“Tell me where she is, and I’ll make sure your death is quick.”
Another lie. His death will be slow and painful. He doesn’t know it’s already been decided. He’s done.
And I don’t owe him a goddamn thing.
“You think my men will allow you to touch me?”
Such a cocky motherfucker. “They let me kill Ryan.”
“Sir, look around,” Jethro says. “Where the fuck do you think your men are?”
His eyes widen as he looks around. “What have you done?”
“What I should’ve done when you killed Jo. You don’t realize it, but my men have actually been here for a while,Dad. While I was talking with John and the commission.”
Zep tosses him scraps of what used to be crisp white button up shirts—the required uniform of men employed by Father—now stained rust red with blood. “All your men are dead.”
To my father’s credit, he still stands with a look of defiance. “You’ll regret—”
“The fuck he will,” Capone says.
Father’s eyes widen. “Gino? Is that you?”
“Tanner,” he says, ignoring Father, “you have a decision to make.”
Shocked, Tanner stands. “Wh-what’s that?”
“When we got the green like to off your father and brother, there was discussion about the family. About you. You can take over your father’s position as head of the family, or you can die with him. Your choice.”
“If you kill him, his death will be avenged.”
Tanner doesn’t sound angry. He sounds defeated. It’s obvious Father and Ryan haven’t gotten easier to deal with, and he’s always been the outsider. The one who wasn’t quite groomed for this life.
I’m the oldest and strongest. I was supposed to take over. Ryan had love for the life. Tanner was just kind of… there.
“The commission sanctioned it. There will be no avenging,” John says, walking up to stand beside me. Joanna’s father looks beyond ready to get revenge for her death. “Tucker fought for you not to die, but if you don’t accept these terms, they’ve given the order to kill you and dismantle what’s left of this fucking organization.”
Glancing between me and Father, he licks his lips. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“I’ll take over.”
“No retaliation.”
He nods. “Understood.”
“Tanner!” Father cries out.
“What’d you expect?” John asks. “Your oldest wants your blood, your youngest is dead, and the one you’ve never cared about doesn’t want to fall on the sword with you.”
Joanna’s brothers walk in around us, my guys parting to let them through, and they grab our father by his arms and legs. The expression in his eyes reads as fear, and it only fuels my desire to make him suffer.
“You won’t let them kill your father, Tucker. You can’t. That’s never been in your blood.”
“Um, he just killed his own brother,” Zep says. “Are you sure you really want to test that theory right now?”
“You like to kill people I care about. I’ve changed, Father. And you caused this. Everything that’s happened today is your fault.”
