Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

“That’s who came for Emelia today. Him. He’s working with Riccardo. The cameras are for our protection. I can’t be everywhere, and I can’t keep my arms around everyone to protect them from shit. Something as simple as a fucking camera not working and me not knowing for fuck knows how long could have changed the tide of what happened today.” I’m shaking as I speak.

“I know. I know,” she answers. “But this is my fault. I could have told you about the camera too. I shouldn’t have told Emelia anything. I shouldn’t have. Manni didn’t do it. It was me, and I promised him I wouldn’t say anything. You can’t kill him for something I did just because you can’t kill me. If you do, you’ll be no better than those monsters. Please...”

I narrow my eyes and press down hard on my teeth.

I’m not a fucking monster. Her words get to me. They get me good. My finger loosens on the trigger.

Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn to see my father. I didn’t even know he was here. He shakes his head, and I lower the gun.

Returning my focus to Candace and Manni, I straighten.

“Get up,” I tell both of them.

They do as I say.

“Manni, get the hell off my property. Get the fuck off and don’t come back. You better hope I never see you again.”

“I’m sorry, Massimo—” I hold up my hand, cutting him off.

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. It counts for shit. I trusted you, and you know my trust is hard to come by.” I look at Candace too when I say that. I’m including her in that because she’s right.

She shouldn’t have told Emelia anything. She knows how dangerous those waters are.

Manni leaves. Candace looks at me, expecting me to throw her out too. However, the same way I couldn’t kill her, I can’t kick her out.

With that, I leave everyone.

I need to be by myself for a little while to cool off.

I still haven’t spoken to the person I need to speak to most.

Emelia.

It’s late...

I must have been in the study for quite a few hours now. It’s getting later with each passing second, and I’m still unable to bring myself to see Emelia.

I don’t want to talk to her feeling this way. The sting of betrayal and fear is too fresh.

I want to know what happened, why she suddenly decided to do this today. I’m afraid of the answer though. Things have always been shit, but more shit since Jacob’s death.

Was she planning this all along? It had to be a plan, since the only time she could have seen her father and spoken to him was at the fundraiser. Unless she called him.

God, I need another drink.

I walk to the drink cabinet, grab a glass from the little shelf, and toss some ice in from the mini fridge. I pour myself some scotch and knock it back as soon as I swivel it around in the glass and get it chilled.

A knock sounds on the door. Dominic comes in. He has that look again. I bite the inside of my lip when I see he’s carrying another envelope.

“What now? What more?” I ask.

“I found more paperwork. The diamonds are for the Circle as a group. Riccardo plans to give the Shadows forty percent of the wealth he’ll get from the Syndicate resources. But this is how he enticed Vlad in the first place.”

“What is it?”

“Just have a look, Massimo.” He walks up to me and hands me the envelope.

I set the glass down and open it. I’m getting tired of opening envelopes with bad news. This one, though, is the mother of bad news. I l