Page 66 of Unmask
Raine placed his palms on the table as he leaned over it. “They’re testing us. Seeing how far they can push. I’m done letting them play in our shadows.”
“I think someone in the Vipers is running the operation,” I said. “And someone in our backyard knows more than they’re saying.”
“The first step in getting the Vipers out of Elmwood is to take down this ring. No more underground auctions selling minors. It’s bad for our business,” I stated.
“Is this coming from you or your father?” someone from the back asked.
I didn’t flinch. “I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t agree.” A lie, but I’d worry about Daddy Dearest later.
Mason glanced sideways at me, lips twitching. He knew. They all did, but no one called me on it.
“This started personal,” I continued. “But it’s not just about Kaylor anymore. If this auction ring keeps expanding, drawingin buyers with sick fucking fetishes and deeper pockets, it cuts into every business we own. Strip clubs. Casinos. Trade routes. The next girl they take could be someone connected to this table.”
That landed like a blow.
Some of them had daughters.
Most had sisters.
All had something to lose.
“Shit,” Slade muttered.
I let that sink in. They had families, and what we all had in common was that we were here to provide for them, to keep them protected.
“Word is the next auction is in two weeks,” Raine informed, straightening. “We need to shut it down before it happens.”
I looked around the table. “They think they’re untouchable. Let’s prove them wrong.”
Hector nodded. “I’ll call in my guys.”
Slate cracked his neck. “You’ll have eyes on the docks by midnight.”
Briggs muttered, “I’ll check the southside clubs. There’s a new face working security, too clean for the job.”
A flicker of agreement passed through the room.
Mason’s knuckles drummed against the table. “We’re going to blow up their little kingdom.”
“Start with the shadows,” I said, already turning for the door. “That’s where they hide their monsters.” And one by one, they stood.
Old blood. New blood. United for one thing. Not because I asked but because they finally saw it, too.
The Vipers were coming for us.
And we were ready to bleed them dry.
15
KREED
When it was just the four of us left, me, Raine, Maddox, and Mason, I moved to the balcony, pushing through the heavy glass door and stepping into the night. Elmwood spread out below, streetlights flickering over cracked sidewalks, casting shadows that stretched like reaching hands. From up here, the city didn’t look broken, but I knew better. It was rotting from the inside out.
I leaned on the steel railing, fingers curled forcefully enough to creak the metal. Behind me, footsteps thudded. Familiar weight. Familiar silence.
Maddox and Mason flanked my sides, Mason already flicking a lighter, the tip of a cigarette glowing red before he passed it to Maddox. Raine stood back, watching the skyline as if it held answers.
I drew in a deep gulp of the harsh air, letting the ice burn my lungs, exhaling in a puff of white fog. The cold didn’t clear the anger out of me. Nothing could.
