Obi stared at it, but I made no move to wipe it off.
I turned to the men, still restrained against the wall. Knife in hand, I stared down at them.
“I’m taking control of Kofler’s business,” I declared. My voice sounded much clearer than I had expected it to. “But I need someone who knows it to be our second-in-command.” I gestured to his body. “You have seen firsthand what happens when you betray us. If you don’t want in, we’ll kill you now, and give you a quick death. If you want to step into Kofler’s place and take control, you better be damn sure you’re all in. Even for me, awoman.”
Fuck Kofler for believing I couldn’t do this because I was a woman. I’d prove him wrong. I’d prove every single man who doubted me wrong.
One man struggled against the gag, jaw moving with muffled sounds. It was the same man who hadn’t even flinched at the sight of his boss being skinned alive.
“Ryu.”
He loosened it enough for the man to speak.
“I will.” His fevered eyes stared up at me. “Let me.”
Without the gag in his mouth, I recognized him as one of the men who stood behind Kofler during the original deal at the warehouse. He’d stared at me then, just as he did now. “Who are you?”
“Felix. Anton Felix. I was in charge of all the deals in the Southwest, from New Mexico to Arizona and Nevada to Southern California. I can step in. I won’t betray you, I swear it.”
I tilted my head, taking him in. Earlier, he’d sat so carefully still. His eyes were emotionless as they watched the blood leak from Kofler. Now, his eyes looked cunning.
I kneeled in front of him. “How can I trust you, Felix?”
“There was no love lost between us. He thought I was coming for him, so he’d been trying to push me out.”
I glanced at the other man restrained beside him. “Is that true?”
The man nodded, tears streaking his face.
“Were you coming for him?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“So you were enemies with Kofler?”
“Not so much enemies, but we held opposing business views.”
“And that means I can trust you? How do I know you won’t turn and come after me?”
“I want this business. I can run it better than he ever did. You can trust that if you give me control, I can take over. Plus…”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Well...” He glanced behind me, to Obi still standing next to Kofler’s body. “I like my skin attached to my body.”
A little smile pulled up the corner of my mouth. “And you’re qualified to take over?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Kofler was pulling back, anyway. That was part of our dispute. I wanted him to expand. He got complacent. Any of these guys can attest to that. It’s probably why he snitched on you to begin with.”
Kofler didn’t want to take the risk on me. He wanted to stay in his comfort zone, pulling in the same amount of money he always had. If he’d had to switch suppliers to me, that would have required work. It sounded like Kofler wasn’t interested in that work, but Felix was.
He didn’t look to be lying. And he still stared at me with an obsessive look in his eye.
I needed someone from inside Kofler’s business to help us establish control and keep money flowing. The last thing I wanted was to lose this opportunity to secure millions of dollarsin revenue, or to let someone else step into the vacuum and snatch up control from underneath me.
Iespeciallydid not want that person to be Max.
We couldn’t just walk away without trying to usurp it.
