Chapter 34 – Mari
Two weeks later
It still hadn’t hit me that Cash was dead.
We’d hauled his body from the wreckage and had Dr. Grant ensure that there was no coming back, then we’d burned him to ash.
If there was anyone who could come back from the dead to haunt us, it would be that annoying asshole.
Nate had nearly crushed my good hand while we watched, but that was fine. He’d just lost a brother after nearly losing his life and me. If he needed to squeeze me too tightly for a while, I could deal. As long as he was here.
My right arm was broken, which was beyond inconvenient. I also had a concussion that took a week to heal and more cuts and bruises than expected. Nate had fractured ribs, which meant he was wrapped like a mummy until they healed. Greyson and Dominic were bruised, which they took great pleasure in teasing Nate about. Grey’s other wounds were relatively superficial, thank God, but Dominic had nearly torn his left ACL fighting while Nate and I were with Cash. The strain was hard on him, but far better than surgery.
Christian ended up with two new bullet holes that Shara had berated him about over the phone for almost twenty minutes. Two-Bit had a graze on his forehead, another on his shoulder, and a through and through on his side. When I asked what happened, the brothers were cagey as fuck, so I let it go.
Not my circus, not my monkeys. God help Shara with those two.
Victor survived as well with nothing more than some bruised knuckles and a black eye. Maximoff looked as fresh as a daisy when it all was said and done, which was beyond creepy. Who walked out of a battle clean? Especially when I knew he’d killed at least four people.
Not everyone was as lucky, though. Our side of the battle lost a lot of men, but Cash’s lost more.
Everyone, in fact.
After the initial waves that killed most of their comrades, the remaining Aces fled. Rafael and Eagle each took teams to hunt them down. Since they were too stupid to truly hide, we rounded them up fairly fast and gave them a proper burial.
Sea creatures loved to eat dead Aces.
After they were gone, we’d realized just how much damage Cash had done to the city—which the war had obviously made worse. We had our work cut out for us, but with Two-Bit’s help, we’d get the city back to normal within the year.
He’d survived, as had the other leaders who’d come with me. Well, except Kosas. One of the Aces who had killed his son got a lucky shot to Kosas’s stomach. It wasn’t enough to save the guy, but it was enough to ensure Kosas died with him. His nephew was due to arrive in the city next week to take over his territory fully, and from the few interactions we’d had over the phone, he seemed smart enough. As long as he stayed on my good side, he’d be allowed to stay.
Cash had shone a light on my failures, making it obvious I’d been too lenient with the other leaders. I blamed most of it on grief, but that wasn’t the only culprit. Thankfully, it was an easy fix. All I had to do was explain to the other leaders that if they crossed me even once, they were dead.
Everyone fell in line when they realized it was their head on the chopping block.
Without the weight of Cash and the Aces hanging over us, the air smelled sweeter. Though, that could’ve been the victory high I was still on.
Christian, Two-Bit, and Shara were set to be married.
I was at the Marcosa mansion, which I’d decided to turn into a base of operations for the recovery efforts for now, though who knew what it would be next. My capos and I were discussing recovery payments for families who’d lost someone in what we were calling the Battle of Seattle when the text came through from Killer.
The package is loaded.
Perfect.
Waving the phone to my men, I left Greyson to take over and made my way to the driveway.
Three white vans were parked outside the mansion, all with the same fake construction logos on the sides. In the middle, the door was open, giving me a perfect view of my cousin strapped down to the seat.
Cameron was pale and subdued, though he had an almost feral edge to him that I knew came from his solitude. There was a reason solitary confinement was a punishment in jail. Loss of human interaction had a way of making even the sanest person lose their mind.
That edge took over when he saw me in front of him. “What is this, Mari?”
Pasting on a smile was easy. I loved seeing my enemies on their knees. “Aw, you didn’t enjoy your ride? I thought you’d like some fresh air after being cooped up in the basement for so long.”
He snarled at me, struggling with the straps that held him down.
“Give us a minute, Killer. My cousin and I need to talk.”
He was years younger than both of us, but the way he glared at Cameron as he walked away gave me the shivers. How interesting.
When it was finally just the two of us, my cousin glowered at me. “Are you here to gloat?”
Actually, yes. “Thought you might like to know it’s over. Your boss is dead.”
“He’s not my—wait, Cash is dead?”
“Him and everyone who worked with him.”
Except for you.
I didn’t have to say it for it to be true.
Cameron swallowed, suddenly much less aggressive. “What are you going to do with me now?”
“Nothing.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“I’ve thought about killing you, but why waste the bullet?” I leaned in with a wicked smile. “Instead, I’m going to strike you out of the record books. Scour your existence from the planet. No matter how hard anyone looks, they won’t find a single mention of Cameron Marcosa anywhere. You’ll be a ghost.”
“And Aislynn?”
“Already on the way to her new home, exactly like she wanted.”
God, I loved the way his face turned red. “She’s still my wife.”
I smiled viciously. “Didn’t I tell you? The divorce went through. Ash is officially a free woman again.”
“Marcosas don’t divorce.”
“My father did, and now, so have you. Trust me, it’s kinder than death. Although, she did get everything you own, so maybe not.”
“Where is she?”
“Somewhere you’ll never find her. She’s got a real army to protect her now. Men who will die at her feet to keep her safe. Between you and me, whew, they’re gorgeous. Even if she still wants you—which she doesn’t—she has no use for you. Not with them around.”
“You can send her to the ends of the earth, and I’ll still find her. She’s mine, Mari.”
“She was, but the moment you betrayed her, you lost any right you had to her. You lost the most precious thing you’ve ever owned—although, we both know you didn’t really own her at all. I hope the memories of what you almost had keep you warm at night. I hear it gets cold in the desert.”
“Desert? What the hell are you talking about?”
I stopped Killer’s slow roll of the closing door and smiled at Cameron. “Since Ash has gone to her new life, I thought you’d like the same. I hope you like snakes, cousin.”
One of the things I’d asked Greyson to do sporadically throughout my reign was buy up property in other places. Places no one else wanted to go. Places that could kill the wrong person living there.
Cameron was destined for one of those places.
If the heat didn’t kill him, the scorpions might.
Killer had volunteered to be the driver for this portion of the trip, despite how fucking long it was going to take to get there and that he’d been injured. He’d taken two bullets to the left leg with the second wave, but Dr. Grant swore he was recovering fine.
“How’s the leg?”
“Healing.” When I stared at him, hoping for more information, he shrugged. “There’s nothing else to say.”
“You’re limping.”
He immediately straightened. “I can do my job.”
Shaking my head, I laid a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t say it because I doubt you. I said it because I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
Uncertainty flickered in his gaze before he dropped it. “Thank you. I’m fine most of the time. Hauling him around put some additional strain on it, is all.”
I frowned at the white van. “He wasn’t cooperative?”
Killer shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting him to be.”
Yet he’d still gone along with it, knowing he was at a disadvantage because he wanted to do right by me. The more I learned about Killer, the more I liked him. Always the first to offer his help and the first to throw himself into the line of fire to protect other people. Loyal and steadfast and fair with everyone, even when they looked down on him for his age.
Exactly the type of man I wanted at my table.
“Come see me when you get back. I think I’ve got a promotion that’s perfect for you.”
In the days following the battle, Nate had pulled me aside and begged me not to make him capo. It was an honor, but he didn’t want to handle his own men or have his focus pulled, and he didn’t care what other people thought of him. As long as he was protecting me, he’d be happy.
Of course, I agreed. Now that the other leaders were aware of his history, I wasn’t concerned about Leo’s warning. If Nate needed to prove just how scary he was, he would. I just wanted Nate happy, and if that meant shadowing my every move, I could deal.
The door slammed on Cameron’s screaming, and I laughed. It paid to know someone’s biggest fears.
Killer tucked his head, but I saw his grin too. He was just as happy to see my cousin disappear. He might’ve been young, but Montgomery had a loyalty streak a mile long.
“Sedate him before you go. God knows you don’t need to listen to him bitch for twenty hours.”
“I think I’ll let him scream himself hoarse first.”
“That’s fine. Get a move on, though. I want him out of my city by sundown.”
“Yes, ma’am. Uh, miss. Mari. Fuck.” My head tipped back as I laughed, and Killer’s relieved chuckle followed. “I’ll text Dominic when we arrive at the house.”
He waved a hand, rounding up the rest of his men. The door to the mansion opened behind me as the crew slid into the vans. I felt my men as the engines turned over, felt Dominic wave to Killer as they pulled out. He wrapped me in a hug, kissing my temple softly.
“He’s gone,” I whispered.
“He is,” Dominic agreed. “How do you feel about that?”
“All’s well that ends well.”
Honestly, I was happy Cameron was gone. Happy to have him out of my life and away from Aislynn. Happy to be free of his memory. The pain of his betrayal lingered, but I knew it would fade eventually. Knew that one day, I’d look back on him and feel nothing at all.
I couldn’t wait.
“Exactly.” He squeezed me tight then shoved me away playfully. “Now, go wash off the stench of desperation. We’re taking you out.”
“Where?”
“Little Sal’s, of course.”
I gave all three a kiss, squealing when Nate’s hand clapped my ass. “Get moving, angel. We’ve got plans.”
Stepping back into the hall, I peeled off my shirt, dangling it in the air. Their eyes darkened as they watched the fabric fall from between my fingers. “What happens if we’re late?”
“Someone wants to play,” Greyson mused.
“Then let’s play.” Dominic smirked, whipping off his shirt too. “We’re definitely going to be late, mariposa.”
They moved as one, but Grey was the one to swoop me into his arms, grinning down at me with more love than I’d ever known was possible. “Couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
“Why have three men if I have to hold myself back?”
With a bark of laughter, he lifted me over his shoulder so I could watch Dominic and Nate stalk half naked behind us.
Thank God we’d taken the back stairs so no one could see us. I didn’t want to know how I’d react if another woman saw my men like that, because goddamn. They looked good. I was going to say as much, but instead of smacking my ass as I expected, Grey slipped his hand between my legs. “Never hold back, reina. We love you just as you are.”
And they showed me exactly how much they loved me in the shower.
We were definitely late for dinner, but I didn’t care. I loved time with my men, and now, I got to love them forever.
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