Triple Threat (Deception Duet 1)

“As you boys are well aware, a lot goes into making us one of the most powerful names in the city,” Bryant starts, his authoritative tone vibrating with ire. “In order to remain an immovable force, certain people’s business interests need to be…” He sighs heavily, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Eliminated.”

Scout perches on the arm of the chair beside me, shooting Bryant a questioning look. “The Constantines?” His jaw ticks and his eyes darken with fury. “If it were me, I’d have destroyed that family last year. Winston can eat shit.”

Bryant scoffs. “As much as I appreciate your eagerness to knock that pompous prick down a few pegs, Winston is a necessary evil.”

It’s Scout’s turn to bark out a derisive sound. “Necessary?”

“Money makes the world go round. You, Scout, of all people know this.” Bryant bounces his gaze from Scout to me to Sparrow before landing back on Scout. “And with the right amount, you can make it spin faster and faster.”

I arch a brow and exchange a look with Sparrow. He still wears an uninterested expression, but his body is tense. Not one of the three of us can stand the Constantines. Calling them a necessary evil is almost insulting. As though Bryant accepts the ruthlessness of Winston and his family but isn’t at all bothered by it. The Morellis and the Constantines have been at war for forever. As the secret bastard nephews, we’ve become collateral damage.

But, then again, Bryant didn’t get his kneecap crushed in such a way that took a few surgeries and a year of physical therapy to regain some semblance of normalcy like us. Scout has it worse than me and Sparrow since he took a bat to both knees instead of just one. Bryant also didn’t get college ripped from his grasp. He didn’t have his mother dragged through the mud by Winston fucking Constantine who only wanted to prove a point—that he was on top.

No, Bryant Morelli had none of that, therefore he isn’t bothered.

I know I can speak for my brothers when I say we’re really fucking bothered.

“You’ll do as I ask,” Bryant continues. “That’s what family does. And you, boys, are family now. Not to mention, you know I will reward you handsomely.”

Scout grinds his molars together, his anger obviously bubbling up with each passing second. Good, I’m not the only one growing annoyed at Bryant’s nonchalance.

“Reward,” I mutter, hoping this old fuck will get to the point already. “What do you want us to do? If it’s not about the Constantines…” Then why the fuck do we care?

Bryant studies me for a long beat, his penetrating stare cutting through me like a hot knife through butter. Effortlessly. Smoothly. Effectively. I swallow, trying like hell not to wither, even a little, under his scrutiny. Because if he looks too hard, he’ll see how much I hate him and this family—how much I want to run away and never look back.

“Oh, it’s about the Constantines,” Bryant rumbles, smirking. “It’s always about them, but I prefer to stab in the places they don’t expect. Bleed them from the inside out.”

My muscles relax at those words.

“Halcyon Corporation is looking to purchase tech giant Croft Gaming and Entertainment, which is dominating the technology industry for the foreseeable future. It’s a massive corporation with global reach. Word is the CEO of Croft, Alexander Croft, will be making a power grab at a place within the Constantine family.” Bryant glances my way. “Through marriage.”

“He’s going to marry the psycho bitch who heads that family?” Scout asks, voice dripping with disgust. “And, if so, why do we care?”

“Caroline would never remarry.” Bryant shakes his head, a villainous smile curling his lips. “Besides, it’s not him. It’s his daughter.”

I do a quick run through in my head of the eligible bachelors in the Constantine family. Winston is out because he recently married our stepsister—ex-stepsister—and I thought the other brothers had girlfriends or some shit. That leaves other, less important Constantines.

“So this dude’s daughter is supposed to marry some rich-ass distant cousin of the Constantine pricks and we care because…” Sparrow trails off. “Make it make sense, boss.”

“We care because we love a good scandal,” Bryant says, smirking. “And by a good scandal, I mean a nuclear bomb to drop in the Constantine public relations laps. Something that will ruin their investment and destroy their relationship. Croft has the potential to grow into a trillion-dollar global empire. The Constantines know it and are trying to hop aboard that train, riding it all the way to the bank.” He clasps his fingers together, resting them in his lap. “I want to derail it.”

“A scandal,” Scout reiterates with a scoff. “Come on, uncle dearest, we know there’s more to it than that. Spill the beans, man.”

Bryant eyes him for a moment before nodding. “Let’s just say Croft has secrets, because frankly, every man in power does. The kind of secrets people like me pay good money to uncover. I want to know everything that man is hiding. I will find out everything that man is hiding. He might appear to be clean as a whistle, but those men are usually the dirtiest.”