Chapter Two
C old, dead eyes stared back at me, and for a moment, it was as if I was looking into a mirror.
The only evidence I had to convince me otherwise was that my blood was still burning its way through my veins while the man on the ground in front of me was lying in a puddle of crimson.
His throat had been slit from one side to the other, and he was as cold and hard as my still beating heart.
I looked down at the bastard, and I realized in that moment he was exactly what I felt.
Nothing!
Being honest, I hadn’t felt anything in a while.
The demons of my world had long since gotten me in their talons, and I was still paralyzed mentally.
One singular event had changed everything.
My brother was gone, much like my father and mother.
The former was the hardest to deal with, and a part of me had died alongside him.
I’d never been one who lived for the thrill of the kill, and I’d feel the rush dissipate as soon as my target was vanquished, as this one was.
No matter how many men I’d taken down, the one I wanted to kill was still free to live her life.
One of these days, her luck would run out, and I’d be there to fulfill my solemn vow.
For now, it was basically me following my grandfather’s order.
This time, I had to chase my prey, and I did. The executed man was thousands of miles away from his home in Harrison, New York, close to the Texas/Mexico line. After he’d fled to Mexico, I’d tracked him throughout the country. Once he’d re-entered the States, I’d made him pay.
Nothing!
Again, it was what I felt, the hollowness of victory doing little for my mental state.
Jobs like this had become more frequent.
There was a mob war going on in the States and abroad.
Our very own empire was now down to three bosses at the top.
There was my cousin, my grandfather, and I who still orchestrated the entire organization.
Grandfather was getting up there in age, though.
Sooner or later, he’d have to step aside, and I needed to be sure I was ready once he did.
Back in my youth, I’d envisioned the day when it would be Princeton and me at the top, ruling the kingdom together.
Like most dreams, that one could never come true now.
After scandal rocked our family, it had the potential to derail everything generations of Brannington men had built.
And at the hands of a Kotov—a sworn enemy, mostly in Europe, but one nonetheless.
Only now, Ekaterina was one for more than simply her lineage.
There was still time to plot vengeance on her, and I would. For now, I needed to make sure to leave the scene clean, and once that was done, I left to go shower at the hotel. Several hours later, I had made it back to New York completely jet-lagged, but as determined as ever.
Popping open a beer, my cell phone rang, breaking up the silence.
Ignoring it, I took a long swig from the bottle, then used the back of my hand to wipe the few errant drops off my lips.
The caller was persistent, and grabbing what was left of the bottle, along with the cellphone, I sat down on my couch and stretched my legs out in front of me.
I’d always loved the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows in this particular loft.
It was in a renovated industrial space, and the sight in front of me was well worth all the money I’d spent purchasing the unit.
I closed my eyes and thought back over the last few days.
Tonight’s execution had been one of the easiest ones for me in a while.
I’d stealthily trailed the target before grabbing him by the throat with my gloved hand.
From there, I’d dragged him into the darkness, which became his entry to hell. He’d tried to fight me off, but he was no match for my strength. I’d used my foot to fully neutralize him, and as soon as he fell to his knees, terrified eyes stared up at me.
“Who are you?”
“I’m your worst fucking nightmare,” I’d responded. “I’m going to enjoy watching your last breath leave your worthless body.”
“No, there has to be some ? —”
I cut him off when I’d grabbed him by the hair, then placed the blade against his throat. “Any last words? If so, now’s your chance to get them out.”
“I know what this is about, and I’ll tell you where ? —”
“Tell it to your maker,” I’d said before swiping the blade across his throat.
He’d toppled forward, and I’d watched in disgust as he made a few gurgling sounds before succumbing to death. It was a sight I saw at least a few times a year, and when my phone rang again, I grabbed it from the cushion beside me.
“Garmhac,” I heard as soon as I hit the speaker button.
“Daideó,” I replied to my grandfather. “Did you get what I sent you?”
“I did, but that’s not why I am calling. I need to see you.”
“Are you still in Dublin?”
“I am, but my jet is fueled and ready. I’m heading to New York City overnight. I need to see you at Clovers. I’ll message you the time tomorrow.”
“Very well,” I replied.
“And good job with the assignment. I’ll see you soon.”
The line went dead, and I shook my head.
My grandfather had always been a man of few words.
He’d stayed mostly in Dublin over the last couple of years, very rarely venturing to New York City.
While Cillian was mostly in Dublin with him, I’d been running the organization from here in New York City.
I had no idea if my cousin meant to make the trip or not, but I would worry about that another time.
I opened another beer, then scrolled through my emails on my cell phone, stopping at the one from my private investigator. Tempted to just move it to another folder, I actually opened it, and when I saw her beautiful, but lethal, face, my lips quirked into a smirk.
Killing her would be so much better than any other assassination I’d done over the years.
Unlike tonight’s target, a simple death would be too good for her.
She needed to suffer greatly before succumbing to her own, and she would.
Just like I had six years ago. Then five years ago.
And four, and three, and so on. Truly, every day after she’d slain my kid brother in cold blood and walked away scot-free.
There were many things money and power could buy, and her father had assured her freedom.
And I would be certain to end it, and in the process, finally fulfilling the promise I’d made as I’d watched Princeton die.
“I’ll make sure that bitch pays for everything she’s done to us. To you. Your death will not be in vain. I’ll make sure of it.”
Up until this point, she’d been left to live her life without consequence. That was all going to end. One day, I’d get my chance to end it, finally allowing my brother to rest in peace.