Page 21 of Brutal King

Francesco Gianni and Sean Murphy were spared by the hand of fate, taken before I was able to strike.

But one by one, the others are beginning to fall, taken out by my lethal blade, starting with Giuseppe Tadesco, Don of Chicago and the man that sounded the alarm against my father. Bryan McKenzie of Boston followed soon after.

Only two remain.

Lifting my gaze from my hand to my father once again, I nod. I’m the Ferryman now. It is my curse to end the men that came together to bring Stephen Black down. Endthemand their legacy.

I will not rest until I’ve sent them all to Hell and made them pay.

An hour later, I get an alert that Scarlet, my lethal blade, has entered the premises. Several minutes pass before she appears at the doorway to my study. Without bothering to knock, she saunters in and plops down in the chair across from me. “Where the hell is all the staff? I didn’t grab dinner thinking Derek would be here.”

“Everyone but security is on a limited schedule.”

“The fuck does that mean?”

“It means, no one comes to the house unless I ask them too. That includes you.” I give her a pointed look.

“I’m not staff.”

“You also don’t live here anymore,” I remind her. “Why didn’t you just send me the files electronically?”

“Pfft.” She digs through a leather bag pack and pulls out a folder. Tossing it on the desk, she says, “This is how it was handed to me. No one wants—” She lets out a burst of laughter when she glances up at me. “Holy shit. What happened to you?” She points to my lip and I frown. “Did you fall down the stairs or get mauled by a wild animal?”

I automatically touch the spot that still stings from Sofia’s bite and smile. “It’s a love nip. A kiss that got a bit out of hand.”

“A nip?” Scarlet throws her head back and really laughs this time. “I hope that kiss was worth it. You might need stitches.”

“It was worth it,” I assure her.

“Hmm.” Her green gaze narrows on me. “Who was it? That Hannah Daigle girl doesn’t seem like a biter. Too uptight.”

“It’s none of your business. Now, give me what I need and you can be on your way.”

Her brow arched, she asks, “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Always.”

She sighs. “Don’t say that unless you mean it. One day, I’ll be gone and you’ll be sorry.”

“I’m sure you’re right. For now, I need privacy in my own house.” I open the folder and begin to flip through the report.

“I thought this was my home too.”

I peer at her over the documents. “You moved out, remember? In fact, you made a big deal about gaining your independence.”

“What? No.” She waves a hand dismissing the notion. “I was just proud.”

“You forbade me from going to that first shitty apartment you bought without calling first. Now, it’s time to return the favor. Next time, call.”

“I did. I said I was on the way.”

“You said the report—” I stop short as a line in the document catches my eye. “Clive Maxton is in the Bella Vista Assisted Living facility. That’s right outside of Philadelphia.” There’s a photo of the old man in a garden, two nurses flanking him as he takes a walk.

“Security’s tight,” Scarlet says. “His son isn’t taking chances.”

“I would expect as much from Arran.” I tap a finger against my chin as I scan the map of the large complex.

“What if he’s joined that alliance with the Sinacores.” She looks at me seriously. “If he has, it will make things more difficult.”

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