My shoulders bunch. I debate his question, now that Desire knows she means something to me, she will hunt Tatum. The safest place for her is with me. “We’ll grab her on the way to the airport.” Their answering laughter grates on my nerves but I don’t comment. My mind is too occupied with the knowledge that I’ll finally get the war I have longed for. I am now more certain than ever that Desire and Nexus are linked. She targeted Tatum, there is only one person who would have put her on that path. “We need to destroy them. We do that and then that little rat they are hiding will come out.”

“You really think she is working with him?” Vat asks as he puts the cars in gear.

“Without a doubt. She went after Tate and there was no reason for that. I have a feeling Desire was meant to take Tatum today and return her to Nexus,” I answer.

“Why didn’t she?” Pope pushes from beside me in the back.

I sigh and scrub a hand down my face. “Because I showed her that Tatum Lawson means something to me,” I answer bitterly.

“You still owe us an explanation about what the fuck happened with you and our dad,” Omen clips out.

I nod. “I know. I’ll explain everything when we get home, I swear.” I just fucking hope they understand my reasoning for doing what I did. It's no secret that all the De Santis hated their father Pope, Omen, Vatican and Halo changed their last name to Toscano when we left, they wanted nothing tying them to their former life. Me getting framed for those murders and sent to prison wasn’t part of our plan, but now more than ever, I feel like that is somehow connected.

The drive back to the house is tense to say the least, we always knew it would come to this but I didn’t expect it so soon after being released from prison. I know we have the manpower and the guns as well as the skill to go against the De Santis family, but I also know how cunning they are. Desire may be a rotten cunt but she’s smart. She’s the type of person who would rather chew off her own fucking arm than admit she was ever wrong. The fact she was called out today by Tate doesn’t bode well for her, Desire doesn’t like being made a fool of and Tate did just that by throwing me in her face.

I don’t particularly like the idea of being used, especially since Tatum has made clear that she’s not a fan of whatever is happening between us.

Do I enjoy losing myself inside her?

Fuck yes.

Am I happy she is related to the cunt who killed my sister?

Hell the fuck no.

Do I like her?

That is a question I can’t answer because half the time I envision strangling her because her vulgar mouth irritates me. Then on the other hand, I enjoy her mind and how she thinks and views the world. I know she didn’t have an easy childhood and fought her way out of the system for a better life, but she doesn’t hate the world for the injustice she suffered like I do. I hate everything because some cunt stole the light of my life from me. Ellie was my everything, she is the reason I stopped being The Butcher. She hated what I did. She knew I killed for a living and still… she loved me regardless.

Pain shoots through me as the memory of holding my sister’s body in my arms as I screamed for her to come back. I’ve never shed a tear since that night. I don’t believe in God, if he was real why the fuck would he allow my angel on earth to be taken? Ellie was good. She had a heart of gold and loved everyone. She would have given you the shirt off her back.

“Head in the game, no mistakes or we won’t make it out alive,” Halo says, pulling me from my thoughts. I climb out of the car and stand there just staring at the four of them.

They are all I have.

My parents disowned me after Ellie died, they said it was my fault and deep down I don’t blame them or hate them for their decision because I blame myself.

“You all have a choice. I’m not asking you to fight alongside me?—”

Vatican cuts me off before I can finish. “Shut up, Alex. We made our choice when we left our siblings to follow you. They may share our blood but this right here,” he says as he waves his arm around the five of us, “this right here is our family and we will always have your back.” Unable to put into words the gratitude I feel for these fuckers, I just nod.

“Let’s go to war,” Omen grits out.

* * *

I’m going to put a fucking microchip in that little fucking minx!

At least then if she gets fucking lost they scan her and return to sender—me!

“I thought she was atHell Bent?” I snap at Halo, who is sitting in the back of the car with his laptop. The fucker snaps his head up and glares at me.

“She was! The drive from the house to here takes twenty fucking minutes. I’m tracking her now,” he bites back.

“Alex, he’s trying,” Pope says in his brother’s defense.

I cut a glance to him and growl. “We need to find her before your fucking sister does.” All four of them turn their heads to me. “What?”

Omen rolls his eyes. “She wouldn’t be on Desire’s radar if you had kept your dick in your pants.” I clench my fists and fight the urge not to punch him.