Page 32

Xander lifts an eyebrow. “The others?”

I can’t tell him about Alex. He’ll be dead within the hour. Alex is mine to deal with. Mine to maim. Mine to kill.

“From what I know, Haze has six dead bodies and counting.”

“Christ,” Xander whistles.

“Okay, Haze or not, we can’t let the police pin any of this to us. Something like this could destroy us. The Snake does not deal with dirty product.”

The Snake isn’t involved in any drug trade at all. Not out of some moral obligation, but more practicality. Too many runners means too many people on the streets and too many people on the streets means factions and unnecessary scuffles for territory.

Unlike the Ravens, The Snake functions as a single entity with the head at the top. No one else. For all our power, people in the north of Senna trust us to a certain degree. Dirty productkilling a bunch of rich kids means that cautious trust will be lost. Yet right now, all signs are pointing to Haze coming from us. Hayden is right. If the police make any more noise, this could destroy us.

“I’ll have my men look into it,” Xander says. “Clearly, Rowan’s investigation needs some extra hands.”

I clench my jaw at the swipe, but I know I deserve it and maybe the extra legs can help me make more headway. “Just try to be discreet. A blood trail will only cause panic. That’s the last thing we need.”

“My middle name is discreet,” Xander says with a lazy smile.

Hayden snorts, echoing my thoughts. “I’m serious, Xan,” I say. “Keep whatever you’re up to quiet and away from The Keepers. We handle this just the three of us until I say so, understood?”

“There’s something else,” Hayden cuts in.

“Oh, this should be good,” Xander mutters.

“I saw someone last night,” my eldest brother says, eyes trained on me. “Alexander Kimura.”

My heart stops.

“He was here. Downstairs.”

“No way,” Xander says.

“W-what?” I stutter.

“He ran before I could get anyone to catch up to him, but it was him.”

“Are you sure it was him?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“I think any of us would recognise that face,” Xander says. “Do you know why he was here?”

Hayden shakes his head. “No, but since the police were here this morning, then…”

My blood boils. Everything around me takes on an unmistakable violent tinge of crimson. I clench and unclench my fists, rage burning through me so quickly I think I might burst.

He played me.

Of course, he did.

Two years ago, he couldn’t make those bullshit charges stick and now he has another angle. A way for him to rise to the top of OCU like he’s always wanted. There is nothing Alex wouldn’t do to get ahead. I know that—I’ve always known that, which is why I don’t understand how he’s such a blind spot for me.

“I don’t want to say I told you so, but…” Xander trails.

“Should have gotten rid of him the first time,” Hayden adds.

“I’ll handle it,” I say, my jaw working.

My brothers both look sceptical. “You sure you can do this by yourself? I can have Smith take him out tonight,” Hayden says. “No mess.”