Page 3 of Ruthless Beasts

Father Anthony would be ticked about the mess, but he knew what he signed up for. Still, I’d slip him a bonus in good faith, keep good standing in case we needed to do business again. Mysteps were slow as I crept forward, my men keeping the crowd away from us, ensuring there were no issues.

“I believe we have unfinished business,” I stated as I stopped before Accardo, still on his knees.

He attempted to stand, but Ace made that impossible. “We have no unfinished business.”

“No.”

“Did you or did you not cause the crash five years ago?” I stepped closer, using the blade of my knife to run along his jaw.

He had the audacity to chuckle. “Water under the bridge, my friend.”

“Water under the bridge.” I looked at his guests and shook my head. “Water under the bridge.”

I looked over at the man to Accardo's right, crumbling under Mercer’s grip. Without hesitation, I put the bullet through his forehead. His brains blew out the back of his skull, splattering the faces of the guests in the first row. The screams didn’t deter me as I stepped into the puddle of blood, taking Accardo’s throat into my palm. “Water under the bridge.”

“How dare you! I’ll have your head for this, I’ll…” I tightened my grip.

“You’ll what? Kill me? Hadn’t you already done so?” I laughed. The sound was like acid leaving me. “What more harm could you do?”

“You killed Fernando,” Accardo huffed, his cheeks puffed out and reddened as he strained against my grip.

“Youkilled Fernando with your utter disregard for my people’s life. Did you not think I’d come for you?”

“It- it has been five years,” he stated.

“Biding my time for this moment, I can assure you.” And trying to learn how to breathe again without the ache that felt like death. I never fully mastered it.

“It was just a harmless mistake.” Accardo raised an arm in the air, waving it off. Except it wasn’t just a harmless mistake. It was my family, and for that, he would pay with his. “Can’t we forget about it? Make amends. It’s my son’s wedding day.”

I leaned in so that only he could hear and whispered through gritted teeth, “It’s your son’s wedding day. My son never got a first birthday. Never got his first breath. Never got to experience his first ice cream cone. And for this, you will always remember whose fault it is.”

I released him from my grip, but Ace held tight, forcing him to look at his son, who was cowering behind the priest. My steps echoed, combining with the sniffles of the crying guests and the hushes of husbands attempting to quiet their hysterical wives. When I reached his son, I stood over his crouched body, shadowing him.

“Are you not even going to protect your wife?” I asked.

“We- we aren’t official.” His words were shaky as he tried to scoot back.

I looked over my shoulder at the guests. “He will not protect her, because they aren’t official.” Looking back down at the future of the Accardo empire, I huffed. “You don’t deserve her.”

“I hardly know her.” He spat, “Do what you want with her.”

“You don’t do that. He didn’t mean it,” his father interjected.

But the words were said, and he couldn’t take them back now. Even if this marriage were to continue, no one would look at Jonny Accardo the same, not when he was so willing to sacrifice his future wife for his own life. That wasn’t a man. That was a coward. And I wasn’t sure what type of deal this marriage was bringing them, but it would never go forward.

I stepped over the coward to the other side, where the girl had attempted to hide behind a floral arrangement. “You’re going to have to pick a better hiding place than that, darling.”

I crouched in front of her, ignoring the shouts of protest, the sudden uprising that my presence next to her had caused. I had no intention of harming her. Hell, until a few days ago, I hadn’t even known this marriage was taking place, and I never cared to learn the bride’s name. Pushing back the veil, I was jolted for a moment, entangled in the sight of burning green orbs. I swallowed, ignoring the fire she was shooting at me. “You were willing to marry a man who wouldn’t protect you.”

“I-“ She swallowed andfuck. It had been a long time since I acknowledged something so simple, but I couldn’t deny it now. The girl was a beauty, classic and simple. “I don’t really know him.”

“But you were ready to take his name.” I laughed. Old families and their barbaric ways.

“It’s complicated.” She bit her lip.

“Uncomplicate it,” I stated, and her eyes fell to the crowd, growing more agitated by the second, before she shook her head.

“I can’t.”

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