King of Ruin: The Complete Trilogy by Sykes Julia

Author:Sykes, Julia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Massimo

Ikept Evelyn tucked protectively under my arm as I guided her the short distance from the armored SUV to the club entrance. The wealthy neighborhood where Duarte and Rodríguez met to conduct their business stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the impoverished town. The small haven of opulence was surrounded by a ring of squalor, which was hemmed in by miles of wild jungle.

The wealth disparity disgusted me, but my contempt was directed at those who chose to remain in poverty, not the elites who ruled over their territory. Any of them could choose to work with the cartel, to do what was necessary to lift their families up out of their shitty circumstances.

But not all men had the guts to wade through the blood and sin to take what they needed. That was their own shortcoming.

I didn’t want Evelyn to see any of it, so I would keep her close during my meeting with Adrián Rodríguez. As we entered the club, two armed men opened the double doors for us—they were military, either Colombian or Ecuadorian. Their nationality didn’t matter. They were on Rodríguez’s payroll. They were paid to look the other way while he trafficked his product over the border. We didn’t have anything to fear from the authorities in this lawless town in the remote jungle.

The territory was utterly unfamiliar to me, but I hid my disquiet behind a confident, cool mask. I was accustomed to the streets of Naples and the complexities of urban criminal warfare. This wilderness made me edgy; I rarely faced the unknown. I made sure to be thoroughly in control of every possible scenario when I was conducting my business.

But I was in Rodríguez’s world now. I would have to handle myself carefully to ensure the notoriously sadistic drug lord’s friendship. Otherwise, Evelyn and I would be isolated out here. And I refused to put her at risk.

I traced the line of diamonds that encircled her slender neck: a collar marking my ownership of this stunning creature. If I could’ve attached a leash to it tonight, I would have. But Evelyn would balk at that, and I didn’t want to spook her. Not when she had given herself to me so sweetly. She’d entrusted me with her dark secrets, just as I’d craved. The imbalance between us was rectified. I was thoroughly in control again.

Admiring the way my diamonds shimmered on her delicate collarbones, calm settled over me. Evelyn was safe in my care, and I could conduct my business without distraction or worry for her. She didn’t like my business, but she would become accustomed to it.

“Massimo!” Stefano greeted me warmly, as though we’d been best friends for years. His mercurial nature was designed to keep me off balance, but I met him with a carefully crafted, charming smile of my own.

His black shark’s eyes flicked to Evelyn. “I’m surprised you brought your lovely companion. But I’m sure Adrián will be pleased to meet you both.”

Despite his jovial tone, I knew he wasn’t delighted at her presence.

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