“Until my business is complete with Carmen Rivera,” Elias said with narrowed eyes, ignoring Uilleam’s words, “she is off-limits to you and to Carmen’s daughter. Luna Santiago died seven years ago, she needs to remain that way. Once my business is complete, do what you will.”
It sounded too easy, and Uilleam knew that the best things didn’t come without a cost.
“Are you saying that you will hand Carmen over?”
Elias nodded. “And the girl can exact whatever punishment she deems worthy, but only once our business is done.”
Interesting.
“And you?” Uilleam asked then.
“This will be the last time we see each other in person, I’m afraid. If we’re to meet again, it won’t end the way you expect. Think over my proposition, Kingmaker—you have twenty-six hours.” Elias stood, smoothing the front of his suit jacket as he buttoned it. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“Did you know,” Uilleam said before he could take more than a step away from the table, “you should never tell an alligator it has a big mouth until after you’ve crossed the river?”
Confusion played on the man’s face before he smoothed his features, fiddling with his ear a moment before answering. “Kingmaker.”
With that, he exited the bistro, taking his men with him until it was only Uilleam and Skorpion left sitting inside.
Folding his arms across his chest after tipping his hat up, Skorpion asked, “Did you get what you came for?”
“Of course.”
Skorpion’s brows jumped as he frowned. “He didn’t say shit.”
“It’s what he didn’t say that’s important,” Uilleam said, more to himself than his associate. “Carmen has something he needs—why else would he both be trying to protect her and offering to let her be killed in the same breath?”
He understood all too well how someone’s usefulness could disappearance at a moment’s notice.
Now, the question was, what did Carmen have that he wanted, and how could Uilleam get his hands on it first?
Carmen was far more important than he had originally given her credit—he just had to figure out why.
“Did learn something though,” Skorpion said with a grunt as he got to his feet, adjusting the knife and gun holstered at his waist.
“And what’s that?”
“He ain’t the boss.”
Uilleam looked from Elias’ abandoned tea cup to Skorpion. “How do you figure?”
“That question you asked him, he was about to answer, but he touched his ear before he gave it.”
He’d noticed that. “And?”
“He had a comm in his ear. Explains the lengthy pauses every time you asked him something—he was waiting to get the answers.”
Uilleam smiled.
Round and round and round they went.
He was eager to see where they landed.
“I could make you into a queen,” Uilleam offered with a smile, even as he draped the string of diamonds around her neck, but where he thought he would find a look of eagerness, Karina was shaking her head.
“I’m not very interested in being a queen—and what is your obsession with monarchic titles? Is that why you’re called the Kingmaker?”
Despite all she said, his mind only seized on a few words. “Everyone wants to be a queen … why don’t you?”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Karina said, glancing down at the delicate tattoo on her wrist, “but queens can die—I would rather be a legend.”
That almost made him smile. “A legend, why?”
This time, she did offer a quirk of her lips as she gazed at their reflection in the mirror. “Because legends never die.”
Uilleam snapped out of the memory as a blurred shape appeared in his peripheral a moment before the man sat in the seat opposite him at the fire.
Not just any man, his brother.
Kit.
The fucking traitor.
“I told them to shoot you on sight,” Uilleam grumbled as he looked away from the flames to his brother. “Yet, here you are.”
Kit shrugged, just a casual lift of his shoulder. “Stronger men than you have tried to kill me. If I wasn’t able to evade your pathetic excuses for security, I would be a dead man.”
“In a mood, still?” Uilleam asked. “Let’s reconvene in the morning—I don’t think I’m in the mood for your dramatics tonight.”
“Thoughts of Karina keeping you awake at night?”
There was genuine curiosity in Kit’s tone, but the question still made Uilleam frown. Thoughts of her were too fresh in his mind, and talking about her would only put him in a dangerous mood.
“If there was ever a time when I wanted you to stop talking, it would be now. Besides, where is your army?” Uilleam made a show of looking around. “The last time we spoke, you promised a war. Can’t have a war if it’s only you, can we?”
“I’ve only just learned my grievances with you were unfounded.”
Uilleam looked at him with mock surprise. “Are you actually admitting you were wrong about something? Now, I have to admit, I’m curious why you’re here.”
“You didn’t tell Luna about my involvement with her being handed to Lawrence Kendall.”