Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I don’t even want to know how Crue found out about this. He is more capable than most of acquiring this kind of dirt. Admittedly, he’s probably better at it than me.
I pick up my glass and wander over to the floor-to-ceiling window as I click the tip of my nail against the glass thoughtfully. The life I’ve built is slowly falling apart, and it only began when Crue walked back into it.
But as I look over my shoulder at the damning evidence against Brian, can I really begrudge him that? But then I also look at the new carpet in my living room where Andrew’s murdered body had lain.
No.
Crue is dangerous.
And I should stay away.
But my God, it shouldn’t be this hard.
CHAPTER 24
Crue
“I received your calling card,” I say to the man chained to a chair in what appears to be an empty warehouse. The reality is that this is a place close to the port that we use regularly to traffic our drugs. Not that this man would live long enough to find out. It took us only four hours to track down where the man had come from, or more specifically, who gave him orders. And in my opinion, that was three hours too fucking long.
Dominic stands against the back wall, throwing glances between me and the man. There’s a comfortable electrifying prickle to the air. One that often rises when I’m mad. And I am fucking furious right now.
“Fuck off, Monti.” The man spits a line of blood onto the ground. Two of his teeth are already gone.
I smile, step up beside him, and punch him so hard I hear the crunch of bone, and I sure as hell know it isn’t any of my bones that have shattered. I catch the edge of his chair, making sure he remains upright instead of keeling over.
The man gasps while blood pours from his mouth. The menacing red substance smears my knuckles from where the skin has broken open over bone.
“I am a reasonable person,” I casually say into the cavernous space. My men look at each other, unsure if they should respond. “You tell me what I want to know, and I make your death quick. You don’t, and I can make it incredibly, excruciatingly slow. I am happy to oblige either way, so make up your mind.” With a quick thrust, I plunge my knife, that’s always within reach, into his leg. The man screams and reels as I rip it out, flicking my wrist so his blood splatters on the ground.
“Now, I know the man who came to shoot me tonight might’ve lost his gig and side hustle because of me reclaiming what was already my territory. But I know better than to assume you, or he, had concocted such a plan. And I’m also offended that it was executed so poorly.”
“Are you fucking crazy!” He jerks, trying to escape the exceptional handy work of my men who bound him so neatly.
“I’ve been called many things,” I admit. “But do you know what I am most right now?” I pause for dramatic effect. “Pissed. That’s right fucking pissed. Before that little stunt, I was having a swell evening.” I grab him by the throat, pure adrenaline coursing through my veins. “Give me the name of the person who sent out the hit.”
The man chokes, gasps, and squeaks. Pathetic!
I release my grip on his throat, edging my ear closer. “I didn’t hear you.”
“To—” He coughs. “The Torrisi family did.”
I should have fucking known.
“See, that wasn’t so hard.” I turn my back on him, then pull my gun out of my trousers and spin back toward him, my arm pointed in his direction.
Bang!
The pacifying sound silences his final plea.
“Clean this up. I want as much as you can gather on the Torrisi family and who’s in charge now.” I stride to the door, and Dominic follows me. I should’ve known that Andreas would be a fucking problem. And it only complicates things that Rya is working on his nephew’s case. Not that I give a shit, but it means there’s a small chance she might be targeted because of our association.
“Crue, are you sure you want to act on this so quickly?”
I spin on him, confused and almost certain I couldn’t have heard him correctly. “What?” I hiss.
“You might want to let the blood dry before hacking at more heads.”
I shove him against the wall, my blade to his throat. “She was fucking there, Dominic.”
His hands are raised in defense, and his eyes are wide. “I’m not the enemy,” he reminds me. I stare at him, so fucking furious that I want to burn the world down and everyone in it.
Hesitantly, Dominic adds, “This is the world you are asking her to come back to.”
“Then I’ll cut down every founding father in New York if I have to ensure she’s safe.” I release him, pocketing my knife and smoothing back my hair.