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“You got it, sir.”
After my father was killed…err…died, I’d refused to move into his mansion. I was raised in that house of horrors, was loved until he found out I was gay, and every day since that discovery had been a nightmare. Going off to Abernathy University was a reprieve I’d desperately grasped. Nightmares always found me, though, and the university was a different kind of terror.
I’d had the mansion torn down and rebuilt it into a haven I could call home. I would have been happy with a cottage, something small that didn’t feel ostentatious. Unfortunately, my uncle Sean had made it clear that a cottage would show weakness in the eyes of the family. “The bigger the better,” I was instructed.
Aiden pulled into the driveway and upon stepping out of the car, I stared up at the seven-thousand-square-foot monstrosity. It was beautiful, honestly—just too big. I had a part to play and if I didn’t play it right, they’d snuff me out without blinking.
“I’m going to go wash up again and pass out, Aiden. Wake me with enough time to look presentable for the meeting.”
“No problem. Want them in your study?”
I frowned as I took the steps up to the main entrance. “No, we’ll go to the club. I hate when those guys smoke in my house.”
“You got it.”
I was dead tired. I passed by staff who greeted me, but if I didn’t face-plant on my mattress soon, I was going to cry.
As it was, I forwent the shower since I’d gotten one at the hospital, and did exactly as I wanted. Full starfish on the mattress, I was out in seconds.
CHAPTER TWO
Vincenzo
Zion was staring me down. He’d never outright yell at me—that would be disrespectful, and he was nothing if not by the book.
“Is there a problem with my orders, Zion?”
His hand rubbed over his shaved head, and he sighed. “I will do as ordered, Praeses; it is my duty. But the last time you sent me to Westford to speak with Master Brennan, he told me he’d no longer meet with me until you have shown him the respect of a face-to-face.”
To Zion’s credit, he wasn’t wrong in his worry. Fred Brennan on his own wasn’t a huge threat to Lex Talionis. We were an elite, extremely large, assassin organization. I could order the destruction of the Brennan Clan, and they’d cease to exist. However, he had strong allies over in Haven Hart. If they teamed up with Fred, it would be cause for concern.
“I understand what he told you, Zion. But I have never met with the heads of any family, organization, or other. There’s a reason for that.”
He nodded and sat back in his chair. “Safety. I know.”
As praeses of Lex Talionis, it was imperative I remain cloaked. Many people would love to see me perish if only to force Lex Talionis to scramble in finding a new leader. It was how my predecessor had met his end. After we’d removed a criminal element from a Japanese-sanctioned territory—not hired, it was our duty to remove evil beings, ones whose time on this earth was toxic and gaining nothing—they’d wanted to thank the past praeses. Against my recommendation as his colonellus, he’d gone and the head of the Aikawa family had slit his throat.
They’d thought they’d take Lex Talionis for everything, but they’d been severely mistaken and now the Aikawa family was nothing but ashes and memories.
“Have you explained this to Fred?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. The setting sun cast a peaceful glow over the garden, where Zion and I were sitting. His dark skin was flawless, his eyes sharp. He didn’t do it often, but his smile could end arguments. He was a beautiful man…and my closest friend.
“I suggest you do. The reason I can go to the movies, out to dinner, anywhere at all is because to the world I’m nobody. If every violent entity knew my face, it would be war, and I so hate wars.”
He pursed his lips and handed me a tablet.
“What’s this?”
“I will do as you order, Vincenzo, but you should be aware of some information I have uncovered regarding the Brennan family.”
I pressed the button, awakening the tablet. It was filled with notes, maps, and names. “Is there distress?”
“Very much so. I believe Fred is oblivious to it all.”
As I scrolled, only reading snippets of the extensive notes, I recognized all of the parties mentioned. While I knew what he looked like, I’d never been in Fred’s physical presence. I was, however, aware of his operation and those he surrounded himself with.
I’d said nothing to anyone, but Frederick Brennan was the most stunning man I’d ever seen. But that wasn’t what shrouded me in awe. It was his dream. He was a doctor, helping people live. His heart was too kind for the malignant nature of being a mafia boss. He was stuck in a position he didn’t want, but he held on in the hope his cousin would take over. A false hope. I suspected the reason he hadn’t simply run was twofold. One, he wanted to be a doctor, and being in hiding would crush that dream. Two, he feared what the Brennan family would do if he couldn’t keep an eye on them. He was noble, a man I’d swoop up and bring into Lex Talionis’s fold in a heartbeat…and into my bed.
