Page 17 of Romancing the Reaper

But he is ruthless and scrappy and has managed to make quite a name for himself.

If I had had any other choice but to seek him out for help, I would have done so. Unfortunately, when my father died, my only option was family. Patrick would have been well within his rights to turn me away, nephew or not. He would have also been within his rights to take my head since I was technically from another clan.

His ‘mercy’, however, comes with a very steep cost.

One that I have to pay in blood whenever he sees fit. It’s a debt that to my uncle, will never be repaid.

The drive to the meeting is tense, not because of the lack of conversation. Liam doesn’t know what silence is. He’s more than happy to carry on his conversation all by himself with little more than a grunt or two of input from me. I just have to hope that whatever the cause of this meeting is for, it will be over quickly.

I only listen with half an ear to the things that Liam is rambling on about. My mind is too consumed with thoughts of Ada and the possible things that my uncle might be about to ask me to do.

Liam is the only person who knows anything of my plans with Ada, and I intend to keep it that way.

Patrick’s task will have to be completed quickly. I can’t afford to be away from Ada for very long. God knows what she will do if she’s left alone for too long considering that she’s clearly got a history of self-destructive habits.

We park in the front drive of Liam’s place, and uncle Patrick is waiting for us right in the sitting area when we walk into the house. He’s got today’s newspaper in his hands, and he doesn’t so much as look up from whatever article he’s reading. I’m sure that he has absolutely no intention of telling us what he wants until he finishes reading. It’s all part of his constant need for power. Liam and I have no choice but to stand there with our hands clasped behind our backs while we wait for orders.

Patrick is a tall, imposing man. Graying black hair and icy blue eyes. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen the man smile in my life. I don’t think that his face even works that way. He wears nothing but tailored designer three-piece suits, always in all black. Despite his advanced age, he hasn’t lost a single pound of muscle or power since he was younger.

I suppose that I should be happy that he doesn’t look at all like my father.

I don’t know what I would do if I had to stand here looking into an echo of the man I lost. My father might have been a conniving bastard, but he was still my dad. We fought, but I didn’t want to lose him, I wasn’t ready. Not that one truly ever is.

When he finishes reading, Patrick snaps his fingers for his assistant to take the paper and bring him a lit cigar and a glass of sherry. Only then does he pay us any attention.

Patrick makes a very deliberate show of checking his watch to ensure that we know that he’s displeased with having to wait even the couple of minutes, that he was inconvenienced by our tardiness. Still, Liam and I stand shoulder to shoulder with our feet evenly spaced like any other soldier waiting for orders.

“I have another assignment for you,” Patrick says finally, gesturing with the cigar in his hand to the folder on the table closest to where I stand. I know better than to reach for it before I’m given permission to. Last time I made that particular mistake, I ended up with a cigar burn on the back of my hand.The damned thing scarred. I have more than enough of those as it is, I don’t need more things marring my tattooed skin.

“I don’t have to tell you that discretion is of the utmost importance. I want this man gone, of course, but given the importance that he has to New York and Boston’s Cosa Nostra, I need to ensure that the trail that will lead back to us will take time. Calling cards, of course, but only at a moment of my choosing should they end up here,” Patrick explains. I know that whatever other information that he wants me to have is going to be inside the envelope.

There’s a very small list of people I could be assigned to kill.

“I don’t care how you eliminate Jeremy Rizzo, but you have forty-eight hours to do it. Am I understood?” Patrick said, and I have no choice but to nod that I understand. My position here with their family is precarious as it is. A silent curse runs through my mind because I know exactly who that man is.

I know that Ada isn’t going to take the news of her brother’s associate being killed lightly. The muscle in my jaw tenses with apprehension. It’s the only external sign that I’m uncomfortable with this at all. Fortunately, it’s subtle enough that nobody notices.

“Dismissed.” Patrick says to me, and me alone. I chance a glance at Liam, whose stoic expression isn’t one that I can easily read. I take the envelope off of the table and tuck it under my arm before heading right back out the front door. I don’t even know if Liam wants me to wait for him. The person that he is with me isnot the same person that he is when he’s with his father. That’s something that I understand all too well.

This is going to complicate my already precarious situation with Ada so much more.

Nevermind that the outcome of this situation could put my own chances at revenge on hold. Depending on the size of the fallout, it could ruin a whole lot more than I’m willing to admit.

I just have to keep it a secret from her. I don’t have a choice. The situation is delicate as it is. One wrong move could destroyeverything.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ADA

Imight not get a chance like this again. Kieran made a hell of a mistake when he chose to leave me alone in this place. I couldn’t find a way out of here before, but I’m bound and determined to find one now. There has to be some secret fire escape somewhere. A hidden panel in the wall or a book that unhooks to show some secret panic room that I can use as a last-ditch effort… something.

Other than the knives that Kieran was using to cook with, it’s not like there’s even anything decent for me to use to defend myself. Besides, it would be comical to attempt to defend myself in front of that giant man with nothing but a knife. Doesn’t matter the size of it, he’s already proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can overpower me.

It takes an hour or so, but I’m fairly confident that I have searched every single nook and cranny of this damned hideout. Everywhere that I can reach at the very least. The walls are all the same boring shade of primer paint gray. The bare concrete floors are cold and unwelcoming. There is no art on the walls, no personal effects anywhere.

Certainly a far cry from the luxurious environments and houses that I’m accustomed to. My own apartment is spacious, but warm. I’ve taken a great deal of care in decorating the space to be inviting and cozy. It’s my own personal slice of heaven, and I wanted it to be as comfortable as possible. This? This is my nightmare. One that I didn’t even know I had before I saw it.

Apart from the front door, there’s only one room that bars me access. While every window and door is security wired and I can see cameras everywhere, there’s something about this room that calls to me. Probably because it’s the one room that I can’t get into. There’s obviously something important in there. Something that Kieran doesn’t want me to see.

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