They turn to me in shock, and I raise my palm when I see Soren opening his mouth to argue. Thankfully, he swallows his words and lets me talk.
“Do you understand that my father is not the victim? They pinned all these atrocities on him, yes, but those crimes happened to real people. So many people suffered so badly at their hands. It’s not right that they did what they did to all those people, destroyed my family and so many others, and then they get to walk away. To enjoy their money and live their lives like they didn’t ruin so much?”
“I don’t know if I give a crap about what is right.” Soren shakes his head. “They will do anything to make sure they don’t pay for their crimes. And I won’t do anything that will riskyou.”
The story is written in front of us, and it doesn’t look good. My parents died for this, and I understand why they want me to run and hide, but I can’t. I can’t live my life hoping never to becaught. I can’t turn my back and accept that they will never meet justice.
“They will always come for us no matter where we run.” I look from Soren to the rest. “Maybe if I were alone, I’d have a chance, but with you all?”
“We are not giving you up!” Parker starts, indignation clear in his tone. I chuckle, reaching out and covering his cheek with my palm.
“Of course you’re not. You belong to me now, not to the four families. Wherever I go, you go.”
His shoulders sag, and he nods. “I’m glad you know it, baby.”
“I do.” I turn to the others. “Which means I can’t run away. They won’t let me run with you and the truth. It’s too much. We need to stay and fight.”
“No one fights the four families.” Hadrian sighs. “They have a network. They have too much money and too many people in their back pocket. Even if we find people ready to take them down, we are just risking their lives. There’s no bringing them to justice.”
“I don’t plan on bringing them to justice.” I interrupt him. Hadrian furrows his brows, confused, and I continue. “My parents were naive if they thought that was possible. It doesn’t matter how rich the Briarwicks and Colefaxes were. It’ll never match the four families. We can’t outsmart them when they have the whole country in their back pocket.”
“So what are you suggesting, Sable?” Lex narrows his eyes at me.
“We kill them,” I say, understanding just how heavy what I’m suggesting is. I sit down, watching their reaction to what I just said.
“Kill the four families?” Parker asks.
“Every last member until you five are the only ones left,” I say.
Silence follows my statement, and I knew it would. It’s a huge thing to ask of your boyfriends. I’m telling them to kill their own fathers, mothers, uncles, etc. Spilling their own blood is a heavy ask, yet I’ve never been more sure of something. Rich people always get away with everything. Money buys silence and delays justice, but in death, we are all the same.
“That’s insanity.” Hadrian shakes his head.
Oh, it is insane.
“They might act like gods when they hide behind the money and connections, but they are made of flesh like the rest of us. The system is corrupt enough that once they are gone, and you five control the money, no one will do anything as long as the money is flowing in the right direction,” I say.
“Sable is right,” Parker says slowly, his eyes unfocused as he takes in my words. “Detective Askey was really easy to pay off. They are not loyal to the family. They are loyal to power. If the power is in our hands…”
“I know I’m asking you to kill your families, but this is where we set our fates. With them alive, there’s no future for us. They will never let us be as long as we live. This is the only way.”
“Shit,” Orion curses. “I’m in.”
I smile at him, and Parker comes to me, his hand on my shoulder. “Me too.”
Their loyalty warms my heart, and I sit down with them both by my side, knowing I need them all to be on board, but glad I have at least them. My eyes are expectantly on Soren as he curses under his breath and then kneels in front of me.
“Are you going to make a killer out of me, Sable Briarwick?”
He lowers his mouth and kisses me on my inner thigh. I smile as I brush his hair back. “I’ll give you the freedom you always wanted. It just comes with a price.”
He chuckles, and I’m so lost in that beautiful sound, I’m startled when Hadrian drops to his knees too. His big bodymakes space between my legs, and his face is so damn close to my pussy. “When I thought you couldn’t get any better, and now you’re asking me to end the four families. I’ll bring their heads to you. I’ll take their teeth, and you can wear them as jewelry.”
“I’ll buy you tasteful jewelry,” Orion whispers at my side.
I chuckle, but it turns into a moan when Hadrian uses his tongue on me, and I lose the train of thought. He’s hungry and demanding, and has me almost there so quickly.
Lex takes my chin in his hand, forcing me to look at him even as Hadrian makes a meal out of my pussy.
