Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

“What the hell could Vlad think you stole?” Tristan asks.

“I don’t fucking know,” I answer. I can’t think of what the hell it might be. “I need to find him.”

“We’ve looked everywhere for that prick,” Andreas adds. “What the hell is he planning?”

“Whatever it is, we weren’t supposed to know he’s alive,” I say, swallowing hard. “Then Pierbo saw him. He knows we’re looking for him, and the reason we can’t find him is because of this plan. He has help. People who can help him stay hidden.”

“What now? If no one’s talking, it means they’re not scared enough of us,” Dominic says.

My blood heats. I already know the answer to that.

It’s always the same.

Be ruthless and heartless.

“I think it’s time to fix that, and we know where to start.” The Crow.

I turn and walk down the alley. My brothers follow.

Blood will stain the streets before the sun goes down.

I walk into the house with bloodstains all over my face. It’s late, bordering nine.

Pa emerges from the sitting room looking worried. I sent a message to him earlier letting him know what was happening. Priscilla walks out of the kitchen and stops short when she sees me, then turns back in her habitual way to grab stuff to clean me off.

In silence, I walk back into the room with Pa and take off my shirt.

“You okay?” he asks.

“No. Not a damn bit. I got nothing.” Nothing but the blood of the owner of The Crow on my hands, and a bunch of people who fled.

Can’t talk, run. I don’t blame them. Many would have been dealt threats on their families’ lives if they spoke.

“Stay focus, my boy. Focus on what we need to. All we can do is keep our eyes open and look around.”

“Yeah.” It’s ironic. I thought taking Emelia and screwing with Riccardo wouldn’t make me feel useless, helpless, or powerless.

This is the first time I’ve truly felt it.

“Pa, I can’t just sit around and wait.”

“No, of course not, but you can’t go crazy either looking. You have to stay calm and focus.”

I run a hand through my hair and think of Emelia. “How is she?”

Pa sighs. “Not good. I think you should go to her.”

“I will.”

Priscilla walks in with a bowl of warm water and some cloths and leaves us. I start cleaning off the blood on me. I’m going to take a long shower, but I want to see Emelia first. And I don’t want her to see me with evidence of death on my body. The first thing she’ll think is I did something to Jacob.

“I’m gonna head out. Call me if anything happens. Sorry for the shit today, my son.” Pa rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks. At least I know more than I did yesterday.”

Pa nods and leaves.

I head upstairs and gear myself up for an argument with Emelia I don’t want.