AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s crazy.”
Maybe she needed a lesson in hard truths, the reality of my life. “I told you that an intruder had entered my house through my window and that Nickolas was my friend staying the night. He was in my room, in my bed while I slept on a sleeping bag. It was the first time my father had allowed me to have someone besides family in my house. We were both stoked about the fact his parents allowed him anywhere near my house.”
“Because of who your father was?”
“Yes. We were just fucking kids, not even eight years old. We’d been inseparable for months. You know, kids being kids. That was one rare time my father didn’t chastise me for running through the house after begging him for weeks. I remember every detail like it happened yesterday.” Reliving it by telling her was surprisingly painful. “It was a warm summer day and against my father’s wishes, I opened the window. In the middle of the night, I had to go to the bathroom. When I came back, he was gone, no evidence of a struggle.”
“Oh, God. What happened?”
“I don’t think you want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
We were almost to the waiting vehicles. I stopped before we were in earshot of the three men. The last thing they needed was to hear a story that would make me look weak in their eyes. “Nick’s body was found a week later. He’d been tortured and no, I will not go into details. I might be a cruel man, but there is no sense in you enduring the same kind of nightmares I’ve had off and on for years.”
Jade pressed her hand over her mouth, her eyes opening wide. “It was supposed to be you.”
I nodded, taking several deep breaths. “His parents blamed mine. The cops were constantly in our house. My mother almost had a nervous breakdown. And my father placed so damn much security around the house it was like living in a fucking prison. I was eventually sent away to a protected school, which was little more than a military-style academy for boys.”
“That’s why you haven’t gotten close to anyone.”
“That’s why I no longer have a conscience, Jade. It’s a fact of my life.” There was such emotion in her eyes, words she wanted to say but she wasn’t prepared to provide comfort to the bastard who’d captured her. How the hell could I blame her? “I will do everything in my power to protect you, but you need to follow the rules.”
“You did something. Didn’t you?”
Laughing, I took her arm again, guiding her toward the open back passenger door. “I did what I had to do for the family business.”
“Who gave you the right to be God in choosing who lives and who dies?”
I pushed her in, ready to close the door. Then I leaned inside. “They never found the monster who slaughtered my friend, which is why when I learned the asshole who stole from me had been arrested for child molestation, something snapped inside of me.”
Jade blinked several times, her eyes glistening, but she remained silent.
What the hell could she say after the admittance?
After closing the door, I walked toward Tristen and Jeffrey, nodding to Zane. The kid knew his place on the totem pole. Zane was a low-level player that had already proven himself more than once.
“Take her to my house and keep her there. I’ll assign you a full-time guard after I’m finished with my meetings. If she gives you any trouble, lock her in one of the rooms. There is no doubt she’ll try and escape.”
“I’ll take care of her. The Brotherhood?” Tristen asked.
“After I meet with Drago and some of our men. It would seem Grasso wants his son involved with the alliance.”
He laughed. “I know how well that went over.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“Is that why Grasso moved into our territory?” Jeffrey asked.
“Partially, but he’s wanted to expand for years. It was only a matter of time.”
“You need to take the threats seriously, Constantine,” Tristen told me. “Plus, you know the cops are going to be breathing down your neck.”
They’d already come by my office for a friendly chat, or so my receptionist had told me. They were fishing. I knew Drago’s habits well enough to realize he’d left no evidence behind.
“They’re afraid of a turf war,” Jeffrey said in passing. “Word on the street is that they have more soldiers coming in from New Orleans.”
I nodded as I thought about his statement. “Find that information about Jade. I want it on my desk when I return.”
