Shattered Lies (Horsemen of Ruin #1)

Chapter 1

ENZO

Blood splattered across my face in hot, sticky dots of red as some Russian asshole’s head erupted from the bullet I’d just lodged in his skull. His large body crumpled to the floor with a thud, blood pooling around him.

I stared down at him, my throat tight, before I stuffed the gun my father had given me in high school as a gift back into my long wool jacket.

“Clean this up. I want this place so fucking spotless you can eat off the floor,” I barked out. My men scampered around in our warehouse like clockwork, each grabbing a corner of the black tarp and rolling the dead fuck up in it like a fruit roll-up.

“Am I too late?” Cole called out as he came into the room, his blond hair windswept and his blue eyes bright. He looked past me as I adjusted my collar to the rolled-up tarp. “You did it without me?”

“He said the wrong thing,” I muttered, tilting my head to crack my neck.

“What did he say?”

“That he didn’t know anything.”

Cole grinned and clapped me on the shoulder. “And everyone says I’m the crazy one.”

I fixed my dark gaze on him. “Why do you think they’re wrong?”

“I don’t. I just think you’re nuttier than squirrel shit. And impatient too.” He looked back at the tarp and sighed. “So now what?”

“Well, now I need to move to the next name on the list.” I walked to the door and nodded at Wrench, the hulking German muscle, before leaving.

He’d make sure shit was taken care of the right way.

None of my guys were dumb enough to fuck anything up, especially if Wrench was watching.

He’d kill them with his namesake if they so much as put a toe out of line.

Cole followed me out to the waiting car, my driver already behind the wheel.

“Where’s E?”

“He was having issues moving the product. Sounds like some issue with De Santis. He’ll get it sorted.”

I nodded, not really worried, and opened the door to the SUV and slid onto the leather seats, Cole following.

“Let’s go,” I called out to Christian, who was driving tonight.

“You got it,” Christian said, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror before he put the SUV into drive. The gravel crunched beneath the tires, filling the sliver of silence.

“So where to?” Cole asked, settling into his seat.

I stared out at the dark scenery, so much shit on my mind that I couldn’t give him a straight answer.

So I said what was easiest.

“Home.”

Cole was silent for a moment before he spoke softly. “Is it really home anymore?”

“No.” I tore my gaze away from the passing trees and looked at him. “It’s been a long time since it’s been home.”

He knew what I meant. He nodded and sighed as he raked his fingers through his blond hair.

“Do you think she still thinks about us?”

I went back to looking out the window because seeing the fear and worry on his face made me sick to my stomach. “I hope not. She’s better off.”

Cole didn’t say anything else either because he knew that, or because he didn’t want to argue about it. It had been almost five years since we last saw her. Kissed her. Held her. Fucked her. Told her we loved her…

But I wasn’t wrong. Rosalie was better off without us. At least she was living her dreams while I lived in this fucking nightmare.

For her, though, I’d do it again.

For Rosalie Bishop, I’d give my life.

And that was evident as I continued to chip away at what was left of my soul with every pull of the trigger.

This was what it meant to be in.

Even if it meant being without.