Chapter 6
Chapter Six
KEANE
The car pulls up in the circle drive of the Rossi mansion, and two men come around, opening the back doors to let me and Jax out.
“Good morning, sir,” John greets me with respect, and I glance over the top of the sedan at Jax, catching his smirk.
After Jax and I cleaned house, we’re down about fifteen men. Men who infiltrated our organization and were loyal to Declan Levine. Water under the bridge now, seeing as we’ve been practically living in the man’s skyscraper the past several days.
“I still say we should douse the place in gasoline and hand Andie a match,” Jax says as he stares up at the massive house.
I’m not going to tell him that I’m starting to come around to his way of thinking. I can’t bring Andie back here once we’re married. And I fucking refuse to live at Falcon Tower. We need a fresh start. Something we build together that’s our own.
“We should take Andie to Ireland sometime soon to see Sarah.”
“Andie would love that,” Jax agrees, a sinister grin forming. “We can take her to Blarney Castle. I’ll add fucking her up against the Blarney Stone on my bucket list.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Jax’s grin spreads to the point it takes up his entire face.
Giving up, I turn to John and tell him, “Come find me in an hour.” He knows I expect a full report of everything since the last time we spoke.
“Yes, sir.”
I bump Jax’s shoulder when he snorts out a laugh. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to grown men calling me sir.
“Let’s get this over with,” Jax says, and I know the feeling.
I don’t like being away from Andie any more than he does. Liam has proven that he can’t protect her like we can. He should have seen the car coming from a mile away before it ever got a chance to run them off the road.
Jax and I climb the steps to the house, and the double doors automatically open to the foyer.
“Nice to see you up and around,” I tell Enzo.
“Bed rest is for pussies,” he replies, leaning heavily on a walking cane.
“Don’t overdo it. I need you ready,” I tell him.
After thinking it over, I’ve decided to send him and Dante up to New York to head the restructuring of the Ricci and Barone organizations. Then, they’ll take over as capos, answering only to me.
“Dante around?” I ask him.
“Finishing up with some business downstairs.”
The “business” is what he called me about earlier when I was ready to go to blows with Liam in the alleyway.
“You up for another interrogation?”
Jax’s eyes shutter, and I hate it. I hate taking away the contentment he’s had since waking up with Andie between us this morning. He’s a completely different person with her. Happier. Not drowning in the demons that he’s lived with most of his life. Jax never smiled or laughed until she came back.
As I follow him to the secret door that leads down to the torture room, I’m surprised by how different the house looks. The foyer is completely devoid of anything Max. The ugly portrait of himself that he hung on the wall. The expensive artwork and priceless sculptures. Andie smashed all of them to dust.
Jax enters the code on the panel, and as soon as the door unlocks, I know we’re both thinking the same thing. The ghosts of Andie’s childhood smash into us, and we both hesitate on the first step. With a deep exhale, I wall up that part of me, sealing it tight. There’s no place for emotions where we’re headed.
Fluorescent lights flicker on as we descend the staircase. I don’t look behind me at Jax when I hear the metallic snick of the new knife he now carries. I leave the Grim Reaper alone. He has a job to do.
Ignoring the familiar stench of blood and piss that never goes away no matter how much bleach is used to clean the room, I walk over to the back wall and lean a casual shoulder on it.
“Who do we have here?”
Dante already told me, but my question is for Jax’s benefit. As soon as he learns who the man chained to the floor is, he’s going to lose his shit, and I’m smart enough to know to stand back and keep out of his way.
Dante rubs his bloody knuckles on his pants. From the man’s face, Dante hasn’t been at it for long.
“Well, seeing as he refuses to tell me his real name, I’m going with the only thing he has said. Keane Agosti, meet Fuck You.” Dante switches his attention to Jax and takes a few steps back. Like me, he knows to stay out of the way. “Julio’s man who shot you and Enzo.”
Jax is on him before I can turn around and head back upstairs; Fuck you’s screams only cutting off when I shut and seal the door. Hopefully, Jax will get the information we need before he carves the man into unrecognizable pieces.
“I’ll be in the office,” I tell Enzo as I head to the second floor. There are a few phone calls I need to make before John interrupts me.
Once I enter Max’s old office, I go over to the wet bar and pour a full glass of whiskey, needing more than a finger’s worth to help mellow me out.
My phone vibrates.
Jax: FuckU bashed his head into the wall and killed himself. Never saw someone do that before. Didn’t get much out of him.
Is he serious? What the fuck?
Me: Throw the body in the furnace and get cleaned up.
Alejandro will mess up at some point. And when he does…
The scratch marks on the desk catch my eye, and I smile at what Andie carved into the wood. KARMA IS A BITCH NAMED ANDIE. God, I love that woman. And soon, she’ll be my wife.
Sitting down in the leather executive chair, I stare out the window while sipping my drink. Karma is definitely a bitch. And it’s coming for you, Alejandro.