Page 54 of Mob Boss's Second Chance

Leo stops outside a door, and I frown when I hear shouting from within. He puts his hand out, expression tinged with hesitation.

“Boss, so…” he falters, shifting uneasily, “it’s not Anthony. It’s what he’s done.”

Fuck.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. I don’t need to see what’s inside to know it’s bad. The weight of whatever Anthony has unleashed presses against my chest, but there’s no turning back now.

I push past Leo and throw the door open.

I don’t think anything could’ve prepared me. I’ve seen violence. I once held a knife to a man’s throat and would’ve slit it. I’ve shot at men whose names I didn’t know and watched them drop dead.

Natalie saw me with a bloodied knuckle because I beat a man bloody.

But this—I swallow thickly, staring at the sight. I’ve never seen so muchblood come from one person.

The man is on the floor, and one side of his head is…gruesome.His clothes are bloody, and he seems to be begging for life, although nothing leaves his lips.

Then Anthony. He’s perched on a stool and has the man’s blood all over him—his shirt. Hands. Pants. There’s not a single spot untouched.

I stare at Anthony, my breath catching in my throat. “Anthony.” My voice is hoarse, thick with disbelief. “What did you do? What the fuck did you do?”

I reach out instinctively, but the sight before me makes my fingers curl into a fist.

Anthony snaps his head toward me, his eyes wide like he’s just waking from a trance. I know it’s not true because I could hear his voice before I walked in.

“He’s the mole,” he spits, pointing to the bloodied man on the ground. “The fucking rat. I found out—he’s the one who’s been selling us out to the pigs.”

My gaze shifts to Leo, searching for confirmation. “Is that true?”

Anthony scoffs before Leo can answer. “You don’t believe me?” He takes a step closer, his chest rising and falling with barely contained rage. I step back, my gut twisting.

“You’re asking someone else?” His sneer is sharp and bitter. “I knew it. I fucking knew you wouldn’t believe me. That’s why I handled it myself.”

“Anthony,” I take a deep breath to calm myself before I do something drastic. “How did you find out that he was the mole?”

I take a measured step forward, my voice dropping to a dangerous calm. “Anthony. Stand down.”

He doesn’t move. The blade glints under the dim lighting, his grip steady despite the clear haze in his eyes.

“You don’t give the orders here,” he snarls. “I do what needs to be done.”

“No,” I counter, steel lacing my tone. “You don’t. I do.” I glance at Leo and jerk my chin toward the man on the ground. “Get him out of here. Now.”

Leo hesitates for half a second, his eyes darting between us, but my word is final. He nods sharply, signals to the other men, and together, they drag the barely conscious traitor out of the room.

Anthony watches them go, his shoulders tense, the switchblade still clenched in his fist.

The moment the door shuts behind them, I turn to face him fully. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” My voice is low and controlled, but every syllable drips with fury.

“What I should’ve done in the first place,” he says, eyes glinting with wild danger. “Taking charge. It should’ve been me… holding everything. Keeping the Cross name on the minds of everyone!”

“How?” I ask.

He runs a bloody hand through his hair. “I don’t know. My father shouldn’t have died. He should’ve stuck around and handed the reins over to me. Or,” he glances at me, “maybe your dad had him killed. For you.”

“No,” I grit my teeth, stepping close with the full weight of my controlled anger behind me. I always knew that he resented me, but I thought he could respect authority. Hierarchy. I would’ve done the same thing if Anthony Cross was the head of Cross Industries.

I step even closer, my presence towering over him, suffocating the space between us.

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