“Yes. In case you’ve forgotten, this little trip you sent your minion on is a business trip. One I plan to continue.”
“Fair enough.” King nodded as though agreeing with me. But newsflash: I wasn’t asking for his fucking permission, and nothing about my next condition was going to be fair.
“I think so, andhe”—I pointed at Benoit—“is going to continue with me.”
“Wait, what?” Benoit stepped up beside King. “Why would you— Why wouldIdo that? There’s no need now.”
“For you, maybe.” I narrowed my gaze on him as all of his lies, his betrayals, came rushing back in. “But I paid a hefty price for your company, and if I recall, you have at least two weeks until that deal is complete.”
Benoit let out a laugh. “That’s funny,mon monstre.But you only paid me half. I’m happy to let you keep the rest. You know, to wipe away your tears over our lost moments together.”
My hands clenched by my side. My desire to grab Benoit, haul him in close, and teach him a lesson ran a tight race with my desire to throttle him.
Instead, I turned my attention to King. “He comes with me or the deal is off.”
King opened his mouth to refute me, judging by the stony expression on his face, when Benoit touched his arm and said, “I’ll go.”
“Benoit, you?—”
“I’ll go.” Benoit looked at me. “Dimitri knows you’re watching me now. That you’re watching him. He won’t hurt me.”
“I don’t like this,” King said. But, not about to let this opportunity slip away, for Benoit to slip away without answering for his transgressions, I spoke up.
“He’s right. I won’t hurt him. Plus, you’ve just offered me something I want more than him.” Insult flashed in Benoit’s eyes. “I’m not about to jeopardize that. I am, however, going to take him with me as a sign of good faith and trust. After all, isn’t that what we all want here?”
I could see King thinking over my offer, then he turned to Benoit. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Oui. I’ll be fine.”
King looked back at me. “You hurt him and you’ll regret it.”
“Fair enough,” I said as Benoit handed him my gun. “But if I catch you following me again, the deal is off…both of them.”
25
BENOIT
THIS ENTIRE NIGHT had taken one unexpected turn after another. Getting busted. Making deals. Heading back to the St. RegiswithDimitri…
Thatwas the most surprising part of it all, that he’d wanted me to go back with him.
Perhapswantwas too strong a word. More like wanted to punish me for my betrayal, so even though he’d promised not to hurt me, I had no doubt he was going to take pleasure in making my life miserable for the rest of our time together.
One thing I wouldn’t do was give him the satisfaction of letting him know I was bothered by this little arrangement or the consequences I’d be subjected to. I’d be my usual flirty self, the one he knew and enjoyed.
Just maybe not right at this moment. The silence between us was so tense as we walked through the streets of Venice that I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t toss me in the water the second I opened my mouth. Not that I could blame him, because if the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t be giving second chances.
Not that this was a second chance. It was just fulfilling the deal. He’d made that abundantly clear. Dimitri wanted Libertine’s offer more than he wanted me. I didn’t know whythat stung, since getting him onboard had been the whole reason I was here, but I wasn’t in the most rational mood at the moment. No, I was on high alert and would be for the next two weeks.
I started to turn left toward the hotel, but Dimitri grabbed my jacket and yanked me back. He walked in the opposite direction, and I frowned before jogging to catch up.
“Are you lost? The hotel is that way,” I said.
“We aren’t going back there.”
“Right now or at all?”
He didn’t answer, just kept moving.
