Brutal King (The Seven Deadly Sinacores #7)

Chapter 25

25

GIDEON

Father came out to Shiloh’s paddock.

“You’ve done a good job with her, son,” he commented as he watched me handle her.

I beamed with pride and ran my hand over her velvety muzzle. “You taught me well.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He tugged something out of his coat pocket, and I realized with horror that it was a gun.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s time for a new lesson. There will be instances in your life where you’ll have to make a hard choice. Something you love, for something you love even more.” He motions me closer. “Take this.”

I do as he says, my hand shaking. “I don’t understand.”

“You’ve got a pet, Gideon.” He glances toward the manor.

All the blood seems to drain from my body as I look in that direction too. “I don’t know what you ? —”

“The girl has lived here for six months. Did you believe I wouldn’t learn of her existence within my own house?”

“Father—”

“I allowed it for one reason alone. To teach you this.” He lifts a finger. “The girl or the mare. Only one can live.”

I turn back to Shiloh. She’s completely at ease with me. Trusting. “Please, Father. Don’t make me do this.”

“You must learn to handle the pain that comes with the choices you make. You chose to hide her from me. Now you must choose who dies.”

“Please.”

“Choose. Spare the girl, and the price will be your beloved Shiloh. But you must do it, or I will end them both.”

“ G ive me Sergio, and the Ramos Cartel will be yours. Simple as that.” It’s the offer I made to Jorge Ruiz several days ago when he agreed to meet with me at one of Miami’s sleaziest nightclubs. A place he knew he wouldn’t be followed.

“How do I do it?” he asked. “He’s well protected. Most of the men are loyal to him.”

“And that’s the keyword. Most. But not all.”

I shared my plan to get Sergio out of his safe space by creating the appearance of another place just as secure. Only the men loyal to Jorge would accompany them.

The lure? A treaty with Armando Esquibel, head of the Lastros Cartel in Texas. He’d be a powerful ally for Sergio, almost enough to go against me. That is, if he didn’t owe me a favor.

I’d set up a meeting for them in the neutral New Orleans club, Original Sin. Once there, Scarlet would take care of him. Jorge could go home an innocent man, retaining the loyalty of Sergio’s men, and I would finally have ended the lives of the men responsible for my father’s death.

It was supposed to be a win-win.

Except, that it isn’t. As planned, I sent Scarlet to New Orleans. Un-fucking-fortunately for me, Luca also sent Gunner.

I knew it would be a problem the moment she told me she ran into him. Said he chased her down Bourbon Street, but that she managed to lose him. I would have believed that was all there was too, if I hadn’t seen the strange tension between them with my own eyes.

Choosing to give her the benefit of the doubt, I let it go with the simple order to add him to her target list. It was an order she ignored.

Even though she confirmed Sergio’s death, the photo I received of the crime scene shows a different story.

To anyone else, it would seem she killed him. It was her knife found lodged in the side of his neck and she placed the pennies over his eyes to take the credit. However, I see past that.

Scarlet didn’t kill Sergio. He committed suicide.

My first clue is the fact that she abandoned her knife, something she’d never leave behind. Secondly, she didn’t change the position of the blade, almost as if she wanted it to be discovered it hadn’t been by her hand that he died.

She didn’t kill Sergio. However, she did kill Jorge. Went rogue and slit his throat.

The small detail might not matter to anyone else, but it does to me. It matters when she doesn’t tell me herself what’s happened.

“I need you to follow her,” I tell Itsuki, giving him the address to her secret apartment in Brooklyn, the one she believes I don’t know about. “I want you to find out where she’s going, and who she’s with.”

“Yes, sir.”

Damn her for doing this now. I should be returning to Vegas, celebrating the death of my enemy. I should be with Sofia.

Instead, I’m in my Philadelphia penthouse, worried that Scarlet might be spiraling. That I’ve been so preoccupied with Sofia, that I’ve missed the warning signs.

It doesn’t take long for Itsuki to report back with confirmation that Scarlet has indeed lost her fucking mind.

She’s with Gunner Sinclair. Has been since New Orleans.

Left with no other option, I go to confront her. Letting myself into her apartment, which is barely secured, something that angers me further, I wait in the dark for hours.

It’s the middle of the night when she finally shows up. Her gaze instantly locks on me. “How did you know about this place?”

“Better question would be, why did you keep it from me?”

She dumps her keys on the small glass table by the door and comes to stand in front of me. “I wanted to have somewhere to go in case?—”

“You needed to hide from me,” I finish. “Sit.”

Doing as she’s told, she asks, “How did you find out… You’re having me followed.”

“I had no choice, Scar. You weren’t yourself. I knew something was up. But what you’ve done is beyond betrayal.”

“Who followed me?” she demands.

“Itsuki.”

“Itsuki. Of course.” Her lips thin and turn white with how tight she’s pulling them. “How long?”

“Long enough that I know where Sinclair lives.” I flex my jaw, trying my best to remain calm. But it’s fucking hard when the person I’ve trusted the most has betrayed me. “Explain it to me, Scarlet. Explain to me why you’re rolling around in the muck with your fucking target? Why you disobeyed a direct order to kill him.”

“You never ordered me to kill Gunn!”

“I…” I trail off as I search my memory. “I’m sure my exact words were, ‘you have a new target. Gunn Sinclair.’”

“Gideon, he hasn’t done anything to warrant death.” She’s questioning my decisions again. “Is it true that your father murdered Sergio Ramos’s wife?”

I narrow my eyes on her. “Who told you this?”

“Sergio did.”

“You spoke with him?” Fuck me. No wonder she’s so bent out of shape. She talked with him and he got into her head, filling it with doubt based on half-truths.

“What you sent me to do… It was cold blooded murder, Gideon.” Her voice is tight. Accusing.

“It’s your job, Scarlet. It’s what you do.”

“What I do is trust that you’re not going to have me kill an innocent man!” She’s screaming at me now, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m not a murderer.”

And there it is. Her biggest fear that she’ll take another innocent life.

I let out a breath and run my hand down my face. “No, Scar. You’re not a murderer. And I’m not turning you into one. Anyone that is on that list, is there for a reason. There are no innocents.”

It hadn’t occurred to me to give her more information on Sergio because I always ordered, and she always obeyed. But I do now. I tell her how Father did kill Sergio’s wife, but it hadn’t been intentional. She’d been at the home of her lover when a deal with my father went bad. She was collateral damage, and not even Sergio cared about it at the time. It wasn’t until my father was able to get a contract that took over fifty percent of his profits right from under him that he decided it was time for revenge.

“I’m sorry.” She curls in on herself, as if filled with shame. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’ve let you down.”

“You have.”

She turns away from me. “I didn’t mean to.”

“You questioned me on Sergio. Now you know he didn’t deserve your pity. Gunn Sinclair is just as much a criminal as Sergio was.”

“I know.”

“Do you love him?” I ask.

“What?” She glances at me. “No, of course not. We just have fun.”

“Good. That means you can still do what you must.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Take him out, Scar. That’s an order.” Prove that you’re still loyal to me.

“Why, Gideon? He’s not in the line of succession from the original six. Why take him out?”

“Because of this.” I point to her. “Because you’ve never questioned my orders before. He’s a fucking risk to you. Do you honestly believe he won’t turn you in the first chance he gets? He’ll use you to get to me.”

“The way you’re doing with Sofia,” she throws back, defiant once more.

“Kill him. Kill him before he kills you.”

I’m not surprised when Scarlet completely ignores my orders once again. But it’s not until Vicky sends me a message about an incident at a building owned by none other than Gunner himself, that I fucking panic.

Fire was set to The Keaton Banks Orphanage. However, police on the scene report that there had been other damage consistent with gunfire.

My mind immediately goes to Scarlet. I pull out my phone, and regardless of how furious I’ve been with her, I send her a text.

Me: 899 Are you safe? Got a notice about a fire at The Keaton Banks Orphanage.

I hold my breath as I wait for her reply.

Scarlet: 998 Safe. Did the building survive the fire?

Me: Destroyed.

It takes her a moment to reply.

Scarlet: I need to come in.

Without hesitation, I give her the place.

Me: Hades.

Hades is code for a warehouse I own on Flushing Bay, one with its own marina. It’s not abandoned, but it is empty. A shell of a place to be used as needed for deliveries coming through La Guardia. Father used it to illegally ferry his contraband. After he died, the property was seized and it wasn’t until recently that I purchased it back. What can I say, it has sentimental value.

I park the Bentley where they can see it when they pull in, but step out and wait behind a nearby tree to keep my advantage.

They ride in on Gunner’s motorcycle. As he goes to get off, he takes out his gun and locks the hammer into place.

“Put the gun away,” Scarlet tells him.

I’m sure it irks him, but he does it.

“Good, little Gunner.” I approach with my own weapon drawn. “Scar, you didn’t tell me you’d be bringing company. Company that should be dead, I might add. I’d have brought the hearse.”

“We’re here to ask for asylum,” she says.

I look at her in surprise. “Asylum?”

“No. Not asylum,” Gunner interjects. “I’d like to arrange for Scarlet’s release from you.”

That makes me laugh. “Release Scarlet so that she can run to the alliance and help you.”

“I’m not with the alliance anymore,” he says. “As you’ve heard, they set fire to one of my buildings.”

“The alliance did that?” I ask, genuinely perplexed. “Why would Luca do that?”

Gunn shrugs. “They were about as happy to see Scarlet and I together as you are.”

So, Luca’s lost another member. Perhaps this union wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.

I smile. “I can work with this.”

“Gideon, you should know we went to Luca first,” she admits.

My smile disappears as her words sink in. She didn’t come to me first. She didn’t trust me enough. “You should have kept that to yourself.”

“I was afraid you’d be angry.”

“Scarlet, I’m beyond angry. First, you question me. Then, you go against orders and fuck your target. Now you want my blessing in what is sure to turn out very poorly for you.”

“You are mad,” she says.

Without asking for permission, I begin to pat her down for bugs. Perhaps I’m rougher than I should be, turning her briskly. She snarls, but I ignore her. I want to throttle her more than I ever have.

“ She can check me,” Gunner hisses, when I go to do the same to him.

“If I trusted her, she could,” I retort, glancing toward Scarlet. She winces at my remark, and though I’m glad I hit a sore spot, it’s not enough to alleviate the sting of her betrayal.

I tug the Glock from the holster on Gunner’s belt, and tuck it into my own. No way I’m letting him remain armed.

“I don’t need a gun to kill you, Gideon,” he threatens, his hands rolling into fists at his side.

“That’s not why I’m taking it. Call it a gift for my willingness to listen to your ridiculous ideas about riding off into the sunset.” I glare at Scarlet and she shrinks a little. “Get in the fucking car. Both of you.”

The drive back to my penthouse isn’t long, but the tension in the car makes it seem eternal. Scarlet is sitting beside me, gazing out the window the entire time. Silent.

Through the rearview mirror, I watch Gunner glaring at me, angry that I stuffed him in the backseat. His discomfort brings me the smallest sense of joy, but I’ll take what I can get.

“Mr. Black,” the valet greets, when we arrive. “Miss Scarlet.”

They follow me in, whispering amongst themselves.

When we finally step into my apartment, Gunner whistles. “Nice place you have here. Pay for it with all the money you stole?”

I laugh. “Tell me, Gunner. How did you pay for your place? For that matter, how did you fund the purchase of the Keaton Orphanage? Because I know it wasn’t mortgaged.”

“Right.” He looks out the floor to ceiling windows. “Except, I didn’t kill people for it.”

“Didn’t you?” I go to the wet bar and pour three shots of whiskey. “Pot, don’t call the kettle black. Bad is bad.”

I hand them their drinks, but they both just stare at them as if they’re poisoned. Guess I would too, if I were in their shoes.

Scarlet clears her throat. “So, can we talk?”

Tossing my whiskey back, I say, “Sure. Give me your pitch. Why should I let my right-hand, the woman who knows enough about me to bring down my entire empire, run off with my enemy? And I assume you’ll want money too.”

Scarlet grabs Gunner’s hand and tugs him to one of the leather sofas placed in front of the large fireplace. I sit on the opposite side.

“We don’t need money,” Scarlet says. “Just the promise that you won’t come after us.”

My hold on the shot glass tightens. Promise that you won’t come after us . Her request, the insinuation that I would chase her down to harm her, is a knife to the gut.

“Where would you go?” I ask, my voice tight.

“New Orleans,” Scarlet says at the same time as Gunner says, “Costa Rica.”

They look at each other and I burst out laughing, though in reality I’m not amused one bit. “God, you two are so fucked. Even if I don’t go after you, Luca will. And he will find you.”

“Not if you tell him where Sofia is,” Gunner says.

I tense. My instincts were right. If I’d kept Sofia at the manor, Scarlet might have handed her over.

She’s staring into the flames. I watch her carefully as I say, “I will never give up Sofia’s location.”

Her breathing pattern changes and her jaw clenches. But she says nothing.

Gunner, however, insists with a sort of desperation that has me turning back to him. “Take something else. Anyone else. You love Scarlet. I can see that now. This could mean her life.”

“No!” I boom

“Sofia is nothing to you.”

“I said no! Don’t ask me again, Gunner. Sofia is mine and that is not up for discussion.”

Scarlet finally speaks up, and what she says has me reeling. “I think it’s me that means nothing to him, Gunn.”

I nearly choke with the sadness that fills me at her words. That she’d ever say them. But what she wants from me, I cannot give. I’m faced with an impossible choice once again, something I love, for something I love more.

Because I do love Scarlet. But it cannot compare to what I feel for Sofia and the child she’s carrying.

“Fine,” Scarlet says. “Then, just let us go. I swear to keep all your secrets. You know I will.”

“And in return?” I ask. “What do I get for my loss?”

Scarlet shakes her head. “What do you want?”

“A favor. Each. I will let you go, but I won’t lose track of you. So, that when I need to, I will call in my favors and you will comply. If you don’t, the price will be Gunn’s life. And this time, I’m not giving you the order, Scarlet. This time, I’ll do it myself. Is it a deal?”

“What kind of favors?” Gunner asks.

“The kind that will get blood on your hands,” I tell him. “Why else would I bother?”

“It’s a deal,” Scarlet says. “For me.”

Gunner nods. “Fine. It’s?—”

My phone rings and I lift a finger to stop him. “Hold that thought. I have to take this. Gideon.”

“Sir, we’re under attack. Security has been breached,” my guard says. “It’s the Sinacore men.”

“Where are they now?”

“Most are still in the foyer.” There’s gunfire. “A few have pushed their way into the stairwell.”

“Keep them there as long as you can.”

“Who was that?” Scarlet asks.

I look at Gunner and my vision goes red. Before I can stop myself, I ram him. I pummel him until he manages to get a left hook in and throws me off.

Once again, I lunge for him, but this time, Scarlet gets between us. “Stop it! What the fuck is the matter with you?”

“They followed him!” I point to the idiot standing behind her.

“Who?”

“Luca’s men. They’re in the building. I don’t know how long my team can keep them from the penthouse.”

“Fuck!” Gunner curses.

“How?” Scarlet asks. “No one was behind us.”

“A tracer.” I narrow my gaze on him.

“You patted me down. You made me take my fucking shoes off!” he says.

“I missed some—” That’s when it occurs to me. The only thing I didn’t check was the Glock I took from him. I pull it out now and inspect it. There, beneath the barrel, black and almost imperceptible, is a tracer.

Scarlet snatches it from me and shows it to him. “Did you know about this?”

“What? No. Luca gave me the gun before he…” he trails off. “He was never going against Carina. It was their plan.”

I don’t know what the fuck he’s rambling about. But it doesn’t matter. “You fucking idiot! You led him right to us.”

Shoving Scarlet aside, I throw myself on him again. We go down hard, fists pounding. Everything fades to the background. All of my focus is on taking this man out. He’s with the enemy. He’s thwarted my plans. He’s taken one of the few people that matter from me.

Somewhere in the distance I can hear screams, feel hands trying to pry us apart. But I ignore it.

“Stop!” I hear the begging voice say, but my anger is louder. “Please. Stop. Stop. Stop!” It’s the desperation in the tone that makes us both turn, but it’s the horror of what we see that has us reacting.

Scarlet is standing several feet from us, one of her eyes and her lips swollen, her hair a mess as if she tried to come between us. She did try and we were too far gone to realize it was her.

But that isn’t what has my blood running cold. It’s the slashes covering her arms, and the knife in her hand as she continues to slice as she screams, “Stop! Stop! Stop!”

“Scarlet!” I snatch the blade from her hand.

Gunner wraps his arms around her a lifts her off her feet. “I’m here. I’m here.” Blood pours from her wounds, instantly soaking his clothes.

“Gideon,” she calls out weakly. Suddenly, she’s fifteen again. She’s beaten and dirty and calling up to me for help.

“Fuck!” I curse. “Why did you do this?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “You didn’t stop and I was scared and I couldn’t stop you.”

“Get her—” I don’t get to finish that sentence because in that moment, there’s an explosion so powerful, it rocks the entire building. “They’re here.”

“Shit.” Gunner scoops her up. “She’s bleeding heavily.”

I go to hidden doorway next to the fireplace, an escape route I set up for such an occasion. I push what looks like a regular set of shelves, revealing the exit. “Through here. This stairwell leads directly outside. Get her the fuck out of here.”

“Wha abou you?” Scarlet asks, her words slurred now.

“I’m so sorry.” I want to say more. I want to tell her that this is all my fault. That I’ve been selfish in keeping her when I knew she was sick, but I was too afraid of… I was afraid she’d never come back to me and I’d be left alone once more.

My lips tighten as I smooth back her hair. To Gunner, I say, “Get her out of here. Protect her with your life, or I’ll fucking end yours.”

They leave, and I shut the doorway.

The stairwell door is blasted open and I duck behind the couch to keep from getting hit by debris. When the dust settles, I come up. Standing in the center of my living room, is Luca, his gun aimed at me.

Thing is, I had a choice to make. Sofia or Scarlet. Except, I could never make that choice between them. When it comes down to it, I’d rather go with option number three.

I’ll give myself up instead.