Page 141 of Love Thy Brother
Alexei wasn’t my superior. But the last year or so had taught me that he was, in so many ways.
Saint too. I sensed him move behind me. Then his hand touched my arm, hesitant, unsure of his path before he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “It’s a good plan, brother.”
I nodded. Giving in. “I’m listening.”
“Is simple,” Alexei said. “And sensible. We have both Timmerson brothers and their enforcer in the barn. We could kill them all. Burn them. And they would disappear without a trace. You were good at this before you ever knew me.”
“Sounds ideal,” I growled, even as a contradicting shiver rattled me. “Tell me why we shouldn’t.”
Alexei shrugged. “They are not gangsters. They are silly men playing a game they do not understand. Men with families who expect them home. They will be missed, old one. They will be searched for. Granted, they will not be found, but at what cost?”
He was speaking sense. “All right. So what do we do?”
“Play a longer game. The same principles apply to the violence you probably have in mind, no? Tell me, what is more disturbing than your worst fear coming true?”
I was too tired to think in Alexei’s riddles, but I tried, twisting my brain hard enough for it to fire a migraine-laced warning shot back at me. “The fear is the worst part. Not the literal thing you’re afraid of.”
“Correct.” Alexei smiled like I was a good little monster. Big monster. Whatever. “The men in there are already aware that they have poked a beast. Now it is your job to make sure they fear that beast for the rest of their lives.”
* * *
It was a long two hours. But Alexei was right. Killing these dudes or battering them within an inch of their pathetic fucking lives was way too easy.
So we didn’t. We strung them up. Tortured them with every fucked-up psychological hell we could think of until they pissed themselves with terror.
They never saw Alexei.
Never heard his voice.
But they saw me. They looked into my fucking eyes and knew what I’d do to them if they set foot on our turf again. Knew that they’d be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their naturals.
Daft cunts. If they hadn’t made River’s life hell... But they had. And for that, they had to pay.
When we were done, Saint and Embry bundled them into the back of the stalker van and drove away. I didn’t ask where. Didn’t care.
Beside me, Cam lit a cigarette. “Decoy’s on his way to fetch the bikes. Mateo’s gonna pick the boys up after the school run.”
“That’s a fucked-up sentence, bro.” Nash lit up too. “We waiting here or heading home?”
“Home. I’ve had enough Cornish madness for one day.”
I felt that. But to the best of my knowledge, River was still in Porth Luck, and without my phone, I had no way of checking.
Reading my mind, Cam waved a burner in my face. “He went back to the compound. Locke says he’s still there with Orla.”
“For real?”
Cam nodded. “Surprised me too, but everything’s blindsiding me these days.”
“I’m gonna take him home when we get back. To my place.”
“That’s cute.” Cam flicked his cigarette. “But you won’t have time. You two—” He pointed between me and Nash. “—are headed out when we get back. Haulage run, remember? I ain’t got no one else to do it.”
My heart sank. “That’s today?”
“When did you think it was?”
Truth be told, I had no fucking idea. I’d blocked it out, like I knew the moment it dawned on me that I’d have to leave River for three days straight, I’d lose my damn mind.
