Page 83 of Trouble

Liam was the first to move. He walked to the dais in long strides, gun at the ready. When he got there, he turned to face thecrowd.

“William Steel’s reign over London has ended. It has ended because he caused harm to the Steel Family, to his own kin. He killed our mother, he killed our brother—and he tried to cull the rest of us, too. I want you all to remember this night. Remember that anyone who attempts to harm the Steel Family willdie.

“My brothers and I have taken over the Steel empire, and we expect absolute and complete loyalty from anyone who wishes to do business in our city. Traitors will be dealt with. Harshly. Does anyone have any objections to our claim? Now is your time to speak up. Now is youronlytime to speakup.”

Only silence followed hiswords.

“Very well.” Liam nodded at his brothers at the back of the crowd, then turned to untieLouis.

The two dark-haired brothers moved through the throng. From my vantage point, it took me a moment to realize that they were gathering up people, and it wasn’t until they’d herded the small group of five men up to the dais that I saw exactly who they were: ThePerkinsons.

Loud murmurs rose from those who remained in attendance, one voice rising above the others to shout, “What’s the meaning ofthis?”

“As my brother said—we do not tolerate traitors,” the Steel brother who’d spoken before said. “The Perkinsons betrayed us. We offered them forty percent of London for their support, and they accepted—only to sell us out to our dear father the second our backs were turned.” He kicked Gregory in the back of the knees, making him stumble to the ground. Perkinson senior went willingly, a look of grim acceptance on his face. A couple of the others struggled, but were quickly—and painfully—subdued.

“I still expect payment infull.”

I jumped at the lilting voice sounding right behind me and spun around to come face-to-chest with the Russian assassin. He leaned against the pallets Liam and I’d been hiding behind, both arms crossed over his chest without taking his cool gaze off thedais.

I arched an eyebrow at him and forced my speeding heart to settle down—as much as was possible with the lethal killer this close. “You didn’t fulfill the job you were hired todo.”

“I would have. But you contracted another to do my job. I do not appreciate being beaten to a kill, MissWaits.”

So he’d learned my name, then. I frowned, trying to ignore the unsubtle indication that he knew who I was now. “We didn’t hire anyone else. That man was his righthand.”

“Yes. And he shot his master—the man he’s worshipped for so many years… becauseyoutold him to.” The Russian finally took his disturbingly cold eyes off the front of the room and settled them on me. “When he hired my organization to kill his sons, I researched the family. I always do. That man has been loyal to the point of idiocy for two decades. And yet one gesture from you, little bird, and he turned like a rabid dog. So yes, you contracted another to fulfill my job, and I will have my agreed payment.” His gaze flickered down my body once, but there was no heat in it when his focus returned to my face a second later. “Be thankful I find youinteresting,Miss Waits. I could easily have taken offense to your lack of faith that I’d honor ourarrangement.”

“There’s nothing interesting about me,” I squeaked, my composure waning in the face of his chilling presence. As far as I was concerned, anything that would make him take notice of me wasn’t something I wanted. At all. Especially not when the twins weren’t there to save me from committing a potentially lethal fauxpas.

Something that could have been the ghost of a smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Oh, I disagree.” He reached underneath his coat and flicked out a small, white business card that he held out toward me between two fingers. “And so would my organization, should you be soinclined.”

I took his card out of reflex. “Thanks, but, um, no offense, but I don’t really think the life of an assassin is mine. Also, I don’t speak Russian. I am very flattered,though.”

He snorted, and this time I was pretty sure a smile touched his lips. “The choice is yours, of course. You could attempt to choose one of your Steel men and see if they can bear to be parted. Their bond is quitefamousin the underworld, you might say. My best guess, you will ruin them both. Or, you can go back to your old life. Get up every morning, put on your work attire, and travel to a job you know deep down will never fulfill you. I’ve seen your true face tonight, little bird. You’ve tasted the other side now, and you know this is where you belong. Between murderers and thieves. You’re good at it. And what’s more… you like it. That feeling of power when a man dies because you will it? When you find yourself craving another taste…call.”

The Russian straightened up, his glacial eyes finally leaving my petrified face to sweep back over the crowd. “Remind your Steel men to pay what they owe before the sun sets tomorrow evening.” He didn’t bother looking back, and when I blinked, he wasgone.

Slowly, and dazed from the surreal encounter, I turned back to look at the dais. Liam had gotten Louis untied and was supporting him as they stood next their two other brothers, with the five Perkinson men kneeling in front of them, all facing thecrowd.

“Under my father’s rule, all five of these men would have died for their crimes,” the Steel brother who’d forced Gregory to his knees said, his voice echoing through the warehouse. He tapped the back of my former nightmare client’s skull with the barrel of his gun. “Surely they were part of the conspiracy, no? If and when we find proof of this… That will still be the case under our new leadership. But…” He moved the gun to Brian’s head. “You cannot always blame a son for his father’ssins.”

The second gunshot of the night rang through the warehouse. I cringed as Brian Perkinson fell to the floor with a thud, half the back of his headmissing.

The raven-haired man turned to the remaining four, who looked visibly nauseated. “You have a choice to make. Seek revenge for your patriarch’s death and end his days like him—on your knees—or take the mercy you’ve been shown tonight and realign your Family with theSteels.”

“We—we choose you.” Gregory’s voice was hoarse and hardly recognizable with the new tone of servility that’d certainly never been there during any of my meetings with him. “The Perkinsons will serve your Family now, andforevermore.”

A shout went through the crowd, like a wave of sound as the fathered mafia Families let their support beknown:

“Steel! Steel!Steel!”

40

Audrey

“Well,that’s what you get when you run off like a damn hero to sacrifice yourself. What the fuck were youthinking?”

I sat in the comfortable armchair in the twins’ flat, looking on as Liam cared for Louis’ injuries with far more gentleness than his words let on. His hands moved over his twin’s bruised and battered flesh as carefully as if he’d been a newborn, pouring peroxide on wounds and smearing ointment onbruises.

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