Page 79 of Fortress of the King

ANGELO

I swirlthe remaining whisky in my tumbler before necking the rest down. The burn hitting the back of my throat feeling extremely similar to the way I felt when I left Rayne sleeping in her apartment. Everything about her makes me burn.

I have more on my mind than I know what to do with right at this moment, yet it doesn’t stop the ache to feel her, smell her, be inside her.

Unfortunately, duty calls and my mind is on the job. The days that follow only fill me with more angst than ever before, reminding me that this is the life I chose.

The raid is all over the news. I sit back and watch with my scotch in hand, contemplating the fickleness of life. One moment you can think you are on top of your game and that you’re in control of the world around you, the next your empire goes up in smoke, much like Rombaldi’s right now.

We saved him for ourselves, that was always the deal, and I’m reveling in the massive paycheck that has just landed in our account for this latest sting from certain politicians. Sure they’re dirty, but at least they’re not child molesters. I share the cut around; we all have our parts to play, and this is still a business after all.

The clubs I run don’t employ trafficked women or obviously children. The women who strip and work in the sex clubs are not there by force, nor are they high on drugs, and they’re paid well. I may not be a saint, but I do have principles. I still want to be able to look my mother in the eye and not feel like a total scumbag.

Aside from keeping my businesses flowing and bringing in more money, it also sends a message that I won’t tolerate anyone going against my rule in this city.

If they want to try, they better have one hell of an army.

If Petrov and his underground betting and gambling operation think they can better me and the Medici crime family, he’s sniffing up the wrong tree. I have a thirst for blood and a reputation for vengeance, and I won’t tolerate anyone trying to take or change what I’ve got.

His time will come, and soon.

Rocco and the soldiers brought the kingpin in themselves, taking down Rombaldi’s guards in a sniper-style situation, leaving just him standing. He had nowhere to go, and boy, it felt good finally getting him where we wanted him. I didn’t hit the final blow, but I witnessed it once we got back to the warehouse. He deserved everything he got; jail was too good for him. He could’ve bought off too many people, and then he’d be back out on the street again, ready to lead his filthy, rotten army of sewer rats. Pricks like him never stay down for long.

Senator Mendes is next, and I plan on playing with him just a little bit first to see what else he may be hiding. We have enough on his sex trafficking preferences to nail him for the rest of time, and I do want him exposed and shamed for what he’s done, but I also want more names. This is just the tip of the iceberg because there are always more of these scumbags lurking around in plain sight, pretending to be a family man with Christian values. What a fucking joke.

Rombaldi and Mendes had it coming, and I don’t mind spreading the message of what’s tolerated and what isn’t.

My phone pings as I tear myself away from the CNN afternoon bulletin, it’s Enzo, again. He’s been trying to reach me all afternoon. I know it can’t be anything to do with the raid because I’ve seen it all on TV, and it’s going down as one of the most biggest busts in history.

The truth is, I don’t feel like conversing with anyone tonight, not my brothers, my cousins, or Enzo; I want my girl.

While bringing her into this life is selfish and wrong, it won’t stop me. Nothing can stop me. I’ll protect her. I’ll kill for her.

I get up to pour myself another shot, ignoring my phone. I shouldn’t get shitfaced if I plan on paying her another visit tonight, we’re supposed to be laying low after all.

I know everyone is over at Fortress, yet I am here sitting alone.

I walk over to the large sliding glass doors, loosening my tie so it hangs around my neck. I smirk when I think about using my tie to keep Rayne trussed up to my bed so she can’t move. I’d maybe gag her too, then have my cock in her balls deep so she can’t cry out as I punish her over and over. That might teach her to get too drunk to fuck when I visit her late at night. I need to feel her taut body against mine, her soft lips, her touch…I need her so fucking bad.

I decide to have another look at the profile Gus sent over to my email.

Rayne June Michaelson.It has her date of birth, education, current address, social security, police check, and marital status. Everything important, including family, deceased and living.

I stare at the last line.

Siblings; Mia Jayne Michaelson, born February 2nd, 2002

I read it again.

I swish the drink and my brow furrows, if I remember correctly, her sister died in a car accident the same night as her parents. I look at it now, wondering if I just dreamt it up, though I rarely get these things wrong. Maybe it’s a stepsister or something.

I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before. I guess I was more interested in her marital status and getting that idiot ex-husband away from her.

Rayne doesn’t have a social media profile, I already checked, but this new piece of information has me beat. I grab my phone and type Mia’s name into the Instagram search, it brings up everyone with the same name, of course. I click on a few profiles before finding what I may be looking for. The beautiful young woman has dark shoulder-length hair, which is cut into a blunt, long bob, but she has the same green eyes and pretty skin. I stare at the profile.

New Yorker through and through, fashion mogul, lover of Starbucks, and six-inch heels.

It’s not that which grabs me though, it’s because I can see Rayne in her smile straight away. As I scroll down through some random photos, I see a picture of them together, a selfie; they’re outside Café La in New York. Rayne has her sunglasses pushed up on top of her head, her golden locks a little shorter than she wears them now, and they’re both laughing in the picture taken six months ago. Rayne’s eyes are lit up, she looks really happy. And she’s fucking gorgeous, the caption‘just hanging with my sis’below it with a love heart emoji.

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