Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Besides which, your death warrant is exactly what I need so I can step into your shoes.”
“Yer a fecking riot, girlie. Dere’s na way in hell ya can step intah me shoes. De O’Reillys’ll never be led by a woomahn.”
“Oh yeah?” I murmured. “It’s too bad you won’t be around to watch it because that’s exactly what’s going to happen when you’re gone. Maybe the devil will let you take a peek at me as the O’Reilly boss while you burn in hell. I bet it’d be the perfect way to torture you, wouldn’t it?”
The purple crept into his cheeks again as he sputtered. There wasn’t anything he had to say that I wanted to hear, so I yanked the gag back into place and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “The O’Reillys are going to be led by a woman. Me. And the first thing I’m going to do is move our family out of the slave trade. Then we’re going to get out of drugs, too. The best part is knowing there isn’t a damn thing you’ll be able to do about it except roll over in your grave.”
The way I taunted my da right before he met his maker might make me a bitch, but I could live with that. In fact, it was probably for the best since I was about to step into his shoes.
Chapter Nine
BRANDON
Ididn’t hide who I was, what I was. I owned it. But taking a life brings with it a measure of darkness, no matter the reason. Revenge, justice, or even mercy, they each inflict you with a scar you can’t ever erase.
I was riddled with these dark marks, blackness swirled in my soul, and it’s something I had long ago accepted. It’s who I was. But Carly? She flooded my darkness with light, she was unblemished, and I knew right then, I’d do everything I could to make sure she always would be.
Carly had steel in her backbone and possessed the qualities necessary to become a feared leader, one with intelligence, a required level of ruthlessness, while still retaining compassion and a sense of where the line between grey and black was. She wouldn’t have a problem leading the O’Reillys, and having blood on her hands would increase respect and her level of credibility.
She threw her father one last look of disgust, then turned to me and held out her hand. I knew she wanted her gun, I’d brought it specifically so she could end him if she chose to. She could, and would do it, but I wasn’t going to let her.
“Everybody out,” I commanded, folding my arms across my chest and glaring at them until they shuffled out. Nic raised a questioning eyebrow, silently asking if I wanted him to stay, and I nodded. I was going to need his help.
“Brandon.” Carly shook her hand impatiently.
“Wait until we’re alone, kitten,” I coaxed.
She frowned at me, but dropped her hand obediently and watched the door until the last man was gone and it shut behind him.
Turning back, she looked at me expectantly. I reached out and snagged her arm, pulling her into my embrace. “I’d like some time alone with him, kitten. Can you give me that?”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she glanced at the son of a bitch, and when her eyes returned to mine, there was a spark of understanding. My desire to protect her extended to past hurts and I needed to make him pay. I didn’t confess to the fact that I would be the one to end his life, though. I knew she would fight me for it.
“Okay,” she agreed. “But save the last bullet for me.”
I didn’t respond, gently pushing her in the direction of a room on the opposite side of the warehouse from where all of the men had exited. Once she was out of earshot, I faced Nic.
“Keep her away, but make sure no one sees her. As far as anyone else knows, Carly did the deed.” He nodded and followed after her.
When Nic first decided the situation would be best resolved with Carly stepping into her father’s shoes, I wanted to tell him no fucking way. It went against all of my instincts to allow her to have a permanent target on her back. However, my woman was strong, determined, and stubborn as fuck. I couldn’t argue the fact that she would be able to earn her place and with our backing, we would be able to control the rapidly deteriorating structure of the O’Reillys. It was a volatile situation, and if she didn’t take the helm quickly, it was likely to implode and we’d be left with a shit storm to clean up.
As long as this was the road we were on, I would do everything I could to support her and protect her. And, that meant doing the dirty work. The families would give Carly the credit, but she wouldn’t carry the stains on her hands, and if the cops ever decided to come after her, it would be my prints on the weapons, my DNA on the bodies.