Page 35 of Prodigal

Outside in the SUV, he sat and waited, watching all the members as they left. All of them angry, all of them cursing his name.

Except for Ennis. He had a different expression on his face—contemplation? Introspection?—as he climbed into his vehicle, flanked by his bodyguards.

“Make sure our people stay on him,” Gideon told Samir, who sat at his side. “I want to know where he goes and what he does tonight.”

Samir nodded.

“In the meantime…”

Samir grinned. “It’s done.” He handed Gideon a tablet. Joseph Morrow’s life was about to take a swift and sharp downturn. One his money and power couldn’t save him from. Gideon had made damn fucking sure of it.

He stared at the live feed playing out on the tablet. The video was from the helmet cam of one of the members of the SWAT team that had just raided Morrow’s country home. They’d been tipped off by Gideon. And those members were the unfortunate few who couldn’t be bribed—well, by anyone other than Gideon. But the only thing he wanted from them was for them to do their jobs the right way and by the book.

The judge who’d signed off on the no-knock warrant was in Gideon’s pocket, of course.

As he watched, the SWAT team reached the door hidden inside Morrow’s basement study behind a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. There were at least seven heavy-duty padlocks on that steel door and it took a while for them to get bolt cutters, but once they got the door open, it wasn’t hard to spot the young woman chained to the floor, sitting in her own filth.

Gideon breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes glued to the black-and-white footage as someone freed the girl, who hadn’t made one sound yet as far as Gideon could tell. She didn’t speak and didn’t fight when they carried her out of the room to safety.

She’d been in Morrow’s clutches for almost three years.

Something close to shame burned in Gideon’s chest, and he rubbed that spot with his free hand. He’d known about Nivea Arceneaux for a long time. His father had shared her fate with him. But instead of rescuing her then, they’d waited, factored her into the plan, and used her to bring down Joseph Morrow when the timing was just right.

For the first time, he wondered if the plan was as sound as he’d always thought it to be. For the first time, he wondered if he could deviate from it. He could have André. He could?—

Samir’s phone went off and he brought it to his ear, murmuring. He stiffened, then jerked his head up at Gideon.

“What?”

“Ennis Canto was just ambushed. He’s taking fire.”

What the— Gideon blinked. “What?”

“Our guys want to know if they should intervene.”

“Where are they? Let’s go!” he barked at the driver.

Samir got Ennis’s location from their people and shouted it to the driver. They were less than five minutes away. What the fuck was going on? He’d just been thinking about a deviation from the plan, but this wasn’t what he had in mind.

“Do they know who was behind it?” It wouldn’t be The Council. At least Gideon didn’t think so, which meant somebody else wanted Ennis dead.

Hell fucking no.

“Jack said it was two people on a motorcycle. They drove up alongside Ennis’s SUV and started firing. Ennis’s driver swerved and ran into a barricade. The car flipped.” Samir paused. “They can save Ennis or they can go after the shooters.”

“Goddamn it.” Gideon pounded a fist on his thigh. “I want the shooters. Tell them I want at least one of them alive. Mick,” he said, addressing his driver. “Get us to that scene. Now!”

“Yes, boss.”

Mick blew through all the red lights like a fucking pro, and when they arrived at the crash sight, Gideon hopped out of the vehicle without waiting for Mick to come to a complete stop.

“Shit!” Ennis’s SUV was on its side, shattered glass everywhere, smoking, riddled with bullet holes.

“G, stand back. Mick and I got this.”

He ignored Samir and took a step forward, but Samir grabbed him by the shoulder. “G. Listen to me. We’re exposed here. I need you to fall back. Let us handle this.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I can handle myself, and while we’re debating, Ennis is probably dying. We can’t let that happen.” That wasn’t part of the fucking plan!

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