Page 109 of The Apprentice
As I raised my beer to take a drink, a loudbangechoed through the pub and almost instantly, everyone fell silent. Even the singing had stopped. Sloan shot to his feet, and that was enough for my senses to go on high alert.
Fionn and I turned to look at the door, where Rowen, Fallon, and Sloan were glaring. My spine stiffened when my eyes fell on Thiago Reyes walking through with confidence that a man strolling into a lion’s den shouldn’t have. Like in the picture sent from our men, his brown hair hung around his shoulders, and as much as I hated to admit it about an enemy, he was handsome. The suit he wore was purple striped and fit his muscular body perfectly.
Reyes was a man on a mission, his smirk assertive as his gaze glided around the room until it settled on us. The moment he found us, he walked in our direction, a dozen men at his back, his cousin Rafael included.
I sat up straighter, my arm around Fionn’s chair protectively as Reyes came closer.
“Sloan Killough.” He stopped beside us, his smirk widening.
“Thiago.” Sloan’s eyes darkened precariously. “You’re in my territory.”
“And you killed my cousin.” The corner of Reyes’s mouth jerked, a quick movement that showed his irritation.
“It was a shame that we got the wrong cousin, but all’s fair in love and war.” Sloan sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, his suit pulling tightly around his arms to show off his muscles.
Around us, our men waited for directions, while the other guests watched with quiet confusion. They had no idea what they were a part of, and I hoped it didn’t come to anything physical while innocent bystanders were around. We tried to avoid that. It was one thing for mobsters to die, but if people who weren’t part of it did as well, the cops and feds took it a lot more seriously—we didn’t need that heat.
Fionn leaned against me, and I murmured “I’ve got you, boy” loud enough for only him to hear.
“Next time, it’ll be a brother or. . . a lover.” Sloan’s words hit their target.
Reyes’s nostrils flared despite him keeping his composure. “Do you think you’re upsetting me by threatening Manny? He has balls, Killough, and he doesn’t need to be hidden away, guarded by twenty-seven men.”
I inwardly cursed at the threat. He had someone watching Conall. I laid my hand on my stomach, close to where my gun was holstered under my suit jacket, and Rafael’s gaze flicked to me. He gave me a short shake of his head. A warning. If I went for my gun, he would go for his, and there would be bloodshed. The only thing that stopped me was Fionn’s weight against my side. He was too drunk to defend himself.
Sloan stiffened and shifted forward, and the mobsters on each side watched, ready for whatever fight was coming for them. “If you go near my pet, Reyes, I will cut you up into small pieces and feed you to your beloved Manny. He’ll know that every bite he takes is a part of you.”
Reyes made a sound of disinterest. “I want compensation, Killough.”
The laughter that ripped from Sloan’s chest was abrupt and mean, and I internally winced because Sloan was done playing games.Fuck.This was going to get bloody. “Like I said. It’s war.You started it by approving collateral damage and hurting my pet.”
Fionn stood, and I was there at his side as he moved in closer to Sloan, offering support. The inebriation I’d seen before was still there in him, an underlying imbalance in the way he stood, but he seemed to have a clearer head. He was an apprentice in every way right now, and I was so damned proud of him.
Sloan squared his shoulders at Reyes. “Don’t make me shoot you here in this good establishment. I don’t want to cause issues for the owner.”
Reyes’s body went rigid and he clenched his jaw despite flashing his teeth in a smile. “You won’t, but you don’t care about anyone else’s bottom line. There are too many witnesses. And cameras.”
He nodded up at the corner of the pub, but I didn’t look because I’d already seen the security cameras when we’d arrived. I’d checked for them as I’d trained myself to do since I’d joined the Company.
“You and me. Outside. Fist fight. No weapons,” Reyes said.
Fallon’s laughter startled me. “Is this the fifties?”
Reyes tossed him a glare. “If it was, a washed-up entertainer like you would be sucking cock for a living, not sitting at a table with real dangerous men.”
I supposed there was a compliment in there somewhere because he’d admitted that he was threatened by us.
Rowen growled behind me. “Watch yerself.”
Reyes rolled his eyes, and I stepped in closer to Fionn, everything inside me urging me to protect him no matter what. “What do you say, Killough?”
Any other day, I might have thought Sloan would say no, but it was four in the morning and the months had been long. Reyes hadn’t just hurt Conall in a bombing, he’d walked into Sloan’s territory without fear. The bastard was testing Sloan’s pride, andif I knew anything about Sloan, it was that he hated men who thought they were better than him. As far as he was concerned, no one was.
Sloan nodded. “Outside.”
I cursed him under my breath. This wasn’t going to end well. Even if we won, it’d come with more consequences. Reyes’s men wouldn’t let their boss get hurt. But Reyes knew where to hit Sloan and his words slammed right into their target.
Sloan shot around and stalked toward the side door, and Rowen and Fallon followed. Fionn was already heading there, too, and I was nowhere else but at his back, ready to protect it if needed. Men from both mobs exited the door until the alleyway was full, brimming with unmitigated testosterone and cockiness. Every hair on my body stood up, aware of the immediate danger around us, aroundFionn, and there wasn’t anything I could do.
