Page 263 of Ruins
The taste of rage is venom in my mouth. I nearly crushed the report in Luca’s hands when I snatched it from him.
Jude Olsen dies tonight.
Miroslav has a meeting with the Armenians at the dock the day after tomorrow, and we’ll be there. Wesley figured out that a code word‘Kingdom’will be used that night. The second that word is sent, we rush them.
We take them all down.
Maksim is setting up his snipers. I’ve called our Capo in Chicago—he’s coming up with a small army. Everything is handled.
No one comes for my family and gets away with it.
After finalizing our plans, I had Romeo and Luca bring me Jude. They strapped him to the bolted chair in the basement, in the space, my brother likes to call the“Guy’s Night”room.
Scythe hasn’t killed in that room for a long time.
But I want the man who dared to touch my wife dead—on my turf, bymyhands.
Luca cauterized the gunshot wound Romeo gave Jude at La Serenata. I stride in, shutting the door and flooding the room with fluorescent light.
Luca stands by the instrument table, a variety of my tools laid out in front of him. Romeo stands beside Jude, whose mouth is taped shut, his eyes narrowed on me as I enter.
I rip the tape from his lips. He spits, glares.
“Let me fucking go!” he shouts.
I chuckle darkly and punch him in the mouth. His teeth slam against my knuckles, pain shooting up my hand—but the sight of his split lip makes it worth it.
“Unbind him,” I command.
Luca and Romeo exchange a look.
“Santo—” Luca starts, but I cut him off with a glance.
They do as they’re told. Jude’s eyes flick to me, relieved for half a second.
I grab the seven-inch buck knife from the table. Jude watches me carefully as he stands, his gaze darting toward the door behind me.
I shake my head, a cruel smile curling my lips. “That door won’t open from the inside. Not without this.” I extend my thumb toward the scanner.
His eyes flicker. “Here,” I say, flipping the knife in my grip before holding it out to him. “Take it.”
Confusion flickers across his face. “What?”
“We’re gonna spar.” I cock my head. “To make itfair, you get the knife.”
Jude shakes his head. “Just let me go. I won’t say anything.”
I laugh. “You think I’m afraid of youtalking?”
I take a step closer.
“You touched my wife. Spilled her blood. Tried tokillher.” My jaw clenches. My fist itches to end this now, to skip the fight altogether.
“You hurt someone smaller than you. Defenseless.Mine.”
I thrust the knife into his hands.
“Fight.”
