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Yusuf’s bleeding lips peeled back from his teeth. He was not a handsome man even before Makai fucked up his face. His nose was too big. His mouth too small. His eyes too beady. Hold up a photo of a sewer rat next to him and you couldn’t tell the difference. And yes, that’s a completely objective observation. The fact that in the single day that we’ve started looking, we found seven people that packed up and secretly moved to Rockchapel like Grant, was not making me set-a-building-on-fire-to-watch-it-burn livid.
Yusuf was getting his ass kicked because I was angry with him. Not with myself for letting this go down under my own nose.
“Didn’t know I needed your permission to move, wifey. Want to know before I wipe my ass too?”
Makai punched him dead in the mouth. Yusuf spat out a tooth.
I shook my head, sighing. “Read the vibe, man. This isn’t the time to backpedal from groveling to disrespect.”
“I haven’t done anything!”
“You moved without letting wifey know,” I said. “Didn’t I make it clear the day I took over your counterfeiting operation? I own you, Yusuf. I am the deity you pray to. It is my mercy you seek. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about you and the Brotherhood?”
I latched on his face for the barest hint of recognition at the name.
“What?” he cried, screwing up that ugly-ass face. “What the hell are you talking about? Who’s that?”
I crouched before him, putting my face in his. “Think long and hard before you lie to me again, Yusuf. You still have a chance to receive my mercy. You can limp out of this alley, or die in it. Lie one more time and I choose for you.”
“I—”
My gaze chilled twenty degrees. “One. More. Time.”
Whatever he’d been about to say died on his tongue. Yusuf looked me right in the eyes, and laughed.
“Alright, Sunny, let’s start telling the truth. Your time is over,” he whispered, eyes brightening. “The Merchants have ruled for four decades, lording over us as kings.”
I smacked him upside the head. “Kings and queens, jackass. We’re an equal opportunity organization.”
Rigidly, he turned back to me, rage twisting his mangled features. “Oh, Sole Bellisario. The funny one. The handsome one. The unhinged psycho.”
“Sweet, but I’m taken. Let’s go back to my time being over. That sounded eerily similar to Snyder’s final words. Is that the Brotherhood official pledge?”
Yusuf laughed again, earning a backhand from Ryker. “Sunny didn’t say you’d limp out of here with your tongue. Tell us what you fucking know.”
“So much more than you,” Yusuf spat. “Look at you! One of the great, untouchable Bellisarios reduced to kneeling in a dirty alley, bargaining for information on an enemy. You want to know about the Brotherhood? They’ve already won.”
“Who is they?” I asked with a calmness I didn’t feel. “How did they recruit you? Where is their base?”
Grinning, Yusuf shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“You don’t want to get cute with me.” I slipped a knife from my holster, spinning the blade over my knuckles. That small act sent stabbing needles up my back. “I should be screwing my girl over the bathtub rim right now, but as you pointed out, I’m stuck in this filthy alley with you. Ask yourself how long I’ll let you test my patience.”
“I’m not being cute,” Yusuf replied evenly. “I really don’t know who is in the Brotherhood or where their base is. Whispers have been going around for years, talking about a gang that was strongest enough to do it—destroy the Merchants.
“I didn’t believe it at first, but then things started going wrong for you guys. Or did you think no one knew about your hijacked trucks and raided warehouses?” He smirked. “That’s when I knew the Brotherhood was the real deal. Those whispers said to come to Rockchapel. Make myself known and the brothers will find me. They’ll test my faith, and then I’ll be welcomed in.”
My lips curled. He claimed he wasn’t one of them, but the more he spoke, the more I sensed Snyder speaking through that fanatic mouth.
“That’s it? Just move here and they’ll find you?”
It seemed like I was speaking to him, though I didn’t need his answer. The Brotherhood must be watching the criminals under our control as closely as they’re watching us. If one that’s worth a damn makes a sudden move to Rockchapel, that’s a sign they’re ready for life free of Merchant control. All of this goes down without them actually having to recruit or reveal themselves too soon. The people they want come right to them.
This Liam clone is starting to piss me off.
“Thank you, Yusuf,” I said, getting to my feet. “You’ve been a big help.”
“You’re gonna die, Sunny.”
“Hardly a revelation. We’re all gonna do that.” I rolled my shoulders, cracking my neck from side to side. The pain was blinding—more reason I should be in a hot bath with my favorite girl.
