Page 36 of Her Wicked Men

As if sensing the impending chaos, the doors swung open, and our father stepped out, his gaze landing on us heavily.

“Boys.” He took a few steps towards us, meeting us as the doors swung shut behind the few men of his crew who had exited as well.

“Better be good news,” I stated.

“Because we were ready to have a bit of fun,” Kieran added.

Our father’s disapproval was evident in the worn lines of his face, but there was also the underlying pride hidden in those dark brown eyes he’d gifted Kieran. We were men who many knew not to mess with, and that was something he was glad he’d helped forge. Although right now, in this particular situation, he wouldn’t be thrilled with how trigger happy we could be.

In all honesty, I thought we were doing pretty well keeping it together. Especially Kieran, who’d be more than willing to let a war spill out onto the streets. It would be for Vee, but not entirely. My brother was a monster I’d come to love, but there was a twisted delight in him that even I recognized as being darker than it needed to be.

We all dealt with this life in different ways.

“The Moretti family have come to the decision to aid us in locating their own men. We will be given the freedom to enact justice as long as it is only to those responsible for this move within their ranks, Stefano and his loyalists will deal with the rest. Calls are still being made, but they should have a location for us within the next few hours. They want to stabilize the family and rectify the old peace treaty and strengthen it. For the good of all and this city,” our father said as he sucked his teeth. His hair that had once shared the same hue as my own had now grayed, showing the toll that time and this life had taken on him. This life was not for the faint of heart, and the heaviness of it had weaved itself into the deep lines on his face, like the scars of a soldier.

“Really? It took you all fucking night to decide on that?” Kieran scoffed as he shook his head.

“He’s summarizing what we need to know, Kieran,” I said sharply, having been involved in meetings and deals like this before. Everything had to be carefully discussed, no room for error or loopholes. That sort of deal took time and careful wording.

“Watch your tongue, boy,” our father muttered as he pulled out a smoke and lit it up. The venomous look in his eye was enough to keep Kieran from uttering another word. He’d been awake all night sorting out this mess for us with the best possible outcome for all parties.

Except that we had no clue where Vee was, not even what state.

All we could focus on was the fact that they’d use her as a bargaining piece, and for that, they needed her alive.

But God help me if they’d hurt her. Because God would have to look away when I found them.

15

VERONICA

Ijerked awake from the nightmare, Callum’s face haunting me with words of karma and just desserts, and I rolled over on the cot, half hoping I’d wake up to find myself safe at the lodge and not this dingy little cell.

I sat up, keeping the blanket wrapped around me to stay warm. The faintest smile touched my lips as I found Thomas slouched in his chair still, his arms folded as his head hung forward, his chest rising and falling as he dozed.

Having him stay with me through the night, his presence an odd comfort, it had been more than I could have hoped for.

There’d been no news, no one had come to check on him or tell him anything, and that left me wondering what was going on with the brothers.

Were they still looking for me? Or had they written me off?

The thought was a knife to the gut, and I shoved it away as I slid my gaze to the bucket and scrunched up my nose. Of course I had to pee.

I looked to Thomas once more, wondering if I should wait for him to wake so I could ask him to look away while I relieved myself.

We’d had pleasant conversations well into the early hours of the morning until I’d finally drifted off, and I’d found him to be a charming young man with quite a good sense of humor despite the circumstances.

The basement door flinging open had me stiffening on the cot as Thomas jolted awake, nearly tumbling out of his chair as someone tromped down the stairs quickly.

“Vincent, what’s going on?” Thomas asked groggily as he cast me a glance.

“The family wants to sell us out, those fucks.” A man who would’ve had to be in his early twenties and yet was covered head-to-toe in tattoos was fuming as he scowled at me.

“What?” Thomas straightened, any tiredness gone in an instant.

“They’re currently having some big fucking meeting, the Slade brothers have chucked up a stink about her,” the man said as he pointed accusingly at me, like I was to blame for all of this.

Yes, because I totally jumped into this cell of my own free will.

---