Page 18 of Trouble

Blaine shook his head. “He’ll be in touch when we’ve figured out how to take care ofDad.”

And there it was. The one subject we’d been avoiding for the past two months, waiting for the right moment. After our brother Marcus narrowly escaped the country when he attacked our father to save his fiancée, William Steel had been on highest alert. It had taken a lot ass-kissing before we no longer saw his men lurking around outside our apartment, watching us, ensuring his remaining sons stayed in line. We had made sure to stay away from Blaine, save a few casual meetings in public, so as to not raise his suspicions that we were plottingsomething.

To make him believe we didn’t know he’d killed our brother Jeremy instead of sending him to America to deal with business connections, like he’d told us for the past few years. Knowledge Marcus had shared with us before he’d been forced toflee.

“He’s not going to step down,” I said to no one inparticular.

“We have to kill him,” Louis said, finishing my sentence. “A simple hit would be the easiest, but he’s keeping Wesley and a few other faithful guys with him at all times now, even when we visit him. And he’s never within range of a long-distance rifle. It’d have to be done up close… but there’s zero percent chance of making it out alive for whoever doesit.”

“And then there’s the question of Isaac,” Blaine said softly. “If Dad dies before we can prove he set Isaac up, he’ll rot in prison for the rest of hislife.”

Isaac.Louis and I exchanged a look, and I knew what he was thinking. Our brother, who’d spent the past nearly two years in jail and refused to see any of us after a drug deal gone wrong. It had been a shock to both of us when Blaine came forward with proof that our dad had set him up to take the fall. Knowing our father had gone after his own blood, killing Jeremy and selling out Isaac, meant none of us were safe—and if there was one thing I wouldn’t survive, it was losing Louis. We’d never talked about it, but I knew he felt the same. We loved all our brothers fiercely and would protect them at any cost, but the bond we had with each other was something more than that. He’d been there every day of my life, through all the tough shit, through the death of our mother and every hit we’d been forced to execute while working for our father. Louis had been by my side as I had been by his, and if we hadn’t had each other, I knew without a shadow of a doubt we would’ve been lost in the same kind of darkness that had nearly swallowed up Marcus before he metEvelyn.

I’d always felt guilty for having Louis to lean on when I saw my other brothers struggle with the weight of our shared childhood on their own, but both Blaine and Marcus had pulled through with the help of the women they’d eventually fallen in love with. Isaac had no one. He was entirely on his own, locked up like an animal because our father had betrayed him in the worst way possible within the underworld. Well… the second-worst way. I pressed down the pang of loss at the memory ofJeremy.

“We’ve also not discussed what will happen once Dad’s gone,” Louis said. “Our Family’s claim to London’s throne is already shaky, at best. If we lose our patriarch, it would be nearly impossible to keepit.”

“Maybe that’s not such a badthing.”

Both Louis and I stared at Blaine as he shifted on the couch. I didn’t miss how he pulled Mira closer to hisbody.

“Have you never thought what it would be like to get out?” he continued. “I know you two hate the darker side of the business, and I…” He glanced at his son playing by the window. “I’ve got him to thinkabout.”

I exchanged a look with Louis. Sure, we’d both wished on a few occasions we didn’t have to deal with the bloodier sides of crime, but it was all weknew.

“I don’t think there is an out for us, mate,” I said with a soft sigh. “The second the Steel Family loses its footing, every crook in town is gonna be out for our blood. Short of disappearing like Marcus did, we’restuck.”

Something passed over Blaine’s face, and Ifrowned.

“You’ve been thinking about it,” Louis said. His voice betrayed my own shock. If anyone was made for the mafia life, it was Blaine. He’d always been ruthless but in control, wielding the power that came with our name with ease. “About leavingLondon?”

Blaine shrugged and glanced down at his wife. “Only if we must. I know we have obligations to our men, but I won’t put the welfare of my wife and son on the line to keep control over an empire built onlies.”

“This is our home,” Mira said. Her voice was quiet, but had a core of steel as she returned her husband’s gaze. “None of us want to leave it behind. I’m not saying you should sacrifice everything to continue being in control of London’s underworld, but don’t throw it all away in some misguided belief that Aidan and I can’t be safe here. We’ve been safe for a long time now, despite everything that’s going on. If you want to change your father’s legacy, I know you can do it. Together. But not before he’sgone.”

I whistled a low tune and saw Louis shoot the curvy woman an appreciativegrin.

“Well, well, look who’s come around to the criminal side of life,” Iteased.

“I’m pretty sure I remember a time where you would’ve literally rather lived on Europe’s streets than be part of the Steel empire,” Louiscontinued.

She cocked an eyebrow at us. “If we all disappear, someone else will fill the power vacuum. Someone as bad as your father, most likely. If we stay, we can change things. Try and lessen theviolence.”

“Leave it to you to strive for a better underworld,” Blaine said, an amused tilt to his lips. But he was also looking at her with the same sort of awe I’d seen in his eyes before. Those two were fucking meant for each other, as baffling as it was to understand. Mira had given our brother the light he needed to balance the darkness that came with our world, and he’d given her strength. And for the briefest moment, as I looked at them, my thoughts swirled back to the woman I’d spent the night with and how it had seemed impossible to tell her no when she’d asked to see meagain.

Last night had been the first night in months I’d been able to forget all the darkness and betrayal at knowing what our father had done. Somehow, I’d managed to find a moment’s respite between Audrey’s thighs, and I didn’t have the strength nor the will to deny myself. It’d been like having healing salve smeared on a burn, and the relief had been instant andaddictive.

“So we stay. And fight. If we can.” Louis said, breaking me out of mythoughts.

“Yes,” Blaine said after a short exchange of looks with his wife. “Once Dad’sdead.”

“Which brings us right back to the how,” Louis sighed. “Andwhen.”

“I… might know a way,” Blaine said. The hesitation in his voice had me exchanging another look withLouis.

“I take it there’s a major caveat, since you didn’t lead with it?” Iasked.

“Yeah.” Blaine grimaced. “It involves working with someone we know’s gunning for our Family’sdemise.”

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