Page 30 of No Saint

My teeth grind together painfully. Ahead of me, Atlas speaks with his brother, Devon close by speaking with an officer. Beyond that the vessel bobs in the water, my containers opened and emptied. It should have been impossible to clear it all in a matter of hours.

My enemies were bold, but this? Someone on the inside would have given that information out, given them the coordinates and container numbers for them to strike so precisely.

I take the items and take them back to the car, sliding into the front seat and pulling out my laptop. The drive files open immediately, and I click on the video there, watching as my fucking property is attacked. The men on the vessel didn’t stand a chance against the small army that boarded. For five minutes the darkness is penetrated by the bright bursts of gunfire before it all falls dark once more. But if everyone was dead, who got the vessel to the Marina?

Closing down the laptop, I turn back to the scene. The bodies were being removed now and the boat emptied but for me, this was just the damn start.

It wasn’t the first time I’d had shipments attacked, it wouldn’t be the last but this was the biggest. I wasn’t overly concerned about the three million in losses, but with the how it happened and who.

And this was just the second thing to happen in a day. The massacre at the ceremony was still unsolved, the attackers either dead or escaped. They were smart but I was going to be smarter.

You don’t attack the Saints and live.

“You called for me,” Her voice is harsh, stern. She remains at the door, shoulders tense and deep shadows beneath her eyes from exhaustion.

I felt that same exhaustion in my bones. I hadn’t slept yet, I’d spent the night watching the vessel footage.

I note the guards standing behind her, the ones that had likely forced her to come here after I’d sent for her.

She wore a simple cotton dress, her dark hair pulled up and a cardigan on her shoulders.

“Where is Lincoln?”

Her nostrils flare with irritation, “Your mother took him.”

I suppress my grin. He was to stay here while she was gone anyway and now, I didn’t need to fight her on it. She had reason not to run now her son wasn’t with her.

I look to the two guards behind her, one of them was new, I hadn’t learned his name, I usually didn’t until they didn’t die after the first month, the second was a man named Colt, he’d been working for me for about three years.

“Colt, drive Amelia into the city, take her shopping.”

“Sir?”

“Make sure she gets enough to fill her closet and drawers. Along with more clothes for the boy.”

“I don’t want to go shopping.” Amelia snaps.

“Don’t come back until it’s done.”

“Yes sir,” Colt answers.

“And take the twins, the more of you the better.”

“Yes sir.”

“Gabriel!” Amelia growls.

“And Colt,” I pin the man with my stare, “Protect her. One scratch and I’ll have your head.”

He swallows and nods, “Come, Miss Doyle.”

“Mrs Saint,” I correct.

They all freeze.

“She is my wife, treat her as so.”

I dismiss them, listening to Amelia arguing with Colt. I see the twins join them before they usher her through the door.

---