Michael closed in on Debra. "I knew you''d go soft. You say you''re done with me, but deep down, you''re making excuses, thinking I''ve got some sob story. You still trust me a tiny bit, don''t you? Think I won''t hurt you? You try to harden up, but you still believe the world''s mostly good. Should I call you na?ve or dumb?"


    Memories shed through her head. She was dumb.


    She''d known he was bad news but kept hoping he had a reason. She''d thought he wouldn''t hurt her, not after all they''d been through.


    "You wanna kill me or grab me?" she asked.


    "If you hand over the McKinney Group, I won''t kill you," Michael said. "If the four families back off from the Illuminati, I''ll leave you alone. But I know you better than I know myself. You won''t agree, so I''m just gonna take you out. Saves time."


    "Did Drake already give you the raw stone?"


    "Yeah."


    That exined why they wanted to kill her instead of capturing her.


    She was frustrated. Drake''s dumbness was beyond belief.


    "Fine, take whatever you want, but my people live," she said, knowing the gap between them and the Illuminati.


    With this many goons, they clearly wanted blood.


    If everyone died there, the four families and the McKinney Group would be easy pickings.


    The Illuminati might lose some members if the two sides were to fight, but they would eventually get their prize.


    "You''d give me the McKinney Group?"


    "Yeah. Nothing''s worth more than my friends and me staying alive. Money''s just paper."


    Michael studied her, weighing if she meant it.<fn4fd6> This content belongs to Find~Novel</fn4fd6>


    "I''m right here. Don''t trust me? I''ll sign the contract and make it legal. Saves you trouble."


    "Fair point."


    He tossed her the papers, and she scanned them.


    It was not a share transfer agreement, but one for her to hand over thepany. It had been prepared in advance, which meant he had bet she would cave to save everyone.


    "Don''t sign." Kale lunged to stop her, but she signed it before he could reach her.


    Turning back to Michael, she said, "The contract is done. Hand over Drake."