Fallen Empire (Dirty Empire)

“Do you think he knows? Has he figured it out?” Mercy asks with a shaky voice. I know what she’s worried about—repercussions for her father.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Caleb takes a step toward it with grim determination on his face.

“No, wait.” I throw my hand in the air. “As far as Lewis knows, Mercy is dead and I’m buying myself time. That’s all Dad will have heard, if he’s been in contact with Carruthers.” Our little FBI mole shares good information but he’s difficult to get hold of. “But if you answer that phone, then Dad definitely knows that he’s lost his leverage. We’re not ready for that yet.” Duncan Wheeler doesn’t have enough protection. George has funnelled all our money into new accounts but we’re still moving cash from stash houses, choking the final breaths from our father’s access to protection funds.

Caleb freezes.

We all stand idle and listen to the phone ring twenty times before it stops. The silence that follows is eerie.

“How long before your—”

My phone rings, cutting off Caleb’s question.

A chill runs down my spine.

The three of us share a look. It’s too much of a coincidence to be anyone other than Vlad calling.

I hold my finger to my lips, put it on speaker, and answer with a “Yeah?”

“Why am I hearing about JJ and Ivan from anyone but my sons!” my father growls in greeting. He’s in a pissy mood, as expected. But at least if he’s focused on them, he’s not thinking about Mercy.

“Because we’ve been too busy dealing with a triple murder inside our club office to worry about giving you an update,” I snap. “Our manager is dead. The place is crawling with cops. They’ve shut us down, for who knows how long!”

“Who gives a shit about your precious club? Two of my most trusted people have been slaughtered and all you worry about is a building that can be replaced. I should have had Bane blow that up instead of the plane. Then maybe your focus wouldn’t be so divided.”

“What the hell did you think was going to happen after Hermosillo? That Navarro’d just roll over and show you his belly like an obedient dog? Only a fool would think that.”

“Watch yourself. That’s bold talk for someone who’s been crying over his piece of ass. Maybe Bane should give her a taste of what’s to come if you don’t start cooperating.”

My gaze flips to Mercy, to catch the flash of recognition in her eyes, and the mix of fear and rage that bubbles. But she presses a hand over her mouth as if to plug the risk of so much as a gasp from squeaking out.

Dad’s threats of Bane are impotent, but he doesn’t know that yet. When he does figure it out, those threats will shift to Mercy’s father. I have to keep up appearances, so I adjust my tone to something more somber. “We have been cooperating, haven’t we? We’ve handled Puff, we’re hunting down the Perris—”

“Navarro’s daughter, Ava. I want you to take care of her.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Caleb, silent up until now, bursts. “We’re not taking out a cartel leader’s daughter. We’re not taking out anyone’s daughter. Have Bane do it.”

I spear my brother with a warning glare. That taunt doesn’t help our cause.

“You afraid?” Vlad mocks.

“No, we’re not stupid.”

“Do you think Navarro will hesitate to kill you both because you are my sons?”

“And yet he hasn’t tried. The only one who has tried to kill us is you,” Caleb retorts.

“He hasn’t tried yet. My sources say you’re both dead men, if Navarro has his way. And the plane was a valuable lesson, so you don’t get caught unaware like JJ and Ivan.”

“We don’t need any of your goddamn lessons—”

“Enough!” I pinch the bridge of my nose to quell the headache that their bickering spurns. Is Dad lying about his sources’ intel to scare us or is Navarro planning on taking us out?

Caleb shakes his head, though Dad can’t see it. “I don’t care. We’re not doing it.”

“Then you can take responsibility for Bane carving up Gabriel’s pretty little toy’s face. I’ll make sure he sends pictures.”

Caleb sneers and opens his mouth, and I know what he’s about to say—that Gabe’s pretty little toy killed his pit bull and no one’s ever going to touch her again. It’s what I would love to say, too, but that won’t help anything but our egos.

I snap a finger at him, a warning to shut up.

Caleb’s mouth twists with a sour expression, but thankfully he doesn’t say any more.

Flat out refusing our father is not an option, we’ve learned that long ago, and it’s not part of the plan now. “Navarro’ll have extra security on her. We won’t be able to get close.”

“You’ll figure something out.” I hear satisfaction in his voice, the sound of triumph. He assumes he has me under his thumb. “But we have a more pressing concern now. Ivan was managing the shipment. Now that he’s gone, you two will need to ensure it arrives at the warehouse.”