and peach as we drive through the outskirts of the Port of Redwood City. Tension fills the SUV, and I try to remain calm in the backseat but it’s difficult to refrain from reacting. My entire body is satisfied and sore, and even the long bath I took earlier hasn’t erased the evidence of Thorn’s lovemaking. I mean, sex. Man. Now I’m seeing little hearts in my eyes, and he’s trying to get rid of me. Seriously.
I have small nips, scratches, and bites in the most intimate of places. I feel like I have been completely and truly fucked—in a very good way.
Thorn may have ruined me for all other men.
