Chapter Twenty-Two
Mason
“I don’t want your fucking excuses.”
“Boss, Oliver is clean. There’s nothing—”
I shoot him a look that silences him. “You’re not looking hard enough.”
A cold gust of wind whips past us, and I hear a car in the distance. Slowly, I shove both hands into my coat and move closer to Carlisle. In the semidarkness of the gazebo, I can barely make out his features, but I can sense his unease.
I don’t like being out in the open any more than he does.
But pretending to examine the estate for weak spots is the only thing that makes sense, and the only way I can speak to my right-hand man without arousing suspicion.
The manor isn’t safe anymore; neither is the club.
Until I have an idea of how deep the rot goes, I can’t risk tipping my hand.
You’ll find out who’s working with your brother. It’s only a matter of time, and at least you have Katia, Carlisle, and a handful of men.
Carlisle stiffens when I lean in close enough to see his pupils dilate. “I want the fucking traitors. Not more excuses. Oliver has learned to be careful, but it doesn’t mean the evidence isn’t there.”
Carlisle nods.
I draw back to look at him and frown. “Do I need to remind you of what Paynes do to traitors?”
“No, boss.”
“Weed them out, Carlisle,” I add. “I want to personally make them pay.”
Even if it means leaving myself exposed.
I know I can’t fight a war on both fronts, but it doesn’t mean I won’t try.
There’s still time. You will get to the bottom of this.
The alternative is too dire to consider.
Whatever his reasons for working against me, Oliver has already crossed the line, and whatever mercy I hoped he possessed has probably been replaced.
He’s been away from his world for so long, but now that he’s worked side by side with some of the most ruthless men in the business, I can only imagine the impact they’ve had on him.
They’ve awoken a beast in him, and my poor brother is no more in charge than I am.
He’s a puppet on a string, ready to do their bidding, and I wonder what they’ll do to him once they’re done.
You can’t save Oliver from his choices without risking your life and London’s. He’s made his bed, and now he has to lie in it.
“I’ll bring my men in on this.” Carlisle looks away from me, and his eyes sweep over the estate, taking in every noise and every disturbance.
“Only the ones who can be trusted. Remember that whoever is planning this has people helping on the inside.”
“I’ll beat the shit out of anyone who comes too close,” Carlisle says.
The corners of my lips turn up into a smile. “Good. Leave them with a taste of what’s to come.”
Everyone needs reminding of what it’s like to have the full force of the empire breathing down their neck.
“Make sure you keep Katia in the loop.” I shift away from Carlisle and lean over the nearest railing. “This needs to be contained.”
Carlisle gives me another nod and slips into the shadows.
I stand there, looking out at the estate and listening for the sound of anything unusual.
When I hear footsteps inching closer, my hand moves to the gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans.
A nearby light flickers to life, and I catch a glimpse of familiar tattoos and shaved heads and flex my fingers.
The security detail pauses and lowers their heads.
Then they walk past me and disappear into the night.
I force myself to glance back.
The manor towers over everything else, and even from where I stand, it’s imposing and undeniable.
Every inch of it bleeds power and control.
I shove my hands back into my pockets, tracing the knife hidden there.
On my walk back, no one stops me, and I almost sprint to the front door.
Before I can step through the doorway, Mathew appears and blocks my path.
His dark eyes flicker over me, and when he steps closer, I notice the blood spatter on his neck.
Ice creeps up my back.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Mathew turns his back on me. “You need to come with me.”
I hesitate in the doorway, but one look is all it takes for me to follow him.
Mathew has been noticeably absent the past few weeks.
I’ve wondered about his involvement, but I know he wouldn’t dare go against our father’s wishes.
My twin is many things, but brazen and reckless isn’t one of them.
At least that’s what I tell myself as I follow him into the secluded part of the house.
Outside the basement, Mathew offers the guard a terse nod.
He unlocks the door, and we both duck inside, and I hold my breath as I creep down the stairs. At the bottom, Mathew stops and flips a switch on.
Ryder is nowhere to be seen. Oliver is tied to a chair in his place, with dried blood caked on his face and chin, and one eye already swollen shut.
Horror and disgust claw their way inside of me as I turn to my brother. “What the hell is this?”
“I’ve had your prisoner moved somewhere else.” Mathew pauses to roll up his sleeves. “I can’t have him overhearing anything.”
When Oliver sees me, he groans and begins to thrash. Mathew stalks forward and stuffs a piece of fabric into his mouth.
“We need to take care of this,” Mathew says.
I ignore the thundering in my chest. “What is this?”
“Our traitorous brother.” Mathew’s words drip with ice. “I’ve had my suspicions about him for a while, so I asked my security detail to inform me of any developments.”
What have you done, Oliver? Betraying me is bad enough, but what made you think going after Mathew was a good idea?
As far as my twin is concerned, blood isn’t a deterrent.
I’m surprised that Oliver is still breathing. I know what Mathew is capable of.
“And?”
Mathew’s eyes are on me now, but I don’t turn to look at him. “He’s been spying on me. Keeping tabs here and there when he thought I wouldn’t notice.”
“I don’t like people sticking their nose in my business,” Mathew continues. “I was going to take care of it until I realized the truth.”
I force myself to face my brother, and the gleam in his eyes sends another shiver of unease through me. “Skip the theatrics, brother. Why is Oliver tied up in the basement?”
Mathew smiles. “Because he’s the traitor. He’s been working with our enemies and feeding them information. I suspect he struck some kind of deal for them to remove you and allow him to lead our family instead.”
I force myself to hold still. “Do you have proof?”
“Isn’t my word enough?” Mathew’s smile slips. “Someday, you’ll learn to trust me, but I had a feeling you’d take some convincing.”
As he says this, he moves to a nearby table and picks up a file.
He shoves it at me and folds his arms over his chest. “It’s all the proof you need.”
I glance at the file, flip it open, and my heart sinks. The first few pictures are the ones Carlisle took, showing our brother meeting with several key members of the opposing families. I study the new pictures, each more damning than the rest.
Mathew has done his homework.
Any hope I had of resolving this quickly and quietly is gone.
He isn’t wrong to want to make an example of Oliver. Just because his methods are different doesn’t mean they don’t get him results.
I snap the folder shut. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
“That’s it?” Mathew says. “Maybe I should’ve gone to our father instead. You’re the head of the empire. You know what needs to be done.”
I shoot Mathew a cold look. “The men who are still loyal cannot learn about this. Those who are working with him will answer for this. As for our brother…” I approach Oliver, look him in the eye, and punch him.
He makes a low sputtering sound when I grip the back of his neck and force him forward.
“He needs to be moved to a secure location where we can deal with him a little more freely.”
Mathew chuckles. “I was beginning to think I’d have to take care of this myself.”
I look at my twin and raise an eyebrow. “He needs to be taught a lesson.”
Mathew smiles again. “There’s no need to involve Father until we know more.”
I release the back of Oliver’s head and walk over to my brother. “I agree.”
Together, we turn to face Oliver, and even though the fresh cut over his eye is bleeding, he’s still looking at us.
I’m sorry, Mom. I tried. I’ll be as careful as possible.
I have every intention of giving Oliver a quick death, regardless of how Mathew feels, but he needs to come clean first.
“For once, the two of us can have fun,” Mathew says. “Would you like to do the honors?”
I smile. “With pleasure.”
“Don’t waste your time removing the gag,” Mathew adds. “No point in listening to whatever bullshit he’s going to sell us.”
I stop in front of Oliver and look down at him. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m sorry it’s come to this.”
“I’m not. Worthless piece of shit. I always knew he was a liability, but it’s a good thing we caught this in time.”
I ignore Mathew and turn to Oliver. I can’t stop seeing the little boy who held an injured bird in his hand, even when it nipped him. With a frown, I shove the image away and reach into my pocket for the knife. It glistens, and Oliver’s eyes widen in fear as he leans away.
“Tell us what we want to know, and I’ll make this painless.”
“I won’t.”
A door opens in the background, and footsteps descend. Mathew’s right-hand man appears, and I turn to find their heads bent in conversation. Mathew gestures wildly as the man nods. Then my brother turns to me, takes a napkin out of his pocket, and wipes his chin and knuckles.
“I have something to take care of. Don’t have too much fun without me.”
Once the door shuts behind him, I turn to face Oliver, who has renewed his bucking and thrashing. I remove his gag, and he chokes, snot and sweat running down his face and mixing with the blood. He sniffs and lifts his head to look at me.
“I didn’t do this, Mason.”
“I thought I knew you. I knew a kid who liked to help people, who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“That’s still me,” Oliver maintains. “Mason, please. Hear me out. Mathew is setting me up.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why would he do that?”