Chapter 12
SILAS
She’s usually reserved, and not someone I would consider a threat, but when I watched her shoot one of my men with such ease, I realized I had mistaken her for who she really is.
Under all that exterior that she presents to the world is someone who is fiercely protective of those in her circle.
And that is something I understand completely.
I am the same way with my family. So while the rest of my men would expect me to kill her for what she did, I actually approve and respect it.
None of my men will question it. They know better than to do that, I do not accept sexual assault or abuse toward women.
But I can see the uncertain glances being thrown my way.
I have taken too much interest in the doctor, and they have started to notice.
I am not someone who does intimacy. I’ve never been in a relationship before.
Not that I have tried to do so. I just knew that one day a woman would present herself, and that’s exactly where I would fall.
I’m not saying it’s the doctor, but she is the first woman I have ever found so fucking interesting.
I can honestly say I have never met someone quite like her.
In all my research, it didn’t show that she was good with guns, but the way she handled it proves to me that she is fucking excellent with them.
I could’ve stopped her from taking it. It only takes me a second to disarm someone, but I wanted to see how far she was willing to go and what she would do with it.
I’ve seen her make idle threats before. Part of me assumed she was only going to use it to scare, but she shot him without hesitation, and my dick twitched.
“My cleaners will be here soon,” I tell the owner.
He knows who I am, which is why he was willing to pull every dancer in the room to us when we walked in.
But I was not here for dances. I was here to see her.
See why she came here to begin with. Now I understand why—her friend.
The one who has the child. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s who she gives her money to.
I looked into her friend as well, who technically wouldn’t have to work, given the amount of money I have seen in her bank account.
I’m guessing it’s a mix of money from the doctor and her income from working here, but the account is in her child’s name, and is labeled as a college fund.
So I get it. Even if I don’t want kids, or even like kids apart from my niece for that matter, I get why a mother would do that.
Though her relationship with the stripper is one I do find interesting.
Especially since the stripper is fucking her ex.
“Silas.” I hear my name, and the man who manages the club stares at the floor as the middle son of Nero’s crew, Elias, walks through the crowd. He runs his hand through his dark brown hair, evidently irritated, and those mismatched brown and blue eyes snap to me furiously.
Though I have many thanks for the doctor, she might’ve just drawn out one of my little mice without even realizing it.
“Elias,” I say in greeting. It’s only because it’s him and neither of his brothers or his father that I have an element of respect for him.
Out of them all, he’s the only one I say is progressive enough not to run their crew to the ground.
Or perhaps that’s because I don’t like Apollo or his other sons, especially when the eldest started taking a liking toward my sister a few years ago.
He’s lucky I didn’t put a bullet in his head.
“Sir, Mr. Vescari handled one of his own men. He paid for the damages, and his men will be here to clean up shortly,” the man says, still unable to look at him directly as he hands him the envelope of money.
Elias swipes it, furious. “In my office,” he says before walking ahead of me, and I can’t help but smirk. He’s not as explosive as his two brothers, but he has a temperament. Then again, don’t we all.
“It’s unlike you to deal with such affairs personally,” I say cryptically as I walk into the office behind him, closing the door. He turns on me.
“Well, considering you’ve been picking off our men, I thought it was time we had a conversation.”
“Indeed.” I smirk. “It’s been difficult getting ahold of your father or brothers. I have business to conduct, but there seems to be no head to conduct it with. Trouble in paradise?” There’s venom in my tone, and his eyebrows dip.
“Look, I don’t know what vendetta you have right now or why you’re pissed off.”
“Pietro,” I say.
His eyebrows crinkle, and he runs his hand through his hair. “You think we’re behind your uncle’s death? We have no reason to cross you.”
I size him up. Elias is a businessman, more so than his family who seem to enjoy the pleasure they sell. But it doesn’t mean I trust him.
“What’s stopping me from taking you as hostage right now so I can get more answers?”
He steps up to me then, the predator beneath coming to the forefront. “Are you threatening me? I’ve been friendly. I allow you and your crew to indulge in our clubs, but if you’re going to come in here and dare attempt to threaten me, this conversation will go downhill very quickly.”
My smile tics up, ruthlessly. “Where are your brothers?”
His eyebrows dip. “I don’t fucking know. I’m not their babysitter. They’re fucking idiots, but if you try anything funny, I’ll kill you myself. If any other men go missing, you’re instigating a war.”
I tilt my head. “You don’t seem overly upset about the men killed.”
He scoffs. “Please, we both know you’re picking off small fry, clearly trying to send a message, especially considering the ones we got back have very specific messages carved into their chests.”
“Ah, you enjoyed my art?”
“Stop fucking with me, Silas.”
I grab him by the collar of the shirt and swing him so his back hits the door. At the same time, we both pull out our guns and prod them beneath one another’s chins, ready to blow out each other’s brains.
“Stop fucking with me. What business are you conducting outside of Boston?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he growls, shoving me. I scan his eyes. If it were anyone else, I’d most likely blow his brains out. But in an ideal world, he’d be the next head of the Nero crew, and we might not have so many issues.
He also doesn’t look like he knows. “Organize a meeting with your father.”
“He’s in Greece.”
“Then call him back,” I spit through my teeth as I lean in. “I’ll kill one of your men every fucking day until you do.”
His gaze narrows. “You will start a war.”
I laugh like a madman. “Please, we both know one has already been started. You might not know who the fuck did it or gave the order, but someone killed my uncle.” I press into him more. “Where is his body?”
His eyebrows dip. “I don’t fucking know!” He shoves me off, and cold air crackles between us as we size one another up, our guns still aimed at each other’s heads.
It’s taken me this long just to get to one of their leaders, and I can tell in the calculated way he’s watching me that he’s trying to figure something out himself.
My finger is on the trigger despite somewhat liking Elias, and the temptation to blow his brains out for some kind of release is prominent.
But then that will reduce my likelihood of figuring out who the fuck killed Pietro. And Elias is not my guy.
I lower my gun.
He does the same and glares at me. There’s an unspoken level of respect that crackles between us; though we’d never voice it. It certainly won’t be anything of a friendship but a mutual understanding.
Someone came for my family. And now I’ll come for his.
“Organize it,” I grit through my teeth as I return the gun to my holster.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he growls, but I suspect he’s going to do his own investigation as well. Because by the expression he’s trying to cover, he’s been blindsided.
“You killed one of your own men today for getting handsy with one of my employees,” he states.
I casually shrug. “You would’ve gone after him anyway. Consider it a peace offering.”
“So you’ll stop killing my men?” he asks rhetorically.
“Oh no, I promised you I’d kill one a day until your father returns. I’m a man of my word,” I say as I turn to leave, feeling far from resolved. I don’t like it when I don’t have immediate results.
Before I open the door, he says over my shoulder, “I heard Grim was in tonight and that she was about to shoot your man before you took the gun and did it yourself.” Which is partly why I came myself, to see what her relationship with the Neros was like.
It’s possible they have her favor. The truth is, I’ve become curious for personal reasons as well.
I look over my shoulder. “You’re aware her best friend works here,” I say matter-of-factly. Because Elias is smart.
“I’m aware of who walks through these doors. Grim is unbiased and off-limits for personal gain to the families. You might ruffle more than Nero attention.”
I glance over my shoulder, curious about my little raven, who is viewed so preciously by the other families. She’s been building that trust for six years, and I imagine most have tried to gain her favor multiple times.
The only reason I told him about my uncle’s body, jeopardizing her safety, is because I needed to see his reaction. To know if he knew about it. Because I know for certain someone in his family does.
And since they’re the ones behind the issue, I doubt they’re going to whisper it among any other family.
“I don’t care about whose eyes are on me. Besides…” I think back to the start of my conversation with Leonore tonight. “Our meeting here was just a coincidence.”