Page 69 of Property of Mako
No one else spoke.
Because none of them had answers.
And deep down, I had the sickening feeling that when the truth finally came out, none of us were going to like it.
Chapter 33
The Trap Snaps
Mako
It was no secret, I never liked Niner.
Didn’t matter that he’d been around the club for years, kept the books clean, and always wore that fake-ass smile like he was everybody’s buddy. Something in his eyes never sat right with me. Shifty. Calculating. The kind of man who always made sure he had an exit.
And I’d been right.
We planted the bait earlier that week—false intel about Lily being moved to a “safe house” near the parish line. Only a handful of people inside the club could’ve known. Just enough to make the rat twitch.
Sure enough, Niner bit. He didn’t even try to be subtle, slipping out of the garage late, phone pressed tight to his ear.
We followed.
Now he was on his knees in the back bay of the garage, hands zip-tied behind him, blood running down from his split lip. We’d all taken a turn at him after stripping him of his cut. He was breathing hard, looking from member to member—everyone but me. Because he knew I was the one who’d end this. I always was. That was the job of the Enforcer.
“Tell me why, you piece of shit,” I growled, crouching down so we were eye-level. “What the fuck did Thane offer you?”
Niner spat blood on the floor, sneering as he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Mako. He’s bigger than all of you. He promised me a seat at the table when the old ways fall. Power. Money. Immortality.” His blackened eyes darted wildly behind the swelling. “You think you can stop him? He’s already won.”
I leaned in closer, my voice low and deadly calm. “And you thought betraying your brothers was worth that?”
His mouth trembled. He tried to puff up, but fear leaked through his bravado. “You’re all gonna be dust. I just made sure I was on the right side when the fire comes.”
I smiled, humorless. “Nah. You just made sure you’re gonna die screaming.”
The brothers tightened the circle around him. The sound of boots shifting on concrete echoed like a drumbeat. There was no trial here, no jury. Just Kings’ justice.
Boomslang’s face was carved from stone, but I caught the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. He hated traitors most of all. Crypt’s wolf was close to the surface, pacing, snarling low in his throat. Spook just looked ready to get his hands dirty.
I stood and cracked my knuckles. “You sold us out—damaged our reputation and our sources of revenue. You put Lyra in danger. You put Lily in danger.” My voice thundered through the garage. “For that… there is no forgiveness.”
When I mentioned Lyra and Lily, Dexter’s fists clenched, and a burst of red haloed him for a moment. Blinking, I filed that away for later.
Niner started to shake, the mask slipping. “Wait—wait, Mako, we can deal. I can still be useful?—”
“Yeah?” I asked as I grabbed him by the throat and hauled him to his feet. “You’re useful as an example.”
His eyes widened right before I slammed him back against the concrete wall hard enough to rattle the steel shelves. The crack of bones filled the room. He coughed, choking, but I didn’t let go. I let him see it in my eyes—that his time was done.
“Thane’s not the one you should’ve feared,” I whispered. “It was me. Did you forget you were a dhampir? You’re a bit more fragile than a vampire.”
Then I snapped his neck.
The body dropped like dead weight to the floor.
For a long moment, silence held the room. No one moved. No one spoke. The smell of blood and death hung heavy, thick as oil.
Finally, Clutch, our Chaplain, exhaled slowly, muttering a prayer under his breath. Crypt dragged the body toward the back, and Boomslang looked at me with that grim smile that meant he approved.
