Page 102 of Brutal Collateral

It’s ten a.m. so I ask for coffee.

Ava was asleep when I left the house early to work out in the private gym I started using. I got dressed there, too. The tracker I put in her purse shows she left the house an hour ago and went to a salon. I just hope she’s getting her nails done and isn’t trying to buy the place.

Her guard sent me updates that confirmed the same thing.

Shane and Atlas have been meeting regularly to go over what we’ll be submitting as the final proposal for this deal.

Connor and I, along with Trace and Rhys, plus a team of fighters, have been eliminating Brandon’s top allies at night.

One by one, they’re dragged to an abandoned tunnel Connor found and set up as our killing and torture chamber. He chains them up and beats them until they swear an oath to me. With only one exception, all have been broken to my will and accepted my reign. The one who didn’t was killed after finding out he had no family. That was why he probably held out. The others had wives who liked nice things and kids in private schools with everything to lose by holding on to their fealty to a dead man.

Connor reminds me I shouldn’t work the streets for much longer. I’m the new ruler of this clan. My place is on a throne, making contacts in the city where I can exercise my influence to make sure all the businesses we took over keep running without interruption.

Sitting on the sidelines wars with my pride and dominating nature. Ava’s remark that I’m never home at night stung, but I’m also wary of calling her bluff only to watch her come up with some other bullshit excuse why she won’t get rid of that fucking clown and sleep alone with me in my bed.

I tolerate it because we’re not married yet. I’m saving that argument and won’t relent. I’ll light that thing on fire if that’s what it will take.

My brothers and I get to the Zervas conference room, and I push all thoughts of my screwed-up home life aside to deal with this grueling meeting. Ares sits at the head of a long, polished conference table. I figured the three Zervas brothers would perch on one side with the three of us Quinlans on the other. No, Ares keeps trying to one-up me.

I take a seat at the opposite side of the table, my eyes right on him.

Shane sets up a monitor in the middle to begin going over the building options. The door opens up behind me, and I think it’s the assistant bringing in food. Ares gets to his feet so fast that my heart drops into my stomach.

I spin around, pissed that I had my back to the door. But my jaw hits the carpet.

“Ava?” I look her up and down in a white pantsuit with a gray trench on her shoulders, black stilettos, and...

“What the fuck did you do to your hair?” Ares barks.

I was too busy checking out her body, which has improved as far as her weight and skin tone. Her cheeks don’t look as hollow. She’s been eating well since moving in with me. She looks fucking gorgeous only...

She chopped off every bit of her hair. All that long ebony hair is gone.

“I cut it,” she says and saunters into the room.

I catch her guard taking his place with ours in the reception area.

To my surprise, she waltzes right up to me and kisses my cheek. Ares’ eyes narrow at how polite she’s being. I want to take her mouth, hard, lay a brutal kiss on her to fuck with them. Keep them guessing about what’s really happening in my bedroom every night.

Ava slips off her coat, and the assistant flies to her side. “Grapefruit juice if you have it.”

When the assistant makes a face, I snap my fingers. “Get it. Find it.”

Ava and I make eye contact, and I try to fight the lust storming through my body. Fuck no, I don’t want a princess getting her nails done, which hers are nubs. Unless she gets fake claws to tear up my back.

My brothers and I look at her brothers to see what they’ll do since she’s not my wife yet.

Ares rubs his knuckles and says, “Ava, darling. This is a meeting and—”

“Afamilymeeting, I see.” She waves her hand at all of us. “Right? We’re a family now. Last I checked, I’mpartof this family.”

I hadn’t considered that she’d want a role in the management of my house or this project. Fuck, I find that hot.

Shane leans in to me. “Do you have an issue if she stays?”

“No,” I whisper. Especially if it bugs Ares.

“It’s abusinessmeeting,” Ares counters bitterly.

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