Daddies Brat

Sylan

I focus on the steady beep of the heart monitor pinging into the otherwise silent underground room and try to count my blessings, but it’s only vengeance that fills my thoughts. And fear for her. I owe myself that small truth. Kane will die and when he does it will be by my bullet through his brain.

And then I’ll hunt Katriona down and next time I have her in my arms she won’t get away from us.

NO, the voice in my head growls. You’re not a monster.

But the demon in me knows she’s ours and it’s only a matter of time before she’s back where she belongs. Under our protection. In our lives, our arms, our beds.

Katriona is the one woman who can save us. If there’s one single chance of us not going to hell, she’s it. Her sweet, kind soul is our last salvation.

I take one last look at my friend fighting for his life in our basement facility and turn on my heel, heading for the elevator. Someone slipped up and I’m going to find out who gave away our location. No one knew we were coming to the club tonight. I’m going to find out who put Katriona in danger and then make sure it never happens again.

“Let me know when he needs more blood. I’ll be upstairs.”

Drake takes up my place beside Grey. “I’ll give the next round. I’ll call you after that.” He sounds as exhausted as I feel.

Everything about our life is under the radar. Getting the authorities involved in this would tie our hands so it’s on us to right the wrongs dealt to us. Trust isn’t something that comes easily, but we lucked out in one area. A doctor willing to work in the shadows is worth the cost.

I nod at the doctor waiting off in the corner, head bent, eyes on the floor. “Make sure he doesn’t die. Doc. Make damn sure.”

His gray head bobs in understanding. “Yes, sir.”

Good.

Back upstairs, I glance around my darkened office, my friend’s blood still on my hands.

Tonight’s scuffle would have repercussions.

The night Kane called a truce we agreed to pay off his debts to the family back East for him on one condition-we unite our causes.

That’s when we found out about Katriona. He offered her hand in marriage for the ten million he owed. We didn’t agree at first but after a week of watching her, seeing her live her life free of her father and the three of us couldn’t stop the desire to have her to ourselves. Why? Why would we want her, pull her into the darkness? Because we’re fucking bastards who crave the forbidden and she’s tempting as the forbidden fruit was to Adam in the Garden of Eden.

We signed contracts with Kane and paid out the debt over a course of six months as requested. In the meantime, a few maneuvers and Katriona fell under our roof, our protection as we waited.

Nikki served us well. I’ll have to remember to up her pay. Move her to another club where she can be of help again. Her cover here is burned.

“Mr. Ward. A detective is here to see you.”

Nikki slips into my office silently. I wave her off.

Shit. It was only a matter of time before they showed up. Kane broke all the rules of engagement tonight and now another hell is on my doorstep. Sore fucking loser. Kane couldn’t die soon enough.

I wave in a balding man who looks ten years past his prime. He pauses, his trembling hand glued to the doorknob, letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting no doubt. I really don’t give a fuck if he’s scared to step into a dark room with me so I don’t move to make it easier on the man. Intimidation is ninety percent of my job description or the whole fucking underbelly of this town would turn on me.

“Detective Robles. Either step in or get the fuck out,” I greet him dryly.

I watch him cross my office and I gesture to the chair across from me. I’m not in the mood for charades and subterfuge tonight. With little ceremony I toss a white envelope on the desk and watch his greedy eyes light up.

“I hear your son needs a scholarship in the upcoming year. Let’s make that happen.”

I move across the office and see his eyes soaking in the debauchery of the Attic and know this meeting won’t take long.

I pass a single malt to the pasty-looking man.

“Mr. Ward. I…” he struggles to find his words and I lose my temper.

“Get the fuck on with it, Detective.”

“I can’t keep covering for you. This… this… tonight I mean. It isn’t going to go away so easily.”

“If you wanted more money why didn’t you just say so.”

I take out another hefty envelope full of one-hundreds.

“You’re the lead detective on the case?” He nods.

“The police chief is your brother-in-law?”

Another nod.

I unclip my holster and sit my piece on the desk, making a distinctive move to flick the safety off. “Then I don’t see the problem, Detective. You’ll do what you need to keep our deal balanced, right?”

Drake slides into the office silently. He doesn’t need to say much when the look on his grim face conveys the message.

The detective turns back to me, face chalk white. His gun hand grips the tumbler still half full of top-shelf liquor. He’s let his training go. Grown lax. Pathetic, really, but it’s those details that make him valuable to us.

“Okay. Ward. But clean up your act. I’ll have a couple of good men take care of the bodies. But this is where I draw the line.”

I set my gun over the envelopes and ease my weight onto the corner of my desk.

“I draw the lines. No one else. Are you and I clear on that?”

Whether he is or not, it doesn’t matter. What I say goes. Chicago is my city and I make damn sure no one steps out of any lines.

The detective throws back the whiskey with a wince and stands.

“See yourself out. I’ll trust you to come up with a story as to why there are three of Kane’s men dead in the alley behind my club before the news makes their morning rotation. Your son will appreciate all your best efforts.” My words hang between us a moment before he stands and mumbles something about fucking mobsters.

I watch him leave, head down, shoulders slouched. Like a man defeated by life. I take ownership of the partial hell the man lives in, but no one told him to get in bed with me or take my money.

People make their choices. And should be held accountable for them in life and whatever comes along after we check out. I know I sure the fuck will when it comes my turn.

I stand with the bank of monitors in front of me, a glass of water in hand not really seeing the erotic shows playing out. Everywhere I turn my gaze, instead of seeing random women taking on multiple partners in an array of positions, I see her. Those expressive eyes of hers, hear her sassy voice.

I feel Drake come up behind me. His silent presence reassuring. For over three decades he and Grey have been at my side. We grew up together. Me the son of a father who had nothing. From a young age I knew poverty in my family would end with me. I wanted a life where I controlled all the outcomes. Only money made that happen. So I built it. From the ground up. With the help of loyal friends. Partners. In more ways than one. To the outside world we were killers. The devils of Chicago. Rich. Corrupt. Unapologetic in every way.

I learned at the knee of my father that what the eye sees goes a long way to persuade the heart and minds of others. I doubt he meant for me to apply that to my way of life, but it is what it is.

Organized crime isn’t synonymous with low-life thugs running around like some street gang. I run a professional outfit that requires a level of trust that goes both ways. I might be a killer in the eyes of society if my past was to ever come to light, but I’m also fair. I take care of my own and we never want for anything. It’s the way my father taught me and a life lesson I plan on passing down the line when we have sons of our own.

If we have sons of our own. Katriona is key to that ever happening for the three of us. If she takes us. I know we’re a long way off from getting her to take men who have wanted nothing else for longer than I care to admit.

“You knew she would run the first chance she had. Why are we not out there right now hunting her down?”

I nod, not bothering to turn around. “I did know she would run. She was smart to have run from us, and we’re not hunting her down, as you say, because we have to make sure our friend doesn’t die. And Marcus. He’s waiting for us to do exactly that. The last thing I want to do is lead him to her when we are a man down.”

“Yeah, fuck, sorry. We just…It’s killing me inside not having her here. And Grey…” Drake scrubs a hand over his face, looking older than his thirtynine years. This kind of life tends to shave off a few years if you let it. “Did you feel the way she took to us? There was a connection I’ve never felt before, man, and it scares the shit out of me. We all felt it. The way she kissed each of us.”

“I felt it too.”

“She has a fire that is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Still think she’s the one?”

Drake mulls over my question, aiming an arched brow my way. “I do.”

“On that, we both agree.”

“Grey is in pretty bad shape, man. Looks like death is waiting to take him away from us.”

Darkness steals the light from Drake’s eyes and it pains me to see my blood brother in pain. He and Grey are my partners, my equals in many ways but one. When you run an organization as deeply rooted in the shadows as ours there can only be one head. One authority and that’s me. Behind closed doors, what we do stays with us. Though rumors have spread we like to share women like we share our profits.

“He took a bullet for her. Doc says if he pulls through tonight, he’ll likely live.” Drake points at my arm. “And you need to tend to that.”

“Yeah.”

I pull my shirt off, tossing it over a chair. Thank God the asshole who shot me didn’t have better aim. I grab a clean gauze out of a drawer and wrap tape around it to hold it in place over a deep gash in my arm. “We all would have done the same to protect her,” I say.

“He did. You should let Doc put some sutures in that. You’re getting blood all over the fucking carpet.”

I wave him off. “It’s only a flesh wound. The idea of stitches pulling at my skin is one irritation I can do without.

Drake eases into a chair after pouring a drink, his eyes glued to the amber liquid, but doesn’t drink. Agitation rolls off him so I wait while he gathers his thoughts. Experience tells me they match my darker ones thirsting for blood. He just needs a moment to ground himself.

“We waited for months to have her and now she’s gone.” He speaks quietly but the weight of his words presses on me all the same.

“He’s out there hunting her, too, you know. Marcus is a callous motherfucker. If he finds her first there’s no telling what he’ll do. Kane can’t control him. I looked into his eyes. Soulless bastard has no scruples.”

“Not many assassins do.”

“Things have become lax around here. They shouldn’t have gotten within five miles of this place without us knowing. Call in the men. Let’s check our lines and make sure we’re all on the same page.”

“Are we cleaning house?” Drake asks but he knows damn well what the answer will be. “It wouldn’t take much to hunt her father down and eliminate the problem.”

“Do you want to be the one to tell her you offed her father?”

Drake growls out his frustration. “There are moments I don’t give a fuck. He’s one of the monsters this world doesn’t need. You know the shit he and his men are into. The trafficking they do. What kind of father is he to her anyway?”

“Right now, we need to focus. We should know at all times who walks within our borders. Let them know our disappointment comes with a price. Those we keep, run background checks on them again. See who they’ve been chatting with. Call in the girl down at the phone company and pull records. She brought her boy toy here a couple of weeks ago for a free night. Time to call in that favor.”

“How steep are we talking about with the men?” Drake pulls his piece checking his rounds.

“Enough to send a message to the new crew we bring in.”

Drake nods. “And Katriona?” Drake draws on his whiskey as he raises his big frame to stand beside me.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

I stretch my neck until I hear a pop-pop. Tension releases immediately but the relief is only temporary. “Bring her back and we might as well hand her over to the feds ourselves. They’re watching. They’ll try to put her into witness protection.”

“We won’t let that happen.”

“It won’t be long before they tie her to her father anyway. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Not until the bastard is rotting will she be okay. Until then we stay away.”

Drake drains his drink and slams the glass down on the desk. He props an arm over the back of the chair looking as relaxed as a cobra with his neck flared.

“Not happening. I’ll go it alone before I leave her completely defenseless. We had her in our hands, on our tongues and our cocks were all so fucking hard it would have taken hours of fucking her to drain our need to have her. Tell me, how easy do you think it will be to walk away from the only woman we’ve all wanted for fucking months? Better, what would you do if something happens to her?”

I have no answer.

“Yeah. Thought so. And we all let her leave here. Unprotected.”

Keeping my voice calm, I turn my gaze to his. “Put feelers out. Keep a tail on her when you find her. She won’t go far without cash and she’s smart enough not to touch her bank account and credit cards. Watch. Nothing else and report back.”

“Grey promised we would come looking for her.”

“But not until it’s safe.”

“I get that. But it’s going to be fucking hard.”

“It’s the best we can do to protect her.”