“You damn well better tell us this news,” Brogan hissed.
Snarling, he walked closer, the hard look he gave me one I remembered from the very beginning. He’d been the bully, hiding behind years of pain, but he’d never let on what his father had done to him. I’d learned that myself. His father was a high-ranking Capo in my father’s army. Only three men close to my father had earned the kind of perks our family had, and that included sending their kids to the university. His father’s nickname was a clear indication of how brutal the man was with his profession and with his family. The Undertaker.
The day I found out how abusive his father had been all of Brogan’s life was the day he’d earned my respect. He’d kept another secret from the world, one costing him years locked away just like Garrison. All because I’d used the blood oath in the pact to force them into protecting all of us, no matter the circumstances.
And by convincing Garrison and Brogan to work by my side after graduation, doing the dirty work I should have done myself, that had made me feel like a king. Such bullshit. Both men had garnered my respect for keeping their mouths shut, accepting punishment for following orders. However, I’d had no intention of Garrison dying in that hellhole of a prison. I’d never found out who’d issued the orders to end his life, but I would one day.
And right now, my gut told me Garrison’s murder had been ordered by Rocco in a fit of retaliation. If so, the fucker had just started a war.
My thoughts drifted to Garrison for a few seconds. Cringing inside, I almost threw the glass against the wall. Maybe the sound as it shattered would dull the agony. He’d been pushed into trying to find his place by his father, a man with no regard for the law even though his place as a long-term senator should have turned him into one of the white knights. Exactly the opposite had happened, leaving Garrison floundering to please his divisive piece of shit for human flesh who’d birthed him.
“I can be an asset,” Garrison had insisted. “I’m a blackbelt in karate and know how to shoot. I’ll be your enforcer.”
I could never forget the kid’s eager face, his cornflower blue eyes beaming at me as he offered his services. I’d laughed at him at first, until he’d proved his worthiness by providing a beat down to another one of the students, a kid from another mafia family who thought his shit didn’t stink. I’d been a fool to allow him into the fold. Even Brogan and Daniel had tried to convince him otherwise, but the kid hadn’t budged.
Then because of my arrogance, I’d been the reason Brogan had gone to prison in the first place. At least the rogue soldier in my employ who’d dared to accost a mark before bringing her to me had been disposed of, but the consequences had been too great.
Garrison had taken the fall for an assassination I’d been responsible for, stepping in and accepting blame before I’d had a chance to stop him. The fact my father had forbidden me to intervene had left me emotionless, turning even colder than the young man I’d been when I’d left the university.
Christ.
I was the true epitome of a monster.
“She’s fragile. She’s not a killer and you know that. Daniel is right about everything. Someone else is out there with their finger on the trigger. It’s only a matter of time before they succeed. Get your head out of your ass, Alexander. Your powerful family doesn’t mean shit at this point.” His response didn’t surprise me. He’d been the one to gravitate toward wanting Emily for more than just a good time over the other two of us. He hadn’t been as career or money driven. He needed love. Hell, I couldn’t blame him. He’d watched his mother being strangled by his father, for God’s sake.
The world was truly evil.
“She did this to herself, but she isn’t the only one involved. I’m certain of that now.” My usual clipped answer didn’t suit him any more than it did me. Her pain was raw, blistering beneath the surface, festering to the point her need for revenge had swept through her life, derailing the sweetness and light that sweltered around her like a golden halo.
As Brogan bristled, fisting his hand, Daniel managed to interrupt before things got ugly.
“Just stop the shit right now,” Daniel huffed.
“He has news,” Brogan shot out.
Daniel lifted an eyebrow. “What now?”
“Do you remember Rocco Luciano?” I asked, shifting my gaze from one to the other.
Daniel laughed first then narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to tell us he’s behind the assassination attempts?” he asked.
“Maybe, but we need to know for certain about Dahlia’s involvement.”
Brogan reared back, his expression explosive. “You think she’s involved with Rocco?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
“Bullshit, Alexander. This is getting out of hand.” Daniel moved away, shaking his head.
I glared at Brogan. “Yeah, it is. The longer we keep playing the game, the easier it’s going to be for Rocco to find out I’m not dead. Now, what did you find?”
“Remember, buddy, this is your game,” Daniel snarked as he pointed a finger in my direction. When I didn’t give him a retort, he laughed. “Four burner phones were purchased in Chicago at a convenience store one month prior to the first threat.” Daniel looked from one to the other, allowing us to absorb the information.
“Chicago. Interesting but not conclusive,” I murmured, rubbing the cool glass across my forehead. It was fucking humid outside, adding to the aggravation boiling deep within me. Would Rocco be that stupid to purchase phones in the city he ran? Yeah, he would if he thought he was just cleaning up the mess someone had started.
“Rocco Luciano is out of Chicago,” Brogan added, smirking when I looked at him. “I made it a point even inside prison to know who my enemies were.”
“That’s why you survived. What else did you find, Daniel? What about the fingerprints you were provided with?” I retorted.