Series: Penny Dee
Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
My smile tics up, ruthlessly. “Where are your brothers?”
His eyebrows dip. “I don’t fucking know. I’m not their babysitter. They’re fucking idiots, but if you try anything funny, I’ll kill you myself. If any other men go missing, you’re instigating a war.”
I tilt my head. “You don’t seem overly upset about the men killed.”
He scoffs. “Please, we both know you’re picking off small fry, clearly trying to send a message, especially considering the ones we got back have very specific messages carved into their chests.”
“Ah, you enjoyed my art?”
“Stop fucking with me, Silas.”
I grab him by the collar of the shirt and swing him so his back hits the door. At the same time, we both pull out our guns and prod them beneath one another’s chins, ready to blow out each other’s brains.
“Stop fucking with me. What business are you conducting outside of Boston?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he growls, shoving me. I scan his eyes. If it were anyone else, I’d most likely blow his brains out. But in an ideal world, he’d be the next head of the Nero crew, and we might not have so many issues.
He also doesn’t look like he knows. “Organize a meeting with your father.”
“He’s in Greece.”
“Then call him back,” I spit through my teeth as I lean in. “I’ll kill one of your men every fucking day until you do.”
His gaze narrows. “You will start a war.”
I laugh like a madman. “Please, we both know one has already been started. You might not know who the fuck did it or gave the order, but someone killed my uncle.” I press into him more. “Where is his body?”
His eyebrows dip. “I don’t fucking know!” He shoves me off, and cold air crackles between us as we size one another up, our guns still aimed at each other’s heads.
It’s taken me this long just to get to one of their leaders, and I can tell in the calculated way he’s watching me that he’s trying to figure something out himself. My finger is on the trigger despite somewhat liking Elias, and the temptation to blow his brains out for some kind of release is prominent. But then that will reduce my likelihood of figuring out who the fuck killed Pietro. And Elias is not my guy.
I lower my gun.
He does the same and glares at me. There’s an unspoken level of respect that crackles between us; though we’d never voice it. It certainly won’t be anything of a friendship but a mutual understanding.
Someone came for my family. And now I’ll come for his.
“Organize it,” I grit through my teeth as I return the gun to my holster.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he growls, but I suspect he’s going to do his own investigation as well. Because by the expression he’s trying to cover, he’s been blindsided.
“You killed one of your own men today for getting handsy with one of my employees,” he states.
I casually shrug. “You would’ve gone after him anyway. Consider it a peace offering.”
“So you’ll stop killing my men?” he asks rhetorically.
“Oh no, I promised you I’d kill one a day until your father returns. I’m a man of my word,” I say as I turn to leave, feeling far from resolved. I don’t like it when I don’t have immediate results.
Before I open the door, he says over my shoulder, “I heard Grim was in tonight and that she was about to shoot your man before you took the gun and did it yourself.” Which is partly why I came myself, to see what her relationship with the Neros was like. It’s possible they have her favor. The truth is, I’ve become curious for personal reasons as well.
I look over my shoulder. “You’re aware her best friend works here,” I say matter-of-factly. Because Elias is smart.
“I’m aware of who walks through these doors. Grim is unbiased and off-limits for personal gain to the families. You might ruffle more than Nero attention.”
I glance over my shoulder, curious about my little raven, who is viewed so preciously by the other families. She’s been building that trust for six years, and I imagine most have tried to gain her favor multiple times.
The only reason I told him about my uncle’s body, jeopardizing her safety, is because I needed to see his reaction. To know if he knew about it. Because I know for certain someone in his family does.
And since they’re the ones behind the issue, I doubt they’re going to whisper it among any other family.
“I don’t care about whose eyes are on me. Besides…” I think back to the start of my conversation with Leonore tonight. “Our meeting here was just a coincidence.”
13
LEONORE
One of the perks of my job is that I can assess whether an injury is going to be fatal, and thankfully, Nessa’s is not.