"Or a traitor inside the Kavanagh clan. Or one inside ours."
I look down at Marco one last time. I feel a cold, hard knot form in my stomach. I failed him. I was supposed to see the threats, and I missed this one. He trusted me to keep him safe, and I let him die in a warehouse alone.
"Clean this up," I order. "Quietly. No police. Send a generous package to his widow. Tell her it was an accident at the docks."
"And the Kavanaghs?"
"Do nothing," I say. "Not yet."
"Ale—"
"I said do nothing!" My voice cracks like a whip, silencing the room. "If we retaliate now, we give the enemy exactly what they want. I will handle this."
I turn and walk away before anyone can see my hands shaking.
The penthouse isdark when I get home.
I didn't turn on the lights. I wanted the darkness. I wanted to think.
I’m standing at the kitchen island, a glass of water in my hand, staring out at the city. The skyline is a blur of rain and light, reflected in the glass that separates me from the world.
I hear the elevator ding.
Footsteps. Heavy. Tired.
Killian walks in.
He stops when he sees me standing in the dark. He’s wearing a leather jacket over a t-shirt. He looks exhausted. His hair is wet from the rain.
"Lights are out," he says.
"Yes."
He walks to the fridge. Pulls out a beer. Cracks it open. The sound is loud in the silence.
"Rough day at the office?" he asks. There’s no mockery in his voice. Just fatigue. He leans against the counter, facing me.
"You could say that."
He takes a long pull of the beer. He looks at me, really looks at me, and his expression shifts. "What happened?"
I set my glass down. I turn to face him.
"Marco Vitelli," I say.
"Who?"
"My driver. The man who drove us from the church."
Killian frowns. "What about him?"
"He’s dead."
Killian goes still. "How?"
"Found in a warehouse this morning. Beaten to death." I pause. I watch his face closely. I look for the flicker of recognition, the tell of a lie. "There was a coin in his mouth. A 1966 Irish pound."
The color drains from Killian’s face. He sets the beer down so hard it sloshes over the rim.
