Who did his information come from? Most importantly, what the hell is he not telling us? I know I told Donovan I would wait to confront our dad—but the more unanswered questions continue to stack on top of each other, the more pissed off I become.
“Isn’t it a huge shipment?” I ask him.
Donovan nods his head, then runs his hand down his face before blowing out his cheeks in frustration.
“Big enough that it’s imperative for one of us to be there to handle it. It’s going to fuck us, letting them take our shit, but instead of handling the pig, Dad asked us to stay out of it and ordered us not to touch him.”
My brother is right. This is going to set us back. We have weapons coming in we’re meant to distribute. It is an enormous blow on our end and might shake up some shit with the men expecting their product. The last thing we need is our reputation to go to shit when there will be a change in leadership.
Respect will be harder to earn, our reach will plateau, and our name will tarnish. Dad prides himself on how he runs the business. Now he’s risking putting a dent in the name he’s built.
Donovan watches me expectantly. He wants to use me as a loophole around Dad’s order. I guess he made my decision for me. I’ll be getting involved tonight.
“What do you need from me?”
“I want you hidden to watch what’s going on. Dad will probably watch the cameras and make sure we don’t get involved.” Donovan snorts to himself before continuing. “He’ll be too focused on us to worry about what you’re doing.”
“You got it.”
My brother’s eyes narrow in suspicion, furrowing his brows as he watches me.
“That’s it? No bribery or name-calling?”
I shrug, not offering more than necessary. I’ve agreed, and he should just take it and fuck off. As I turn to walk away, Donovan stops me.
“Don’t touch him, Mal. Not yet, at least until we know what Dad is up to. And don’t cut his dick off either, crazy bitch.”
Cackling, I continue down the hallway to prepare for tonight’s mission. Donovan was having problems getting information from our little attorney, so I got creative. I’m sure it’s not easy to see another man lose something so precious to the males of the species, but the fucker was going to die anyway, so why not have fun doing it?
Our main warehouse is in Virginia, hidden in a forest. Since I won’t be on concrete or pavement, I figure that stalking in the shadows in stilettos isn’t the brightest idea. If I need to make a quick getaway, my heels breaking off after sinking into the ground would be a shitty way for Brenner to find out who I am.
I settle for black wedges and pair them with my usual leather pants, black leather jacket, and black tank top. Adding a few knives and a gun to complete the outfit. With a quick glance at myself, making sure my gear is secure, I make my way out of my room to get to the warehouse before anyone else.
If my dad is watching the cameras, I need to be in position and out of sight. I would use Hazel to help me because, let’s be honest—I’m going in blind as all hell with no proper plan aside from making sure the stupid fuck doesn’t get himself killed. With the warehouse in the middle of the forest, it’s hard to tell where they’ll come from. I need to position myself on the roof.
It’s been a while since I’ve played sniper. I prefer to use my dagger; I want to feel the kill, the warmth of the blood as it coats my skin, and watch as the life leaves my enemies’ eyes. Not every situation allows me to use my weapon of choice, though. I need to be prepared if something goes down. Someone is bound to act stupid.
Donovan texted me to say he’s keeping our dad distracted, so I slip down to the armory and pick up a rifle before heading out. The drive is about a half-hour, and I’m running out of time if I want to get there before our boys do. It’s hard to tell how fast Brenner can gather his team, and my attempt to reach Oren wasn’t successful. He must be involved, so at least I’ll have extra eyes.
By the time I arrive at the warehouse, the sun is beginning to set. I park my car on a secondary trail we don’t often use, trekking the rest of the way with the rifle thrown over my shoulder. I draw my gun, unaware of who else is out here with me. With most of the trees bare from the cold, I’m lucky to have the advantage of what little’s left of the sunlight.
Keeping my steps light and slow, I close in on the warehouse without a sound—keeping my ears trained to the surrounding sounds, listening for anything that might seem off. My best vantage point is the roof, the ability to hunker down and keep out of sight while seeing every direction the feds might come in.
What had started with conflicting thoughts of getting involved tonight for Liam’s sake; is now for the sake of the business. This warehouse stores the weaponry for our biggest clients, the high spenders with the biggest reach. And this shipment isn’t the first the feds have gotten their hands on recently.
I’m convinced my dad has well and truly lost his fucking mind. Who is Liam Brenner to him that he’s willing to risk losing big ballers for clients? Dad is about as approachable and tolerable as I am with friendships and relationships.
Whatever I’m missing is making my mind about as fucked over as it is with the Liam situation.
The forest goes silent before the wind from somewhere to my left carries hushed voices. Thankfully, these woods are thick, though the trees lack their leaves. Most of the trunks are big enough to conceal my body. I inch closer to the voices, using the trees to my advantage.
It didn’t take long for Liam’s voice to become recognizable. It is deep and angry, the emotion raising his voice from hushed to a growl. I can still keep my distance and hear him dictating his men into their positions.
The orders are quick and not willing to risk exposure. I don’t see which way Liam goes. I can only hear some of the men crash through the woods like wild animals. Our men must not be here yet for them to be comfortable enough not to conceal their presence.
Moving forward, I silently continue toward the warehouse, avoiding the directions I know some agents went. Liam has Collins working tech, we riddled this place with cameras, so I can only hope that Hazel is successful in countering him.
I finally reach the back of the building. I’ve never had to access the roof here, so staying out of sight while looking for a way up will be challenging. Pressing my back against the side of the warehouse, I peek around the corner. When I go to take a step to continue, the familiar feeling of a barrel presses against the back of my head.