“I’m paying myself off and done for good.”
“You can’t just leave.”
“I was never staying, Adrian. Dex and I had a deal. I’m following up on my end.”
I entered the run-down house, and Dex Sullivan was aware of my visit. I’d texted him earlier that I’d meet him here with the profits from White Fox, enough cash to fund the makings of a new empire. It was everything he’d ever wanted.
Dex Sullivan wanted to be a king.
Except, the wannabe king was nowhere to be found.
“He’s in the hot tub,” James stated, coming from a back room. He barely looked at me, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, and left through the back door. I followed after him.
Dex’s arms were sprawled out on each side of him, head resting back against the tub, and eyes closed. I cleared my throat, and he lifted his head. Mischievous eyes met mine. “Nice of you to finally show up here, Oliver.”
“You didn’t leave much of a choice,” I scoffed.
He held up a finger and fisted something below the water line before pulling up a hand full of blonde hair. The woman it was attached to spun around to face me and curled inside his arm—my mum.
I turned my head. “Mum, get out.”
“Anything we discuss can be discussed in front of her.”
“Like how you killed her son?”
My mum twisted her head, and Dex laughed. “I did no such thing. We both know I’d never hurt my best friend.”
“I’ll leave your package inside. We’re done here, mate. I don’t owe you anything anymore.” I turned to leave.
“Mia Jett,” Dex called out, and I froze.
Turning around, I flexed my shoulders back. “What did you just say?”
“You promised me White Fox.”
“I’m giving you what’s left of White Fox.”
Dex squinted his eyes. “No, what you’re giving me is fucking chump change. I want power. I want the same fucking prostitution ring that used to control this territory, the same ring you owe me. You know who reigns over east of London now? The fucking Links. Imagine my bloody luck when the bloke I currently work for is now my competition.” My brow raised, and he continued, “The deal was White Fox, and the only way I can have it is if you kill the boss of the Links. You have to kill Ghost.”
Dex had lost his fucking mind. Ghost was untouchable. No one knew who Ghost was, hence the nickname. His identity has been hidden for years. “What you’re asking is impossible.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m ordering a hit with no questions.”
“Have you gone mad? What makes you think I’d do this? That I’d kill for you?”
Dex held up three fingers. “Mia. Rose. Jett.” He smiled. “You’d kill for her, wouldn’t you? If I’m not mistaken, you already have.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When your mum mentioned you went off to Dolor, I did a little digging and found a police report that you stabbed a young woman in the neck with a pencil after she attacked your girlfriend. Bravo, baby Oscar. But I found your weakness.”
I slid my gaze to Mum, who dropped her chin, eyes fixed on the water. “I could just kill you, call it a day.”
“But, you won’t.”
“Yeah? And what is stopping me?”
“Killing me doesn’t protect your girl,” he snickered as if he knew me. “You see, if anything happens to me, I have a man waiting to put a bullet through the back of her head. It shouldn’t take much effort to find her. Surely, just follow your love-sick heart around.” The single threat turned my blood to lava, and my heart plunged into my stomach at the thought. “Don’t look so glum, Oliver. It should all work out.”
