Gradually, a low hum reaches my ears within the depths of the yacht and I follow it. The aesthetic of the hallways transitions from a warm peach on the walls and soft carpet to wooden floors and pristine white walls, which feel more like a hospital than a luxurious yacht. Pipes become visible along the ceiling and soon the hum of the resting yacht engine is loud enough that I must be in the right place. As I approach the next door standing between me and my destination, the radio on my hip crackles.
Glancing down, my heart skips faintly. In my haste to loot that man and flee, the item I mistook for a radio is actually a satellite phone.
“Shit,” I murmur, slipping through the door and pressing myself back against the wall. Holding it, my mind races. Can I callanyone? There’s no one who can get here in time when we’re halfway around the world, but maybe someone can help me blow up the yacht. There’s only one person available to call and I dial his number, willing the line to connect.
Thankfully, it beeps and starts ringing.
A few seconds later, he answers. “Hello?”
“Rocky!” I gasp. “There’s no time to explain. How do I blow up a yacht?”
34
CIAN
Exchanging pleasantries with Hawk is sickening, but it’s the only play I have left.
I did everything I could to make sure my shot didn’t kill Faina.
Did she make it?
Or did I just send her to a watery grave?
Unable to tell, I shift focus. Hawk is still my target, and getting him to lower his guard will make it easier for me to drive a steak knife through his lying throat.
“How long, exactly, have you been trying to get into the States?” I ask as we lazily walk around the top deck.
Hawk shrugs. “Decades.”
“But you had contact with my father when he was Captain?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Hawk lies through his teeth. “A great man. You know, it was respect for his dealings that stopped me from going after him in Ireland. I’d tell you to ask him for stories about me,but you know.” The smile he gives me is sickening. “Shame to see such a great man in that condition.”
I barely restrain myself and instead nod. “It was tough. I always felt like he was on my side. And no one else bothered to visit him as much as I did.” Another lie, but playing into Hawk’s view of the world might be my only option. “So, when are we heading back to the States?”
“We’ll dock in the morning and I’ll fly you over,” Hawk replies, digging a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “As soon as you land, I’ll have some of my people meet you there and we can start rebuilding from the ground up. You’ll need to be vocal about our partnership, you understand. But it will work for both of us because anyone who looks at you as weak will see that you have my backing and you’re not in any way easy to pick off.”
He really has thought all of this out. “It will take some time to rebuild trust. I’ve been gone a long time.”
“Don’t worry.” Hawk smirks as he lights up his cigarette. “I’ve been keeping New York busy in my absence.” He offers me a smoke and I instantly decline.
“I’m still struggling to understand what you get out of this.” Slowly, I increase my distance from him. “Why not just kill me and take over?”
“Because,” Hawk snaps. “No one will listen to me. My reputation was destroyed the second I—” Cutting himself off, he sighs deeply. “Look. Your name carries a lot of weight and with you on my side, I can do a lot of great things. But I need you beside me to do it until people understand that I’m not to be messed with. When you’ve destroyed something people hold dear, then that stains. And frankly, I had no idea your family was so adored.”
For someone intent on taking over New York, he really didn’t do his research. “We’ve always taken care of the little guy,” I remark. “Buys a lot of good will.”
“Bit hypocritical, though,” Hawk remarks. “Helping them in one breath and flooding the streets with drugs the next.”
“It’s good business.” The last thing I need is a morality lesson from this asshole.
“Whatever. It’s just something I need. Don’t you have that craving? The urge to be known for something great?”
“What will you be known for?” We reach the end of the deck overlooking a sparkling swimming pool down below.
“I control the world. I’ve been everywhere, seen everything. I’ve sold weapons that have started wars, given princesses away, tipped the economy in countries into ruin. And now, finally, Hexagon will enter the States and settle down and when people ask me what motivated me?” He turns to face me and spreads his arms wide. “I’ll tell them I did it just because Icould.”
That’s it?
