Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
I didn’t like that one bit. The only kid I had in Florence was Carmen, so I suspected this had something to do with her. “Tomas, what is it?” I leaned forward over my desk, the phone pressed a little harder to my ear.
“Your daughter was in here last night.”
What was the big deal about that? “Okay…”
He sighed again, like this was the most painful conversation he’d ever had. “You know who Bosco Roth is, I take it?”
He was the biggest crime lord in Europe, operating an illegal casino in plain sight. He was the only man in the country who operated a fight ring, making men fight to the death as punishment and sport. He was rumored to be cruel but fair. But he was also said to be a loose cannon. “Not by acquaintance, but by reputation.”
“Well, your daughter had dinner with him last night.”
Like someone had punched me with brass knuckles, the air left my lungs as well as my stomach. I knew Bosco’s face, so I pictured him sitting across from Carmen, a maniac who probably thought she could be bought. He employed strippers and whores at his casino, so he obviously had no respect for women—let alone my daughter. I couldn’t speak because the rage was building inside me, spilling over like lava from a volcano.
“The context was clearly romantic. They arrived in a car together and left in the same car.”
Fuck.
“Worst part is…she had a black eye.”
The second those words were out of his mouth, I couldn’t think logically. My little girl, the beautiful baby that once fit in my arms, had been struck by a man who thought he had the power to do whatever he wanted. He touched my daughter—and he would pay the price. I didn’t say goodbye to Tomas or thank him for giving me this information. I hung up and took off.
Crow and Griffin were in the office when I walked inside, going over shipment orders and other bullshit. With a rifle swung over my back and two pistols in my holsters, I was prepared for war.
Crow normally ignored my outbursts, but when he saw me walking around armed in broad daylight, he didn’t ignore it. “What is it?” He tossed the papers aside and stood up, fishing his gun out of one of his drawers. What I liked most about my brother was he was always prepared for a fight. He rose to any challenge and never backed down.
Griffin rose to his feet as well, eyeing my guns without flinching. Muscled and thick, he was a good man to join the team. I would need all the help I could get.
“One of my guys just told me Carmen had dinner with Bosco Roth last night.”
Crow’s eyes snapped open farther, recognizing that name as well as I did. Bosco had come into power ten years ago, and it was frightening how quickly the young man had overtaken the city. It wouldn’t have been possible without us because when we disrupted the chain of power when we killed Bones Sr. and dismantled the Skull Kings. But Bosco took the opportunity—and thrived.
Griffin took a deep breath, but he didn’t seem as angry as Crow was.
“Fuck,” Crow said. “Of all the men in the world…”
“That’s not the worst part,” I continued, out of breath because of my fury, not from running around all over the place. “He said she had a black eye.”
Now Crow’s ferocity matched mine, and he was ready to put Bosco in the ground like I was. He grabbed his pistol and cocked it. “Then he must die.”
That was exactly what I was looking for.
Griffin continued to stay silent.
“I say we hunt him down, get a clean shot, and shoot him right between the eyes.” I wanted that fucker dead. I wanted to take his body and shove it inside a sewer drain. I wanted him to suffer a million times more than Carmen ever had.
“Cane, this guy isn’t like our other enemies,” my brother said. “He’s the most ruthless—”
“There’s something I need to say.” Griffin finally spoke up, tense but not furious. “You aren’t going to like what I have to tell you. I understand if you hate me all over again, but keep in mind that my loyalties were divided.”
I turned to him, having no idea what this was about. “Griffin, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Yeah,” Crow said. “Speak.”
“The black eye she’s sporting isn’t from him.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans, wearing a remorseful expression despite how powerful he looked. “From what I understand, he’s never hurt her or laid a hand on her.”
My eyes burned into his when I began to understand the situation. “You knew about this…”
“Yes,” he admitted, his voice still strong. “I knew.”
My hand shook because I wanted to beat the butt of the gun into his cheek.