Page 67 of Pretty Wicked Secrets

He grimaces. “Because McKenna is a greedy fuck who wants our territory.”

I picture the map in his office. “Don’t you want his too?”

Maddoc cuts his eyes over to me, then laughs. “Yeah, I do. But it’s not the same. He targeted us specifically a few years ago, deciding we were the gang to take out in order for him to gain some notoriety along with an expansion. We weren’t a threat to his organization at the time. At least, not one that he was smart enough to recognize. But he didn’t like what we were building here.”

He doesn’t elaborate, but I’m pretty sure I know what he means anyway. I’m not so naive that I don’t realize what the Reapers are. Whatever it is they do to support themselves is part of Halston's criminal underground. I’m not under any illusions about the gang being full of white knights.

But still, there’s no denying that Maddoc has built something solid. He’s got principles and he sticks to them, a gangster code of ethics that’s night and day from the sadistic, self-serving way Austin McKenna seems to run things.

So of course he’s threatened by the Reapers. I’ve known enough small-dicked, power hungry assholes like him to understand that they always feel the need to prove themselves by taking out anyone who does it better.

Someone like Maddoc, who actually inspires loyalty.

“It’s personal between you two, isn’t it?”

Maddoc stares at me hard, but finally nods. “McKenna made it that way. He got aggressive with our business in ways that were fucking stupid. He hurt both organizations, and now it’s escalating. And yeah, he wants more than our territory. He gets off on trying to get one over on me too. He’s made it his personal vendetta. That’s why Sienna—”

He grimaces, then downs the rest of his juice instead of finishing whatever he was about to say.

Well, too bad for him. I want to know.

“Sienna?” I press.

Dante walks in.

“What about her?” he asks, looking between the two of us. “Is she trying to stir shit up again, Madd?”

Maddoc just grunts.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Dante heads for the coffee pot, and he and Maddoc have one of those conversations with their eyes that I’m getting really fucking sick of not being a part of.

I set my glass down on the counter. Loudly.

They both look at me.

“Who’s Sienna?”

“A bitch who should die,” Dante says cheerfully, at the same time that Maddoc mutters grimly, “My ex.”

I’m hit with an irrational surge of jealousy, because of course I am. As if the last few days haven’t already been enough of an emotional rollercoaster. There’s no place for that shit though, not about some bitch ex of his, and not when it comes to the idea that he’s planning on marrying my sister. Not that I’m going to let that happen.. but not because I’m jealous.

A vague memory teases at the back of my mind, and I chase it because anything is better than going down that rabbit hole right now.

I drum my fingers on the counter. Then it comes to me.

“Wait, Sienna? Isn’t that the girl who was with Austin McKenna the night we found Chloe dancing at West Point’s club?”

They both nod.

“So you two were together, and now she’s withhim?” I press Maddoc.

“That’s right,” he says, his tone making it clear he’s done sharing.

Dante isn’t though.

“She cheated on him,” he volunteers, earning a black look from Maddoc that he apologizes for by handing him the first cup of coffee, but otherwise ignores. “But worse, she fucking sold him out,” he goes on. “It wasn’t enough that she went and hopped on McKenna’s dick. She also gave up everything she knew about how we operate.”

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