Page 25 of Prodigal

“Let’s go.”

They stepped over the bodies of the men Will had killed and entered the church. Samir first. Then Will.

Gideon entered after them to find Prislaya and Ennis standing shoulder to shoulder up at the front of the church,facing him. The door banged closed behind Gideon, echoing in the silence.

“You!” Prislaya gasped, animosity a living thing on her features, in her eyes.

If Ennis was surprised to see Gideon, he didn’t show it. He just stood there, expression smooth and unaffected as Gideon approached.

“Oh, I thought this was a council meeting…” Gideon glanced around, an exaggerated move. “But I don’t see any of the other members. Shouldn’t they all be here when you plot my death?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“Youshouldbe dead.” At this point, he suspected Prislaya just liked hearing herself talk. “It’s a death sentence for anyone stupid enough to impersonate a council member.”

Still harping on that, was she? It was all bluster on her part since he’d already complied with the blood test they’d demanded of him, to ensure he was his father’s son. It would have offended him, but Aldo had already told him they would ask for it.

“You wanted me dead, so here I am.” He addressed Prislaya but held Ennis’s gaze. “Once again, I’m doing your dirty work for you, but don’t let that stop you. Do what you gotta do.”

Ennis didn’t move, but Prislaya shifted closer, taking a step.

Gideon pulled the gun from his waist and pointed it at her, pulling the trigger without even flicking a gaze in her direction. Nobody flinched when her body hit the floor, though he caught the quick flare of surprise in Ennis’s eyes before the older man masked it.

“What about you?” Gideon asked him softly. “Ready to make your move?”

“You’ll know when I am,” Ennis said, tone bored.

He’d make a worthy opponent. If Gideon were someone else, he’d be wary about going up against Ennis, but he was in a fightfor his life. And he loved breathing way too much. Anyone who came up against him had to die.

Didn’t matter who.

Ennis didn’t know Gideon had André, and he wouldn’t find out, not yet. That was one card Gideon was keeping close to the vest. For now, he grinned at Ennis.

“Looks like you’ll be needing another partner to plot with. Might I suggest Joseph Morrow next?” He turned away, Will and Samir sliding behind him. “I’ve got plans for him.” He had plans for all of them, including the man who kept quiet as Gideon and his bodyguards exited the church, once more stepping over dead bodies.

He was leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake, but that was what it took.

The final body would be Ennis Canto’s.

And Gideon couldn’t wait.

“Got some news.”Kaleb greeted Gideon loudly over the noise of the chopper blades as Gideon climbed out of the aircraft.

Gideon bit back a sigh. He’d just landed after returning to the penthouse from crashing that meeting between Ennis Canto and Prislaya Chopra. He glanced at his watch, then gestured for Kaleb to walk with him as they made their way into the building, Samir and Will at his back.

“Is it about Traeger?” He’d tasked his team with finding whoever the Traeger person was that Warren Choi had told him about and so far it’d been radio silence in that regard.

It was 8:02 in the morning. He wanted a shower, a coffee, and some food. Most importantly, he wanted some goddamn sleep. But likely that would have to wait. The group of themdidn’t speak, their footsteps the only sound as they got into the elevator taking them from the roof of the building, down into the actual apartment. There, Gideon led the way to his office, where Marco sat waiting for them.

Gideon nodded at him in greeting as Samir closed the door.

“No. We haven’t found anything on Traeger yet.”

Fuck. “What is it then?” Unbuttoning his jacket, Gideon removed it and tossed it onto a nearby couch, sinking into the chair behind his desk as he swiped a hand over his face. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d had a good night’s sleep. He’d been looking forward to some shut-eye.

“Somebody reported André and his sister missing.”

Gideon jerked his head up. “What?” All he’d heard was André's name and his stomach immediately tightened, the way it automatically did whenever he thought about the other man. Where was he anyway? Likely still sleeping. How did he sleep? Naked? Gideon would pay good money to?—

“Yesterday evening, a man walked into the local precinct and reported André and Juliette missing,” Kaleb repeated. “Told the cops he feared for their safety.”

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