Page 5 of The Boss

Dimitrios

“Find out who did this,” I snarled just before walking into the club. “If you don’t, heads will roll.”

“We’re trying.” Atticus Gataki was another enforcer, a highly trained marksman who’d developed a taste for killing as a young man. He claimed to have over one hundred kills to his name, most handled prior to entering my regime.

While the Nomikos family now almost always handled things like any legitimate business would do, after tonight I’d wash the painted buildings of the area down with blood. Atticus was also an expert tracker, capable of finding anyone, anywhere.

And the lengths I would go to find my brother’s killer were extraordinary. I pushed my way through the crowd, constantly scanning the people who parted as if a king had walked into the room. In some ways, I was a king, my authority and decisions never questioned. People feared what I could do while revering the ground I walked on.

It was a heavy crown to wear, but I’d done so proudly.

Until today.

To have some unknown killer manage to take out one of my family members would tarnish our reputation. That would spell problems that I didn’t need. But that wasn’t the reason I was so enraged. Leandro had been a free spirit, our youngest brother and in my mind, still just a kid at twenty-four. He’d had his entire life ahead of him. He’d graduated top of his class at a fine university, had volunteered to work with animals, and had insisted on working all throughout school while his trust fund had remained untouched.

He’d been a beautiful soul born into the wrong family.

But he’d wanted to do his part, managing several of the clubs under my direction. I’d felt honored and apprehensive. Now, I knew for good reason.

“Where is my brother?” I asked Nico as I stopped near a hallway leading to several private rooms. They were often used for illegal gambling or even more nefarious acts. For a price, certain respectable patrons could rent the area for meetings and other activities.

“Last room on the left.” His answer was direct and without emotion. Nico had lost his brother in a similar manner.

I stormed down the hallway, immediately unbuttoning my jacket to have easier access to my weapon. It was entirely possible the shooter had hung around to enjoy the spoils of war. And that’s exactly what my brother’s assassination meant.

The door was only partially closed, guards preventing any unwanted personnel or guests to wander down the hallway. Pictures were forbidden, those ignoring the rules dealt with.

I pushed open the door, taking several deep breaths before walking inside. Leandro sat in one of the four chairs, his head tilted back, still in the relaxed position he’d been in when shot. That meant the kill had caught him entirely off guard.

“I assume you controlled any police involvement?” I asked no one in particular. A few of my men filtered into the room while others waited outside to accompany me back to my waiting vehicle. As I stood just inside, I made a mental note of items on the table. Leandro’s guest had been enjoying a beverage. They’d both been recently filled, but it appeared only Leandro’s was touched. There were no papers, nothing to indicate who was in the room with him.

“None were called,” Atticus stated. “I’ll keep it that way.”

“Good.” I moved toward Leandro, my anger reaching the boiling point. While maybe just a kid, he’d been through enough training he wouldn’t have allowed himself to be caught in a compromising position with just anyone. That meant he’d either trusted the individual or had been fooled by the assassin’s identity. “I want a sweep of the video cameras. Anyone who seems out of place will be brought to me.”

I sensed my two enforcers looking at each other, perhaps even making the mistake of questioning my authority. When I was standing in front of my brother, I noticed he wore an expression of shock, his eyes wide open.

Sighing, I had to look away myself. Anger management was practiced out of necessity. I was a hotheaded Greek after all.Rage ran in my blood. However, flying off the handle wouldn’t provide any answers. “An eínai to teleftaío prágma pou káno, tha ekdikithó ton thánató sou.”

If it’s the last thing I do, I will avenge your death.

The statement was made so my brother’s spirit would hear as well as my men. They needed to comprehend and accept the rocks I’d turn over, the vermin I’d crush. I lifted my arm, catching that my entire arm was shaking from another rush of adrenaline. I fisted my hand, bringing it to my mouth in my attempt to calm the fuck down.

After a few seconds, I gently closed his eyes. Sorrow was something I was used to dealing with, but that didn’t mean I was good at doing it. We’d lost few in our ranks and other than to natural causes or a disease like cancer, none within the Nomikos family. Maybe the gods had decided our time was long overdue.

For a split second, my mind shifted to another time, another tragedy. Another enemy. Years before. Yet the pain brought back was real, biting. The world I’d been born into was ruthless.

And bloody.

A huge commotion broke out only a few feet outside the door, a loud voice shouting to let him through. As soon as my brother Christos stormed into the room, I caught him before he made it to Leandro’s body. “Enough, brother. Take a deep breath.”

Christos fought my hold, finally managing to shove me away. “Don’t belittle my anger!” He was the true hothead of the family, closest to Leandro given their age and temperament. Exhaling, he sensed every move he made was being watched and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Dimitrios. I just talked to him a couple hours ago.”

“Then maybe you know who he was meeting.”

“No,” Christos said. “He said nothing. Who could have done this? The Italians?”

Italians were perhaps considered our most consistent enemy, but even they’d enjoyed their level of prosperity as we had, the new Don nothing like his brutal father. However peaceful our worlds, greed always lurked in the darkness. Nothing was off the table regarding my brother’s murder.

---