"Yes, it has its perks." I watched them consume more food, hoping they'd hurry up and die.
Blaine didn't seem as intent on eating as the other two. I frowned, wondering why, until he began muttering in what sounded like Italian.
"Enough, brother," Asher said, a clear warning in his tone.
"No, you never listen to me! What about the other one, Anna? Why does it have to be this one?"
Heart pounding again, I wondered what they were arguing over.
Through gritted teeth, Asher said, "Why would I fuck over Burke Gallagher by fucking his sister when his wife is right the fuck here?"
Blaine began grumbling in Italian again, clearly angry that Asher wanted me instead of Anna.
Asher shouted, "No, you idiot, for fuck's sake!"
Blaine opened his mouth, but Asher slammed his knife into his brother's hand, effectively attaching him to the table. "I told you, this one is mine by acquiescence or by force. Don't fucking question me again!"
I pushed my chair back, wondering how long the damn poison would take to bring them down. I rested my hand on my leg, reassuring myself that my gun was within reach.
Blaine was crying, blood oozing from his wound. "Vaffanculo!"
By then, I had backed a few feet from the table, my trembling hand covering my mouth. Elena continued to eat as if nothing was going on, and Asher sat back down, shoveling food in his mouth.
"Sit down," Asher ordered. "You're mine, Kinsley, despite my brother's ramblings about Anna."
"Anna is dead." And you'll have me over my dead body. Oh, but that thought made me shudder. He’d not hesitate to fuck a corpse, I was sure of it.
Elena dropped her fork. "What did you say?"
I brought my chair back to the table, doing my best to ignore Blaine's sniffling. "Logan shot her between the eyes last night."
Tsking, Elena shook her head. "I told that stupid girl not to return his call."
"She wanted money."
"I had to put her on a leash, similar to Carson. It's fun to give them a little slack and then yank them back."
Asher coughed into his napkin. Finally.
"Guess it didn't work out for her this time."
Asher gulped water, massaging his throat.
Elena barely spared him a glance. "Honestly, Kinsley, you must understand by now that I've handed you over to the Navarro brothers for an exorbitant sum. Let's face it, I've had no choice but to work for them since my dear son cut us off financially. You made it much easier than I expected simply by showing up here. Don't make it too rough on yourself; just go along with what they demand, and maybe they'll leave you intact."
Bile rose in my throat. It wasn't merely Asher thinking he could take me, but Elena actually making a deal with them to buy me. "You thought you could sell me to them?"
Elena's evil smile was cut short by a coughing fit. I sat back, watching the two of them choke.
"Oh, do you need more water? I can fetch a server." I stood, making my way to the kitchen to find Noah. "Get Burke in here right now."
"I haven't told him it's her.” Noah glanced over my shoulder. “He didn't want to listen to the conversation until it was said and done."
"Bring him in now."
Noah went out the back door to fulfill my wishes, and I moved to the doorway between the kitchen and dining room to watch the scene unfold. Elena and Asher foamed at the mouth, and Blaine was about to peel the flesh from his bones in his effort to dislodge the knife pinning him to the table.
Burke walked in through the back door, hurrying to my side. "What's wrong?"
