Page 156 of The Finish Line
“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.
Chapter Forty-Four
Cecelia
“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 to 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?”
I gesture over my shoulder and raise my brows.
“Yeah, I get it. He’s a jagged little pill, isn’t he?”
“Watch it,” Tobias snaps, and we both look over at him. He’s completely relaxed, a gin in hand, dressed from head-to-toe in a newly cut Armani. For a second, I get lost in my attraction, and Jeremy slings an arm across my shoulders.
“Up for a game of pool?”
“I’m going to wipe the floor with your ass,” I promise.
“Either that or she’ll tap your nuts with her stick. It’s a dirty trick.” The sound of Russell’s voice has me turning out of Jeremy’s grip, a second before Russell sweeps me into a hug.
“You ass, I only did that once.”
“Twice, my nuts were counting.”
“Not that you need them. You’ll never settle down,” I say as he glances over at Tobias.