He’s waiting at the open door of the second Rolls Royce, the two guards behind me.
Glancing once more at the mask, I turn and walk into the waiting vehicle somehow knowing wherever we’re going, whatever it is, tonight, everything will change for me.
4
Jericho
“I told you that you shouldn’t have gone,” Ezekiel, my brother, says. “You’re not yourself.” He hands me a tumbler of whiskey.
I take it from him and drink a sip. “I’m fine. Everything looks good?” I ask, moving around the desk to look at the papers spread across it. They must have arrived while I was at the compound.
“Exactly as discussed. Just needs a couple of signatures,” he says. “Hildebrand was good with the change in location? Just readily agreed?”
I hear his tone and glance up, meet his grin with my own. “I have no idea. I switched off my phone.”
“I’m sure he’ll be in fine form.” He swallows the last of his whiskey and pours another.
I study my brother in profile. I haven’t seen him in five years, but he hasn’t changed much. Most would say not at all, but I’m not most. He’s built like me. I’m roughly two years older than him and we’ve always been close. Well, except for those months we weren’t but that’s water under the bridge.
“Zeke,” I say. He turns to face me. “Her room looks nice. If a bit yellow.”
He smiles. “Just a bit? I was going for over-the-top.”
“Thank you,” I say. “Thank you for doing it.”
All joking is gone. “She’s my niece. I’m happy to have her home where she belongs. Along with my brother.”
I do smile this time, a real smile.
He nods and reaches into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. He reads a text. “Two Rolls Royce’s pulling up to the house.”
“Get Hildebrand in first. Bishops can wait outside,” I say, taking off my suit jacket and hanging it over the back of the desk chair, then rolling up my sleeves.
He types out a reply and pockets his phone. “Jericho,” he says, drawing my attention from the sheets on the desk. He takes in the ink on both forearms. It’s actually one tattoo. Two dragons coiled on my back, tails extended over my arms. Chaos and kinship. Destruction. Power. He has the same so I’m not sure why he’s staring. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
I square my gaze on him. “I’ve been ready for five years. I just needed the evidence.”
He nods. He’s heard the recording. Knows Carlton Bishop’s role in Kimberly’s death. Her accidental murder. I was the target. She just got in the way. She was twenty-four years old. Twenty-fucking-four. Pregnant with our first baby. We were engaged to be married. Fantasizing about living on a fucking beach in Mexico and leaving everything behind.
Fuck.
Fuck me.
And fuck Carlton Bishop. I’m going to bury him.
“Brother.” I startle at Zeke’s touch on my shoulder. I don’t know when he moved. I’m too caught up in the past.
“I’m fine,” I say, not looking at him.
“Are you?”
I meet his eyes. His are steel gray like our mother’s. Hers are softer though. Kinder than his.
“I said I’m fine,” I say, voice thick, my throat coated with the memory of that day.
“Don’t let them see it.”
“See what?”
“Your pain. It shows weakness.”
I clench my jaw, take a deep breath in. He’s right. I need to master this. Can’t let my mind take me there. Not in front of them.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath in and nod just as a knock comes at the door.
“Showtime,” Zeke says, a wide smile on his face. He’s better at this part than I am. He swaps out his masks more easily. “Come in,” he calls out as he walks back around the desk and picks up his whiskey.
We both watch as Dex opens the door and Councilor Hildebrand enters. He looks at me, at my brother, around the study. He’s irritated but I think that may just be his resting face. He’s a self-important man and as far as I’ve known from when our father was alive, he’s never had much affection for our family. Probably thinks we’re imposters. Not a founding family but one with money and ultimately, all bow to money. Everyone and everything can be bought no matter how much The Society may want to deny it. Even status within IVI.
Now the Bishops, they’re the real deal. One of the thirteen original Founding Families. They’re not only members of The Society but are part of the groundwork. Carlton Bishop, a bona fide Sovereign Son. Me and Zeke and our father when he was alive, we bought our place. And Hildebrand has never forgotten it.
Which makes this all the sweeter.
I paste a smile on my face. “Councilor,” I say. “I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”
Dex closes the door and Hildebrand meets my gaze. “In future, you should know matters of this importance will be handled at the Tribunal building.”
“Considering the delicacy of the situation, I didn’t think you’d mind.”
His jaw tightens. I have him by the balls. A Sovereign Son, a founding family member, making deals with mobsters. Well, it’s not so much that as getting caught at it. That would not go over well if word got out. Which is why he’s here. Which is why he’ll do exactly as I say.
“Of course,” he says.
“Sit, please,” I say, stacking the pages on the desk and walking around it to gesture to the leather couch in the sitting area.
He sits. “Drink?” Zeke asks.
He nods and my brother pours him a whiskey.
“How is your daughter?” Hildebrand asks tightly.
“Doing well.” Considering. The councilor’s support is necessary for this part of my plan, but I won’t tell him any more than he needs to know about my family.
“You’ll bring her to the compound for a formal introduction, I presume.”
“When the time is right, and I have secured her safety.” The first part is a lie. The second a little pressure on him. Let him know just how delicate this matter is for IVI.
“She’s been baptized?”
“Are you concerned for her soul?”
“Of course,” he replies with a smile about as warm as mine.
This will go nowhere good, so I change the topic. “You’ve vetted the evidence against Carlton Bishop, I presume?” I ask. He has or he wouldn’t be here. The evidence is a recording of Carlton with some very bad men initiating the attempt on my life that killed Kimberly. It also suggests he may have had a hand in my father’s fatal car crash.
“Yes. You’ll hand it over once the papers are signed tonight, as agreed?”
“As agreed.” I feel my brother’s presence beside me, but I need to ask. “The girl?”
“Waiting on your command along with her brother.”
I don’t glance at Zeke. He’s clearly surprised by this. Tonight was about confronting Carlton. Signing the papers. Showing him the game has changed. Taking Isabelle wasn’t supposed to happen yet. But my plans have evolved.