But she gave me hope for something better.
I broke the kiss off and held her. I felt her breathe. I listened to her heart. I looked into her eyes.
“I’m going to go kill Silvano now.” I stood and walked to the office door.
“Wait, Alex.” She got to her feet.
I hesitated. She never used my name. “Call me Nervosa. Please.”
“If that’s what you want.” She looked at her feet. “You don’t need to do this.”
“I do, love. I really do.” I pulled open the door. More shame flooded me. Why couldn’t I let her call me Alex? That was my real name. My given name. Alexander, Alexander, little prince. Can you win today? My mother’s voice. She used that name, and I wanted to distance myself from that life.
But why be what I’m not?
Melanie followed me out. I barked orders at my men as I walked through the house. My lead guard gathered what soldiers I had stationed nearby. They’d be outfitted and ready in under ten minutes. I had them drilled and prepared. I paid them extremely well.
Palmira met me out front. “You’re mobilizing.”
“I told him not to,” Melanie said.
“It’s time we stopped this bullshit,” I said.
Palmira grinned. “Count me in then.”
“Go load up.”
She gave me a mock salute and stalked off. I watched her go, suppressing a smile. With her on our side, our chances of winning went up astronomically.
“Sir.” My gate guard jogged toward me. He was a young man named Jeremy with dark hair and a thick beard. “There’s, uh, someone to see you. He’s on foot and alone.”
“Not now,” I said, distracted. Melanie lingered nearby, glaring at me, while my soldiers gathered in the driveway below. Ten of them, then twenty, then thirty, each heavily armed and armored. I could call up more people from the surrounding area, but this would be enough. Silvano wouldn’t expect me to hit him this hard, not yet at least.
“But, sir, it’s Liam Quest.”
My attention snapped to Jeremy. “Quest? He’s here?”
“Sir, yes, he’s—”
“Do you have your weapon?”
The startled young man took his gun from the holster and held it out to me. I took it, made sure it was loaded, and chambered a round before stalking past him and down the driveway.
“Nervosa!” Melanie called, running after. “Alex, stop it. What are you doing?”
“He’s part of this,” I growled, too angry to correct the name. Alex, Alexander, Nervosa, I was all of that and more. “He can pay the price too.”
“Stop it.” She grabbed my arm but I shook her off.
Liam. Silvano. Bastards. Liars. They wanted to drag us all into a war we couldn’t win for their own worthless pride. I refused to sit back and let it happen.
Melanie shadowed me with Jeremy chasing after. Several of my men followed further back. I reached the gate and slowed, gun aimed down at the ground but clearly visible, my finger on the trigger.
Liam looked at the weapon then smiled. He wore jeans and a simple white t-shirt. His arms were covered in scars and tattoos, and he tilted his head to the side.
“Come to kill me?” he asked.
“Strongly considering it.” I raised the gun. “Where are the rest of them?”
“Of who?”
“Your people.”
“I’m alone.” He blinked, looking around. “At least, I’m pretty sure. Did anyone follow me?”
I glanced at the young gate guard. He shook his head.
“Why would you come here alone? After what Silvano did?”
Liam’s smile faltered. “Ah, shit. What did he do?”
“Don’t play fucking games,” I snarled, stepping forward. Liam didn’t move. I aimed the gun at his head. “Give me a reason not to kill you now.”
“Three days ago, Cedric Yardley came to Silvano and said his company would no longer produce Oparid. Said it was too dangerous and too addictive. Said he couldn’t be a part of the farce—”
I rammed my gun through the gate. It barely grazed Liam’s forehead. He frowned, but didn’t move. The man was eerily still, staring into my eyes.
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying. Silvano threw him in a chair and beat him bloody. Kept him locked in a room for a couple days to try to scare him into playing along. I saw the poor bastard.”
“He’s going to walk away? After taking Silvano’s money?”
“He looked freaked out. Terrified. Like he knew he’d gotten in too deep.”
“If all that’s true, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“I told Silvano I was done this morning. I didn’t like the plan from the start, but I was willing to play along if it meant a good result. But Silvano’s lost it, he’s unhinged. You should’ve seen him, raving and wild. I won’t be a part of that.”
I let it sink in. Liam quit. Cedric walked.
I lowered the gun. “That explains a lot.”
“Silvano’s spiraling. I think he’s out of control. I need your help to stop him.”
“I was just getting my men together to go have a chat with our mutual friend.”