“I’m fine.” Nikolai knows better than anyone that, that’s far from the truth.
I’m running on fumes of what I'm used to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still the same ruthless bastard I was back then. In fact, I’m worse. I’ll shoot to kill without hesitation now. I’m a loose cannon that cannot be controlled. I thrive on that these days. The thrill of the kill is all I have left.
“You’re not, Cord. You drink more, you barely sleep.” Nikolai moves to grab the bottle from my hand. I slam my fists on the desk in front of me before standing.
“Have you forgotten who I am?” Screaming louder than needed, he doesn’t flinch away, he never would.
“I know who you used to be. I don’t know who the hell you are anymore. You’re not Cordae Vitale.” His words hit me hard.
“I’m sorry, Nikolai. Please forgive me. Amelia was so young. I didn’t want things to end like that.” Shaking my head, I run my hand through my hair.
“That was unfortunate, what happened to Amelia. She was a Vitale. Her death didn’t go unavenged, you made sure of that.” He’s right. I took care of Gambino, but what does that mean in the end?
“Does that mean anything anymore, Nikolai? She was a child. Not as though I haven’t ordered many deaths of other children. She was mine.” I can feel the bile rising in the back of my throat. So many things from the past that I wished I could change, but that isn’t an option.
“She was yours. Nothing we can do will make this right, Cord. We can’t bring her back as much as I wished we could.” As much as I wished we could, I know he’s right. I have to move forward; I have to make this empire a legacy.
“Call a meeting with Midas. We need to up our game.” I shove up and stalk toward the door and down the hall. I’m down the stairs and out the door, in the car and ready to go. It doesn’t take us long to get where we need to be. I climb out and stand ready as we head in.
My nerves fire off one by one. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end. I can feel the prickle as the uneasy feeling filters through out my body. Something is wrong. It’s very wrong. The eerie silence does little to ease that feeling.
“What the hell is going on?” Mumbling more to myself that anyone else, I keep walking through the old warehouse. My gun is drawn. All you can hear is the sound of my shoes hitting the concrete floor.
“This isn’t right; Midas isn’t here,” Jordy chimes in next to me as though I didn’t realize this already. As we round the corner, I see it. The blood that I’m so used to, the death.
“Well, we found Midas,” I grumble. Sliding my gun back into the holster, I walk around the small room that’s littered with bodies.
“Who do you think did this?” Jordy covers his nose as the scent of death lingers. I welcome it.
“First thought would have been Gambino. It’s his style, but I made sure that he wouldn’t breathe again.” I made sure that none of his body parts would be found, either. Scrubbing my hand across my face, I let out a breath.
“Sinclair?” Glancing over at him, I shake my head.
“We’ve had people on him since Ava’s been gone.” There’s the other nail in my coffin. Leaving Ava was the right thing to do and she left soon after. I didn’t keep track of her because she didn’t need it. I knew I would catch up with Gambino and I knew that he was underground and had no fucking clue that she left. He wasn’t a threat to her anymore, but I was. Shaking myself out of the past, I look around the room for any clues.
“Who the hell wanted my shipment?” I need to think about this. Gambino has been the only other family that dared to cross my path. He has other family here, but none of them have taken his place, that I know of anyhow.
“Call a meeting with Luciano and Vatim. I need to see what they know.” Kicking the foot of Midas, I turn and walk away. Jordy follows closely behind me as I try to rationalize this out in my mind. Midas is dead, and my shipment is missing. Who in their right mind would fucking rip me off? I run my hand through my hair. Walking out the side door, my mind starts to wander. Everything here points to Gambino. How the hell can this be his style, but not his work?
“Nikolai has a meeting setup in Chicago with Luciano. Vatim was picked up by the FBI an hour ago.” Blowing out a breath, I don’t like any of this.
“Fuck!” I punch the side of the car before Jordy places his hand on my shoulder.
“Shit’s getting close to home, Cord. Don’t you think you should step out of the light for a while?” Rounding on him, my eyes blaze with fire. Jordy sees it, too.
“I’m the fucking Boss, Jordy. Need I remind you of my status?” The fury that boils inside of me is nothing he wants to feel the wrath of. His eyes never leave mine as he shakes his head. He knows me. He knows I’m not backing down. Even though this is all weighing heavily on me, I have to keep myself focused. I will handle this shit.
Chapter 29
“Yeah, just like that.” With my hand knotted in the back of Mary’s hair, I guide my cock further down her throat. Her gagging and choking only serves to make me harder.
“Do it. Make me fucking come!” Growling as I raise my hips, my balls tighten before I blow down her throat. Mary sucks like her life depends on it and truthfully, it might. When she’s taken all I have to give, I pull her head roughly away from me before dismissing her.
“Get out,” I growl as I shove my cock back into my pants. I look up to see her still standing there.
“What part of get out is too hard to understand?” I roar as I shove out of my chair and stand to my full height letting my intentions be known.
“We never hang out anymore, Cord.” Mary drops her head, but she already knows what she’s here for.
“Jordy!” The door flies open and Jordy stalks in looking between the two of us.
“Mary seems to have forgotten her place amongst this family. The common whore doesn’t get to dictate when she’s needed. Make sure she doesn’t come back.” Mary’s mouth hangs open as Jordy chuckles.
“Yes, sir. She won’t bother you again.” Jordy moves toward her, but she has other plans in mind. Mary darts toward me throwing her arms around my neck. This shit is ridiculous.
“What the hell!” I roar loudly, shoving her off me. I watch as her useless body falls to the floor in a heap while Jordy stands there looking between us. I can see the amusement on his face. “Do you have a death wish?” Glaring down at her, her eyes fill with tears. Tears that do nothing to affect me. Nothing she can do will make me change my mind.
“I know all your dirty little secrets,” she threatens. A grin spreads across my face before I reach behind me and pull out my gun. With it locked in my grasp, I watch her.
“Is that so? What do you know, Mary?” Her eyes flicker to life as though she’s won this argument. You never win against the devil. That should have already been known for as long as she’s been whoring around here but clearly that little bit of information has slipped her mind.
“I know all of your operations, Cord. You’ve fucked me for the last five years. Do you think I’m stupid?” Mary places her hands on the floor, ready to push herself up when I take a step toward her. I place my foot right over her hand, pressing roughly. “Cord! That hurts!” Her screams make me smile. That fear that comes from deep within her shows on her face. This is where I thrive. The fear fills me with a joy that I never knew it could. Pulling the gun around for her to see, I ask her once more.