Page 32 of Heartless Enemy

“No. But do you know what did? Hearing that the people I killed werenotyour top people, but instead rival gang leaders.” He tutted and shifted the blade higher up my throat. “Using me to take out your competition, huh?”

“It’s not my fault that you were so fucking ignorant of the power structure in this city.”

He pressed the knife harder against my skin. “Careful now.”

I said nothing. White was unpredictable. While I didn’t think that he would slit my throat right here in this alley, at least not unless I tried to kill him first, it was still a very real possibility. Based on our previous interactions, I was pretty sure that he was more the type to prolong his revenge rather than kill someone quickly.

But I didn’t know for certain. And I had no plans to die here in this alley today. Not when I was so close to finally havingeverything. So I remained motionless as White lightly scraped the edge of the blade down my throat.

“I have to admit, I’m disappointed,” he said. “I thought you were a man of your word, Dark Mage King of Malgrave.”

“I am. But you broke our agreement when you demanded the deaths of my peopleafterthe deal had already been struck, so I was under no obligation to keep my side of the bargain.”

He chuckled in my ear. “How very wicked of me.”

It took enormous effort to stay still instead of trying to whirl around to rip his fucking tongue out of his mouth. My skin crawled where I had felt his breath when he laughed.

“But you know that I can’t let this slide, right?” White continued.

Exhaustion crashed over me like a tidal wave. When White had first arrived, I had felt dread and panic. But now I just felt fucking tired. I had literally just gotten rid of this damn maniac, and now he was back again. I had enough problems as it was without adding a bloody worldwalker back into the mix.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice coming out flat.

“Look at you…” I could hear the fucking smirk in his voice. “So submissive and compliant.”

I clenched my hand into a fist but said nothing.

“I want blood,” White declared. “You killed my cousin, and I want blood in repayment for that. But this time, I will be going after the person I should have demanded as a sacrifice last time.” He traced the knife over my throat again. “Eve Sterling.”

My blood froze.

Then rage roared through my veins like wildfire.

Raising my hands a fraction, I tried to summon my magic and turn around so that I could kill this bastard on the spot. But White forced the blade harder against my skin. Blood slid down my throat. I stopped moving, but the fury inside me still raged.

“You stay the hell away from Eve,” I growled.

“No. In fact, I look forward to slitting her throat.”

“If you touch a single hair on her head, I’ll—”

“But don’t worry,” White continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I won’t just assassinate her somewhere in a dark alley. I will make sure that you are there to see her die.”

“When I get my hands on you—”

“And then I’ll probably take out half of your people too. Including your top three that should already be dead. When you take out a loan, you have to pay interest, remember?”

Rage tore through my chest and I could barely keep my voice level as I ground out, “I am going to make you wish that you had stayed in your fucking castle and played happy family with your healer. Because if you ever set foot in my city again, I will—”

“It’s cute how you think you’re in any position to threaten me. How you think that someone like you can go up against someone like me and win.” He let out a mocking laugh and then shoved the blade higher up under my chin. “When you walk through the streets, the people of Malgrave might bow their heads in respect. But when someone so much as whispers my name, the whole fucking world trembles.”

I scoffed derisively. “No one outside your frozen wastelands has evenheardyour name.”

“Watch your back, King of Metal.” He tapped my throat with the blade. “Because I will be seeing you soon.”

And then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, the knife disappeared from my throat.

I whirled around, but Christian White had already worldwalked away.