by Matt Rogers
He smiled.
‘How about dinner?’ he said.
93
It was one of the most exclusive Japanese restaurants in New York City, but they waltzed right in.
Violetta was nearly unrecognisable in a gorgeous black off-the-shoulder dress, showing off her pronounced collar bones and tantalising curves. King had gone for a simple button-up shirt tucked into a pair of smart dress slacks. She’d told him in no uncertain terms how his wardrobe selection showed his own physique off in all the right places.
They stepped inside and the shadows draped over them, elongated by the soft romantic lighting.
Before they were greeted by their waiter, she patted him gently on the behind.
‘Damn, you look good,’ she whispered.
An attentive man in his twenties showed up and wordlessly ushered them to a private booth up the back. When they were seated, he said, ‘The usual?’
King nodded. ‘Thanks, Jack.’
‘Not a problem, sir.’
He bled away into the aisles, and less than a minute later another waiter brought over a bottle of outrageously expensive saké for the table, and a neat whiskey for King.
He sipped at the blend and smiled. ‘I missed this.’
‘We never did discuss exactly what happened in Nepal,’ she said, pouring herself a generous serving of saké. ‘How was it?’
‘Brutal.’
‘As brutal as usual?’
‘Worse.’
She sipped her drink and mulled over it. ‘How do you think Slater pulled up?’
‘He’s fine. He’s always fine.’
‘You know he’s not. And you aren’t either. You can’t hide from the consequences forever.’
He swept a hand around the restaurant. It was a packed house, but the patrons were accustomed to fine dining, and suitably respectable. There was only the low murmur of private conversation, the soft clinking of glasses, and the distant muffled sizzling of hot plates.
He said, ‘Do you see where we are right now?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s beautiful. It’s a fine life. But you’re competent enough to do a thousand other things and make the same amount of money. That’s not why you do it.’
‘You know why I do it.’
‘Is it worth the cost?’
He shrugged and said, ‘Let’s not talk about that. I prefer to enjoy simple moments like this than worry about the future.’
‘But you know pain is coming.’
‘Pain is always coming. Slater and I are worth eight figures each — Slater more like nine. If we wanted to, we could live the rest of our lives in absolute hedonism. It takes a lot of effort to avoid getting seduced by that. So that’s why I like to dip into it when I can. Slater takes that concept… to another level.’
‘I’m worried about him.’
‘I told you not to be.’
‘And yet, I still am.’
‘He’ll be okay.’
‘He wanted to be with Ruby. Forever.’
‘I know.’
‘That’s got to be wearing him down. Thinking about what could have been.’
King nodded, then thought of both his and Violetta’s separate histories. He said, ‘We both know exactly what that’s like.’
‘Can’t change the past.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘We can’t.’
‘It led us here, at least.’
They clinked their glasses together, and took sips in unison.
She said, ‘You know, this is so nice, I almost forgot you threatened to kill me earlier today.’
‘Only by proxy,’ King said. ‘Slater did the talking.’
She laughed. ‘What a life we live.’
Seized by impulse, he leant over the table and kissed her gently on the lips.
Then pulled back, and took her hand in his.
He said, ‘It’s worth it. The sacrifices we make. It’s all worth it.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘I guess I just can’t help stressing about what will come next.’
‘Something big, I imagine,’ King said. ‘We stirred the pot over the last couple of weeks.’
‘You pissed off a lot of people.’
‘What’s new?’
‘I might get killed just for associating with you.’
‘Is it worth it?’ he said.
‘Oh, yes,’ she said, and stared at him with unrestrained passion. ‘Very.’
They ate fast, opting not to waste a second. When the bill came, King handed his card over without looking at it. They waited for the receipt, then slid out of the booth and walked the two blocks back to the tower at breakneck speed. They burst into the private elevator and threw themselves on each other, hands probing, mouths intertwined.
They barely made it to the penthouse.
For round one, then two, then three.
Like bullets roaring out of the chamber.
When it was over in the early hours of the morning, they lay on the floor beside the bed. Naked, short of breath.
Violetta said, ‘You should know there’ll be more professional conflict. Between us. It’s not going to end.’
King kissed her on the forehead.
She smiled. He felt her breathing against his chest, and smiled too.
There would always be carnage. There would always be violence. But what they had between them kept something alive. Some fleeting hope. Something raw and real amidst the suffering.
She said, ‘There’s no happily ever after. Not with us. Not with this life.’
He said, ‘Good. At least that means there’ll be some excitement.’
She looked up at him with those deep blue eyes.
He looked back.
Truth was…
…he was already ready for the next war.
He said, ‘No one likes a happily ever after.’
KING AND SLATER WILL RETURN…
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Books by Matt Rogers
THE JASON KING SERIES
Isolated (Book 1)
Imprisoned (Book 2)
Reloaded (Book 3)
Betrayed (Book 4)
Corrupted (Book 5)
Hunted (Book 6)
THE JASON KING FILES
Cartel (Book 1)
Warrior (Book 2)
Savages (Book 3)
THE WILL SLATER SERIES
Wolf (Book 1)
Lion (Book 2)
Bear (Book 3)
Lynx (Book 4)
Bull (Book 5)
Hawk (Book 6)
THE KING & SLATER SERIES
Weapons (Book 1)
Contracts (Book 2)
BLACK FORCE SHORTS
The Victor (Book 1)
The Chimera (Book 2)
The Tribe (Book 3)
The Hidden (Book 4)
The Coast (Book 5)
The Storm (Book 6)
The Wicked (Book 7)
The King (Book 8)
The Joker (Book 9)
The Ruins (Book 10)
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About the Author
Matt Rogers grew up in Melbourne, Australia as a voracious reader, relentlessly devouring thrillers and mysteries in his spare time. Now, he writes full-time. His novels are action-packed and fast-paced. Dive into the Jason King Series to get started with his collection.
Visit his website:
www.mattrogersbooks.com
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