Page 61 of Vendetta

“You’ve been working against me.” I say loud enough to carry over the noise.

Some of them shout. Some of them plead.

“Do not deny it. I already have enough evidence.” Too much evidence really. It was too easy to find the breadcrumbs, as if Emerson was happy for this family to be his sacrifice.

One of them men falls on his hands. My stomach turns but I am not devoid of mercy.

“You want forgiveness?” I murmur.

He nods.

I pinch my trousers, pulling the fabric up to give myself enough freedom to squat in front of his face.

“What will you give me in exchange.”

“Anything you want.” He says.

“I want loyalty.” I snap.

“I will give you that.”

I let out a laugh. “You said that before. You promised me that before.”

“I will give you it. We all will.”

The other men nod. The women plead again.

Blaine shakes his head behind them. He wants me to kill them. To make an example and while I’m inclined too, these people are not my real enemy.

I look at the children. Some of them are so small they can barely stand and they sit in the dirt. What sort of man would I be if I took my vengeance out on babies?

“I will make you a deal.” I say. “You promise my loyalty and yet you have spat in my face.” I pause to look back at the men. “So now I ask for you to prove it.”

“Anything.” One of them shouts.

“You will go to warehouses, to the ones that Emerson controls and you will tell the people there that those businesses have been forfeited. That they are mine now. You will take them for me. You will kill anyone that opposes you. Do I make myself clear?”

They nod. “And when you are done you will come back here. If you do this then I will spare you.”

Blaine shakes his head.

The men get up off the ground and I watch as they collect their things, as they begin to follow my orders.

I look over at Preston seeing the surprise on his face. “What?”

“Mercy is not your usual style Nico.”

“No.” I agree. “But we have bigger fish to fry, and besides we need those factories. Why risk our own men when I can have these do it?”

“You think it will make them loyal?” He scoffs.

“Once Emerson is gone it won’t matter.” I murmur. “He was the cause of their disloyalty. Cut the head of the snake off and the beast is dealt with.”

“Talking of beasts…” Preston mutters checking his phone as it buzzes.

“What?” I ask.

“Your brother is on his way to the party.”

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