Page 10 of No Mercy
“Flynn. Carter. Ant.” My voice carries across the space as I speak as their leader.
We stopped calling Ant, Antonio when he turned 15, he claimed it was an old man’s name, and to be honest. It kind of was.
I take my seat at the head of the table, the one that once belonged to our father. The last time we were all here, it wasn’t for a meeting. It was after everything fell apart in Chicago. That night ended in bloodshed and chaos, the taste of betrayal still fresh in our mouths. We swore to leave that life behind. To rebuild.
I grip the edge of the table, steadying myself. “First off, Gunnar. What have we told him?”
“He’s at the new semester football game. He’ll be gone for hours.” Flynn replies bluntly. Typical Flynn like always, straight to the point. No bullshit.
This is my first official meeting as head of the family since we started over. My father’s words echo in my mind,It’s showtime, son. You have to be the leader they need. Not the leader they want.
I look at each of them before landing my eyes on Carter.
“The meeting is now in session,” I announce. “Carter, present your reason immediately.” Carter shifts in his seat, his nervous energy obvious as his legs bounce against the table. His gaze flicks between us, never settling for long.
“Well… After I left your office earlier, I went to Ant for help tracking down Eva,” he begins, his voice tight. I nod for him to continue.
“We ran her plates, but nothing came up in the DMV. It was strange, so we dug deeper. Ant pulled her image from the gym’s security cameras and ran facial recognition.” He pauses, hishands clenching into fists on the table. His knuckles turn white as he takes a shaky breath.
“She’s a private investigator, Axel. A fucking PI.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and suffocating.
A PI?
My mind spins. We’ve spent our entire lives being cautious, always a step ahead of anyone who might be watching. How could we have missed this? “Are you sure?” I glance at Ant, who gives a slow nod, confirming everything Carter just revealed is true.
My chair scrapes against the floor as I shove it back to stand, the noise loud in the now silent room. I start pacing, my thoughts spiralling. They’re all looking to me for answers, but the truth is, I don’t have them. Not yet. Flynn’s voice cuts through the chaos in my mind, stopping me in my tracks. “What do we do, Axel?” He asks, his voice tense.
I stare at him, words failing me, until I remember the white piece of paper I found earlier tonight where Eva’s car had been parked. My hand reaches into my pocket, hoping it’s still a piece of trash.
It’s a fucking photograph of Carter.
Rage surges through me at the thought of her walking into the gym, playing the innocent stranger while she’s been tracking us the whole time… It’s enough to make my blood burn. I slam the photo onto the table, the sound echoing in the room. My brothers flinch, their eyes snapping to me. I grip the table’s edge, my knuckles aching as I lean forward.
“Tell me everything you know,” I demand, my voice low and dangerous.
Carter swallows hard, his gaze darting to the photo before meeting mine. “We don’t know why she’s here yet, but it’s not a coincidence. Someone sent her.”
I nod slowly, my mind already spinning with possibilities. Whoever sent her made a mistake. She’s stepped into our world now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this.
Nobody fucks with my family and gets away with it.
We spend the next few hours combing through everything Carter and Ant uncovered. Ant, our silent genius, has been our go-to for anything tech-related ever since he discovered his knack for hacking into government databases as a teenager. He might not speak, but his ability to find information speaks every word.
On the monitor, I watch the security footage of Eva returning to her car after leaving the gym. My chest tightens as I see it. A small white object flutters to the ground as she opens her door.
The object I found. The photograph of Carter.
I’d hoped. Prayed that it had been left after she’d driven away, but this footage kills that hope instantly. My jaw clenches as the implications set in.
“Do we know who she works for yet?” I ask, breaking the heavy silence.
“No, not yet,” Flynn responds.
A frustrated groan escapes me. We’re back to square one.
“But,” Flynn adds, his lips curling into a small smile, “we do have her address.” My eyes snap to the screen as they bring up a map with her location pinned.
