Buttons and Blame (Buttons 5)

But there was nothing I could do. I had to take her back. That was part of the deal.

Pearl had already confronted Tristan and tried to purchase Adelina like some kind of livestock. But Tristan wasn’t an idiot, so of course, he didn’t say yes.

Maybe I could try again.

Make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

I shut the door to my office on base and made the call.

It rang several times, telling me he might not pick up at all.

But he did. “Cane Barsetti. I thought I would be hearing from you sometime soon.”

“Tristan.” It was difficult for me to be cordial. He was about to take my woman away, my Bellissima. “How are those weapons treating you?”

“Worth every penny. You and your brother know what you’re doing.”

“We do.”

“So, your beautiful sister-in-law stopped by.”

I’d suspected this would come up.

“She’s got a mouth on her. I like it.”

“My brother does too.”

“I can see why. She asked to buy Adelina, but I compromised with a swap. She didn’t go for it.”

Because she wasn’t an idiot.

“Frankly, I thought it was a little disrespectful that she walked in here like she owned the place.”

I wasn’t going to apologize for it, not when I had no idea she’d done it until after the exchange was over.

“If she were anyone else, she’d be tied up right now. In fact, she’d probably already be dead. But I spared her…since I like you and Crow. But don’t expect me to be so gracious next time. Because I won’t be.”

The threat wasn’t veiled, but I couldn’t rise in anger since he was justified in making the statement. It was a stupid thing for Pearl to do, and I couldn’t make an excuse for it. Her neck could have been snapped. She was too arrogant, wearing the Barsetti name. Thankfully, it protected her. “Like I said, she’s a handful. But my brother is into that.”

Tristan chuckled. “I understand. Adelina is the same way.”

Now I wanted to snap his neck. If only I’d seen Adelina first, she could have been my slave instead. She would have been treated well, treated with respect. She wouldn’t have even felt like a prisoner.

“I expect you to be here tomorrow at seven in the evening. I’ll have the wire transfer ready.”

I had little more than a day left with her. She was already out of my grasp even though she was still sitting in my house. “I have a business proposition for you.”

“Really?” he asked. “This can’t wait until tomorrow?”

“No. Keep the second deposit for the weapons. And let me keep Adelina.” I’d just put ten million dollars on the table. Even to rich men like us, that was considerable money. He’d only enjoyed Adelina for a week, so it wasn’t like he would be missing much. He could have his wallet stuffed with cash and keep the artillery at the same time.

Tristan was dead silent.

I couldn’t gauge how he felt about my offer.

When Pearl walked into his lair, she didn’t have an offer. She didn’t have money to give. She was a terrible negotiator. Maybe dealing with me would have a different outcome.

“You want to buy my whore?” he asked coldly.

“Yes.”

“I told Crow’s whore she wasn’t for sale.”

I’d normally defend Pearl’s honor, but now wasn’t the time. Pearl would understand that. I was trying to leverage Adelina’s freedom—her life. “Everything is for sale—for the right price. Ten million dollars is a lot of money. We both know that.”

“Yes. But that whore is priceless.”

I clenched my jaw at the way he insulted her. I’d never called her such a thing. Never even thought about calling her such a thing. “Money is priceless, Tristan. How about fifteen million?”

“No. I’ll swap her for that cunt that stopped by. That’s it.”

“You don’t want her,” I said. “She’s a pain in the ass.”

“And I wouldn’t mind being a pain in her ass.”

My blood started to boil, infuriated he would speak of Pearl so viciously. “Twenty million.”

“The more you offer, the more her value increases.”

“Fine. Unlimited weapons for your soldiers—for a lifetime.” Maybe that would get him to reconsider.

He was quiet.

Hopefully, he was seriously considering it. It didn’t have an exact price tag, but it was a resource he could use forever. That added up to more than twenty million dollars—easily. It had to at least tempt him.

Tristan broke his silence. “No.”

My heart somersaulted into my stomach. If he didn’t take that offer, then there really was nothing else I could give him. His fascination for Adelina matched my own. There was nothing that could replace her. She really was invaluable—priceless.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Cane. And if you cross me…you know what will happen.” Click.

I listened to the line go dead before I tossed my phone on my desk.

A shadow was covering the sky, and I couldn’t see a thing. Everything was turning dark. A war loomed over the east, and now it was stretching to the west. Tristan was a powerful enemy I didn’t want to fight. Most of the wars of the world had been started over a beautiful woman.