Page 44 of Midnight Salvation

“Nope. Dad tends to keep his legitimate and illegitimate heirs separate,” I replied. “Check his phone for any information. I think Dad got the message.”

I set the gun back on the counter before gripping it. I mentally counted down from ten in my head to avoid the darkness consuming me. Even though I agreed to his fucking wedding, Dad had still sent someone after Lucrezia. Only my own security was in place, or else she would be dead right now.

My phone rang in my back pocket and I answered it without even looking at who was calling. “Yeah?”

“What the hell happened?” Lucas demanded. “Where is the fucker who dared to do this?”

“Calm down,” I snapped. “The threat is neutralised. I need you to let it be known that you dealt with the suspect personally.”

This was an intricate game where I couldn’t play my hand too soon.

“What happened?” He sounded weary.

“Dad sent one of his goons. My security tail stopped him and brought him back for interrogation. I made him phone his boss, who is our mutual sire, before I blew his brains out to send a clear message.”

Lucas sighed. “You’re a fucking psycho, but at least Lucrezia’s safety is your main concern. I’ll personally phone Matteus later and tell him that next time he sends one of his children after my daughter, I’ll do more than shoot him in the head.”

“Thanks,” I said. At least all the stories would tally together.

“Stay safe.”

“You, too.” I hung up and turned to stare at the body. Jordan was taking prints and DNA samples for his elaborate database. “Do you think I was too harsh?”

“Nope,” Xavier replied. “I’ve decimated anyone who hurt Cassandra. You were merciful and sent Matteus a powerful message at the same time.”

Karl moved into the room, avoiding the increasing pool of blood on the floor. “We brought his car in as well. It’s in the warehouse so no one can track it.”

Xavier and I followed him out. A silver Range Rover sat in the middle of the warehouse.

“The keys were in his pocket,” Karl said.

I paced around it for a moment, then went and retrieved a pair of gloves from one of the shelves. Inside was some documentation with addresses on it. I handed them to Xavier and continued to poke around. The boot had a hidden compartment with weapons in it. There were bottles in the rear footwells that looked like he’d been peeing in them while on stakeout. Under the driver’s seat there was his wallet and a laptop.

Anything of interest was set on the desk at the side of the warehouse.

“I want his properties searched and anything of interest noted,” I ordered. Dad would be pissed and seeking revenge. We needed information, and fast.

Karl nodded once. “Done.” He marched off and started ordering his men into action.

“Will it ever end?” Xavier asked.

“Probably not. I need to see Lucrezia, but I also need to show my face so Dad doesn’t suspect anything.”

We’d finished working on some of Dad’s folders. One of them revealed quite a few siblings I knew nothing about. Dad seemed to have taken an interest and raised them in a second family home, creating a weird other family that he traumatised until they became soldiers. I didn’t want to ask what happened to their mothers. Dad didn’t like to pay child support and I was beginning to see an even darker side to the man I already suspected was the devil.

“Take Nicole out and be seen with her,” Xavier suggested. “It will fuck with Matteus’ head that you’re not sitting at Lucrezia’s bedside. Then, just to really mess with the situation, I feel we need to leave him a message that will send him searching for ghosts.”

“Marlow?” I asked.

A feral grin crossed Xavier’s face. “Marlow,” he confirmed. “It’s time we took the fight to the Council and using their hired assassin might just be enough to spook the weaker ones.”

Xavier and Jordan disappeared to set a trap and I texted Nicole. It was time for the world to see my shiny new fiancée. If Dad wanted a war, then I would happily give him one, and I guaranteed at the end of it, one of us would be dead.

***

Chapter Fourteen

Lucrezia

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