The older man’s voice was tight with tension. “We got the probes cleared exactly how you instructed. All low risk. But now someone is looking deeper. This was supposed to stay quiet.”
“Of course someone’s looking,” the man in the charcoal suit replied, cold irritation threading through his voice. “That was the entire point—to test how deeply they monitor their perimeter.”
My jaw clenched. Perimeter. That confirmed everything I’d suspected and more. They weren’t after the money. This was strategic—mapping our financial boundaries, gauging our response times, and pinpointing vulnerabilities. Rage simmered beneath my skin, dangerously close to boiling over. And these fuckers had put Poppy right in the middle.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I glanced quickly at the screen.
Wizard
Marcus Lennox, senior analyst at BAM Financial Intelligence—a private contractor.
It all clicked, puzzle pieces snapping neatly into place. BAM was well-known in certain circles for supplying strategic financial intel—mapping financial networks and pressure-testing compliance systems to find weaknesses for their clients. This wasn’t petty theft or even a direct attack.
It was reconnaissance. And it was aimed at the Hounds of Hellfire.
I shoved my phone back into my pocket, my heart pounding heavily in my chest, anger burning hot and fierce in my veins. These bastards had turned our territory into their personal chessboard, using Poppy as a pawn to test our defenses. Now I knew exactly who was behind this bullshit.
And I was done fucking around.
I met up with Kevlar and Cross outside, and we moved to a spot where we could see the building and parking lot but remained out of sight. As we waited for the meeting to end,the tension in my veins stretched almost to a breaking point. Finally, we watched the contractor stride toward his black sedan, completely unaware of our presence. We stayed hidden in the shadows of the building until his taillights disappeared around the corner, leaving behind the two lackeys in need of a lesson.
They had followed him out and stood near their cars, having a quiet conversation. Cross and Kevlar stayed on my six as we stepped out of the shadows, silent and lethal. My voice was dangerously calm when I spoke, carrying clearly across the parking lot. “You used the wrong woman.”
They both spun around, surprise flashing across their faces before quickly shifting to carefully constructed masks of neutrality. But the initial shock had told me enough—they recognized us. Or at least, they recognized the patch on our cuts. My finger twitched with the urge to put a bullet in each of their skulls. The only thing holding me back was the promise I’d made to King. And maybe the understanding that keeping these fuckers alive for now was the only way to flush out their boss.
The younger and cockier one forced a laugh, stepping toward his car. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, man. Got the wrong guys.”
The older guy tried to move, but Kevlar was behind him before I even had to say a word, grabbing him roughly by the collar and jerking him back. “Stay put.”
I stepped toward the smug little shit and grabbed his wrist in a swift, controlled motion. My expression was bored as my grip tightened mercilessly until I felt bone give beneath my fingers. He let out a sharp cry, dropping his keys with a metallic clang to the pavement.
“You put my woman in danger,” I growled, my voice low and vicious, still barely above a whisper. Cross stepped forward and grabbed hold of the injured asshole before he could scramble away, his blubbering pleas falling on deaf ears.
Kevlar held the older one firmly in place, as I silently approached him. My gaze was icy calm and deadly. “That is unacceptable.”
Before he could form a word, I delivered a swift kick to his knee, feeling the satisfying crunch as his leg buckled and gave way. A strangled scream broke from his lips, and I smiled coldly. With a flick of my eyes, Kevlar let go of the jackass crying like a little pussy. He started to collapse, but I caught him by the throat and yanked him up before he hit the pavement. My fingers tightened, squeezing his windpipe until his eyes bulged.
“Tell your boss to back the fuck off,” I warned, every word laced with barely controlled rage. “Trust me, they don’t want the Hounds of Hellfire coming after them.”
His eyes widened further, panic flaring as his hands clawed weakly at my fingers.
I leaned closer, my voice dropping even lower. “And they really don’t want me coming after them if they even think about threatening my woman again.”
His face turned a mottled shade of red, and I felt him begin to lose consciousness. Finally, I loosened my grip just enough to let him gasp for air before his eyes rolled back and he sagged into oblivion. I dropped him like the garbage he was, letting his body crumple to the ground.
I turned back to the young one, his face pale and sweat beading on his forehead as Cross kept a firm grip on his arm. His eyes darted between Kevlar and me, clearly terrified. Good. He fucking should be.
Pulling my pistol from the waistband of my jeans, I racked it, then pressed the cold barrel against his forehead.
His eyes widened in panic, tears streaming down his face as he began to beg, his voice shaking uncontrollably. “Please, man. Don’t. We just?—”
“Stay the fuck out of my perimeter,” I growled, cutting him off as I pressed the barrel harder into his skin. Before he could blink, I clocked him with the butt of my pistol, knocking him out cold. Cross released his grip, letting the guy drop to the pavement in a limp heap.
For a long moment, none of us moved or spoke. The silence was deafening, filled only by the harsh sound of our breathing. Kevlar finally broke the tension, nudging the younger guy’s body with his boot before he looked up at me.
“Think they’ll deliver your message?”
“They better.” My voice was tight, fury still simmering beneath the surface. “Otherwise, next time we won’t leave them breathing.”
