Page 13 of Hard Bargain

Knox’s jaw worked. Every instinct wanted to push back, but he knew better than to act on it. Living meant falling in line, at least for now. “I understand,” he said, the words scraping on the way out.

“Good,” Dominic said before turning away, dismissing Knox with the same authority he’d used to pull him in. The other man pushed off the wall, moving toward the door.

“You’re going home,” Dominic said over his shoulder. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Knox stood, his legs not entirely steady beneath him, his body caught somewhere between adrenaline and exhaustion.

Before he reached the door, Dominic turned, and the look in his eyes stopped him cold. Something dark and intent burned there now—no longer detached. “You caught my attention,” he said. “Do you know how rare that is?”

Knox didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure there was a safe answer to give.

Dominic’s gaze moved over him. “Most people spend their entire lives trying not to be noticed by men like me. You walked straight into it.”

Knox’s throat tightened. “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

A faint curve touched Dominic’s mouth. “It isn’t. Be careful what you do with it.”

The implication settled deep. Knox gave a small, automatic nod.

Dominic watched him for another moment, then he stepped aside. “Move,” he said.

This time, Knox didn’t hesitate. He stepped out into the corridor, adrenaline still humming through him. As he walked, one truth settled low in his gut. Dominic hadn’t just frightened him. He had intrigued him. And Knox had the sinking feeling that fear would have been far easier to survive.

Chapter 5

Dominic

Cassian walked straight into Dominic’s office without knocking. “Your guy just called. The kid’s back home.”

Dominic stayed silent. His thumb traced absently along the edge of his desk, following the grain of the dark wood.

Cassian cleared his throat. “Do you want a tail on him, or are we trusting he’s too scared to open his mouth?”

Dominic’s gaze lifted. “He’s not stupid. He knows what will happen if he talks.”

Cassian rolled a shoulder, then gave a short nod, accepting it for what it was. “Alright. Then about that rat you killed last night…”

Dominic’s attention snapped back. “Remember the shipment we lost last month? And the warehouse that got hit right after?”

Cassian nodded slowly. “Not a major loss financially. But enough to be insulting.”

“Exactly.” Dominic’s jaw tightened. “That worthless bastard sold route schedules and access codes to Victor Mercer for what was probably pocket change.”

Cassian leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “Shame we didn’t know it was Mercer at the time.”

“Yes,” Dominic agreed, gaze darkening. “That’s the actual problem. It took too long to identify the leak.”

“Mercer’s already profited from it,” Cassian said, disgust edging his tone. “The rat’s dead, but Mercer still walked away with your goods.”

Dominic leaned back in his chair. “He might have taken what belongs to me. But that doesn’t mean he gets to keep it.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Dominic turned his attention to the city beyond the glass. Stockton stretched out around him, the grid of streets and the veins of traffic. Ugly in places. Beautiful in others. Alive in the way most cities are: restless, hungry, and constantly changing.

Everything that moved through it—legal or otherwise—touched his network somewhere. Warehouses at the docks, trucking and logistics companies moving shipments, bars and nightclubs to clean the cash, real estate and storage on every corner. Most of it looked legitimate on paper, but his network connected it all. If it was smuggled, fenced, or laundered, it was under his control.

Stockton had been his long before anyone realized. And the surrounding cities had followed just as easily. He’d outgrown Stockton years ago, but still he remained. It would always be his home.