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“You can’t just leave me here.”
We didn’t respond, and I took great pleasure in shutting the door on him.
As one, we turned to the last room. Liam’s hand on my arm stopped me from opening the door. “You going to be able to do this?”
I ground my teeth, knowing they were right to ask. Didn’t mean I had to like it. “I’m fine. Now, are we fucking doing this or not?”
My brothers nodded at me, and I pushed the door open. The arrogant bastard was already awake, smirking at us from behind his gag as we entered. I’d make sure to rip the duct tape off nice and slow.
I didn’t bother sitting down or circling. Instead, I took the direct approach, standing before him with my hands crossed in front of me. “Someone’s been a bad boy. Hiding things from a group like Gladius wasn’t a good idea. And not burying them deep enough was stupidity.”
He mumbled behind his gag, and I leaned forward. “Lucky for you, we’re willing to negotiate.”
Then I ripped the duct tape off, his hateful glare intensifying. “How dare you tie me up. I’m the mayor of Chicago, not one of your filthy criminals.”
“We know what you’re up to right under everyone’s nose. And if you don’t want us to share, then you better listen up.”
He struggled in his bindings, the fury pouring off him in waves. “You have nothing, you little shits. I’ve been doing this for a long time. Longer than you’ve been alive. I won’t let some wannabes destroy my life’s work.”
“I guess you’re choosing to do this the hard way, then. I took some lovely pictures of documents you stored in your dungeon. And I have it on good authority that Gladius doesn’t know what you’re up to down there.”
Some of the things we’d discovered would give me nightmares for years. Carnifax was one sick bastard. And we had the power to stop him.
He lifted his chin, looking very much like the mayor he was. “Nobody is going to believe you.”
“Good thing we have plenty of evidence.” It was my turn to obnoxiously wave my phone in his face. “You want to refresh your memory on the unsanctioned contracts you took on? Or I can show you photos of the rooms you have down there. Spoiler alert: none of them are going to make you look good.”
He visibly swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead. He had a lot to lose.
“I’m happy to share them with the world. If the public doesn’t crucify you, Gladius surely will. I heard they don’t like liars or disloyalty.” I tapped my lip with the phone. “Funny that three out of its four leaders are exactly that.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Now that’s more like it.” Grinning, I tapped his nose. “You’re going to step down and appoint someone else.”
He looked like he was about to implode from all the pent-up rage. I took a photo of him with a wink, ignoring the way the vein in his forehead throbbed. Lowering my phone, grin still firmly in place, I couldn’t help but get the answer to a question that had been bugging me for a while. “Just one last question before we go: What the fuck is with all the snakes?”
He sniffed at me, head held high as if he were in a classroom, educating his students. “They’re a symbol of power. The measure of good and evil. They represent immortality. Strength. Healing. It’s Gladius’s symbol.”
“Huh. Well, we better be off.”
His mouth gaped open as we all filed out of the room, firmly closing the door behind us.
Gabriel turned the television up, Liam closed all the blinds, and I made sure all the doors but the one leading to the garage were locked.
“The guys are five minutes out.” Liam waved me off, almost yelling to be heard over the noise of the television. “Go home. We’ve got this.”
I knew they did. But it still felt like I was letting them down if I left now. “No way. I’ll stay.”
Gabriel shook his head. “No you’re not. We’re capable of sorting this out without you.”
He pushed me out the back door, shutting and locking it behind me.
Standing in front of the metal reinforced door, I stared at it. I warred with myself. I wanted nothing more than to go to Ariel and tell her that she’d finally be safe.
My brothers and I had always been a team. Nothing was more important to me than family. But Ariel was a part of my family now. And I’d been itching to go to her since we’d arrived at the house.
Decision made, I opened the garage door and walked to one of the motorcycles lined up next to the van. They provided a quick getaway vehicle when needed, and we could easily split up, making sure at least one of us made it out.
