32. Thirty-Two
32
THIRTY-TWO
ARCHER
S lipping out of bed like a shadow, I gazed down at my beautiful angel. The one who held my black heart in her hands. Her peaceful face was softened by the gentle moonlight filtering through the curtains, and my mind was a tumultuous storm of conflicting emotions—love, desire, guilt, and a burning thirst for vengeance. She was so innocent, so pure. And yet, she was the key to everything The Brotherhood had been working toward for so long. I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, feeling a pang of guilt deep in my chest. How could someone like her be entwined with a man like me, tainted by darkness and sin?
Her soft breaths were the only sound in the room as I carefully dressed, trying not to disturb her peaceful sleep. As much as I wanted to stay in bed with her, wrapped up in her naked limbs, there was work to do. Alexander Benson was getting on my last nerve. I needed to squash him and his little empire before it was too late. He had revealed his plans to Mila; The Collectors indeed owned her father, something we had assumed but couldn’t yet prove. Alexander planned on claiming Mila as his own as payment for their dealings with Winston Grey .
It was 3 a.m., and I called a meeting. Kai and Theo stumbled into the room, exhaustion etched on their faces as they rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Damion, my trusted head of security, followed close behind. The years of his loyal service to my family had taken a toll on his once youthful appearance. Now, his dark hair was peppered with gray, his face and body were marred with scars. But he was exactly what I needed—ruthless, efficient, and unquestionably devoted. In our dangerous world, there was no one I could trust more than him to get things done without hesitation or prying for answers.
“What is so important that you can’t wait until morning to speak about?” Kai complained, settling into the couch in my office, yawning obnoxiously.
“Maybe he is so excited about his engagement that he wants to talk about what colors he’s choosing for his tux,” Theo teased as he took a seat on the opposite end of the couch Kai was on.
“Yeah, what was that all about? Why didn’t you tell us you were engaged?” Kai questioned, giving me a sly smile. “You are going to have your hands full with that one. She takes no prisoners.”
“Trust me, I know it.”
“What Kai is trying to say is that we are proud of Mila for standing up to that piece of shit father of hers,” Theo stated, more serious than Kai in that moment.
“Who would be headless if you two hadn’t intervened,” I mumbled.
“You can’t protect her if you’re in prison,” Theo stated.
“Yeah, I am not babysitting while your pretty ass gets fucked by your celly,” Kai chuckled darkly. “Just saying.”
“That’s not going to happen because we will be smart. Alexander told Mila that they owned her father, and her father agreed that Mila was his. By the reaction her father had when our engagement was announced, this puts him in a shitty position.”
“Or it just moves his timelines up.” Theo fixed his gaze on me, and the weight of Alexander’s promise settled heavily on my shoulders .
“We are going to cripple Alexander’s empire before that happens,” I began, my voice low and dangerous. “We need to send a message,” I continued, pacing back and forth in front of them. “But it needs to be calculated, precise. We can’t afford any missteps.”
My mind raced with possibilities, each darker and more ruthless than the last. But this was the world we lived in, a world where weakness was exploited, and strength was revered.
Damion stepped forward, his voice gruff but unwavering. “I have a few ideas,” he said, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light.
“Let’s hear them,” I replied, my gaze locking with Damion’s. He was a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes. I trusted him with my life, and that was no small thing in this world.
Damion outlined a plan that was as brutal as it was effective. It involved hitting Alexander Benson where it hurt the most—his wealth. The Brotherhood had gathered intel on his financial operations for months, and now it was time to strike. We would hit multiple locations simultaneously, seizing assets, freezing accounts, and sending a clear message that no one was untouchable.
Kai’s eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of the operation. He had a penchant for chaos and destruction that bordered on madness, but in this line of work, it was an asset rather than a liability.
Theo nodded thoughtfully, his analytical mind already working out the finer details of the plan. He was the strategist of our group, always thinking several steps ahead of everyone else.
As the meeting progressed, we worked through the details of the plan, discussing tactics, contingencies, and potential counter-moves by Alexander. It was an intricate and dangerous game, and one wrong move could cost us everything.
But we were prepared.
We had the resources, the manpower, and the brutality necessary to see this through. And we had each other's backs. In this world, that was all that mattered.
At the end of the meeting, Damion looked at me and said, "We're ready. The Brotherhood is coming. And there's nothing he can do to stop us."
I smiled a twisted expression that betrayed my dark intentions. "Let the games begin."