Turning, I laughed softly to myself and peered at what she’d given me. A fleur de lis. The symbolism was mixed, to some representing French royalty and light, and to others darkness and slavery a century or more before.
“What did she give you?” Montgomery asked, my younger brother surprisingly the quietest after learning the news.
I showed him and realized my uncles were waiting for a short but pointed gathering before heading back to the house.
“Wow. She anointed you as French royalty.”
“We’re all from the same blood, brother.” I glanced into his eyes, seeing more strength in them than I’d felt in myself. Images of my father’s bullet-ridden body had been impossible to move from the forefront of my mind.
“Where the hell did you go last night?” He studied my face, shaking his head as he always did when discovering I’d gone off some deep end.
“Interrogating an informant who wasn’t very cooperative.”
“Did you fucking leave him alive to walk another day or should I dispatch our cleanup group crew with multiple bags to cart away the ruins of your fury?”
Huffing, I raked my hand through my hair. “He’s still breathing.”
“You need to curtail your anger, brother. You know how you get when you suddenly drop into a black hole.”
He was right, although I wasn’t certain I gave a shit. A black hole. That was one way of putting my lack of patience and anger management issues. “We need to determine how we’re going to annihilate Russo.”
“And we will. But not when you’re trying to purposely go out and attempt to do so with your fists. Besides, the entire Russo family has been very quiet. I’ve heard some chatter that they’ve gone into hiding.”
“Because they know I’m going to hunt them down. When I find them…” I didn’t finish the sentence.
“I think they received your threats loud and clear.”
“What threats?”
Montgomery half laughed. “How many of Russo’s men did you kill over the last few days?”
“Not nearly enough.”
I lifted my hand, flexing my aching fingers. It was well worth the discomfort if for no other reason than I’d issued a city-wide warning that I wouldn’t take shit from anyone. I turned my attention to the crowd, cataloging faces in the crowd. The event was far too public, allowing anyone to attend. Our tragedy had become fodder for the high and mighty in town who wanted nothing more than to enjoy the partial downfall of our family’s regime.
“Come on,” Montgomery said, clapping me on the shoulder. “You need to allow our uncles to pay their respects.”
“You mean to allow Uncle Armand to act as if he cares while turning his nose up at the possibility I can handle running the organization.”
He laughed but knew exactly what I was getting at. “That too. Be on your best behavior. Please?”
“I’ll think about it.” Every family had difficulties and differences of opinion, but with such a powerful empire at stake, ties were often stretched to the limit. It was well known Armand wouldn’t mind becoming the next Don of the family.
He was of the old school belief that anyone taking the helm should be married and settled, children at least on the way. I refused to subscribe to the ancient bullshit.
We both headed toward the others, my youngest brother Jaxon joining seconds later. He was tense, his face pale. He’d taken our father’s death very hard.
Armand cleared his throat. He was even older than my father had been, ruling Baton Rouge and the surrounding area as my father had done with New Orleans. “You look like shit, Alexander. The cameras are capturing every moment. You need to remain presentable. You are required to always present yourself as a true leader. Unless you’re incapable of doing so.”
“Lecturing me or simply exerting your perceived authority, Uncle Armand? I thought you wanted nothing to do with New Orleans.”
My uncle bristled as I’d known he would. He’d always wanted to be a controlling factor in running my father’s empire. The dissention inside the family had always been there just below the surface. I’d been warned he could possibly try a coup. Over my dead body.
“Be careful, Alexander, or I’ll be forced to take that as a sign of disrespect.”
“Take it for what you will. This is my empire to run now. And please don’t forget our father’s body is barely buried.” We glared at each other, and I dared him to attempt a single momentof undermining my authority. Fortunately for him, he chose to back down.
But not before my brothers took a step closer. They knew how I got when I was backed into a corner. That’s exactly the way I felt, as if I couldn’t control what had come so easily to me in the past. My father’s murder had changed things.
