I slam my fists on the table, causing Carlos to jump back in his chair, so I lean over and grab him by the scruff of the neck.
“We are missing a whole crate. You have five seconds to tell me its location or I’ll wedge a bullet straight between your eyes.”
His whiskered upper lip trembles. “I-I don’t know.”
Why Luca didn’t kill this useless prick years ago, I do not know.
I tug him closer to me. “Have you been stealing from me?”
He shakes his head. I can smell his fear. The worst part is that I can see in his eyes that he’s lying to me.
He’s the same weasel who used to steal Luca’s shipments for my brother, who enabled Rosa’s habit.
I pull him to his feet. His two men step towards me, so I aim my gun at the one on the left.
“Unless you both want to be floating in that fucking river with your friend here, I suggest you sit down.”
I flick off the safety, and they step back.
I turn to Grayson and his new helpers, Jax and Kai, who are on either side of the door with their arms folded across their chests.
“Jax, Kai, go help the guys loading up the warehouse. We can’t trust them.”
“Got it, boss.” Jax salutes me and waltzes out, tugging on his leather jacket. Kai, as always, follows behind his friend.
I drag Carlos across the desk, and he digs his feet in as I take him outside. His hands paw at my forearm the closer we get to the water.
“Please, sir, it won’t happen again.”
Weak, pathetic excuse for a man. Wrapping my fingers around his throat, I squeeze.
“Don’t beg me for your life.”
I let go, and he falls to the ground, holding his neck and gasping for air. As I go to retrieve my knife, I spot a shine coming off one of the windows at the entrance. I squint to get a better look.
A little black Porsche. I have only a single guess who it could be.
What are you doing here, detective?
I lift myself off him and pat down my suit.
“Grayson, take him back inside and finish the job there. Don’t leave the warehouse until I say so.”
He grunts in response and grabs Carlos, dragging the begging man behind him across the ground.
My arms cross over my chest. The screams ringing in my ears make a smirk twitch on my lips. I’m itching to get back in there and join the fun, but instead, I find myself in a silent battle with Zara. Of course, I know it’s her. I know everything about the woman that I need to.
That defiance in her eyes at the station, her threats. There was no doubt she wasn’t going to leave this.
I’ve never been challenged by a woman before. It’s exciting. I just wonder how far I can push her. So, I take my gun from the holster and aim it right at her windshield.
I bet she’s biting that bottom lip, gripping her hands on the steering wheel, watching me.
She hasn’t driven away. Impressive. Most people would have when a crazed man points a pistol at their car.
She really does need to leave, though. I can’t have her or anyone getting in my way of ending Romano. Not the commissioner, the cops, and certainly not Zara.
I switch my aim slightly to the left, to the brick wall next to her car, and fire. The headlights come on and the engine roars to life. Running a hand through my hair, I watch as she erratically drives out of the lot. I don’t know whether I’m pissed off or turned on by her bravery.
If she wants to play games with me, she better brace herself.
“Who was that?” Grayson asks, dropping Carlos’s dead body on the floor. Jax and Kai are doing the same with one of the goons nearby. I look down and my nose wrinkles as my new loafers are spattered with blood.
“No one of concern, G. I’ll deal with it.”
He looks like he’s about to say something, but his mouth clamps shut and his lips thin.
Pulling out my lapel, I slide my Glock back into the holster under my arm. “Once you’ve discarded the bodies, meet me at my place. Bring Keller.”
“Got it, boss.” He lifts Carlos and throws him over his shoulder.
“In the river?” I pull out a cigarette and light it. Anything to dampen the smell.
He grunts. “It’ll have to be, unless you want me to blow up your warehouse?” He has a spark in his eye. In the year we’ve worked together, I never quite understood this man’s obsession with setting everything on fire.
There’s a lot cleaner ways to deal with a corpse.
I turn on my heel and head to my own silver Porsche parked outside and pull out my phone to dial Enzo.
We need a new plan.
If Zara is on my case, we need to know why.
Grayson, Jax, Kai, and Keller are in the kitchen raiding the drink cabinet. I recline on the couch and scroll through my phone.
For a detective, her social media is wide open.
Picture after picture, her off duty persona is revealed. The delicate ink that spans her right arm. Her green eyes that pierce into my soul, even through a screen.
I stop on the picture that holds my attention. She’s unlike any other woman I’ve been with. She has a dark side, a rebellious side.
In this photo, she’s at a concert, in a leather bra and high-waisted shorts, sticking her tongue out to the camera. Her raven hair frames her face, her lips are red and plump.
Clearly, she lives a different life outside of her day job.
A reckless one, which explains her behavior.
If she wants to be my enemy, I need to know every single thing about her.
I know she has an issue with control.
She hides behind that badge, which is probably why her body is scattered with ink.
My cock throbs as I remember her pulse increasing when my hand tightened around her throat.
She has a temper and will use violence.
But she doesn’t like men ordering her around.
My fingers twitch as I imagine the ways I could control her.
The front door slams shut and I lock my cell.
Enzo appears from the entry hall. “You know you’ve got a car parked across the street? I ran the plates; it’s her.”
“Who?” Grayson looks at me with a frown.
“Zara,” I reply flatly.
Grayson leans against the counter and tips back his glass. “The cop?”
“Yes, the detective.” I clench my jaw.
“Why are you being followed by the cops?” Keller asks, taking a sip of beer.
“That’s what we’re all here to work out. I think I’ve got myself a little stalking problem.”
“She’s brave,” Jax chuckles before jumping up to sit on the counter.
Sometimes his insolence is irritating. “Off. You can sit on a chair like a house-trained adult. This isn’t a fucking frat house.”
That earns me a snicker from Kai, who tugs on Jax’s black t-shirt to get him back to his feet.
“You heard him,” Kai says to Jax and gives me a nod.
These two are like a married couple. Jax, the wild one, the brute. And Kai is always there to calm him down and keep him out of trouble.
I stand and join them in the kitchen, taking a seat at the dining table. The rest of them all join me.
Enzo pulls out his laptop and puts on his glasses.
“I’ve never seen you with glasses. Very Clark Kent.” Keller mocks and holds his beer up to Enzo.
“Fuck off,” he retorts.
“What have you got for us?” I ask, looking at Enzo.
Enzo clicks a few keys before his eyes narrow at his screen. “Well, it looks like George took a private jet to Sicily.”
“Of course he did.”
He’s always made clear of his hatred for my family. Despite the fact I am not my brother, the Falcone name sticks. Luca was the only reason George was on our side. Now that Luca is out, the responsibility falls with me.
And Romano can force anyone into doing what he wants them to.
“So, how do we plan to keep power?” Grayson asks.
My chair rocks as I cross my foot over my knee. “We have to draw Romano here. I’m not fighting a war on anyone else’s turf. We hold the upper hand here. We can’t let the commissioner know that we’re on to him. Let them think they have one over on us. I can feed him false information, easy enough. What about the lieutenant, Alex Pierce? Dig up any dirt on him?”
Enzo leans back with a frown. “Clean record. I’ll keep digging.”
“Alex is a lieutenant of the NYPD. There must be a way to get to him?”
He might have cleaned up the crime scene, I don’t trust him nor George. If one switches, the other is bound to follow.
“We killing cops now?” Keller glances at Grayson with concern.
I shake my head.
“I was thinking we start with blackmail. We don’t need that kind of heat on us. That is exactly what George will be waiting to pin on us. I’ve been playing these games with Romano for ten years now. I can be patient.”
My hands clasp together on the table before I turn to Enzo.
“Don’t forget we have a meeting at the club Friday,” Enzo reminds me.
“Club?” Jax’s eyes light up as he tips his chair back onto two legs, a grin on his face.
Barely containing an eye roll at his childishness, I simply give him a thumbs down. “I’ll take you another night.”
“Count me in,” Kai interjects, shoving Jax’s chair back on four legs. For a young guy, he certainly has his head screwed on.
“What about us?” A smirk creeps up on Grayson’s lips that makes me laugh.
“You two are far too married for this kind of club. Sienna and Maddie would rip your balls off and shove them down your throat.”
“Oh, that kind of club, yeah, I don’t think so,” Keller chuckles.
The two of them are so happily married it almost is revolting, popping out kids for fun. I’m concerned the organization is going to need its own fucking daycare soon.
“Speaking of, we better get back before we’re in trouble.” Grayson stands. “Let me know what you need from me. I’ll get some recruits to take over the docks with Jax.”
I nod. “I’ll see you in the gym tomorrow.”
Jax stands to leave with the other three. “You can stay.” I point back to his chair.
He grins and sits his ass back down, shrugging off his leather jacket. His heavily tattooed arms prop on the table as he takes another drink. “Kai, I’ll meet you at the gym tomorrow?”
“You got it, bud,” Kai calls back, picking up his helmet from the table by the door.
“Are you two joined at the hip?” I ask Jax.
“Aww, you don’t have a best friend?” Jax asks, sipping his beer.
“What do I need friends for?”
He shrugs. “He’s basically my brother. I’ve had him by my side my whole life.”
“Probably why your ass isn’t in jail now.”
Jax chuckles and nods. “For sure.”
“What do you suggest I do about our little detective problem?” I turn and ask Enzo.
I have never come up against this kind of issue. I know what I’d do to resolve it. Although, with Zara’s fiery personality, I doubt that would cause me anything but a further headache.
Enzo scratches the black scruff on his jaw. “Leave it alone for now. She could be useful. We could use her as an in to the commissioner. She would be easy to take.” He raises his brows.
I bite the inside of my mouth. Having Zara tied up and gagged in my basement makes my dick come to life.
“Stop grinning, Frankie,” Enzo smirks. He knows exactly where my brain went.
“Don’t let her get to you. We don’t know enough about her or her motives yet.”
“A woman, get to me?” I scoff.
“You ready to get in deeper, Mr. Carter?” I turn to Jax, that fire in his eyes still there. I’ve watched him fight, the way he loses it. I’ve seen the joy he gets out on jobs. He’s ready.
“Damn fucking right.” Interlacing his hands, he turns his palms out and cracks his knuckles.
“Good. When is your next fight?”
Keller and Grayson have pitched him as the next light-heavyweight champion. Kings Gym needs another hero and what an excellent disguise. Keller proved that point.
“Six weeks or so.” He runs his fingers through his messy black curls.
“I want to bring you in, but you keep on top of your training with Grayson.” He must be nearly fifteen years younger than me, yet is still learning the importance of discipline.
“Yes, Dad,” he mocks.
“I’ll beat your ass like one. Remember who you’re talking to.” I watch as his jaw ticks at my comment. So, I clap my hand on his shoulder firmly. If I’ve learned anything in the last year, it’s that I protect my family. No matter what.
The guilt that rips through me about Rosa and Eva eats me alive every day. Like everything else, I swallow it down and carry on.
Enzo shuts his laptop and stands.
“Need a lift?” he asks Jax, who shakes his head.
“I’ve got my bike out front.” Jax lifts his heavy leather jacket back over his broad shoulders and follows Enzo out.
After they leave, I loosen my tie and pour a heavy measure of scotch, hitting dial on the commissioner’s number.
“Frankie.” He sounds less than happy.
“Call off your dogs, commissioner. She’s your daughter, so I have allowed it this far. Enough is enough.”
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath.
Hmm, so he didn’t order this?
A smile creeps up on my lips and I can’t help but lift the blind in the living room that looks out onto the road.
I wonder if she can see me.
“I’ll take care of it, Frankie.”
“Good.” I cut the call with this new information. Knowing she is here for herself gives me a whole new outlook on our situation.
The way her body reacted to me, I bet she likes watching me.
“Night, detective,” I say before I shut off the lights, knocking back the remainder of my drink. Each heavy step up the stairs is closer to another night of restless sleep, watching Leila go up in flames in my nightmares.
