Remington (The Theriot Family 1)

Instead of taking what I wanted that morning, Henri on his back, looking into my eyes, giving me his whole self as he welded our souls together, I left him a note, headed out early, and didn’t go home all day. It was foolish. We had limited time together, and I wanted to take advantage of every second, but nothing had ever scared me like my feelings for Henri did.

Fortunately, I had two obnoxious brothers and an array of cousins and family allies to take out my frustration on. I was a short-tempered asshole all day as I conducted business, managing multiple facets of our criminal empire.

The one time I was able to fully distract myself was when Lance and I met with Giorgio and Niall just after their arrival in town. X had told them the proposed plan where Niall would pretend to still be a fed and convince Clark they had evidence against him but were willing to cut a deal.

“What we need is something to use, some concrete details about his work for the gunrunners.”

I nodded. “Our intel says he owes these men and has no choice but to do their bidding, but we’re looking for specifics on that. We’ve heard he keeps anything he wants secret from the rest of the family in a safe in his bedroom. The hope is there’s something there we can use.”

“How quickly can you access it?”

“Tonight,” Lance answered.

“Perfect. Giorgio and I will make sure we’re seen staking out Clark’s house. That will put some fear in him.”

Giorgio grinned. “And it will be fun. I might just rattle him a little too. A well-placed bullet sends a strong warning that he’d be safer in witness protection.”

I grinned. “I like the way you think.”

Giorgio punched Niall in the shoulder. “See? He appreciates me.”

“Give him a while. Your charm wears off quickly.”

We nailed down the rest of the specifics, then Lance and I began making plans for a strike on Clark’s home.

My brother insisted I accompany him and Dax. There were plenty of other people I could send, people who would do a good job, but being there myself would keep me occupied. I needed something to focus on other than Henri, and there was nothing like breaking into the enemy’s lair to keep my mind focused.

My father would be pissed as hell if he knew what I was doing. He would tell me to send someone else, someone a lot more expendable, but sometimes I enjoyed doing my own dirty work. The thrill of being able to walk right into danger fueled me.

I called Henri to let him know not to wait up for me. I hated the sound of sadness in his voice. He’d told me he missed me, and I wanted to tell him I’d missed him terribly all day, but I didn’t. I just told him to use my card to order whatever he wanted for dinner and find a way to amuse himself.

Next, I called Corbin. This surveillance mission would work best with the vehicle I’d fucked up the night I met Henri. “I need you to get my SUV back from Beau before tonight. If he hasn’t finished it, lean on him.”

“That guy is an asshole. Can’t you use somebody else?”

“No, we most certainly cannot use someone else. He owes me because I helped get him out of prison, and he’s damn good at what he does. If there’s anything he can’t do for me, he’s got connections to people who can.”

“When I stopped by yesterday, he told me not to rush him. That he’d get to it when he got to it.”

“Then assert yourself.”

“But shouldn’t he just—”

“People don’t bow down to us automatically. You’ve been given everything your whole life. People aren’t going to give you their obedience. You’re going to have to take it.”

Corbin blew out a loud breath. “I hate him. He’s so…”

“So what?”

“Fucking dismissive.”

I didn’t doubt it. Beau was one tough-ass motherfucker. He’d done well for himself in prison, and he didn’t take shit from anyone. We had a mutual understanding, but I had no doubt Corbin pissed him off. My brother thought everything should be handed to him, and when he didn’t get his way, he was more a toddler than a predator. He had to learn these lessons somehow, and this was a good place to start. Beau wouldn’t actually hurt Corbin—he knew what the consequences would be for that—but Beau would sure as hell challenge him.

“Go get the damn car. If you can’t do something as simple as this—”

“Shit, Remy. You’re always on my case, and I’m—”

“I’m always on your case because you keep fucking up, and in our world, a lot of fuckups are fatal.” I didn’t want to lose him over something stupid.

“This car isn’t—”

“If you ever want to really have a stake in the family business, like Lance and me, you’re going to be in life-or-death situations. I have to know I can count on you.”