Page 15 of Brutal Collateral

Shane gives me a quick study of all of Keller’s holdings. He scrolls through pages upon pages of businesses, properties, and investments. “Fuck, it’s vast, Griff.”

“It’s a kingdom without a king at the moment,” I mutter.

“No, it’s an empire,” Shane says with a savage grin.

“If we do this, we’ll need Trace and Rhys,” I whisper to Shane. That’s a phone call I’ll make to our Waterford cousins later.

The room stays silent, a pin drop could rattle the windows. I glance from Ewan to Connor, to Shane, each with a small nod of acceptance.

I take one final look around this house I’ve lived in since we moved to Astoria from Waterford, Ireland when we were kids.

With the next words, I change my life...

“You have a deal, Zervas. I will find Brandon and kill him.” I reach for his hand. “And take your sister to wife to keep peace between the families.”

Ares shakes my hand, smugly. “Good man.”

Then I yank him close, pulling his ear to my lips. My brothers don’t need to hear this. “Beware, Zervas. You don’t know who you’re dealing with. You’ve boxed me in, but I won’t stay caged. Once I take control, I won’t be your damn puppet. Far from it. I’ll be the one fucking your sister. She’ll bemine.”

The fact that she’s probably already dead works in my favor. I have no desire to marry a woman I don’t know anything about. I have no desire to marry at all.

With her out of the equation, I’ll own an empire without an albatross hanging around my neck. A tickle of excitement rushes through me.

“I’ll be in touch to schedule a meeting with the Keller bosses, who I won’t lie, aren’t all on board,” Kai says.

“You will need to make them accept the deal and keep the peace, or...” Ares mutters, not exactly shaken, but surprised that his new ally is also a worthy opponent.

“Or we have to kill them,” I say, already feeling the weight of a leader who makes life-and-death decisions. “It will be a complete and utter takeover.”

“My brother Atlas is available and is eager to spill more Keller blood for what they did to Alexander. This cannot drag on much longer.”

A house as big as Keller with brats I’m all too familiar with is a powder keg waiting to explode.

“I understand.” I bow my head to Ares, and just when he turns to leave, I say, “One more thing, Zervas.”

He stills, his shoulders tense as he turns around. “And what is that, Quinlan?”

“As of this moment, it’s no longer the Keller or Sullivan family.” I shoot a glance around the room at my brothers’ stoic expressions, then turn back to Ares Zervas. “It will be known now as Quinlan Empire.”

---