Chapter Twenty-Nine

Amon

"They're looking for you, brother," Nadine warned. "You took something from them and tried to destroy it. They won't stop until they kill you. Those men you hired won't be able to protect you. I'm not sure why you hired them in the first place. They've done nothing to help."

"Shut up!" I'd had about all I could stand of my sister. She never knew when to stop. "I'm sending you home," I finally told her.

She took a step back, her face losing some of its color. "Why? I don't want to leave. I've always taken care of you."

I ran a weary hand over my face. "It'll be safer for you. If they come after me, they'll also come after you."

"I can take care of myself. I don't want to go. I hate the castle. It's cold and drafty. I don't know why you had to live there in the first place."

I struggled until I came to my feet. Leaning heavily on my cane, I walked toward her. "Because it was a reminder of everything we'd lost, that they murdered our father."

She was shaking her head. "You could've started another business here in the States. We still had plenty of money, connections, and if we'd lived modestly, we would've been fine. You squandered most of it away seeking revenge. Why are you still so devoted to our father? He was a cruel bastard. Don't you remember how he used to beat us?"

"It was only so we could be stronger. I tried to give that gift to Larissa, but I'm afraid she'll turn it against me, even though I helped her."

Dammit! Larissa had to realize I was helping her. When I began to shake, I quickly brought my emotions back under control. I couldn't be certain of anything. She might very well be fighting them. Yes, I liked that thought.

Calm immediately stole over me. "Pack your bags, sister. I want you gone today. It's only to protect you. You're all I have left." I frowned when I thought of something. "The ticket I purchased is for a commercial flight. It will be waiting for you at the desk. I'm going to sell the plane."

She raised her chin, sneering down at me. "Because you spent all of our money."

Nadine could be loving one minute and such a bitch the next. "No, because it's falling apart." I limped over to the small bar and poured myself a whiskey. Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my pain pills and popped two in my mouth, then swallowed them with the whiskey. It seemed as though my body was hurting more every day. The pain pills barely made a difference.

"You've increased your dosage," she observed, suddenly looking worried. "Come with me. We could still live at the castle."

"You know I can't do that."

Tears formed in her eyes. "They'll kill you."

She was probably right. "I have the mercenaries to protect me. Pack your bags, sister. Have Arnie drive you to the airport."

Dammit, it wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to have my revenge. Yes, I knew our father wasn't perfect. He still only wanted the best for his children. At least, that's what I wanted to believe. I took a deep breath, then blew it out. "I love you, sister. You've sacrificed a lot for me." I glanced up. "You believe that, don't you? I mean, that I love you."

She smiled, something she rarely did. "I know. I love you, too. I would do anything for you. I'll do as you ask." She left the room. I knew she would go and pack. She would never think about disobeying me. I was the head of the household, and that's the way we had been brought up.

Even though I was younger, I was the one she had to answer to. In most families like ours, the ones involved in organized crime, women didn't have many choices. They were used to seal alliances. Unfortunately, our father wasn't powerful enough to buy Nadine a husband, and no man wanted to marry her once he saw her. I felt sorry for Nadine. She had nothing and would die with nothing.

But I did love her, no matter what she did. I would protect her with every breath in my body. That was also my duty. We protected our women.

She was right, too. I knew the brothers would come after me. I still didn't know how much memory Larissa had or if she had killed herself. Of course, I hoped for the latter, but the way my luck was going, they had raised her from the dead, and she was back to her old self.

I gripped my cane tighter as I poured myself another glass of whiskey. Nadine was right. They would figure it out and come looking for me. I would be ready, though. My men were on high alert. Shoot first, ask questions later. I rather hoped they did come looking for me.

My traps were set, and I was prepared. I would kill them, then Larissa. Maybe I would let Bernard fuck her first. The Morelli brothers probably already had, so she would be used goods. Damn, she would've been a fucking wildcat in bed. Once, before the warehouse explosion, I would've had her begging me to fuck her. Women loved me.

But that was before.

I gripped the glass a little tighter. I would make her suffer. I was sure she laughed at me now, told them I was a cripple.

"Boss," Bernard said as he entered the room.

I turned too fast, almost falling. I gripped the edge of the counter. "What!"

He took a step back.

I closed my eyes, blowing out a breath, and asked a little more calmly. "What did you want?"

"They've left."

"Who?" Why couldn't he ever get to the fucking point?

"The Morelli brothers and Larissa. They've gone into town—shopping with her. They're at a restaurant now. It's not far from here."

I stumbled around the bar. "Take me there. I want to see them with my own eyes."

"The car is still out front."

I needed to know exactly what was going on. My leg was aching by the time I crawled into the back seat. I reached into my pocket and brought out my pills. I tossed back two without water. It took a couple of swallows to get them down. It would be ironic if I choked to death on pain pills.

Bernard was right about it not being far to the restaurant. I had him pull over about a block away. I didn't have to wait long before the four of them came out. I drank in the sight of Larissa. I think I had always been a little in love with her. Nadine probably knew that, and that's why she'd urged me to kill her and send her body back to them. I should've listened to her, but it was too late now.

Damned if she wasn't the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, though. She wore a flirty little blue sundress that showed off her long legs. She stepped in front of the men, twirling around and laughing as if she didn't have a care in the world. She caressed Jude's cheek, wrapped Ezra's arms around her waist, then danced away and kissed Caspian full on the lips. I fumed when he grabbed her ass and squeezed.

When she turned back around, she smoothed her fingers over the necklace she wore. It took a moment for me to recognize it as the same one I'd taken off Larissa the night I kidnapped her.

Bernard had lured a young, blonde-haired prostitute away from her corner downtown. He'd killed her, then put her in Larissa's car. It was simple to put the necklace on her and then ensure flames engulfed the vehicle. No one questioned that it wasn't Larissa. Fools!

The necklace was a stupid heart with three smaller ones dangling from it. I knew exactly what it meant—that she held their hearts in hers. That's why I'd taken it off her. Now she was whoring with three men. I clamped my lips together.

"Drive me home. I've seen enough," I growled.

I would fucking kill all four of them. No, I would capture and torture all four of them. I would force them to watch as I ripped off Larissa's pretty clothes, then I'd let Bernard fuck her after he beat her. As I killed each of them, her cries of pain would echo through the room.

I made my way into the house after we returned. "Nadine!"

"She's gone," Arnie said. "She called someone to pick her up. She wanted me to stay here in case you needed me."

That was my sister, always looking out for me.

"Good. I want her out of the way. We're going to set a trap for the Morelli brothers and their whore."

My fucking leg felt as if it was on fire. Someone was cutting my pain pills. They weren't as strong. I looked at Bernard. "I need something more for the pain."

He nodded, then left the room. In a few minutes, he returned. I reached the sofa and eased down as much as I could. Bernard didn't say anything as he put a tourniquet on my arm and then found a vein. I leaned back on the sofa, closing my eyes. I could feel the drug entering my system, flowing quickly through my body.

The pain eased. My thoughts began to scramble, but I could function enough to know I had to kill all of them, and soon. Nadine had been right. Our money was almost gone, and I needed more and more illegal drugs to combat the pain.