Chapter 16

Steffan

The early summer air has always hung heavy and thick in Blue Rose. Even after the sun sets and the world is slowing down, the heat is oppressive. But that's the south. This state, this town, this university. Our home. The area we carved out to build an empire. Where we went to study torture and get our degree in murder. Loyalty over everything, until tonight. Tonight the elders of The Illicit will learn a lesson while we protect our family.

"They're going to be okay," Soren reassures me. He's been quiet since we arrived at the warehouse that, coincidently, we just happened to close a deal in not too long ago. I like the space because it gives us the advantage of surprise. Judging from the outside, no one would guess exactly how large it is, or that there are so manyhiding places. Places where our allies are hiding and waiting in order to help us succeed in this mission.

"They have to be," I respond back, and I watch as my brother nods solemnly.

It wasn't easy for us to leave our girl behind. Not after having been separated from her already when she was kidnapped. My only peace in the situation is that she is with Lee. Even though he's barely there, closer to death than life, I feel better knowing they're together. It was also the only reason Soren was okay with leaving as well.

My twin, the unruly one, the man who has carved out his own life in this world, for once, agreed with me, and didn't fight. I'd like to think it's my influence, respect, the one thing our father never earned from Soren. I know it's her, though. Taylor. That, and the fact that the one person who could hurt her the most is here with us, miles away from her.

I let my eyes flicker lightly on Kali. I don't have to see her to know where she is. My body is trained to be aware of predators. To feel without seeing. I want to believe her reasoning. I want to give her the pass that Lee was so desperate for, but I'm struggling. Even hearing about her reasons for befriending Taylor, and how she justified the killing of Taylor's roommate, weren't enough. Lee and Chanda are ready to take her under their wing, but I see her as a loose cannon. True, she protected our little mouse, but she also hurt her. She hurt her in a way I don't think Taylor will ever recover from.

"We have a visitor," Jose speaks from where he's holding his laptop, Chanda by his side. They both look to me, and both of them look worried.

"Who is it?"

Chanda's eyes slide to Kali. "Walter."

My chest rattles and adrenaline seeps into my veins. It's not that we didn't want Walter to know, but I had hoped to keep him away from this decision we were making for our family. My jaw clenches tight. "How did he find out?"

"Pretty obvious we have a snake in our midst," Soren's voice is icy, and his eyes are deadly on Kali.

The fiery redhead rolls her eyes, but I see the hint of a smile on her lips. "I called him. We're going up against a huge force here. Just because you three think you have it covered, I wanted backup. We're about to overthrow almost one-hundred years of tradition."

"It wasn't your call to make," I warn her.

"It wasn't yours either," Kali retorts before heading down the stairs.

My hands turn to fists while I struggle to breathe in and out, calming my nerves. I can't let her get to me. I can't let Walter's guidance deter from the reason I'm here. Family. I need to protect this family. I need to provide a better future for all The Illicit, my brothers and their families.

"She means well," Chanda says while looping her hand into Jose's arm.

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter her intentions. She did it without letting any of us know. What if he was followed?"

"I would hope you aren't talking about me, Carmichael," Walter's rough and seasoned voice reaches us right as he steps into view. Kali follows, and I can read the absolute glee on her face.

"Hey, Walter." I nod at the older man, watching while he takes in everything around him.

"I heard you're down a man tonight?"

Pain pricks at my chest. "Yes, Lee Concord, he was injured by his father while we were rescuing Jose and Taylor."

"I heard," he replies, while stroking his finger across the coarse, gray stubble on his cheek. "Are you ready for this next step, son? It's not just a matter of clearing out the old to make way for the new. It's an entirely different way of thinking. How do you plan to manage this?"

"A few of the older members have some very concerned and interested customers who are questioning their loyalty. I didn't do that. Did I shed light on the deception, yes. But the elders knew what they were doing when they screwed over their associates and alliances. Those alliances have switched to us."

"And what about the others who were only following orders? Is this doomed to be a bloodbath?" he questions further.

"Blood shed is inevitable. If there are those who want to join with us and want to be part of the legacy we're building, they'll have the option to do so. I won't hold them accountable for what my father, or Amir, has done."

Walter stares at me hard, his eyes practically trying to pry into my skull and pull out every last detail. I keep my face neutral, stone, a ruler ready to make the difficult choices. Eventually he nods, accepting my terms. Accepting the changes that we'll be bringing around tonight. His hand slaps my shoulder, and only then do I feel myself relax a fraction of a bit.

"It's time for a change. Make sure your legacy is one you want your children to be proud of."

"Thanks, Walter." I lift my chin at him and watch as he walks over to Jose.

"Are we sure this is okay?" Soren asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We have no choice. I think Kali is testing us, and I'm not giving her a reason to take out anyone else I care about."

Soren glares ahead, probably imagining all the ways he would hurt anyone who even thought about coming after our girl.

"If anything happens–"

"Nothing is going to happen," he glares at me. "We're about to be dads. This is going to be a small ant mound in the sandbox someday. We always planned to make changes. Things just sped up. It's okay not to have full control sometimes."

"Who are you?" I turn to him. "You sound like Lee."

Soren's shoulders shrug, and a small smirk pulls at his lips. "Yeah, well, the asshole didn't want to wake up from his beauty sleep, so I had to improvise. Don't fucking get used to it."

"They're in position," Jose announces, alerting us all. It's about to go down. Years and months of planning are coming to a head. The next era of The Illicit is about to begin.