Fallen Empire (Dirty Empire)

Gabriel admitted as much to me—that he knew his father wouldn’t let this betrayal go unpunished. But is it true that he and Caleb knew the ramifications to his entire family? To his aunt and cousins?

The guy studies me. “Then again, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Gabe is head-over-heels in love with you and going out of his mind, suffering right now, knowing you’re in Bane’s hands, and not knowing where you are. Thinking about the kinds of things he’s going to do to that body. Actually, I think I’ll die happier with that scenario running through my head.”

I’m seeing why Gabriel has no love for his family. “He’ll find me.” I say that as much for myself as for this asshole.

“Women tied to this family don’t fare well. Don’t believe me? Look at the track record. My aunt Virginia, my mother…, both dead, and brutally.”

“Both because of something your father did,” I throw back.

The muscle in his jaw ticks. “You’re right, my father is to blame for all this. And he was a fool for thinking he could reason with Vlad. I didn’t make that same mistake though.”

Dread courses through me. “What do you mean?”

He bares his teeth in a thin, pained smile. “Let’s just say that when the sun sets on this family, no one’s getting what he wants.”

9

Gabriel

“She just came back from taking the child for a walk,” Farley confirms.

“And security detail?” Puff must have someone watching over his baby mama now that he’s reneged on the arrangement with our family. He’s not stupid. He knows Vlad isn’t happy with him and he knows the kinds of things that happen when Vlad isn’t happy.

“One skinny kid on the steps, his head in his phone. He won’t notice us until it’s too late.”

One kid who’s gonna regret not taking his job seriously. “And neighbors? Witnesses?” We’re doing this in broad daylight.

“We won’t give them anything tangible to go on.” Farley’s confidence in his men is unwavering. I wish mine was as steadfast, but after they fucked up and let Bane take Mercy, they’re all amateurs in my eyes. There’s a pause. “Are we a go?”

The nausea in my stomach over what we’re about to do churns. This is Vlad’s arena. “Do it. And send me confirmation as soon as you have it.” I end the call.

We don’t have a choice. We have to play his game. That’s the only way I’ll ever see Mercy again. I remind myself of this for the tenth time as I climb out of my car. “We’re rolling.”

“So are our friends in Cali.” Caleb grinds a cigarette butt into the pavement with his shoe. “They’re not thrilled about it, but they said they’ll do it.”

“They’re not thrilled with staying alive?” Caleb and I agreed that the best way to deal with Dad’s request to eliminate the two remaining Perris is if they go underground until we tell them it’s safe to pop their heads back up. I’ll bet Vince is the one complaining about playing dead so he doesn’t end up actually dead. He seems like he’d be the type to complain about something as stupid as that.

Caleb answers with an eyeroll before shifting his focus to the looming gates of Fulcort. “Sooner this is done, the better. I really hate this fucking place.”

Three minutes later, my phone chirps with a text from Farley. My stomach twists as I hold it up for Caleb to see.

“They say a picture says a thousand words.” He turns away, revulsion curling his lips. He doesn’t like this any more than I do.

“Yeah, well, this one says it’s showtime.” Let’s just hope this production goes off without a hitch.

Every guard in this room has a cozy spot in Vlad Easton’s pocket.

Not the Easton family pocket.

Not my pocket, like Donny.

They’re all Vlad’s minions, paid to keep him as safe and secure as any inmate can be in this fucking hellhole. But to have them all in here now? He’s pulling a lot of levers. He must be worried about retaliation—from Puff’s gang, from the remaining Perris, from Navarro. Who knows? It’s coming from all angles. He’s been making too many enemies as of late.

Frankly, the only reason his own sons haven’t killed him is because he has something—or someone—we want.

The guards were the first thing I noticed when I sat down at our usual corner table.

The second thing was that it was dead in here today. The waiting room is full as per usual, but it’s just us and Caleb in here now.

It’s probably for the best, given what’s about to go down.

Dad drums his fingertips on the table in a steady rhythm, his steely gaze wandering across the room to the table where Caleb sits, waiting. There’s no way Caleb doesn’t feel the eyes boring into the back of his head, but he doesn’t acknowledge him in any way.