I shove Eleanor behind me hard, hard enough for it to cause her pain that she conceals with a hiss of breath and squeezing her eyes closed. But it isn’t Tobias’ men that enter to finish what he couldn’t. It’s mine.
Micha charges forward, splattered with blood, some likely his own, most not. His eyes scan the three of us standing, and then they land on Ace.
I’d felt this pain before.
When Isobel went missing all those years ago, and I thought her dead, that felt like this too.
Ace was my brother in everything but blood.
And he was dead.
There would be no saving him, no turning back the time. He had sacrificed his life to save mine. The grief was heavy. It weighed more than anything else I’ve ever had to bear.
Micha sighs heavily and closes his eyes, dropping his head in sorrow.
When he looks back up the pain is there in his glistening eyes, but he swallows and nods, “It’s clear. Garrett got away.”
Eleanor’s friend, Tate, mutters a curse but doesn’t say anything more. I’d have questions for her later. Like how the fuck is she here and not buried somewhere or sold into one of the seedy skin markets.
Now was not the time.
“Tobias is dead,” I confirm, “No sign of Clayton or Derek.”
The Syndicate would still stand for now, but their days were borrowed.
“Have him–” I choke on my words and Eleanor grips my hand, “have him transported, I’ll begin the preparations for the funeral.”
Micha nods and rounds up a couple of guys to cover Ace and carry him out to one of the waiting SUVs. I walk Eleanor out, holding her weight as she limps with me. She’d taken a beaten and needed a doctor.
“I’m sorry, King,” she whispers when I help her into the back of a waiting SUV, opening the front door for Tate to climb up front. She does without a word and once she is shut in, I climb in the back with Eleanor, bringing her to me.
A week away with no contact was hard, though I had expected that. I was only able to keep away because I thought she was safe. She was out of the city.
But she’d been here this entire time, hidden but in arm’s reach.
I wouldn’t let her go again.
She cuddles into my side as one of my guys climbs in the driver’s seat and pulls away from the warehouse silently. We’re just leaving the industrial estate when the warehouse explodes.
Eleanor jumps next to me, swinging her head around to watch the huge black cloud rising from the destroyed building.
Gas leak, the papers will claim. A tragic accident.
The world will know who Tobias was, but that time would come. There were other things I had to do first.
The driver doesn’t take us back to the compound. Nor the penthouse, though that was still unlivable after the incident a week ago. He takes us to the hospital for Tate and Eleanor to get checked out.
Five hours later, a bag of painkillers and some stitches for her lip, we were heading back to the compound.
She’s drowsy, Tate is passed out and in the silence, with the sound of the tires on the road, I can’t help but picture Ace. The sound of the bullet hitting his skull.
My fingers curl where they rest against my thigh.
Killing Tobias wasn’t enough.
Sleepily, Eleanor reaches across and tucks her hand into mine, her grip weak but there, nonetheless.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers again.
I kiss her head and hold her hand, but say nothing as we turn the corner and head through the gates of the compound.
There are several black SUVs already parked in the driveway waiting for us.
Despite the mass of people here, everyone is silent. They watch as I walk in, heads bowed and only Micha steps forward, “He’s at the morgue, but the men wanted to pay their respects.”
I nod and head through to the office, grabbing three bottles of the bourbon Ace loved the most. Eleanor watches me, her friend, eyes heavy with sleep leaning on the wall. I’d have to deal with her a little later.
I head back out to the guys and stop, facing them all. Eleanor sidles up next to me, quiet as a mouse.
“This crew is a family,” I say to them, looking at each of their faces. I was no good at this, Ace was the people person of the two of us, the one who dealt with this shit for me. He probably knew everyone’s full name, what their sisters were called, where they went to college. I couldn’t give them the same, but I could give Ace the send-off he deserved, “Ace was family. A brother. He died for what he loved, this family, this crew and what we stand for.”
The men mumble their agreements.
“We are not good. We are not kind, but we are just. We are the law. One head has fallen today, let’s make sure the last two are done for Ace.”
I take a swig of the bourbon and hand it to the guy next to me, “For Ace!” I bellow.
They all bellow back.
For Ace.