The world is small for men with power.
ANGEL
I burst through the doors like I owned the place, which I pretty much did. It was also why I was so annoyed my presence had been demanded. I may have been the hired hand, but I did not take orders. My clients knew, with a single entry from my family’s black book, I could have them killed or imprisoned. The Knights took the soul of anyone who made a deal with us for power, fortune, or prosperity. For six generations, The Bandit never failed a job, which made the cost of their soul well spent.
The high back brown leather chair spun around and revealed dull brown hair, sharp eyes, and an expensive suit.
“What can I do for you, Senator?” My tone held a bite in it that I knew he wouldn’t miss. Senator Staten was as corrupt as the rumor mill accused. It just so happened that he gained his seat because of my father and was due for reelection soon.
“I need a job done, and I want it to be top priority.”
It wasn’t new for clients to demand priority. They all felt their problems were paramount, and with endless money to throw around, they were more than willing to pay for that illusion.
“That’s going to cost you.”
“I’m well aware of the costs, young man.” If this wasn’t a business meeting, I’d laugh at his attempt to make me feel small by pointing out my age, and then I’d slit his throat and sleep like a baby tonight.
My attention shifted to his excuse for a son sitting in the corner wearing a smug smile. He wore khaki shorts and a mint colored polo shirt with loafers. His pansy ass barely had hair on his legs but had the nerve to think he had some control.
“Eye problem?”
His smile dropped, and for a moment, he looked uncertain. “Excuse me?”
“You got something to say to me? You’re staring like you do.”
His chin lifted, thrusting his nose in the air as he turned to the senator. “Father, do we really need the help of a common criminal?”
His father started to respond when I cut him off. “Considering the reason he called me here is undoubtedly a crime, I’d say so.” I stalked forward and balled the front of his shirt in my fist before either one could know what I intended to do. I lifted him from his cozy spot on the couch until his feet dangled in the air. “But there’s nothing common about what I’ll do to you if you try to insult me again.”
“D—Dad,” he squeaked.
“Please, Mr. Knight.” Oh, now I’m Mr. Knight? “Unhand my son. I need him.” He regarded his son coldly. “At least, until the next election.”
A feral smile spread my lips, and I swear, another second, and he would have pissed himself. I set him on his feet gently and smoothed the front of his shirt. When I got bored with taunting him, I turned back to his father.
“You were saying?”
“Yes, well, I’m prepared to pay the cost… extra in fact… if you can do this quickly and quietly.”
“Don’t I always?”
He cleared his throat—probably to wash away an apology rather than his pride. “This is a sensitive matter. I need your absolute discretion.”
My gaze narrowed. “By discretion you mean–”
“This cannot go in that book ,” his lips curled, “your family keeps.”
“Not happening.”
“I’ll pay extra.”
“Not. Happening.” Everything went into the book. Everything. It was our insurance as well as our destruction and no amount of money would buy exception.
Some have even gone as far as to offer money to destroy it.
No one needed to know that the single piece of evidence that could destroy families, careers, and end lives were no longer in our control.
“I do this job with a ten percent increase. Take it or leave it.”
He didn’t respond. The door opened behind me, and I immediately moved to protect my back even though I was unarmed. Three of his personal guards walked in—one carrying a briefcase—and formed a circle around me.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to insist, son.”
My fists curled hearing him call me son, but otherwise, I didn’t move. I didn’t need to. The tension in the room spiked and his twerp of a son was back to smirking. I winked, and his face paled. I was outnumbered, sure, but I was still in control.
As much was proven when red dots appeared on every man’s head.
I made a mockery of their attempt to strong-arm me. Fear was palpable, and I basked in it.
“Let’s make that a fifty percent increase.”
He sputtered and stumbled to collect himself while trying to evade the target on the back of his skull. He couldn’t see it, of course, but he was smart enough to know it was there. His son did the same while his guard remained in place. They eventually figured out there was no escape.
“Call them off.”
“Give me the name and all the money upfront.” Before his stupidity got the best of him, he would have only needed to pay half up front.
“But that’s ridiculous!”
“Not as ridiculous as you thinking you can threaten me. You’ll be lucky if I don’t decide to kill you even after you pay me.”
“But—”
The picture of his wife suddenly flew off his desk and landed a few feet away from my feet. Her face was completely obliterated from the shot.
“My money,” I warned.
He stumbled to the phone and spoke harshly and quickly to the poor bastard on the other line. Not five minutes later, a man in a gray suit with thinning hair and specks bustled in with another briefcase. The senator nodded to one of his guards who was holding his briefcase, and they immediately sat them at my feet.
“The name.”
“Mian Ross.”
Time stood still as I replayed the name he spat in my head. It couldn’t be. What would Mian have to do with the senator? I begin to consider that I was being set up until I reasoned that the senator might know Theo, but no one knew of Mian. Theo made sure of that.
“You want her dead, I assume?”
“The sooner, the better.”
“Why?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the million dollar question.
He paused and shrewdly studied me. “You never cared before.”
“You never threatened to kill me before,” I answered smoothly. “Any pretense of trust is gone.”
He seemed to accept my answer and said, “My son couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. At least for girls of legal fucking age.”
My heart ceased to beat, and the blood in my veins froze. It took every ounce of willpower to keep my gaze calm.
“He got her pregnant, and now she’s causing problems.”
“You want me to off a pregnant chick?” I played stupid even when I’d already pieced together every piece of the goddamn puzzle.
“She’s already had the bastard.”
Don’t kill him.
Don’t kill him.
“She wants money even though my son denies paternity.”
“So. What’s the big deal? Get a DNA test.” I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. He cut his eyes at the little fucker lounging without a care in the world.
He was definitely hiding something.
“I don’t believe my son didn’t father that child no matter what he tells me.”
“So because she’s telling the truth, you want her dead?”
Don’t kill him.
Don’t kill him.
“She’s threatening to go public. I can’t have some girl and her bastard son messing up my campaign. Besides, she was underage and still in high school. Even if she was old enough to consent, it would still hurt our image.”
“And what happens to the kid?”
“I told you… I want this clean.”
Meaning no loose ends.
Son of a bitch…
* * *
I took Lucas by surprise when I returned from the meeting. I stood still while he avoided my gaze and buttoned the jeans he hadn’t bothered to remove. Unwillingly, my gaze slid to the bed and the girl he’d just been balls deep in. I tried to keep my irritation under lock and key but failed.
“Fucking seriously?” I spat when she whimpered and scrambled up against the headboard while pulling the sheets up to cover her body. I looked away to give her privacy and regarded my best friend.
“You were supposed to be watching her, not fucking her,” I forced through my teeth.
A sneaky smile tugged up the corner of his lips as he shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself.”
A small gasp wiped the smile off his face. She watched him with tears in her eyes while his avoided her. I jerked my head toward the door, and he followed.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” I questioned as soon as the door was closed.
“No,” he answered honestly.
“Are you even sure she’s legal?” He looked back at the door with a wary look, and I could tell he had doubted his answer before he shrugged again.
“What’s up?” he said by way of changing the subject. I hesitated for a half a second before leading him to my father’s office and launching into a recap of the meeting. I had Z hang back with some of the men to keep an eye on the senator while I figured out my next move.
“Fucking hell…” He blew out a breath and roughly shoved his fingers through his hair. “So the contract on her head—”
“I’m not going to do it.”
“You took the money.”
“He threatened to kill me.” He nodded, satisfied with my answer. “We need to take care of him.”
Lucas’s head jerked back in surprise. “Take care of him? He’s a fucking senator!”
“He may be a blue blood, but he bleeds red just like the rest of us.” Lucas didn’t appear convinced. “If it’s not me, he’ll hire someone else.”
“You care about her.” He said it as if he had just realized it for the first time.
“I’m responsible for her.”
“Your father’s dead. You’re the head of the family, which means your babysitting days are over.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Just admit it, man.” He smiled like he’d just uncovered my dirtiest secret. “She makes your dick hard, and you like it.”
“I’m not talking about my dick right now. Maybe after I kill the senator.”
His playful mood shifted into business as he leaned forward. “What’s the move?”
“I need you to pay a visit to Jonny. It’s time we brought Theo up to speed.”