Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

SALEM

F allon and I sat at the kitchen table, sipping our coffee and munching on breakfast. The television played in the background, another news report discussing the decline in Black Dahlia killings and speculating on the reasons behind it. Perhaps if I weren't on house arrest and evading attempts to kill me, I might have had more time to dedicate to my extra curricular activities.

I let out a sad sigh and turned my attention back to Fallon. We exchanged excited chatter about Remington's impending arrival, and she teased me about how I couldn't sit still. I laughed nervously, admitting that I was practically bouncing in my seat with anticipation.

"I don't blame you," Fallon said with a grin, taking a sip of her coffee. "I can't wait to see him too. It's been way too long."

I nodded enthusiastically, my joy uncontainable at the thought of reuniting with my brother. "I know, right? I barely got to see him last time."

As we chatted, the distant sound of the garage door opening and closing caught our attention. We both fell silent, our gazes meeting with a mixture of excitement and eagerness.

Without hesitation, I pushed my chair back, its legs scraping against the floor, and bolted from the kitchen, my pulse quickening with each step. Fallon followed close behind, her footsteps echoing mine as we hurried to greet Remington.

As I rounded the corner into the garage, Remington was already stepping out of his car. My heart swelled with joy at the sight of him, and I rushed forward, throwing my arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Remi!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with genuine happiness. "I've missed you so much!"

He returned my hug with equal fervor, his deep voice rumbling with warmth. "I missed you too, Sister," he replied affectionately.

Remington, with his dark hair and piercing brown eyes, exuded a quiet strength. His rugged appearance, dressed in jeans and a fitted henley, gave him an air of casual confidence. But despite his laid-back demeanor, there was an intensity in his gaze that hinted at the depth of his convictions.

Breaking away from our embrace, Remington turned to Fallon, who was standing nearby, a heartfelt smile on her face. He approached her and enveloped her in a hug as well, his appreciation evident in his conduct.

"It's good to see you, Fallon," he said, his voice sincere.

Fallon returned his hug with a smile, her eyes shimmering. "I am so glad you're alive, Remington, but I can't say that I'm sorry for how things turned out because it brought us Salem," she replied, her voice soft. "And this bitch is like family to me."

Remington chuckled, a warm sound that filled the room. "I should have known you and Salem would become partners in crime if you ever met," he said, his eyes meeting mine with a fondness that made my heart swell.

Remington glanced around the garage, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings with longing. "Hopefully, I wouldn't be in hiding for much longer," he remarked.

I nodded in agreement, a surge of determination coursing through me. "We will find a way to make that happen," I assured him.

Upon Remington's arrival, the atmosphere in the estate shifted, the tension easing ever so slightly. As we made our way back into the house, I felt a renewed optimism for the future.

Remington, Fallon, and I walked from the garage into the living room, where everyone else was already waiting.

Lennox, Cole, Cohen, and Mateo all converged on Remington, giving him bro hugs and hearty pats on the back. "Good to have you home, man," Cole said, clapping Remington on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we've missed you," Cohen added, a grin spreading across his face.

Remington returned the gestures, his expression joyful yet tinged with vulnerability. "Thanks, guys. It's good to be back.".

As we all settled into the living room, Remington's gaze swept over each of us, his eyes lingering on Lennox. "I'm ready to take down my father once and for all," he declared, his voice filled with grit.

Lennox nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "It's about time we took out the trash.".

Remington took a seat beside me, and I felt a wave of pride and gratitude for my brother's strength and resilience. Despite everything he had been through, he remained unwavering in his commitment to bringing down our father's criminal empire.

I reached out and squeezed his hand, offering him a silent gesture of thanks. "We've got this," I whispered.

Remington squeezed my hand in return, a small smile hinting at the edges of his mouth. "Yeah, we do.".

Lennox, ever the straight shooter, wasted no time in getting the ball rolling. "As much as we all want to catch up, I think we should get this shit show on the road and start taking action," he said, his voice firm but tinged with amusement. "We'll have all the time to braid each other's hair afterward."

His words elicited a few deep chuckles from the group, putting a lighter spin on our situation. Remington's expression turned serious as he reached into his satchel and produced two black ledgers. The missing ledgers of my father's that my mother had told us about.

"You had them all this time?" I blurted out, unable to hide my surprise. The others looked equally shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Remington's expression softened, and he offered us a small smile. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier," he said, his voice full of regret. "At first, I was just trying to make sense of them. I've been spending all my time in the safe house deciphering their contents."

I nodded, understanding his need for secrecy but still feeling a pang of frustration that he hadn't shared them with the guys sooner. "It's okay," I replied, trying to reassure him. "At least we have them now."

He continued, his tone earnest as he delved into the details of the ledgers. "This one here," he said, tapping the first ledger, "contains a record of every bribe Massimo has made. It also includes a blacklist of officials and power players who are in his back pocket."

As he spoke, the significance of his words began to sink in. This wasn't just information—it was ammunition. We finally had concrete evidence we could use to bring him down.

"And this one," Remington continued, indicating the second ledger, "details Massimo's finances. Every offshore account, every cash store—he's cataloged all of it."

The room fell silent as we absorbed the gravity of what Remington had uncovered. This was a game changer. With this information, we had the power to dismantle Massimo's empire piece by piece.

A slow grin spread across Lennox's face, mirroring the excitement bubbling up within me. "Well, it looks like we've got our work cut out for us," he said, his voice brimming with satisfaction.

Cole chuckled, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I can't wait to see the look on Massimo's face when he realizes just how fucked he is."

Mateo nodded in agreement, his expression fierce. "This changes everything," he said. "Now we can gut the bastard."

Fallon leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Remington," she said with admiration. "You're a damn genius."

Remington's smile widened at her words, pride evident in his features. "Just doing my part," he replied modestly.

As Remington spoke, excitement began to build in the room. We finally had a plan of action—a way to take down Massimo and seize control of the Triad.

"We're going to need to strategize," Lennox said, his tone serious as he looked around at each of us. "But with this information, we finally have a fighting chance."

We began to discuss our next steps, and I felt a burst of adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was it—the moment we had been waiting for. As we prepared to take on Massimo and his empire, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, as long as we stood together, we would emerge victorious. Covered in blood, maybe, but victorious nonetheless.

After a lot of heated arguments and brainstorming, we had eventually hammered out a plan. Cohen and Remington would work their magic and hack into Massimo's offshore accounts, transferring the funds into one of Lennox's secure accounts. With the majority of Massimo's assets out of his control, he would be left with only the four remaining cash stores he had scattered around NYC.

The initial idea was to hit all four stores simultaneously, but after assessing the security measures of just one, it became clear that it would be nearly impossible to pull off. Instead, we decided to play a psychological game with Massimo—forcing him to move his money around, making the remaining stores easier targets for us to hit while they were in transport.

That led us to the first phase of the plan: Fallon and I would break into one of the cash stores, putting pressure on Massimo to move his cash from the other locations. The guys had all protested vehemently against the idea of Fallon and I going alone, but we were the best suited for the job. Fallon's expertise in thievery made her an obvious choice, and I was skilled at navigating through tight spaces, making me the better choice to tag along, as we were going to have to access the ventilation systems.

As Fallon and I finished packing our gear for the job, Lennox walked into the living room with a concerned expression. "Maybe one of us should come with you," he suggested, his voice tinged with worry. "We can wait outside, just in case you need backup."

Fallon scoffed at his suggestion. "You insult me, Brother," she retorted, her tone laced with amusement. "When have I ever needed you to come in and rescue me from a simple B and E?"

Lennox's expression hardened as he looked at his sister. "There's nothing simple about this job, and you know it," he replied firmly.

I stepped in between the siblings, hoping to defuse the tension. "Everything will be fine, Lennox," I reassured him, offering a small smile. "And we have our phones, so we can always contact you if we need rescuing." I batted my lashes at him mockingly, earning a playful roll of his eyes.

"You don't make a very convincing damsel in distress," he teased, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

I scoffed at his remark. "Stop worrying, Lennox. We've got this." I turned to face Fallon, who nodded in agreement. "Besides, you need to prep your team to make sure they're ready to move as soon as Massimo tries to transport the rest of his cash."

Lennox raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "Are we sure he'll move them?" he asked, his voice betraying his doubts.

I met his gaze with unwavering confidence. "If there's one thing my father loves most in this world, it's money," I replied evenly. "And he won't risk losing any more of it. He'll want it safe and with him once he catches wind of this."

Lennox considered my words before nodding. "Alright," he conceded, his expression resigned. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

I smiled reassuringly at him. "We will," I promised, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "We've done this before, remember? We know what we're doing."

Lennox lifted his hand to firmly grip my chin, his touch commanding my attention as he tilted my face up toward his. "I'll hold you to that promise," he uttered, his voice low and intense, sending a shiver down my spine. Then, with a sudden urgency, he leaned down and kissed me fiercely, the passion of his embrace consuming me. As we parted, breathless and electrified, I couldn't help but acknowledge the undeniable shift in our dynamic.

"Okay, so I guess we're past dancing around each other then," I quipped, a wry smile playing on my lips, masking the racing of my heart.

Lennox's response was simple yet assertive. "Damn right we are," he said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. He sealed his statement with a tender kiss on my forehead before turning away, leaving me bewildered at the unexpected intimacy of the moment.

As Lennox walked away, I turned to Fallon, feeling the heat of a blush creeping up my cheeks. Fallon's reaction was characteristically nonchalant as she rolled her eyes with a playful smirk. Then, with a teasing gesture, she stuck a finger in her mouth in a mock gagging motion, eliciting a laugh from me despite the fluttering in my stomach.