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“Just because Tommy is a raging lunatic doesn’t make this any less stressful,” I snap. I mean, he’s not totally wrong because that guy is an actual sociopath, and helovesit when people start shooting at him, but that doesn’t make me worry about them any less.
“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, dove,” Everett says softly, his eyes finally dragging away from the screens for a brief second.
I shake my head. “I’m fine. I just need to keep moving.”
He watches me closely for a moment and then nods once before turning his attention back to the screens. The idea of my involvement is growing on him, but he’s not there yet, despite the fact this mission was mostly my idea.
The Russos would be expecting a personal attack like the ones they’ve administered on us. They have extra security, just like we do, and that means they have pulled people off their locations to make up for the loss when they took Emerson, and Tommy, being Tommy, got a little trigger happy. They’ve been going after our business interests for months, maybe even longer, and we haven’t hit back, always chasing our tail with personal security. So I thought it would be best to go back to basics and hit them the same way they have been us.
It’s not a full proof plan by any means, but it’s going ahead so it must have some merit. The way my brothers stared at me as I delivered the plan was equally in horror and in awe. They want me as far from this as I can be, but I was right when I said I needed to know this side of the business if there’s even the slightest chance I’m going to have to run it one day.
Sound on the other end of the line draws my attention to the desk and I stop pacing for the first time since the call started. My breath stills as I listen to the sound of gunfire, so much that my body flinches as every bullet is fired. I only drag my gaze away from the phone for long enough to look at Everett and Storm, but they both look equally relaxed, as if our family aren’t currently being fired at.
The gunfire goes on for so long I worry I’m going to pass out because I keep forgetting to breathe. The sound fills the office, and the longer I stand here staring at the phone, the more I struggle to remain on my feet. My body begs me to crumple on the ground, to fall to my knees and pray for my brother and Tommy to be okay.
Considering he is a total lunatic, Tommy and I are quite close. He’s been like a brother to me since we were teenagers when he came to work for us. I’ve never asked about his background, but I’ve seen the scars littering his pale skin that I can hazard a guess at the life he lived before he came to us. Over the years he’s covered the scars with so many tattoos I don’t think he has an inch of free skin left, but I try not to think about it too much.
The moment the line goes quiet I squeeze my eyes shut as my breath stutters in my chest. It’s almost too quiet, and the thought that my brother isn’t going to walk through the front door, the thought of consoling his wife and attending his funeral like we did our parents, it’s enough to have nausea rolling over me.
For the first time since he sat down, Storm seems something other than relaxed, his jaw is tight as his eyes remain locked on the phone on the desk. Everett is in full work mode, his fingers flying across the keyboard in rapid motions with his brow furrowed.
I’m about to ask what the fuck is going on when a voice fills the line and my lungs can finally drag in a breath. “Motherfuckers,” Rayne roars.
“What’s going on?” Storm asks, standing from his seat to round the desk.
“It’s empty. The motherfuckers moved their shit,” Rayne growls and I sink to my knees on the plush carpet. This is my fault. We’ve no doubt lost men today, and it’s all because I thought we should hit them where it hurt, where the money was.
“How many men did we lose?” I ask from my place on the floor. I think about trying to stand, but my legs aren’t capable of holding me right now.
Silence greets me on the other end of the phone, and I’m back to holding my breath as I await a response. “Tommy is doing the count now, but we’ve lost at least three men,” Rayne tells me solemnly.
I close my eyes to hold back the tears. They’re dead because of me, because of my choices. None of them would have been in that building if it weren’t for me.
“And on their side?” Storm asks.
“At first glance about twenty, but we haven’t done the count.”
Everett blows out a breath and leans back in his chair. “That’s a big hit for them, especially after we took out so many of their men at the club.”
“Any idea what level the guys are?” Storm pipes up.
“That’s the thing, these guys seem to be hired help, they’re not their usual guys, so they must be keeping them close to the family.”
“It was a trap?” The words filling the room sound like mine, but I don’t remember saying, or even thinking, the words.
“It looks that way. They definitely knew we were coming. The team we took out are professionals,” Tommy tells us.
My belly clenches painfully and the need to vomit gurgles in the pit of my stomach.
“More proof we have a rat,” Storm muses. “Get home as soon as you can. We need to decide on our next move. Clean up should be there any minute.”
“You got it,” Rayne fires back.
“You need me too, boss?” Tommy asks.
“Just the two of you. We need to clean house and I don’t know who we can trust right now.”
“Got it.”
