Page 23 of Revenge

“Hi, you seem excited.” I enter the kitchen to get something to drink. I’m hoping whatever she has to say will be finished by the time I finish my glass of water.

“I got a promotion at work.”

“That’s great. Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t believe it when my boss told me.”

“You totally deserve it. You work hard.”

“How was your day?” she asks.

“Long. Tiring.”

“I can only imagine. How’s the baby?”

“Good.” I instinctively touch my growing belly.

“I ordered Chinese food if you’re interested.” It isn’t until this moment that I realize I really haven’t eaten. “You don’t have to have it, but I just figured we can celebrate and give you a break from cooking.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you. Chinese sounds great. I’m going to take a quick shower.”

“Well, don’t take too long.” She smiles.

Even though I’m tired, I need to eat, and I enjoy spending time with Lisa. She reminds me of how normal my life has become. Of course, I’d rather it be Tina, but it is what it is. In my bedroom, I take off my shoes and grab pajamas. For a split second, I think about Viktor. If he were here, I probably would’ve made him rub my feet. The image makes me smile. Before everything happened, life used to be pretty normal with him too.

Chapter Fourteen

Viktor

Although I’ve been staring at the photos on my desk for twenty minutes, the images do not change. Even I’m at a loss for words. It doesn’t matter what war you are fighting—certain lines shouldn’t be crossed. I rub my forehead, trying to erase what I’m looking at.

“You know what this means,” Oliver says.

“This is a step too far,” Angus adds. I close my eyes, trying to make sense of things.

“Anyone hurt?”

“Luckily, there were only a few people inside. They all made it out. But the damage is substantial.”

“Did the cameras get anything?”

“Pull up the surveillance. You can’t really see anything in the photos.”

I pull up the video. About an hour ago, Oliver called, letting me know someone had attacked Eros. In the video, an SUV with tinted windows drives by and opens fire. A second SUV stops, and four men dressed in black with their faces covered throw several Molotov cocktails. I’m counting my blessings that Eros was closed for a surprise inspection I set up.

“You’re looking at an enormous financial loss,” Oliver comments.

“I don’t give a fuck about the money. I care about the people inside. They have nothing to do with the clan.” I bang my hand on the desk. “Cillian just outright made his first move for all to see.”

“There’s no physical evidence of that,” Oliver points out.

“Aye.” Angus agrees.

“I don’t need physical evidence. Cillian knows what he’s doing. He’s trying to force my hand to attack and claim I attacked first.” I let out a breath. “Who else knows?”

“Besides the cops, I’m not sure. What do you want us to do?”

Eros is not part of the family business, it’s one of my ventures. This war is about me, and Cillian couldn’t make it clearer. I just can’t see what his endgame is. He already has my father’s ear.

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