I sit in the empty chair beside him, the plush fabric a dark and bloody red. “Things have been quiet.”
“You sound disappointed.”
Did I? I frown. Peace was what we’d been striving for after the previous chaos. After the Snake had left us weak and defenseless, our family had to rebuild. And quickly. There are still sharks in the water, waiting for a drop of blood or a hint of vulnerability, but so far, we’ve managed just fine.
But maybe Cain is right. I was a bit bored with the peace and quiet. I’d spent so many years craving to join this life…only to finally be allowed in, right as everything settled down. Really, the past few months have been mostly grunt work. Building our businesses and keeping them in check. Threatening those who refused to get in line, still believing our family to be too weak to do anything about it.
“It can’t last forever,” Declan reassures me. “In this world, there’s always something right around the corner.”
“Hopefully, not something we can’t handle,” I reply warily. I might be itching for some action, but that didn’t mean I wanted to lose more members of my family. “Sienna and Dante have enough on their hands with the new baby.”
“How is our little niece?” Cain asks. They aren’t in any way related to us, but they like to think of themselves as Emilia’s uncles.
“Loud,” I grimace, “she also started crawling and gets into everything now. It took me about twenty minutes to try and figure out how to open the baby-proof gate.”
Declan laughs, loud and boisterous. The women around him startled, smiling nervously. “Tell our illustrious Dons that we’ll be over soon to see her again.”
“I’m sure they’re looking forward to it.”
Unable to sit still, I stand once again. Moving to the railing, I scan the crowd again. I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Trouble, maybe? Or nothing. People-watching at clubs isn’t what most come to do, but it’s something I’ve always enjoyed anyway. All different types of guests visit our clubs, from the lowest black market criminals to the richest heirs in the city. But when they mix together like this—they all look the same.
I guess that’s why I like coming here so often. In places like these, where the alcohol flows continuously, and no one judges you for what you do, there’s nothing fake. Not really. Some would argue this logic, but I found that the clubs are some of the most real places. No hiding. No lying. Just some of life’s simplest pleasures, drinking and dancing.
Adrenaline pulses through my veins in time with the bass, but I resist the urge to join in. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am today. I’m not about to ruin that hard work for a few hours of fun. Just as I’m about to turn away again, my eyes catch a flash of brilliant red hair.
I freeze, ice slipping down my spine. I can’t imagine it's her, but I search the crowd anyway, straining to catch any hint of russet in the darkness. My fingers curl around the railing until my knuckles turn white. When my search turns up nothing more, I take a deep breath, pushing aside the anxiety that churns my stomach. It’s been years since I’ve last seen her, yet the memories still haunt me.
“You alright?” Archer stands at the top of the stairs, a manila folder in his hands. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Maybe I have,” I mutter, taking the file from him. I flip through the first few pages, but my mind isn’t computing the numbers inked into the white papers. I snap it closed, tucking it under my arm. “Looks good to me. We’ll double-check and make sure everything is in order.”
On the outside, this looked like any other club. A great one, but still. After our family was swept into the spotlight thanks to the Snake, we needed a new way to wash the money that came in from our shipments of weapons and drugs. Clubs were the perfect cover. They were chaotic, dealt with lots of cash, and most importantly, less regulated in certain areas. Often, no one notices when large sums go missing. They allow us to take the illegal money and clean it up a bit.
They were a good front and a good place to escape to when you needed it. A two-in-one type of deal. Which is exactly how I pitched it to my brother and his wife when we were first rebuilding. These clubs are mine. A perfect way to prove myself even more than I already have.
“Why don’t you stay awhile?” Cain asks, leaning back once more. His arms settle on the back of the couch, the women beside him wasting no time moving in.
I eye him warily. “No time tonight. I have to get to the others and have the reports for Dante by tomorrow evening.”
Cain just shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
“You’ve become boring, Kill,” Declan says. “A real buzz kill, you know that? It’s always work, work, and more work with you, and never let’s get shit-faced and trash the place.”
“Well, some of us had to grow up at some point,” I reply evenly.
“Thank God you did it for me then,” Declan shoots back, laughing. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, moving towards the stairs.
Before I make it even one step, the world explodes.
The balcony shakes as dust and smoke flood across the dance floor. I grip the railing, steadying myself. The lights cut off, plunging us into darkness when another explosion shakes the building and flames burst through the back doors of the club. Screams replace the music, the trampling of fleeing feet pounding across the floor. Cain and his brothers are on their feet in an instant. Rough hands yank me to my feet before rushing me down the steps.
My eyes adjust to the darkness. It’s utter chaos. People surge towards the two exits, trampling anyone who gets in their way, while others cower in the corners. My fingers curl around Cain’s shirt, pulling him around to face me. “Get everyone out of here,” I bark, shoving him towards the closest patron.
Cain nods, motioning for his brothers to do the same. I scan the room, now destroyed. The explosions had come from the back kitchens, where the flames were currently eating away at the walls and ceiling. I don’t know how many people were back there or if they got out in time. Smoke fills the room quickly, choking me as I stumble towards the furthest corner.
Two women huddle there, clutching each other. Smoke clings to their tear-streaked faces. I grab one, then the other, pushing them towards the exit. Most of our customers are out, taking refuge in the street. I whip around, looking for any others that might have been left behind.
The ceiling above me groans, creaking under the weight as the flames lick up the walls. Any minute and this entire place will come crashing down. Cain appears in the smoke, looking relieved when he finally spots me.