“I’m willing to take that chance,” Vaughn hisses.
“But are you willing to betheron that chance?” Andrés asks pointedly. “How about you take that gun out of my face, and we'll talk.”
Vaughn glares at him, keeping the gun where it is for another few seconds. Then he slowly lifts it away but doesn’t holster it.
“Talk,” he grunts at Andrés.
Andrés smiles smoothly. “Where should I start?”
“How about Diego being is dead,” Vaughn growls. “We had adeal, Andrés.”
“Yes,had.” Andrés touches the bandage by his eyebrow lightly. “Past tense.”
Vaughn rolls his eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Andrés smiles. “You seemed…out of sortswhen we argued the other night.” His brow furrows. “Goodness, wasn’t that thesamenight that Evelina here was so viciously brutalized?”
“Go to hell,” I snap.
Andrés sneers in my direction. “Are you sure you’re safe with this man, Evelina? I mean, he stormed his way into your hospital room withbloodall over his hands.” He clucks his teeth. “That doesn’t sound like a very healthy relation?—”
“I’m guessing that wasyourblood?” I ask.
“It was indeed,” Andrés growls.
I smile broadly. “Good.”
“So our deal changed because I gave you somestitches?” Vaughn snaps.
Andrés chuckles, and his eyes glint wickedly. “No, Vaughn, our deal changed becausebefore, we were balanced. “His twisted smile pulls wider. “But we no longer are, are we? You have aweak spotnow,” Andrés growls under his breath. “A pressure point that can be…pushed.”
His gaze slides past Vaughn to me, and he smiles coldly.
“I’m sorry, Vaughn, but that’s just the truth of the matter now. Wewereeven. NowIhave the upper hand.”
“You can’t just go back on?—”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want,Evelina,” Andrés snaps, standing abruptly just as Vaughn’s arm shoots out to stop me from storming over. “You and your family’s, what, twenty-year ‘empire’? Thirty?” He snorts. “Even the Obsidian Syndicate, with its history, isnothingcompared to the centuries-old dynasty that I now control.”
“Exactly what the fuck do you want,” Vaughn spits through clenched teeth.
The other man chuckles as he walks over to the bar cart, pours himself a sherry, and brings it to his lips.
“I’m coming back from the dead, Vaughn, and I’ll be wanting my seat on the board back. Unfortunately, there are no open chairs.” His eyes narrow. “The Obsidian Syndicate is herebydonewith whatever plans you had with Knightsblood. And I do meandone, down to a very personal level.”
Andrés clears his throat.
“You and anyone involved with the Syndicate will bebarredfrom campus. Should you or any of your little band of unhinged psychopaths procreate, your heirs willalsofind the gates closed.” He smiles coldly. “Your unborn children, Mr. Bancroft, have no place at Knightsblood.”
“I paid you asubstantialamount of money, Andrés,” Vaughn murmurs.
Andrés grins. “Sí, you did. But, alas, plans change. What can I say. And as you know, there are no refunds in our world.”
Vaughn shakes his head. “You think stealing from me is smart, Andrés? The option of me blowing your fucking head off right now is still on the table.”
The other man chuckles. “No, I don’t think it is. Because I have a contingency plan. Adead man’s switch, as they say.” He grins. “Let me tell you what isactuallygoing to happen. “You’ll leave Knightsblood and vacate that seat on the board. You’ll cease exerting any influence over the remaining members of that board, and forever remove yourself and your future bloodline from the Knightsblood campus. Furthermore, youwilltell me the name of my father’s bastard.In exchangefor all of that, as well as the money you’ve already paid me…”
His eyes slide to me.
