Page 35 of Blood & Heartache

“I’m Arron Beck with TKR reporting to you live. We’ll be back with further updates as events unfold.”

The screen changed back to the main studio for TKR News, where the main news anchors started to discuss the new initiative that was leaked from Mayor Wilson’s office.

“John, it seems to me that whoever attacked the mayor did so because of this leak. The timing seems far too coincidental for it not to be related,” Brenda said to her co-host.

John nodded in agreement. “For years, people have been saying they need to keep a closer eye on the docks and crack down on gangs that use it to traffic drugs into our city. The number of overdose-related deaths has more than doubled over the past five years. It’s time to stop turning a blind eye to the root of the problem, and it seems Mayor Wilson was going to do just that.”

“I have to wonder, though, was it friend or foe who leaked the initiative? It could go either way if you ask me. Someone might have thought they were helping get the public behind the vote, not letting their government sweep it under the rug. On the other hand, the gangs and other powerful people who benefit from the drug industry would want to take him out before putting the proposed initiative into action,” Brenda reasoned.

Muting them, I grabbed my phone and called Ryker, who picked up on the second ring. “I’m watching it right now.”

“Get the others and meet me in the conference room,” I ordered. “We need to get a handle on this now.”

“Already ahead of you, boss,” Ryker answered and hung up.

Ignoring my cane, I hobbled my way to the closet and grabbed my robe, I didn’t have time to worry about putting on real clothes. When I stepped back into my room, Gunner was there with pissed-off Luca right behind him.

“What’s this?” I asked, feeling on guard for some reason to the point I wrapped my hand around the small derringer handgun in my robe pocket. I always kept it there for situations such as this when I’m caught completely off guard.

“I’m sorry, Astin,” Gunner murmured.

My gaze drifted past him to meet Luca’s, and the man was royally pissed off about something.

“Would you care to elaborate on what you’re sorry about?” I pressed, trying to keep my voice calm and even as I limped to my bed.

I wanted to be closer to my other weapons if needed, along with my cell phone. It would also give me more stability because I wouldn’t be able to fend anyone off standing on a fucked-up leg. Not that I doubted Luca’s ability to step in and keep Gunner from doing something stupid, but this is exactly the training and thought process that had been beaten into me.

“I thought things would be different with you in charge,” Gunner stated. “You’re a woman, one raised outside the confines of the Family and free from their predilection to violence and destruction.”

My brows shot up at his assumptions. “Gunner, I don't understand what you’re saying. It’s true I was raised in another country without being directly involved with the Family, but since the age of thirteen, I’ve been trained and groomed to take over my father’s place. The fact that my father runs the largest mafia in Mansara was never kept from me. Quite the opposite, it was all but fed to me at every meal along with my future in this world.”

“That’s why I had to do it,” Gunner mumbled, his eyes becoming unfocused as he plucked at his lower lip. “You were supposed to be better than them, but you’re not.” He looked up and met my gaze. “Astin, you’re a bigger monster than any of them. You killed them all, stood there as they were slaughtered right in front of you. There should have been another way to deal with that. You’d started to promise you would let them live, but you lied and gave the order for them all to die.”

Cocking my head, I tried to figure out what the hell he was saying. “Are you talking about the biker gang, the Red Tigers?”

“See, you’ve already forgotten about it,” Gunner shouted, pointing a finger at me. “None of them meant anything to you. They were just a bug to crush under those ridiculous high heels you wear. For fuck’s sake, you even killed your own men at the bar without so much as a second thought, putting a bullet in their brains. What kind of human holds a gun to their childhood best friend? Tell me, Astin, what the hell kind of demon are you?” Gunner screamed at me, advancing forward, his eyes wild.

“That’s enough,” Luca barked, grabbed Gunner’s collar, and yanked him back. “You don’t fucking talk to her like that, or I’ll end your life right here and now.”

“Do it,” Gunner begged. “I’m going to die anyway. The moment she finds out what I did, she’ll kill me. There’s no way I’ll be allowed to live.”

In the chaos, I grabbed my phone and dialed Ryker, leaving the phone on the bed so he could hear what was going on. “Gunner, please calm down so you can help me understand what’s happening. I realize you seem to believe I’m the enemy, but everything I’ve done is to protect the Family.”

“Family, what family? Your father’s dead, your uncles are useless, and that bastard of a half-brother is an idiot. You cut off your stepmother, and your father’s whore is a basket case who needs to be sedated so she doesn’t try to kill herself. Astin, you have no family, you have no one in your corner watching your back. If you did, then I never would’ve been able to work with Mayor Wilson’s assistant that he still likes to fuck even after he fired her to get between your legs,” Gunner spat. “Guess you’re not so good at your job if you have to resort to the oldest trick in the book and the only real weapon women have against men… sex.”

It was clear Gunner had suffered some mental breakdown, and everything he was saying was a jumbled mess of a rant. Trying to ignore the vicious words coming out of his mouth, I concentrated on connecting enough dots to figure out what might have happened. Sliding off the bed, I stumbled over to the man as I realized what he’d done.

Standing an inch apart from Gunner, I stared right into his eyes as I asked the question, “You, you were the friend who was at the mayor’s house tonight, weren’t you?”

Gunner didn’t answer. He sneered at me and spat at my foot, for which Luca happily punched him right in the mouth and immediately followed it up with another blow to his temple, knocking the man unconscious.

“Fucking traitor,” Luca snarled at the crumpled heap of a man at his feet.

“I don’t understand. Luca, how is he here and not with the police if he was at the scene?” I questioned, trying to make sense of all this.

“From what I gathered going through Gunner’s room, computer, and phone, Melony and Gunner teamed up. Seems he contacted her just after the night of the shooting. They planned to make sure the original police initiative the mayor came up with went through,” Luca explained as he stepped forward, taking my elbow in hand and urging me to sit.

“It would seem Melony was keeping our dear mayor company while his wife was out of town this weekend,” Luca shared, sitting next to me on the bench at the foot of my bed. “Melony was obviously furious about being humiliated and fired the way she had, so she decided to get her revenge with Gunner’s help. They were the ones who leaked the information to the public in hopes it would gain enough attention to force the mayor’s hand. When it didn’t, they moved to a more… direct approach. Melony demanded Gunner come over tonight to ensure the mayor would push the initiative through. Let’s just say Melony didn’t like how that conversation went. Thankfully, I managed to get him out of the place just as the shooting started.”