AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Our men were stationed outside, making sure nobody got in or out. The house was set up like a fortress and was near impenetrable. But considering the might of Gladius, I wasn’t sure it was enough if they found out where we’d taken their leaders.
Gabriel sat down, bag of chips in his hand. “So I guess Ariel is staying?” Shoving a handful of chips in his mouth, he raised his brows at me. “I know you’re in love with her.”
Liam came up behind Gabriel, taking the bag he was holding away from me out of his hand. “We all know he’s in love with her. And I guess she’s already made up for the fact that she tried to kill Dad.”
Crunching on his chips, Liam sat down next to Gabriel, who snatched the bag back as soon as it was within reach.
“My feelings for her aren’t in question. I know I love her. But can I forgive her for trying to shoot Dad?”
Liam flipped through the channels, eventually stopping at a game. “What would you feel like if you never saw her again?”
Like a limb was missing. Like I couldn’t take a deep breath.Gripping my hair, I pulled. “Fuck.”
Liam leaned back, a self-satisfied smile on his face. “Well, there’s your answer.”
Gabriel loudly crunched on the chips he’d crammed into his mouth. “We know how this world works. We grew up in it. Dad was a job to her. And she didn’t kill him. Tried to make up for it. So if you want to be with her, be with her.”
I stared at my brother. “So you don’t mind?”
“Why would I? She’s a good person. Loves her brother. And we all understand what it’s like to be faced with impossible choices. So stop being a broody bastard and tell her how you feel. And then you can both stop staring at each other like lovesick fools when you think the other isn’t looking.”
Liam slapped my thigh. “It pains me to agree with Gabriel, but we’ve all seen how you two feel about each other. So stop moping and get the girl.”
“Just like that?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“Yup,” both my brothers said at the same time.
A crashing came from one of the back rooms, and Liam got up, grinning. “Let’s see who woke up first.”
The leader of Milites was the unfortunate one who’d not only woken up first but must have also struggled to get out of his bindings, knocking himself and his chair over in the process.
He was mumbling from behind his gag, his face red, the whites of his eyes showing.
Gabriel walked in first, a grin on his face. “Let’s get him up.”
Liam took one side, and Gabriel grabbed the other, righting the chair. I ripped the duct tape off his mouth, and he screamed when some of his mustache came off with it.Whoops.
“Do you know who I am?” Spittle went everywhere at his words. “You’re dead men walking.”
Gabriel pulled out his phone, scrolling through it. “So much anger for such a little man. You need to relax or you’ll give yourself a stroke.”
“You have no idea what you’ve done, you idiots.” More spittle flew everywhere. “You’ll pay for this.”
Gabriel held up his phone with a triumphant grin on his face. “There it is.” He tapped the screen, hitting Play on a video, then turned it around so the Milites leader could see it.
He blanched when the first sounds rang through the room, then looked like he was going to throw up a few seconds later. Turning his head, he heaved in a breath. “Turn it off.”
Liam dragged a chair over, sitting down in front of him. “Bernard Cullingham. Head of Milites. Part of Gladius. And lover of underage girls and drugs. We know who you are.” He steepled his fingers, looking like a cheap villain, and I had to suppress a grin. “Now the question is, do you know who we are?”
He glared at Liam, not answering.
My brother sat up, enjoying this a little too much. But he could have at it. As long as we got what we wanted in the end, he could pretend to be James Bond if he wanted to.
“I’ll help you out, since we have places to be. I’m Liam Olysses, and these are my brothers, Jude and Gabriel.”
Bernard’s face paled even further.
Liam leaned back in his chair, looking like he was having a conversation with a friend. “That video isn’t the only one we have. We also have a witness who’s willing to come forward. Now, we’re happy to sit on this evidence—indefinitely—if you step back and appoint a successor of our choosing.”
