Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“I suppose you think I owe you for this,” Angelo remarks.
“You know me so well.” Ares’s lips twitch.
“What do you want?”
“You’re starting from a clean slate.” Ares points out. “I want a say in who you choose as replacements for these idiots, and a seat at the table for your council meetings every month.”
Angelo stares at him like he’s lost his mind. “You think we’re going to do business together?”
“Why not?” Ares shrugs. “I thought we put that whole family feud ugliness behind us. After all, look how well that turned out. You have a beautiful wife, and a baby—”
“Don’t talk about my wife or daughter,” Angelo growls.
“Touchy subject?” Ares lifts a brow.
“You put my wife and I through hell,” Angelo reminds him. “If you had an honorable bone in your body, you wouldn’t have sat on those secrets for years.”
“Well, I can’t say anyone has ever described me as honorable,” Ares admits. “But we were rivals then. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same in my position.”
Angelo clenches his jaw and refrains from answering.
Our feud with the Stavros family began with our grandfathers. We were born into it, and it was a given that we’d hate each other, too. But Ares and his brothers stoked that contention at every opportunity when we were growing up on the island together.
I can’t imagine Angelo will like this concession, and I already know I’ll never hear the end of it.
“I’ll think about it,” Angelo tells him, putting it off for now.
“What are you going to do with all of them?” Ares asks. “I don’t suppose Romeo feels like barbecuing for a whole week.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Angelo mutters.
I already have a plan in place using the supplies from our private lockers, but Ares doesn’t need to know about it. Disappearing this many people at once isn’t a turn-and-burn situation.
My phone vibrates with a notification, alerting me that our guests have arrived. I tell them to wait until I give the all clear because Ares needs to fuck off first.
“How are you planning to spin this?” Ares questions. “Financial crimes? Dark sexual underworld connection? Ties to the Bratva?”
Angelo glances at me, subtly letting me know this is my problem. I grunt in response.
“As always, a pleasure to work with.” Ares tosses me a lazy grin. “You have such a way with words.”
Angelo checks his watch, urging us along. “We need to go. We’re losing time.”
“I’ll have my men move the vehicles,” Ares says. “Let’s reconvene in a week, and we’ll start damage control. My place or yours?”
“I’ll call you,” Angelo grits out.
“Looking forward to it.” Ares saunters off with his men in tow.
I send out a message, and one of our guards brings in the escorts I’ve been paying to keep tabs on Riccardo. I asked Jasmine and Honey to enlist a third trusted companion, and I expected it to be one of Riccardo’s other regulars. Instead, when they walk in, there’s a familiar face beside them.
Gabi’s friend, Chantel.
She’s a burlesque dancer at the IVI Cat House, so she probably met the other women when they were contracted with The Society. That’s where Riccardo found Jasmine and Honey, before they went private. Regardless, all the women know how this works, and they’ll be paid for their silence. But judging by the immediate tension in my brothers, this development is a problem.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Angelo scrapes a hand over his face.
“Is there an issue?” Chantel quirks a brow at him. “You said you needed three of us. Here we are.”
“Oh, this is going to be good.” Rafe chuckles. “Cristian’s going to lose his shit.”
“Why?” Chantel fires back. “It’s none of his business how I earn some extra cash. Besides, you already know me. I’m trustworthy.”
“And how does Marco feel about this?” Rafe asks.
“Well, first of all, Marco doesn’t own me,” she says. “And since I’m sworn to secrecy, he doesn’t know. Besides, it’s just pictures, right? No identifying features. That’s what the brief was.”
“If this goes sideways, it’s on you.” Angelo shoots me a look.
“She’s good. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, Romeo.” Chantel tips her chin at me. “I always knew I liked you.”
I nod, and Angelo fixes his attention on Rafe. “Take the women, and meet us out there.”
23
ROMEO
[ENTRY 009] — CLEANUP PROTOCOL INITIATED
> Threat Assessment: subject compromised.
> Objective: risk reduction → zero.
> Warning Sequence: bypassed.
> Command Prompt: neutralize.
During my digital excavation of Richard Holloway’s pre-election life, I vetted him against what I like to call the corrupt politician starter pack. Sloppy finances, affairs, addictions, risk exposure, NDA settlements, and overall reliability.
For the purpose he served at the time, he checked out. But after I began unearthing information on Imperium and their family members, I widened the scope on Richard, and a pattern emerged.
His visits to IVI-hosted events in multiple cities coincided with the sudden relocations or disappearances of women in the same areas. They were all between eighteen and twenty years old, sharing a similar set of traits.