Fallen Empire (Dirty Empire)

A glimmer of satisfaction flashes in his eyes. “Finally, I see some of my own fire in you. I always knew Caleb had it. I was beginning to worry about you.”

“You’re about to see more than fire if you don’t cough up a location.” My tone is icier than I’ve ever dared use with him.

He drags his thumb across his bottom lip in thought. “When I heard that a woman managed to tie a leash to my baby boy, I didn’t believe it at first. The only thing more shocking would be to see Caleb settling down.”

“Your source is shit. There’s no leash on me. She’s just a good lay,” I lie.

“You could have bought fifty good lays for what you must be spending on her father’s legal fees.” Dad smirks. “Nothing stays quiet in these walls. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

And here I was, worrying about Camillo or Miles finding out about Mercy.

I’ll bet that gossip Parker has been spilling his guts about who’s checking in to see Duncan. I’ll be paying the guard a visit to his house after this is all over and making sure his tongue never wags again.

“How did the meeting with the Perris go?”

So, we’re going to dance a little before he fesses up to his crimes. “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

“Then why were their dismembered and burned bodies discovered outside of Las Vegas early this morning?” His steady eyes dissect me.

I grit my molars to keep from cursing. The feds know what they’ve found—the SUV left at the scene was registered to Miles Perri—but the news hasn’t broken yet, which means that even within these thick concrete walls, basically waiting for his bloated, worn body to give out on him, Vlad still has his fingers in every pot and people willing to feed him whatever he wants. I’d say I don’t know how he maintains such power, but I do. Money and fear—two formidable tools in his belt. The latter, he wields especially well. He has decades of experience.

“I don’t know what to tell you, except we met with the Perris, we discussed the arrangement, they agreed, and then they left.”

He smooths a palm over his stomach. “Did you practice that bullshit answer on the drive over here?”

“It’s not bullshit.” It’s just not the entire truth. They did leave.

Buried in laundry hampers.

Not breathing.

His laughter is deep, grating. “I know my sons too well, and this stinks of your brother’s temper. I expected as much, putting him in a room with Miles Perri.” The smile Dad flashes is nothing short of proud. “Glad to see Caleb hasn’t disappointed me in that regard.”

What is he saying? That he expected Caleb to go all Wild Wild West and gun down the Perris? “Then why the fuck did you make us meet with them!”

“Because either you’d form an alliance and deal with Navarro together, or Caleb would remove the Perris from the equation and open up their territory,” he barks. “Either scenario benefits us and that is all I care about. That my family is taken care of.”

I shake my head. He only cares about his family so long as it’s a possession to him, something he can claim and control. But it’s not surprising that the old man’s been scheming all along. “And what about what you had Bane do to our plane? How does blowing up your two sons benefit us?”

His chapped lips twist. “That was a lesson. An important one that it was time you two learned.”

“A lesson?” At least he’s not trying to deny it. But a lesson is teaching your son how to toss a ball or ride a bike, or maybe letting them spend the night in the slammer after they’ve gotten drunk and stirred up trouble with the local authorities. “He killed four innocent people!”

“Don’t be naïve. No one’s truly innocent in this world.” He waves away my words. “And you fools are still too busy chasing pussy to pay attention to the threats around you. See how easy it was? Navarro can get to you like that.” He snaps his fingers in the air. “It’s time for that to change, if you’re going to survive in this business.”

That’s the thing: I don’t want to survive in this business. I want nothing to do with it. Both of us want out. But it doesn’t matter to Vlad. It’s his way, or his way by force. And I’m quickly losing track of the reason for my visit, the only thing I care about. I lean forward. “Where did Bane take Mercy?”

“She’s safe for the moment,” he answers cryptically.

Just being in a room with Bane is hazardous to anyone’s health. “He killed one of my bodyguards. Injured another.”

“You should hire better bodyguards.”

I slam my fist against the cold metal table surface. My patience, already balancing on the edge of a cliff when I stepped into this room, has officially evaporated. “Give her back to me now!” Not that Mercy is a possession but….