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And enforcing it is something that needs to be done at any cost.
For a moment, an unwanted and unwelcome picture of the girl flashes through my mind.
Riley.
Naked.
Holding her chin up and her spine straight as I left her in the guest room Maddoc assigned her.
Sheneeds to learn respect. There was fear in her eyes, as there should be, but not enough. Not when there were other things there too. Things that threaten everything Maddoc’s built. Everything Dante and I have dedicated our lives to keeping in order.
I grit my teeth, then force my jaw to relax as I push the girl’s image out of my mind. She’s a threat, and I won’t rest until I find a way to help my brothers see that.
But ultimately, as I’ve already stated to them, she doesn’t matter.
Right now, dealing with Mario and his transgressions is what matters.
I lock the door on any further mental distractions and focus on carving him up a little more while Dante finishes explaining the error of his ways to him. Luckily, the man keeps from pissing himself. Another shower is already a given, but I’d be annoyed if I also had to burn these clothes due to that sort of contamination.
“We’ll see you at the end of the month,” Dante tells Mario with a warm smile as we finish.
I don’t bother with that sort of pleasantry. I do slice off the silk tie Mario’s wearing and use it to clean off my blades, however. The waste of space owes me for getting his bodily fluids all over my tools.
The blades will need better care once we’re home of course, but I’m certainly not returning them to their sheaths covered in… him. That’s disgusting.
And then, once Mario confirms our next appointment with a nervous jerk of his head, we leave.
Dante frowns as we exit the casino. “He’s the second one to try to fuck us over on a pre-existing agreement like this.”
The second one?
I mentally flip through our recent business transactions as we both slide into the Audi.
Dante’s right. Branson, a piece of garbage who owns some local used car dealerships, was the first. Mario the second. And two is two too many.
I press my lips together tightly, the smooth rumble of the Audi’s engine as it fires up not enough to soothe the cold fury building inside meall over again. Any peace that setting things right with Mario afforded me is gone now that Dante’s reminded me that he wasn’t the first.
True loyalty may be rare, but betrayal is always inexcusable.
Always.
Dante drums his fingers on his knee, looking thoughtful. “We need to look into both incidents a little deeper. And if we throw in that shooting bullshit the other day, that’s… what, three times the Reapers have been blatantly disrespected since April? Because that sounds like a fucking pattern to me.”
“Fuck,” I bite out, pulling out of the casino’s lot and heading toward the freeway.
I need speed.
I needsomething.
I need the kind of release I have no idea how to find, not when there’s a disruption like this.
One I should have noticed earlier. One that sounds like a pattern to me too. A pattern that needs to be dealt with.
“Three times can’t be coincidence,” Dante murmurs, echoing my thoughts as he looks out the window.
His fingers keep tapping out a rapid beat, telling me without words that he’s just as disturbed as I am. Because he’s right. There are no coincidences. It’s what they fail to see when it comes to Riley, and it always means something’s up.
Something that’s not good for the Reapers.
