Havoc

Chapter 11

Simon

Ifelt like I was caught in multiple perfect storms, and they were all on course to collide.

Cameron raged over a few more photos with the Devil’s Reach in them. They had recently surfaced, and it was more proof that they were there the day Castillo’s empire was taken down. Now we just needed to know which one of them actually pulled the trigger.

Sonny continued to fly off the handle as he tried to figure out who killed his business partner.

Jim Gates looked weak, and I knew he struggled now with the return of his cancer. He’d let some things drop as his focus was being pulled from where it should be.

Sasha Landry was going around half-cocked and avoided me at every turn. I couldn’t figure what that was about.

Kenna acted oddly detached from her job at the hotel. She was cool and not as friendly as she’d been. She still hadn’t gotten back to me about why I called her.

Then there was me?—

“Hey, Simon.” Knox strolled in and plunked his ass on the couch, and I slipped on my glasses. “You hear the news?”

“News?” I tried to seem busy as I shifted through some papers.

“Grim’s friend Elio caught that Tieri guy. The one who was working with the old bat from the opposite syndicate.”

“Rosa, and no, I hadn’t heard.” Interesting. “Where’d they find him?”

“Ready for this?” He kicked his feet up on the table, and I glared at his lack of respect for Cameron’s office. “He was working out of Martin Castillo’s beach house.”

I stilled. What were the odds of that?

“So how did Mr. Capri come to find out this information?”

“My brother.” Knox leaned over and fiddled with the wooden chess pieces. “Yup, big brother Grim came to the rescue and caught a win for the Italian mafia.” He laughed a nasty laugh, and I pulled down my glasses and studied him.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you held a little hostility toward your brother.”

He pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s from his jacket pocket and took a swig. Then he began to look at the Mexico photos of the DR at Castillo’s place. “I guess when your parents constantly measure your success against someone who”s fucking unbeatable,” he picked up a photo, “it tends to get old.”

“Yes, I guess that would be frustrating. Walking in his shadow, I mean.” I watched him empty more amber into his belly and tapped my pen on the desk. I pulled open my drawer and read the label on the prescription medication. “Want something to make you feel better?”

“I’m listening.” I opened the bottle and gave him three white tablets.

“It’s—” He tossed them back with gulp of Jack. Okay. “If you’re looking for Calli, I heard she’s at the spa this morning. I think she told her father she’d be back around eleven.”

“Fuck,” he groaned, “maybe I’ll go to the strip joint.”

“Why don’t you hang around here for a bit? You look like you could use a few minutes of shuteye.”

“Sleep’s for the weak,” he muttered and sounded annoyed, but he didn’t move and soon lay back and stared at the ceiling. I wondered how often Knox actually stopped to give his body time to recoup from all the drinking and drugs he took. He sure looked like he needed it.

Suddenly, something hit me, and I jumped up and crossed the room to look at the photo he’d picked up.

“When your parents measure your success to someone who”s unbeatable, it tends to grow old…”

I blinked at the jacket and studied the man with his back to the camera. The photos weren’t the best. They must have been taken with a shitty cell phone and shared a few times before we got them. I sat down on the edge of the couch where Knox lay.

“If you’re going to touch me, can it wait until after I pass out?” he crudely joked, and I dismissed his juvenile behavior.

“Knox,” I held the photo up so he could see it, “do you know who that is?”

“Sure,” he blinked slowly, “it’s Grim.”

Huh.

“Why was Grim there?”

“Probably making history by killing the notorious drug lord.” As his eyes fluttered closed, I felt the air get sucked out of the room.

“Hey,” I hit his arm to jerk him back to me, “do you know if it was Grim who killed Castillo?”

“Yes! Now piss off and leave me be.” He rolled his head toward the back of the couch.

I pulled out my phone and texted Cameron. He could be the one who tells his client Griple why he’ll be in prison for life.

Simon: I found out who killed Martin Castillo. It was Grim Gates.

I looked up from my phone and puffed out some air as I felt the storm inch even closer.