Page 5 of Vito

A brow that has a scar running through it to the top of his eye. A scar that I gave him when we were both young, volatile, and stupid, and after which our fathers made us work closely together to learn to appreciate each other and respect the intention of the Chamber.

"3:02." I unlock my phone and sliding it across the table, but none of them take it. "I also brought Aiken's phone and gave it to Molly so you can check it as well."

"So, sometime between closing at two o'clock and 3:02, the security system was taken out, including the CCTVs in the area, and Aiken was killed," Lixin summarizes.

"The place was locked up when Raf and I got there," I add. "The back door had slight signs of forced entry, but there's nothing to confirm that they came in that way. Even if they did, that doesn't explain how they locked the place up when they left."

Lixin's jaw tightens as he looks at me. Probably pissed that I pointed out the pieces he missed.

Amazu drums his fingers lightly on the table. "It's ballsy to hit Aiken at Gilly's."

If Aiken had been killed outside of Gilly's, the Chamber would investigate, but it easily could be chalked up to wrong-place-wrong-time. However, hitting Aiken at Gilly's will most certainly solidify the Chamber's deep involvement in the investigation and their wrath. So, to take that risk, whoever did this seems to be sending a message along with the middle finger to the Chamber.

"Who's Ed?" my father asks.

I shrug. "There's no staff by that name that I know of. I've never heard Aiken ever mention him before."

Ash leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, and looks between his counterparts. "How does succession work for Gilly's?"

Ash has been Prez of his MC for several years, but there hasn't been a change in the succession of Gilly's for fifteen years.

"The process has always been that the current owner-operator's sealed will has the name and instructions," my fatherexplains. "A lawyer will bring it to be read at Gilly's after Aiken's funeral service."

"No one knows who the successor is ahead of time?" Dom asks.

My father shakes his head. "Not the lawyer; not even Gus has any idea. The intent is that it's secret and guarded so there can be no influencing."

Such as finding out who the next successor is and making secret alliances and deals.

"Aiken has previously given us each a key but hadn't explained what it was for," my father continues. "As the Chamber's convenor, he told me that the keys are to be used when we all attend the successor reveal with our executive."

For my family, the executive meant my father, Massimo as his second-in-command, my uncle, ZioMarco who is my father's advisor or consigliere, and myself, as the head of security.

"In true Aiken fashion and his meticulous planning, his will is sealed inside something that our keys will open. The lawyer will bring whatever that is for the successor reveal."

"Could this Ed be the one who killed Aiken?" Amazu asks. "To speed up the succession?"

I frown, considering but discard it. "They would've hit Aiken outside of Gilly's. Probably easiest to cause an accident."

"That's what you would do,amigo?" Dom smirks.

"Yes."

Ash cocks his head, a slight smile on his face.

Amazu regards me again with steely eyes. "You're not much of a jokester."

Only my loved ones see that side of me. "In our world, there's rarely much to joke about. And I have shit to do, so I always cut to the point."

Amazu grunts. "Where were you when Aiken called?"

I want to ram my hand over my close-cropped hair as annoyance and fatigue press in like a toxic fog rolling in over the Bay.

"Raf and I were at Vixen's." Vixen's is the premier upscale strip club, which the Havoc Guardians own. "Before that, I was playing in my playroom."

Meaning I had an enemy who was no longer breathing.

"Anyone we know?" Dom asks.

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