Page 54 of Sardonic Burn

He finally realizes that no matter what he tells me, he dies tonight. A part of the reason is that he dared to hurt the person Ivowed to kill. It was indirectly, but he might as well have pulled the trigger himself.

He closes his eyes, and I realize that I don’t even know his name.

“Noelle Campbell,” he muses. “I’ve heard a few things about you. Your beauty is truly one of a kind.”

“Cut the crap, grandpa and either speak while I’m asking nicely, or I will kill you.”

He’s next to the rifle, and I know he intends to use it on me. His back is turned to me, and I use the opportunity to fill my hands with weapons. A knife and a gun are both in my hands, prepared.

“It’s always done by a proxy. I receive a call and a date, they pay when they pick it up. The boss has a nickname—The Silencer. He’s been around for quite some time, but he only recently showed himself.”

The Silencer? Both cliche and unheard of.

“How long has he been using your services?”

“Four years, give or take a few months.”

He reaches for the rifle, thinking I’ll be caught off guard. By the time he’s turned around and pointing his weapon at me, my finger is already on the trigger.

“Not tonight, grandpa.” I grin. “Sleep tight.”

I’m the first one to shoot, and he falls to the ground. Since it’s been some time since I last used a gun, I thought my aim would be off. However, it’s perfect. His eyes are wide as the bullet pierces between them, killing him instantly.

He falls to the ground, and I’m next to him, pushing the rifle away. Now that he’s dead, there has to be some information about The Silencer around here.

“Did you hear all of that?”

“Of course,” Lucas pops in. “I’m trying to look for The Silencer.”

“Good.”

We don’t talk for the rest of my stay. We both focus on doing our things, and, before I know it, two hours have passed in a blur. There isn’t much on the man, but there is a hint that makes me grin widely.

“Hey, Noah.” There’s a hint of reluctance is in his voice. “You know how you told me to tail Hudson?”

“Yes?”

“Well, as we speak, Hudson, Henrick, Ray, and Niko are together.”

“Motherfuckers,” I cuss. “Send me the location, and I’ll bring them a gift.”

FIFTEEN

“This is quite the sight.”

My statement is easily ignored by Ray and Niko, and my father merely rolls his eyes. The three men are sitting around the table, playing poker. The amount of smoke from their cigarettes makes me gag, and I wonder how the fuck the smoke alarm hasn’t gone off by now.

We’re in one of our restaurants. It’s past work time and aside from the four of us, no one is inside. When I received the urgent call from my father, I thought it was a life-or-death situation.

I never would have imagined that my father would be playing poker with our enemies with a small grin on his face. They’re chatting away, though it’s mainly small talk.

“Either sit down or get out of my sight,” Ray says.

“Speak to my child like that again, and I’ll blow your brains out.”

“Is your child incapable of speaking for himself?”

An intense staring contest ensues.

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