Fallen Empire (Dirty Empire)

“I’ve got Stanley working on it.”

“That’s good.” He frowns in thought, then nods toward Merrick. “You, and all your intel…. Any idea where our father’s favorite hitman holes up?”

“Never bothered to ask.” Merrick shrugs. “But I can see what my sources can dig up.”

“Yeah. Do that, would ya?”

Merrick opens his mouth—likely to launch a sharp retort—but then, as if thinking better of it, presses his lips shut. Still, his curious gaze lingers on Caleb as my brother paces in thought. I don’t know what those two got up to earlier in the games room with all that cocaine and pussy, but if it’s anything like last night’s festivities by the pool, I’d say Caleb has somehow complicated this tepid alliance between our two families.

Vince is watching me carefully. He’s still on edge. “Until you find her, how do you suggest we play along with the idea of you two murdering us? Because you know Vlad is waiting for a report on a fresh body count and my guess is he won’t wait too long.”

“No, he won’t,” Caleb agrees.

Our father isn’t a patient man. Knowing him, he has Bane on standby with a backup plan.

But the look in Vince’s gaze now is calculating. He’s assumed as much.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” I warn. Like have Vlad executed in prison.

The bitter smirk that touches Vince’s lips tells me I’ve hit the mark. He pulls himself out of his seat, standing tall. As if preparing. “Look, I get that this woman means something to you, but you’re suggesting we sit around and wait for our personalized bullets to arrive and that’s not a plan either of us are signing up for.”

A fresh wave of anxiety slides down my spine. The remorse I was feeling earlier is quickly evaporating, my hand shifting closer to my weapon. “If anything happens to our father before I find Mercy—”

“Everyone, relax.” Caleb’s hands are in the air as he shifts into the space between Vince and me. “We’re going to spin this in whatever way we can to keep Vlad thinking he’s getting what he wants. We know how to deal with him. We’ve been doing it for decades.”

Given the events of the last few days, I’d say anyone could argue that we have no fucking clue how to rein in Vlad, but I keep my mouth shut. The last thing we need is bullets flying around again.

Vince’s shoulders sag a touch, as if Caleb’s assurances are welcomed. Maybe they are. Maybe he doesn’t want to kill us either.

I allow myself the slightest sigh of relief. “It’s probably best you two lay low for the next few days.”

Merrick sighs. “You mean not sit around in a Vegas hotel with you two?”

“Something like that. We definitely need to put distance between each other.”

“And act like you care that your father and two brothers are dead. Maybe head home, go be with your mother.” Caleb tips his head back and lets a puff of smoke out. It sails up into the night, shaped in an O. “God knows that hateful fuck Miles was a guy only a mother could love, but I’m sure she’d like to see her youngest sons right about now.”

Regretful looks pass over both Perris’ faces.

Farley steps out onto the terrace then. “Sorry to interrupt but the feds are on their way up. They’re in the elevator now.”

Caleb curses.

My stomach churns as we all share a look.

“They already got a warrant?” Merrick’s brow is furrowed with doubt.

Farley shakes his head. “A special agent Kennedy Lewis said she has a few questions.”

“Questions? You let her up because she has questions? With Mercy missing? What the hell is wrong with you?” The last thing I’m in the mood for tonight is the feds crawling up my ass. That agent’s been trying to flip Mercy and now she’s suddenly gone. How will this look, besides that Caleb and I did away with her?

“Questions are fine. Questions, we know how to handle,” Caleb tries to pacify me with a hand on my shoulder. “Just her?”

“And another one.” Farley’s wary eyes dart to me. “They said it was about the plane.”

“Yeah, sure it is.” Caleb sighs, his eyes flickering inside to where Michelle sits on the couch next to a bandaged and healing Moe. “That’s just a cover. Lewis is coming to check on her little pet, make sure she’s still breathing. She was messaging Michelle earlier to see what was going on with this FBI informant we got tipped off about, so I fed her some bullshit about Felix being the rat.” The muscle in his jaw ticks, like just saying those words is painful. “Didn’t want them busting our door down to ‘rescue’ the mouse they threw into the pit of snakes.”

Merrick, ever the calm and collected one, stands and stretches. “I guess we better deal with them at the door and then send them on their way.”