Page 87 of Lord of Punishment

Miguel flanked my side and together, we studied what my lieutenant had discovered. His net worth listed in Forbes fucking magazine. “Fifty billion dollars.” I huffed out the words, disgusted that a decent magazine would highlight such a pig.

“We’re worth more,” Miguel said, as if I didn’t know.

“Yet his money was acquired through questionable means.”

“Not necessarily,” Andres stated. “Given his foray into legitimate operations including his significant stock purchases, what has been reported in the magazine appears all based on law-abiding companies. Several manufacturers in Kentucky, another movie production company out of Philadelphia. A high-tech computer manufacturer in New York. And the list goes on. While we weren’t looking, he was invading lucrative markets and ventures.”

“Pull up the list you found,” I told him.

As soon as Andres did, I leaned over. “Fuck.”

“What is it?” Miguel asked.

“There’s a pattern.” I tilted my head, lifting a single eyebrow. Miguel studied the list again and half laughed.

“Fascinating.”

“Isn’t it?” I asked. “Andres. You’re going to be sent an address of where to take Alicia and Georgia and the children. You’ll be accompanied by two of Miguel’s men. You are to protect them with your life.”

Andres opened his eyes wide. “Where are you going?”

“After a little visit to the local hospital, LA.”

He nodded. “You have my word, boss. They’ll be safe. I’ll leave in a few minutes to take them there.”

“My soldiers are waiting to head out now,” Miguel told him.

“Come on.” I headed toward the stairs, taking them two at a time then rushing into the bedroom. I’d packed a duffle bag already in case of such a situation. All I needed to do was grab it.

“You were prepared for this,” my brother told me as he stood in the doorway.

I grabbed another weapon from my nightstand, shoving it into the inner pocket of my jacket. “I don’t like this situation at all. There’s something that doesn’t add up.”

“And you think we’re going to find the answers in LA.”

“I think the entire Brotherhood has been a target for over a year and we were all too set in our ways to see it.”

“Then we need to warn them.”

“I will, just as soon as we have a long discussion with Chase.” Or maybe it would be a very short one. I was finished with falling victim to deception of any kind. My father hadn’t raised me to be comfortable in my surroundings, which was what I’d allowed to happen. No more.

As of right now, I would become the vindictive, brutal man my father was.

I headed down the stairs, not surprised to see the woman I’d fallen in love with standing in the foyer. As I moved toward her, the ache I felt only increased. “I want you to take something for me.”

She lifted her head, her eyes misting over. “What?”

“Take this.” I pulled out the weapon, placing it in her hand. When she started to pull away, I wrapped my fingers around hers as well as the barrel of the weapon. “The safety is on. All you need to do is flip this lever, aim, and shoot.”

“I don’t want it.”

“Keep it away from Dillon and Brando. You can do that, but I’ll feel a lot better if you have protection. Have you ever shot a weapon before?”

She glanced at Miguel then down to the weapon nervously. “When I was fifteen years old, my father insisted on teaching me how to shoot. I’ve hated guns since then but yes, I know how to use one.”

I was relieved, more than I wanted to let on. “Just keep it. That’s all I’m asking.”

“You’re scaring me.”

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