CHAPTER ONE
Liam
Inhaling the intoxicating smoke of the cigarette in my hand like it was my lifeline, I fought the urge to jump to my feet and walk out of there, tired of the antics that were being pushed towards me. Standing by the open window, making sure that the smoke blew out, I watched the women fawning over baby and wedding ideas. Even though I was higher up in the family, I didn’t understand why I needed to be the one to babysit.
I could be out doing more fun things.
Like chopping off someone’s fingers or slitting their throat.
Evelyn is Graham’s wife and is eight months pregnant. I never thought a woman could get so huge, but she looked like she was carrying triplets in her protruding belly, practically glowing with happiness. I had to admit, she is a beautiful woman, and if she wasn’t so pushy, I think I would like her more. I knew she was the reason why Graham stepped away from the most important aspects of the Mafia life, and now, I have to do everything.
I’m like the acting leader, something I’ve never wanted to do.
My eyes turned to the new addition to the family, frowning slightly. Ava is Brigham’s fiancee, and they are planning on getting married in about a month. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her, knowing that she doesn’t like Brigham being a part of the Mafia life, but she doesn’t try to take him away because she knows it would never happen. Their relationship is just a little weird since Brigham had hit the fact that he was a part of the Mafia-like it was something bad.
I never can understand it.
“Liam, you need to find a date for the wedding!” Evelyn told me, breaking me out of my thoughts, “aren’t you afraid of being alone forever?”
I rolled my eyes, snuffing out the cigarette, “I think I’m okay. I don’t want to deal with women who won’t understand me.”
“How do you know that?” Ava asked curiously, looking at me with wide blue eyes, “when that special someone comes around, it’s not going to matter. They are going to love you for who you are, and I guarantee they won’t care what you do… even if you are a grumpy old man.”
“Excuse me?” I growled, glaring at her, “I’m only twenty-nine. I’m not even old.”
“You act old.” She disagreed, shrugging her shoulders as she turned her attention away from me, “I know you think that being alone is safe and you’ll be happy, but there will come a day that you’ll want that attention from someone. It’s basic human needs.”
“Is that why you stay with Brigham?” I asked her, knowing it was about to be a low blow, “even though he cuts people up, even innocent ones, and doesn’t give a damn?”
Ava flinched slightly, my words hitting her hard, but she met my gaze straight-on, “I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to be with him. I love him, and that’s not going to change no matter how hard you try to push me, Liam.”
She gave me no chance to respond as the door opened, and Brigham and Graham walked in, covered in blood. It was strange to see Graham looking that way, but that’s when I realized they were injured. I cursed in my head, knowing that I should have gone with them.
“Oh my god!” The girls rushed to their men, fretting over them, “what happened? Why are you covered in blood?”
“Ambush,” Brigham muttered, letting her wipe the blood off of him, “honestly, we’re lucky to walk away with the minor wounds we did.”
“I should have gone with you!” I snapped, never having seen them look like this before, “where are the bastards? Did you get them?”
Graham sighed, shaking his head, “we managed to kill one of them, but that was it. We have our tracker trying to figure out where these bastards went. They are not going to get away with this. They are dangerous.”
Graham was normally not afraid of anybody or anything, but to say something was dangerous, you would know instantly that he meant it. I decided then that I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. I ignored everyone who shouted after me, just needing to get out of here before I blew up. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do first, but it’s going to have to get done.
One way or another.