Page 69 of Destroyer

“I did bite off dick of man who try to kill me.”

“Someone tried to kill you?” The guy starts laughing. “We're on a boat. Just us two, doc, and Knox's piece of arse.”

“You need to look for man with no cock.”

They both just frown at me. It is a bit odd, not many people go for biting off a dick when they're being murdered, but when the method is death by dick.

“What is he doing out of bed?” Michael questions suddenly from behind me. I spin around on my butt and scoot towards the two bodyguards.

“We just found him like this, covered in blood. Says he bit someone's dick off.”

“Well, he's clearly concussed. It's far more likely that he hit his face getting out of bed.”

“Are you sure?” The other guard frowns.

“I'll get him back. You look for a guy with no dick.”

Michael advances on me, his hand grips around my arm. He may have cleaned up and hidden his injury behind dark trousers, but one badly aimed punch to his balls has him doubling over, blood staining my knuckles.

Michael shrugs and pulls his gun, unloading a bullet into each of the men.

Damn it. Now there are only two people on this boat who can stand up, and I'm not one of them. Oh, and the man who wants to kill me has a gun.

“Come on then you.” Michael pulls me to me feet, but staying up is a different matter.

“The boat be moving.” I justify my inability to walk, which I'm sure is more concussion related than boat. “Why you want me dead?”

“It's nothing personal. I just want to see that moment the life leaves your body.”

“It is a magical moment,” I agree with him. “But why me?”

“I watched you sleeping, and I figured why not. No one would miss you.”

“My grandfather, Andrei Balen, would miss me now he gives job of mafia overlord.”

“Mafia overlord?”

“Not did he give it a title. Just be in charge.” I give a shrug, knowing I am doing the worst job in the world of saving my own life. “Edward would miss me, now he is the guy who running all in my name. Knox, he too would miss me as the Fayer cartel now come under Balen. Porter would miss me as I am best brother he has. Carter Turnbridge would miss me as he is father, but also under the Balen overlord. Next time I see, I will ask for good title, yes? Gregory misses also as he is good big brother.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Michael snaps. “None of these people want you.”

“You are mistaken. Not is it these people don't want me, always it is that I don't want them.”

“Shit.” Michael pulls out his phone and tries calling Edward. There's a chance the man is still alive after the Russians got him; it was Knox's choice. I am pretty confident that everything went ahead after Caeo used the gun I gave him.

“Not will he answer. He and Grandfather having the meeting. Uncle Christian and Father having also meeting. All is arranged without me.”

“Proving how unimportant you are.”

“Yep,” I agree. Pushed off out of the way as I predicted. “But all this they are doing in my name. A name I need to keep breathing.”

“Well now.” Michael paces in his worry, making me very giddy as I stumble up and down with him. “This is a bit of a situation.”

“Not is it that.” I moan. My arm pulls free, and I sit against the wall. “You are sorry, I am sure. Now to me and Edward you can be loyal. And you ask to help with me when interrogating, I say yes. The moment life leaves them is not a panic of failure, but a moment of peace when you grant the end of pain they want so badly. It is a moment they thank you for.”

I know all my chess pieces. Michael thinks he is far more important than he is. Corrupt doctors are easy to find, but I like the idea Porter has been rambling about, with a medic running the top floor of his club. Of course, all my pieces have just changed, many of the top players have been taken off the board and a period of adjustment will begin. The fact the four new leaders all know each other's secret should help Foster good bonds between them. But there is one piece that I have removed from the board in all of this which means everything. Me. I am no longer the son, grandson, ward and torturer for the four rulers. I am now just Caeo's.

“Could you really do that?”

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