40. Soul
Soul
Zane is grinning when we walk into the warehouse. I’m tempted to plant a bullet between his eyes and get this over with. For Steel’s sake, I hold back.
He glances from me to Steel, frowning when he realizes it’s just the two of us.
“We had an agreement. I get you out, and you bring me Emery.” His eyes narrow.
“That was awfully trusting of you.” I grin, pausing in front of him. “Why would I bring you my wife?”
Zane opens his mouth to argue, but Steel holds up his hand, cutting us both off. “Technically, our agreement was that you would help us if we brought you your family. I’m prepared to hold up that end of the bargain.”
A door at the other side of the warehouse opens, and Zane straightens, fixing his jacket as Mason strides through.
He shares his father’s cold eyes, but for entirely different reasons. Other than that, he doesn’t look much like him. Mason’s blond hair is nothing like Zane’s dark strands, which are now more salt and pepper than anything.
Mason tucks his hands in his jeans; his shoulders are relaxed. The only sign of tension is his lethal glare aimed at his father.
It’s no secret that Mason hates Zane. Emery said Zane was worse to his children than he ever was to her when she was growing up.
Add that to the fact that Mason blames his father for his sister’s death, and it explains why they haven’t spoken in a couple of years.
Mason lives in LA now, working at a tattoo parlor and avoiding the life he left behind in Vegas.
He’s only back now as a favor to Steel to help tie up loose ends.
“It’s been a while, son.” Zane’s eyes narrow as he scans Mason over.
His disappointment is evident as he takes in the tattoos now covering Mason’s arms and neck. He always had a good amount, but now, they cover every inch of exposed skin.
“Of all my family wanting to build bridges, I didn’t expect it to be you.”
“I’m not here to repair anything,” Mason says, crossing his arms over his chest.
He came to town a couple of days ago, but we made sure Zane didn’t know about it. Mason’s wife, Reed, has been at the house with Emery, while Mason has been helping the club get things in order before our meeting with Zane.
Zane shakes his head. “This isn’t what we agreed to. Where is Emery?”
“With our daughter,” I answer. “Another person you’re never going to see again.”
He takes a step forward, and Steel reaches for his gun. “I wouldn’t do that. Especially when you don’t have any backup.”
“Did you really think I’d come alone, Steel?” Zane smirks. “You couldn’t possibly believe I’d agree to those terms. This place is surrounded.”
“Was surrounded,” Steel corrects him. “You never did find a good substitute for the Iron Sinners muscle, did you? Who was this? A private security firm? A few Mafia hitters? We had them neutralized within the first minute of our arrival.”
Zane’s gaze hardens. He pulls out his phone, waiting for an answer on the other end of the line that will never come.
“We had an agreement.” He hangs up, tucking his phone back into his pocket.
“That’s the problem.” Steel shakes his head. “My club doesn’t make deals with lying, sex-trafficking assholes.”
Amusement ghosts Mason’s face for the first time since facing his father. A smile blooms in the corner of his mouth, even as Zane refuses to look at him.
The doors at either side of the warehouse open, and our men start moving inside. We told Zane we were coming alone, but like him, we were lying.
Panic swells in his eyes, but he masks it well, rolling his shoulders back. “If you think you can pull one over on me, you’re mistaken. I’m not the kind of man you can make disappear. I have contingencies in place, people who will ask questions. People who will be looking for me.”
“Are these the same people who you’ve been stealing money from?” I tilt my head, eyeing him. “We spent a lot of time in your accounts these past few days. I’ve got to give you credit, your cybersecurity is top-notch. Thankfully, your son was more than happy to help us with those last hurdles.”
“You’re welcome.” Mason smirks, and Zane’s face turns bright red.
“You better not have laid a finger on my money,” he seethes through his teeth.
“It’s not your money.” I shake my head. “It’s Emery’s. You made sure of it.”
“If you touch one cent—”
“You’ll what? Hire someone to take us down? How are you going to pay them off when we’ve cut off access to your accounts? Better yet, when we’ve cut off access to her?” When I step forward, color starts to drain from his face. “All of your liquid assets are in her name.”
“Were in her name,” Mason corrects.
“Right.”
Zane’s gaze turns lethal. “What did you do?”
“We did your business associates a favor and put that money back where it belonged. It turns out Emery’s father isn’t the only person you fucked over.
You’ve been stealing from your business partners for years, hiding it away under your niece’s name, knowing it was somewhere they couldn’t find it.
You explained it away as business expenses or losses.
They weren’t happy to find out you’ve been lying to them. ”
Zane’s face pales as Steel starts to circle him.
“And it wasn’t just your business partners you fucked over, was it?
There were all the people you crushed along the way.
Businesses you claimed you’d help, only to destroy them early on, forcing them to liquidate so you could buy them out dirt cheap.
They weren’t happy to hear you fucked them over from the start. ”
“It’s business. They should have been smarter about it.” Zane’s eyes narrow.
Steel stops in front of him. “Like the politicians you were funding with illegal money. We did them a favor and sent them the ledgers showing where their campaign donations really came from. They weren’t happy to find out you weren’t using clean money as you promised.
It puts their campaigns at risk. Their careers.
Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll keep your secret because it would just fall back on them if they didn’t.
But I doubt you still have their support. ”
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
I shake my head. “That’s where you’re wrong. We already did. And you only have yourself to blame.”
“My niece wouldn’t do this to me.” He turns to Mason. “You can’t do this to me. I gave you everything you could ever want.”
“You gave me nothing.” Mason glares. “Don’t look to me for salvation.
I came here for one reason, and that’s to make sure you’ll never hurt anyone again.
The things you did to Emery—to Uncle Steven and Aunt Pam—you deserve everything you’re about to get.
I’m only here to make sure it happens and to tell you I won’t grieve you for a second. ”
Zane’s eyes widen as Mason turns his back on his father and walks away. He had gone back and forth over whether he wanted to be here at all, and clearly, he decided he’s had enough.
“How?” Zane’s mouth hangs open.
“Did you think they would never find out?” My head angles. “Or did you think they’d forgive you for it? You killed your own brother just to claim the empire he helped create. I gave Emery the option to be here today, and she was the one who decided not to come. Do you know what she said to me?”
Zane doesn’t answer my question, and that’s fine. I didn’t expect him to.
“She said the only closure she needs is for you to rot in hell.” I step closer, getting right in his face. “And I don’t turn my wife down when she makes requests.”
“You won’t get away with this.”
My tongue clicks. “You’ve already said that.
But we’ve already gotten away with it. Emery and Mason have taken your empire apart, one account at a time, returned money that was owed, and moved anything else out of reach.
There is no one to protect you, and there’s no one who will come looking for you.
As far as they’re concerned, the body the Feds just found in your burned-down casino is yours. ”
“My casino—”
I laugh at the genuine pain on his face. “So that’s what it takes to get a reaction from you? I have to threaten the one thing you actually care about—your casino?”
“You burned it down?”
“We did. Your legacy is in ashes, and the money you’ve stolen has been returned to its rightful owners. Including your niece, who will get every cent of the inheritance she’s owed from her father.”
“You can’t let him do this.” He looks at Steel as if he’ll find any sympathy there. “I can help your club.”
“Like you helped the Iron Sinners?” Steel asks. “Like you helped those women you bought and sold and abused?”
Panic finally swells in Zane’s eyes as he realizes this is it. He’s done.
He grimaces, stepping back, but there’s no escape. “My niece deserves so much better than you.”
“You’re right, she does,” I agree with him. “She deserves the whole fucking world. But for some reason, she’s chosen me of all people. I hope that kept you up at night.”
He raises his chin, facing off with me. “It didn’t.”
I reach behind me, pulling out my gun and lifting it to his forehead. To his credit, he doesn’t try to run. He doesn’t so much as break my gaze.
“Then I hope it haunts you in hell.” I pull the trigger, and his head snaps back.
His body slumps to the ground, and I stare down at what remains of the man who made my wife’s life a living hell—who tried to destroy my club.
My brothers stand in silence for a moment. Not out of respect for Zane, but for this chapter closing. At the edge of the room, Mason stays by the door, staring at his father for a moment before leaving.
It’s a strange moment of closure. What started with Tempe being sent to our clubhouse became so much more. We’ve been battling Zane for years, and now he’s dead. In that time, everything has changed. We’ve changed.
We’re different men from the men we were when this war started.
Now we have old ladies. Kids. The next generation is officially starting.
Steel steps forward, his boots pausing at the edge of the puddle of blood. “The prospects can clean this up. Let’s go home.”
At that, I turn my back on the past.
For the first time, I’m looking forward to the future.