Page 85 of His Reluctant Savior

“There is one more thing,” Malik said, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “Sid and I agreed that The District will no longer take any job. The people we kill will have to deserve it.”

Sully tossed his arms in the air. “What’s next? Are we going door-to-door selling fucking Bibles now? How about we walk little grannies across the street? We’rekillers, Mal!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sid said. “You’ll still get to do all your killing. Nothing changes.”

Sully scoffed. “So, we’re suddenlymoralnow?Puh-lease. We’ve committed way too many sins to go back, not that I would.”

“What purpose does it serve to kill just anyone?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “Fun.”

“No one is taking yourfun, Sully,” Sid explained.

“Says you.”

“At the end of the day, Mal and I created this business. And I just so happen to agree with Dalton. He can give us a way inside we hadn’t had before. We can start delving deeply into our clients, which also protects this family. And killing in the name of something that matters… it gives us more of a purpose.”

Malik nodded. “No one truly knows this about me, but when I made my first kill, it was for a good cause. I lived in a war-torn country, and innocent people were being slaughtered in the name of ‘protection,’ including my sister. I was dragged into this life with little choice once I reached the United States. Sid was dragged into this life with little choice. Yes, we have grown to be hardened men. We brought others into this family who were also thrown into this world, the same world that shunned us all for who we are. At the end of the day, our jobs do not change. Only those we take out do.”

Malik, while not as large as Sid, Sully, or Maverick, was an imposing man who held everyone’s attention. “Are we understood?”

“I’m with Sid,” Dante said, which I had expected.

“Me too!” Luca announced, raising his hand as if he were in school.

Layla shrugged. “Just give me the data.”

Sully scowled. “Well,I’mnot fucking happy.”

Khai lifted his sword and stared into the gleaming metal. “Just point me at who to take out.”

“I agree with Khai,” Maverick said.

“Easton?” Malik asked.

The young man shrugged. “I go where Sid goes.”

“Are we seriously going to allow Mr. G-Man to dictate to us? He’snotfamily,” Sully insisted.

Malik surprisingly rolled his eyes. Unexpected for such a man of refinement. “While I gave you a say, this is not a democracy. What I say goes, but your… multiple objections are noted.”

“Well, note this. You don’t get any sex tonight.” With that, Sully sauntered off, and Malik rolled his eyes again.

Sid laughed and patted Malik’s back. “Hey, you helped create him.”

Malik sighed. “Much to my dismay, most of the time.”

“Aw, you love him.”

“I do. Lord knows why.”

The older man looked at me. “Welcome to the family… on a trial basis.”

I gave him a nod. “Thank you for this.”

He said nothing, looking at his family as they got ready to disperse. “Everyone, get rested and put aside all jobs. We have been… hired, so to speak, by Sid and Dalton. We are going to put a stop to these politicians, and we need to formulate a plan. This is going to be big.”

When everyone left, he clapped Sid on the shoulder. “And welcome home. Now I am off to calm Sully down.”

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