Page 34 of Ruthless Beasts

Ours to cherish.

Ours to care for.

His head moved from side to side so fast it was amazing he didn’t give himself whiplash. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“You touched this envelope, and therefore, you’re involved.” By his standards, it was flawed logic. By ours, it was a way of life. I pulled a chair up close to him and sat, watching him as I took out my phone to text Adam.

Me: We’ve got a delivery to the casino.

Adam: Send it to the dock.

Me: From Accardo. Do you want me to open it?

There was a pause in the text, and I tapped my finger on the wood of the chair. The action made the guy nearly jump with each tap, a subtle taunt that any second, I could strike. This breath he took could be his last. His blood could be on my hands, coating my shoes before he could register that I’ve slit his throat, and all he could do was accept it.

The buzz in my palm tore my thoughts away from the death I’d be delivering soon enough. I looked down at Adam’s text.Bring it to me.

Me: And the messenger?

Adam: Take care of him. Make it quick. I need that package within the hour.

I looked at my watch. Not enough fucking time to have any fun. I rose slowly, circling him before I moved the chair back against the wall. “I have to leave.”

“Okay.” He was shaking, his legs barely holding him up.

“I wish we could have gotten to know each other better. I really do. You’d find I’m fairly likable. In fact, some would say I’m charming, caring, sort of a den dad, if you will. Always helping others.”

“I-I bet.” His words were a struggle for him to push out, fear gripping him hard. “Next t-time then.”

“Yeah.” I walked another circle around him, stopping out of sight. “Next time.”

In the time it took him to absorb my words, my hands were already gripping his skull, twisting his head so fast that he hadn’t even blinked before he was dead, internally decapitated. I sighed as his body slumped. His head hung unnaturally forward. “I’ll be back later. Don’t go anywhere.”

I chuckled to myself as I typed in the code and the lock to the room released. Making sure I had the package, I returned to the casino floor, searching for the manager on duty to let him know I’d be leaving for the day and to forward anything of importance to one of us. Then I left the building, found my car in the parking garage, and was on my way home with some time to spare.

I pulled into the driveway, my heart melting as I watched from a distance as Bellamy played with Lady. The sweet little pup worshiped her, following her around, forgetting who truly owned her most of the time. I wanted to walk out there, offer to play fetch with them, watch the girls enjoy the fall day, but the fucking envelope on my seat ensured I couldn’t. Instead, Max and Drew got to be there where I could only wish to be, monitoring the girls and protecting them from harm.

If they failed, I’d kill them myself.

Gripping the manilla envelope tighter than I needed to, I walked up the steps of the house in search of Adam. I knew I wouldn’t find Ace. He was on the site of the new development, doing the mind-numbing business stuff I was thankful I never had to be a part of.

I took off my shoes the moment I entered, leaving them by the door before heading down to the west wing, searching for his office. The door was closed when I approached, and I opened it without knocking. His brows were scrunched together as he looked up, only relaxing when he noticed it was me.

“What have you got?”

He knew what I had. The question was only a formality to urge me to hand it over. I stretched my arm out, offering him the envelope. “It was delivered by messenger, not part of the organization.”

“He’s taken care of?” he asked.

“I made it quick. I’ll dispose of it later.”

He nodded as he tore open the envelope. His concentration was no longer on me, but what was concealed. With the envelope torn open, he dumped it onto his desk. Inside was a flash drive, its possible information taunting us to insert it into the computer and look.

“Think it’s a trap?”

“Probably.” He reached forward, taking it into his hands and running it through his fingers for a few moments. “Get me an old computer. I’m not fucking up my shit in case this is bad.”

There was one that was wiped clean a few years ago in the drawer. I kept it just in case we needed it. It appeared this was the perfect opportunity, though I was certain the battery was dead. I located it, and after a few minutes on the charger, it powered up, painfully slow. When it was running, I picked upthe drive and plugged it in, then sat as I navigated through the programs to open the drive.

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