Page 44 of Savage Reign

“That was going to happen anyway. The moment he decided to work with Sebastian Cline and go up against us, he signed his death certificate.”

“And I need your support, you and your brothers, when I take reign. There are still men loyal to my old man, so I need to be the one to kill him, not you, not Maverick or Silas. Me. And once I do, I’m going to need your support.”

“So that’s it? You want your father's empire? Why kill the old man for that and run the risk of angering his men? You’re already set to inherit everything.”

“No. He’s trying to conceive with his new wife, and he has been obsessed with the idea of getting another son. I don’t need to tell you the reason for it.”

“He is looking for a new heir.”

Finley nodded. “Guess I haven’t done such a good job hiding my hatred for him. This syndicate is mine. I fucking bled forthe organization. Sold my soul to the fucking devil without a thought, and he thinks he can just take that from me?”

“Then why not let us kill him now? We can make it quick and painful,” I promised. So fucking painful.

He shook his head. “Because when I take over, I want everyone to know that I was the one who impaled his head on a pike.”

“Ah,” I said, now understanding. Finley was so good at hiding his feelings that I was almost convinced he didn’t hate his old man for killing his mom. But then again, his mom had been an unfeeling, cold-hearted woman. I didn’t think there was any love lost between them. “You want to avenge your mother? How typical.”

He let out a small, cold smile. “You think so?” He shrugged like he didn’t care what I thought. “I have some conditions.”

“Of course you do.”

“I want us to work together. The Las Vegas Tiernan Syndicate now has control over the southern territory, and you guys have it over the east. Imagine what we can do once I take over.”

“Of course,” I said lightly. But he should know these weren’t things I could just agree on. I would have to run it over with Maverick and Silas, but hell, I didn’t see anything wrong with that. I’d much rather work with Finley than good ole Uncle Fionn any day. The plan had always been to work with Finley once he inherited, but no one knew when that would be. His old man would probably outlive us all out of spite. And we were about to leave the old fucker alone, not out of loyalty, but to return the favor for harboring three orphans nearly twenty years ago. Not anymore. The timeline for him to meet the maker he spent the majority of his life praying to had just been moved up.

“And the next condition.”

“You help me break off a marriage arrangement.”

“A marriage arrangement, huh? Who's the unlucky girl who’s caught your eye?”

“Cara.”

It took me a moment to realize what he had said. Then I threw my head back and laughed. The fucker looked like he wanted to punch me in the face. I almost dared him to, considering how fucking restless I had been feeling this past week.

I shook away the urge and finally took in my cousin. “Do you have the hots for your stepsister now? Tell me, is the girl still untouched?”

The Las Vegas Tiernan Syndicate was made up of traditionalists who valued the virginity of their daughters above most things. Especially since most of the made men were Catholic, it was safe to say they guarded their daughters and wives with some of the best strongholds. Arranged marriages were still happening, and the women were expected to remain pure until then. That was unless you were widowed before, which was exactly how Fionn’s second wife was, bringing along her daughter from her first marriage with her.

“How about you don’t say anything before I forget all those years of friendship and fucking stab you in the heart.”

I tutted. “I’d like to see you try, pretty boy.”

“Killian.”

I let out a small sigh. He wasn’t fun to fuck with. “Fine. When is the girl set to marry?”

“Three months from now.”

“And the lucky groom-to-be?”

“Ivan Balakirev.”

“The heir to the Balakirev Bratva? My, hasn’t your father been busy? Setting up arranged marriages with the bratva. I heard little Ivan has a propensity for knife play. Inandout of the bedroom. And the fucker’s father hadn’t had any successarranging a marriage for his son because even their men fear offering their precious daughters up to him. And your father decided to just throw Cara at them?”

Finley didn’t say anything, but I could see a muscle twitching on the side of his face. And I finally realized why he needed our help. And why he risked so much coming to Chicago. It wasn’t to avenge a mother who didn’t know how to love him.

It was for her.

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