Page 106 of Hard Bargain

“Your pay,” Dominic said.

Knox blinked once, like he hadn’t expected it.

“From now on you’ll get paid every month. On time.”

Knox didn’t open it, just turned it once between his fingers before slipping it into his back pocket. “Alright.”

The exchange should have been simple, but it didn’t feel like it. Dominic let the silence sit, then said, “We need to go. I want to debrief you on Mercer before the meeting.”

That got Knox’s full attention. He straightened instantly, the last bit of slack leaving his shoulders. “What kind of meeting is it?”

“We’ll talk in the car.”

Knox nodded. “Give me a minute.” He stepped back from the door. “Wait here.”

Dominic stayed where he was. He had no business crossing that threshold. Not into the private ugliness of a life he already knew too much about. And yet he itched to step inside, to see more, to understand how Knox lived when Dominic wasn’t around. The impulse was unwelcome, so he ignored it.

He was getting very good at ignoring things that involved Knox Wolfe. The problem was that the list kept growing.

Chapter 28

Knox

The hotel lounge was open and bright. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the front. Soft, diffused light poured through them, catching on low tables, polished surfaces and vivid red sofas that didn’t quite belong.

Knox stepped in beside Dominic and understood the choice immediately. Every inch of this room was visible from outside. Cassian and his men wouldn’t be guessing. They’d be watching.

He let his gaze move as they walked—not searching, just reading. Conversations blurred together, staff walked in practiced lines, and guests remained wrapped up in their own worlds.

And toward the back, angled for a clear view of the room, was a man sitting a little too still. The kind of stillness that came from trying very hard not to look afraid.

Knox clocked him in under two seconds. Keegan.

Dominic crossed the lounge without slowing and sat down at the table without asking permission. The space rearranged itself around him the way it always did.

“Keegan.” No greeting. Just the name, laid down like something with weight.

Keegan’s gaze flicked between them. “Dominic,” he returned. “Didn’t think you’d bring company. Who is he?”

Dominic didn’t look at Knox. “He’s here to listen.”

Knox took that as his sign to sit down without introducing himself. Being brought to this table mattered. Dominic never did anything without reason, and the fact he was sitting here, instead of Cassian or anyone else, showed that Dominic trusted him.

Keegan was mid-forties, maybe older. He kept nervously twisting his wedding ring. His drink was barely touched, but the condensation said it had been sitting there a while. He’d arrived early, probably wanted to be settled before Dominic walked in.

Smart, but scared.

“You said you wanted to talk,” Dominic said, one arm along the back of the couch. Casual, if you didn’t know better. Knox knew better.

Keegan exhaled. “Yeah. Mercer’s not… stable right now.”

Dominic didn’t move. “That’s not new information.”

“No,” Keegan admitted. “But it’s worse than you think.”

Knox watched Keegan’s shoulders pull inward, trying to make himself smaller without realizing it. His fingers shifted against each other on the table before going deliberately still.

Dominic’s voice didn’t change. “Then be specific. Because if this is you saving your own ass, you’re going to need more than vague warnings.”