Chapter 24
HAYES
The office lights cast a heavenly glow on the dark wood floor as I enter the room. I didn’t expect anyone to be up.
My nerves and mind are shot. I should have bunked at my studio—the same apartment I’ve had since I was seventeen—but I told Collins I’d be here when she woke up. I don’t break promises.
It’s amazing what a few nights being with her has done to me. Turned me into some dependent jackass. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hunkered over Maeve is Killian, and they’re both locked in a furious staring contest.
My composure snaps, and I pull off my jacket. “You, out.”
The reaper doesn’t look corralled, glaring at me, fingers clawing into the desktop. He’s serious—fuck.
Maeve stands, sliding her hands into her pockets, moving toward me. Listen, I don’t expect praise for the interruption, but the cold rage is new.
“Did you go to the Bruno compound?”
It takes me a spilt second to understand her words, even less when I realize the fucking ghoul followed me. That’s the only way she would’ve found out.
“You fucking prick,” I seethe. “What, you followed me, just to run back to your master?” All the anger and aggression of the last few weeks roars in my ears and I react.
Throwing a punch, my fist connects with his face, as euphoria and relief sing in my veins. I’ve been wanting to pummel the reaper for years—no rules, no mats, no honor. Just a good old-fashioned beating.
He doesn’t let me get another hit, twisting my arm, pinning me to the wall, chest crushing me into the wood. He’s fucking quick, the bastard. I kick back, barely missing his shin, and he locks me down, holding me tight, body nothing but fucking iron.
“You’re lucky, Prince,” he hisses tightly, “that she loves you, otherwise I’d spill your intestines and make you watch me wrap them around your neck.” Graphic.
“Killian,” Maeve calls, halting our struggle. The reaper does one more shove, clipping my chin and I taste blood. Fucker made me bite my tongue.
As soon as his grip slacks, I spin, swinging. Catching his jaw, my knuckles split open against his teeth, and his knife suddenly finds my throat. The curved blade cuts, just enough to break the fog of rage. He’s got me pinned.
“Go ahead,” he dares. “Try it.” He pulls out his gun from the small of his back and hands me the barrel. “Really show me what you’ve got. Shoot me. We both know you want to.”
“You have no fucking idea.” I grip the end but I don’t raise it.
He positions the gun right at his heart and he smirks wide.
“Don’t have the balls now, Prince?” His dark eyes flash with menace. “Or did the brute finally grow a brain?”
Growling, I cock the gun and Maeve darts between us, pulling the knife from my neck and blocking the gun from Killian’s chest. Glaring up at me, she sighs deeply.
“Enough.”
The reaper steps back lazily, a deranged smile irritating me but I drop the gun, letting the trigger guard hang from my finger. Between Roman’s attack and Val’s condition, the reaper is lucky I didn’t shoot.
“Did you?” she asks, words heavy.
“Why? Did your mutt tell you?” I look over Maeve’s head. “Do you ever get tired of begging for scraps?”
His tongue darts out, licking his bottom lip. “People like when I beg. Especially with my tongue out.”
“You demented—”
“Hayes.”
Maeve cuts off my tirade and I growl down at her, “What, Maeve?”
Her pupils go wide, worry and fear fighting her rising anger. It’s a cold look, one that feels like the touch of death and a promise to cut me for the disrespect.
“We had an agreement.”
“You had an agreement.” I glare at the reaper. “I didn’t.”
“Goddammit, Hayes,” she curses, shoving me against the wall and my head connects with the wood. Ow. “You know the rules. They didn’t come for us when you joined because of the agreement I made. For you.”
The agreement that gave me my freedom—and cut my ties to the Bruno family. I was no longer their property, so long as I stayed off their territory.
I’m not sure what Maeve did to barter such a thing, but it saved my life.
And I just fucked it up.
“I never asked you to do that,” I argue, checking my knuckles. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
“I did it for both of us, you asshole.” She glares, stepping away from me.
Going to the bar cart, she pours three fingers of scotch into a glass tumbler.
“You think Pops would have let one of Bruno’s kids be a runner?
No. He would have found out and left you to bleed out on the street.
I had to keep them away in order to protect you. ”
“I don’t need your fucking protection!” I shout, earning a reproachful glare from Killian.
Roman was the worst—but he was right. I’ve let Maeve fight all my battles. How long would I let her? When would I handle my shit, on my own?
Maeve’s face falls, hurt flashing through her green eyes. Shit.
“He would have killed you the minute he found out.” Her words are barely audible. “If I didn’t protect you, who would have?” She takes a large gulp, almost draining her glass.
My heart cracks. Maeve is just like me—we were never protected as kids, so now we protect everyone else.
It doesn’t temper the fire in my gut. Or chill the guilt in my bones. Or the need to act brewing inside my veins. There’s too much—too many things I can’t fix.
“I’m not one of your fucked up siblings, or someone you have to constantly watch.” Once upon a time, she was my savior. But not anymore.
“Careful,” Killian growls, soulless eyes glinting under the spare lights. “Don’t think for one minute if you say something to hurt her, I won’t fucking end you. She risked everything to give you a chance. Completely going against everything I said just to keep you alive.”
Maeve winces as my words cut deep, worrying her bottom lip. “You needed someone in your corner, Hayes. What else was I supposed to do?”
Guilt rages as I watch her pull back, hiding beneath her emotionless mask she shows the world. The mask that kept her safe during her years of torture and abuse, and it kills me that I made her retreat to that place.
“Dammit, Maeve—”
“It’s fine.” She shrugs, clearing her throat, eyes blinking. “Just know you’ve put us in deep shit. Roman is within his right to attack us now and if he does, I have no choice but to declare war.”
“Because of you,” Killian remarks, sliding over to the office chair. “Hope the family talk was worth it. You condemned us to a war we can’t fucking win.”
“You’re fucking lying,” I curse. “We have the men, the resources, and the alliance with De Luca.” With those resources, we should be fine, but it doesn’t stop the misery of snapping at my friend.
The friend who everyone sees as emotionless, yet feels the deepest. It’s my fault for Bruno getting under my skin.
“We have nothing,” Maeve hisses, hands grabbing the desk to keep from flying across the room. Pretty sure she wants to stab me. “The Board took everything from us. No money, no resources. We are on our own now.”
“So that means—”
“You royally fucked us.” Killian slouches into his seat, head resting on the back of the chair, eyes closed. “Spectacularly, mind you.”
“Shut up, Killian.”
“Then, what can we do?” I ask Maeve, ignoring the reaper. “There has to be a way out.”
Tiredly, she rubs the bridge of her nose. “Whatever it is, it has to be big. Something that would hurt Bruno, cripple him so a war seems too unlikely to win.”
“Could kill him,” Killian offers. “He’s a dog that needs to be put down.”
“People have said the same about you.”
He smiles. “Touché, Princess.”
“Take out his store houses.” Bruno kept most of their money in the storehouses whereas De Luca used off shore accounts and Maeve used The Wharf and the manor. “The first trial is set to start and we don’t have a goal. Take out his store houses.”
Killian raises an eyebrow. “Bruno has fifteen fronts. You’re suggesting we send the three of you out to destroy as many as possible? And what, the one who destroys the most, who causes the most financial damage, wins?”
Cursing under my breath, I nod. “It’s a lot but it’ll destroy him. His money will be essentially gone. He won’t be able to finance a war. File this under innovation.”
Each trial has to correspond to one of the virtues. It could work.
“If we hit him early enough,” Killian agrees slowly, processing. “We’ll have to move up the trials. The faster we hit him, the better chance we’ll have of stopping a war.”
Maeve bangs her fist onto her desk. “Get it done, write up the rules of engagement.” She gives Killian an insufferable look. “Let Lex know. He has businesses in those areas. He could experience loss.”
He winks. “The Capo won’t be happy about this. I can’t wait to see his face.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Will it be enough?” I brace against the chair, staring at Maeve. She sits back, sighing.
“We’ll see. We just have to be ready.”
Fuck. I hate that I might have started an unintentional war, but I sure as Hell don’t give a shit that I hurt Roman. Or reminded him that Collins is mine.
I just have to pray it’s enough.
“Wait,” she calls and I look back, already at the door. “You’re on guard duty. For Collins.”
She didn’t have to command me. I planned on never letting Collins out of my sight.
“After the meeting we just had,” I say snidely, “he’d be stupid to try something again.”
Her face turns pensive. “Don’t underestimate him. This is just the beginning.”