Page 53 of Sinner's Malice

Sighing, I reached for my phone. “Is this really what you want, or is Silas forcing you?”

The kid mumbled, “I wasn’t really given a choice.”

“Gonna ask you one more time, Intern. Is this what you want?”

Pippen looked at me, then slowly shook his head.

Dialing Sin’s number, I pointed to the empty chair. The intern quickly sat as I laid my phone on the table. I hit the speaker button so the entire room could hear. The second the call connected, we all heard.

“Good morning, Gideon. And what do I owe this unexpected call on this magnificent Saturday?”

I could clearly hear the glee in Sin’s voice as a woman whimpered in the background.

“Tell Silas no.”

“And why would I do that? You know I don’t interfere in family matters.”

I growled.

That was a motherfucking lie.

Son of a bitch thrived on interfering.

Particularly when it benefited him.

“Oh, I see.” Sin chuckled as the sound of a bullwhip swooshed in the air, seconds before a woman moaned. “Little Dante ran away again. Silas will not be happy about that.”

Refusing to give the fucker any more ammunition, I stayed silent, waiting for the boom. Sin was many things, but reasonable was not one of them. I knew what would happen before I even called the bastard.

Tit for tat.

An eye for an eye, so to speak.

Crispin Sinclair gave nothing without expecting something in return.

“Fine,” Sin conceded, as the whoosh of the bullwhip sliced through the air once more. “On one condition.”

I growled.

There it was.

“You bring the lovely Arianwen to dinner and introduce her to your other family.”

“No.”

“Then you will return little Dante to Silas. One family member for another, Gideon. You, of all people, know the rules.”

“I said no.”

“I’m sorry, were you under the misapprehension this was a negotiation?”

“Sin,” I sneered, ready to strangle the motherfucker.

“The choice is yours, Gideon. I will give you until five this evening to decide. Either Dante returns home, or I expect tosee you and the lovely Arianwen at a dinner of my choosing. Goodbye, Gideon.”

The line went dead.

SHIT!