Page 23 of His Ruthless Obsession

“I will.”

I fix my cousin with a hard look. “I mean it, Ava. If I find her inside my office, you’re going to be the first one I blame. I’m sure she’s up in her room already concocting some plan as we speak.”

“You give her too much credit.”

My body lifts away from the door. “Andyoudon’t give herenough.”

She scoffs at me, not bothering to respond. She lifts one of the beakers up from a metal stand, swirling its contents while squinting at it behind her glasses. The liquid changes from a clear color to a deep red with each sweep of her hand.

“What are you even making?”

“I’m strengthening the arsenic. I want it to work faster next time.”

I can’t help but smile in amusement. And Antonella thinksI’mruthless.

Moving away from my cousin’s lab, I head out the front door and pull my phone out of my pocket. If I am to be meeting the head of the Ambrosino family, I’m going to bring as many men as I can.

If this thing is going to break out into an all-out war, I’m going to be the only one ready for it.

* * *

I drive to the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city with my men in tow. They follow in their black escalades.

It’s a nondescript building that used to be a part of the old factory system that ran during the golden era in Chicago—bustling with workers and activity that ran throughout the city. Now, stripped down to its bare roots, the building serves as a meeting ground for mobs within the city to discuss terms and business deals.

It’s also remote enough that should any shootouts break out, they can’t be heard. We don’t need the police coming around to investigate.

I park my car right outside the main entrance and palm my pocket to make sure my revolver is still sitting in its holster at my hip. Despite Ava’s warning, I’m not going in there blind and unarmed. Even if this meeting were to go exactly the way I wanted it to, I don’t trust Marco for anything.

I pop my door open and lean out of my car, nodding back to my associates who stay in their escalades for the time being. Meetings like this are always conducted with a certain amount of protocol—even though I don’t give two shits for etiquette.

I’ll hold my tongue for now. I’m too curious to see how all this will unfold.

I slam my car door shut and head into the open entrance of the factory, smoothing my jacket out as I enter it. I always like to be the first one to the meeting location. Only because it gives me the upper hand in scoping out exits, hideaways, and chasing off any vagrants that might be lurking around.

The old factory is dingy but well-kept for all the business transactions that have been going on lately. It truly is something that amazes me about these kinds of places.

I wander into the main hall and see old spatters of blood and bullet trails that have been left over from deals gone wrong. It makes me smirk. Maybe I’ll add Marco’s blood to that mix. Freshen the place up a bit.

Marco has done me several favors since I came into power a few years ago. He’d been kind enough—or stupid, depending on how you want to look at it— to start dropping bodies around the city and pinning the murders on me. Thinking that it would somehow make me look sloppy and reckless during my first few months as a new boss.

But what he hadn’t accounted for was that it made me look unhinged and ruthless.

Unfortunately for him, each person he decided to cull had been one of higher profile types I couldn’t have taken out alone. Then the city buzzed with whispers about me. Frightened little whispers.

It almost made me want to send him a thank-you card.

“Killian O’Sullivan,” a voice says from behind me.

I turn on my heel, seeing Don Ambrosino trailing in with three people following after him. I run my eyes over the others. His son and two of his cousins from what I remember.

I smirk to myself again. What an interesting evening this is turning out to be...

Shoving my hands into my slacks, I wait until they stop a few feet away from me to say, “Long time no see.”

Marco’s face twitches a bit at my carefree tone. “I hear you have my daughter.”

“Cutting right to the chase, I see.”

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