Page 148 of King of Envy

I glanced at the timer. Thirty seconds left.

We’d raced against time to wire Shepherd’s house with explosives on the lower and upper floors. Their range was limited to the house and part of the yard, but they were powerful enough to decimate anyone within that radius.

We’d explored subtler options, including a sniper or poison, but they left too much to chance. Sometimes, brute force was the only way to go.

Onscreen, Roman was talking. Whatever he said was enough to keep Shepherd from pulling the trigger. That was a mistake.

In a move even quicker than Shepherd’s, Roman twisted the other man’s arm and knocked the gun across the room.

Twenty seconds.

Roman didn’t bother to look back at the faction leader. He sprinted for the exit. Shepherd ran after him, his expression almost feral.

Ten seconds.

Bruce and Mav straightened. My heart thundered.

Five.

Roman was almost at the door when Shepherd grabbed the tail of his shirt. Panic spread across Roman’s face.

Four.

He turned and found enough leverage to slam his knee into the other man’s groin. Shepherd doubled over.

Three.

Roman managed to free himself and fling open the door.

Two.

He raced across the yard and?—

BOOM.

The explosion sent him flying into the street. Flames burst out from the windows and lit up the night sky.

My team and I were prepared with protective hearing devices, but the blast was still so loud, it rocked the house and rattled my bones.

Team A immediately spilled into the night to deal with the aftermath and make sure Shepherd was dead. One of them pulled a soot-covered and annoyed-looking Roman off the pavement.

I stayed inside the house. I stared at the flames dancing less than two dozen feet away. They were beautiful, which made them more insidious. The acrid scent of smoke seeped through the bolted windows and into my lungs.

Burnt flesh. A whole body of it. Would Shepherd’s corpse look like my brother’s? Did he die in as much pain as Lazar, or was his an undeservedly quick and merciful death?

“Vuk.” Sean’s quiet voice brought me out of my spiral.

He’d anticipated the effect the fire might have on me; I’d insisted on coming anyway. I wouldn’t have my men risk their lives if I wasn’t willing to do the same.

I smoothed my expression and turned to my security chief. He’d been communicating with the team via his earpiece.

“All clear,” he said. “Shepherd was the only person in the house. The guys have his body. He’s dead.”

Dead.

Shepherd was dead. Our rushed plan had somehow gone off without a hitch.

I stared out the window again.

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