“Where is she?” she pushes him for an answer.
“Her parents buried her at their family plot.” She tries to pull free of the fucker’s hold but he won’t let her go. “Toren, don’t go there?—”
“Fuck you, Kellan. She’s my best friend.” The sound of her anguish brings a smile to my face. That rotten little cunt deserves to feel every ounce of fucking pain and hatred.
“I really am sorry, Toren. I wish things were different.”
“I will never stop searching for answers. I’ll find out what happened that night.” Yeah, you fucking will. I’ll make sure you know what you did, you little cunt. I watch as she runs awaycrying. I try to get a better look at whatever she has her hand wrapped around but I can’t see shit. Phones are out and pointed in her direction, she either doesn’t see them or doesn’t care. She keeps her head down the whole way to the dorms. I flick my gaze back to Kellan to see the fucker still standing there staring after her. I use this moment to get under his skin. The moment he sees me he blanks his face of all emotion and stands tall, trying to appear unaffected by my mere presence.
“Let Kellar know I’ll take real good care of his baby sister.” His jaw locks and anger flashes in his shit colored eyes as laughter escapes me, the pieces falling into place. “You got a boner for her, don’t you?” I taunt. He takes a step toward me, thinking I’ll back down. The bastard doesn’t even reach my eye level.
“You stay the fuck away from her, Devlin. She isn’t part of this.” His defense of her only fuels my growing anger and bloodlust.
I press into him, forcing him back across the boundary line. “She’s at the center of all of this. Breaking that bitch is going to be fun. I’ll make sure you and her pussy ass brother get a front row seat at her funeral. Then I’ll bury you both next to her,” I promise.
“It was an accident?—”
I snap my arm out and wrap it around his throat, squeezing hard enough to cut his airway off. His face turns red as he tries to pry my hand off. When I see the guard stalking toward us, I shoot him a look. The moment he recognizes who I am, he raises his hands and scurries away like a pussy.
“Your death won’t be an accident. I’m coming for you and Kellar. Be ready because I plan to make it hurt on and off the ice.” I release him with a shove. The cunt falls to his knees, gasping. “You were once kings of this town. Your reign is over.I’m taking control of Somerset and there isn’t a fucking thing you can do about it.”
Caspian and I pull up out front of my father’s house, the sheer magnitude of his estate no longer surprises me. His house is bigger than most celebrities’ houses. Aside from him and a few of his guards and staff, no one else lives here. Every time I come here my fight or flight instincts override me and urge me to run. This place was a haven for me growing up. Neave and Miles lived with us. It was the three of us and my sister against the world.
“You ready?” Cas asks, pulling me from my inner turmoil. I take a deep breath and harden my resolve as I nod and step out of the car. I know he hates coming here as much as I do. Caspian has earned my trust and proven to me he is loyal but that means nothing to my father. As far as the old man is concerned Cas is nothing but a traitor to his people and can’t be trusted.
Before I can reach for the door handle it’s opened from the inside. I don’t even look at the butler as I stalk inside and head straight for my dad’s study, knowing that’s where he will be. The whole house smells like antiseptic, everything too fucking clean. This place isn’t a home, it’s a fucking house. There is no life in these walls. Once upon a time there was but not anymore. I can’t even look at the photos on the walls, all the sight of them will do is bring me to my knees. I’ll mourn when those fuckers are all dead. Until then, I won’t rest or think about anything aside from my end goal.
As we round the corner, someone roars in pain. Instantly Cas and I both freeze and pull our guns from the waistband of our pants, I look over at him, his gaze is laser focused..
“On me,” I whisper as I take the lead and head for my dad's study. The door is ajar so I quietly push forward and peer through the gap. When I take in the scene I blow out a breath and kick the door open. My father snaps his head up and smirks at the sight of me. Hammer, Tike and Merc glare in my direction but I ignore the fuckers—those three are my father’s most trusted guards and live here with him. The three of them have tried for years to get my father to see them as suitors for the role he currently occupies, but the idiots don’t realize he will never see them as anything more than heavy lifters.
The Devlin Cosa Nostra is mine to lead and run the moment Lorenzo Devlin steps down.
“The prodigal son has returned.” I roll my eyes and ignore my father as I focus on the bastard who is on his knees in the middle of the room, a plastic mat under him and his hands tied behind his back. He's shirtless and cut up, but not bad enough to bleed out and die. The guy turns to me and opens his mouth, clearly to plead with me to save him. I cut him off before he can waste his breath.
“I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, so don’t even think for a second I would save your ass.” I turn back to my father as I cross the room and drop onto the sofa. Cas follows my lead and sits next to me. I look to my father and make sure he can see the impatience in my gaze. “Get rid of your toy. I don’t have all night.”
Lorenzo’s eyes blaze with fury. I know giving the Don an order is a sure way to get my ass beat but I’m not a child anymore, and if Tike and Hammer think I will take a beating willingly like I used to, they are out of their fucking minds.
“I should cut your fucking tongue out,” Lorenzo hisses.
I fight not to roll my eyes. “Can we get on with it? I have a Kellar to torment and kill.” At the mention of their last name his eyes take on a hungry look. Without turning around, he swipes his arm out and slits the fucker’s throat. Lorenzo ignores the gurgling sound as he drops the knife to the floor and heads for his desk. Tike, Hammer and Merc step forward and use the plastic mat to wrap the fucker, then carry him out of the room.
Dad sits behind his desk with a cigar in his mouth and his glare pointed at Cas who to his credit doesn’t shrink under the pressure of it.
“You see what we do to rats, Caspian?” I barely manage to hold back my snort. Cas chuckles but there is no humor to it.
“I’m aware of the consequences, Lorenzo. I may be a lot of things but a rat isn’t one of them,” he answers smoothly.
Dad just scoffs and diverts his attention to me. “You have the remainder of the year to prove to me you are ready to take my place.” I keep my surprise from splaying across my face. He has always told me he would rather live forever than hand the reins over to me. I know I’m not his first choice and I wish she was still here to take her rightful place, but now that mantle has fallen to me.
“I’m ready,” I answer in a firm tone.
“Not until you finish your last task. I gave you the green light a year ago. I told you to keep that cunt Kellar and his bitch sidekick for last. Now is the time to take them out?—”
“I’m going to break them first before I take them down. I want the fuckers out of their minds before I deliver the final blow.” His eyes narrow. Lorenzo Devlin isn't used to someone daring to cut him off. His position as the Don has garnered him a level of respect but not from me. Lorenzo wasn’t a bad father. He was always there when we needed him and made sure we were always fed, clothed and supported throughout our schooling, but that was it. The man doesn’t know how to confess his feelings orhug his kids. He instilled in us that displaying affection and love was a sign of weakness that his enemies could exploit.
“This is your final year, Son. After that no more school and partying, and you won’t be skating around with a stick in your hands.” I feel Caspian’s gaze boring into the side of my head, but I ignore it. I hadn’t told him that part of the condition of taking over the Devlin Cosa Nostra was that I had to give up hockey. A year ago I would have told my father to go fuck himself. Hockey was my ticket out of here and away from this life but now, I feel nothing aside from the need for blood. I want revenge more than I want to skate. I want to break each and every one of them and destroy their fucking lives. The senator knows we are coming for him. He placed his precious daughter in the center of our battle, thinking her sacrifice would be enough to quell our need for vengeance.
