Page 13 of King of Ashes (Kingdom of Sinners #4)

PHOENIX

I sit behind Hampton's desk—my desk now—a little annoyed that I’m not feeling more satisfaction with my feat.

I’ve achieved what I set out to do. Mostly.

Hampton and his wife are imprisoned. Keira is mine to use as an example.

The house and property are now in my control.

All that’s left are the businesses and respect of the other families, and those are in process.

So why don’t I feel like the king of the world?

So go ahead. Humiliate me. Degrade me. Show everyone how thoroughly you've conquered the Kean princess if it makes you feel good.

Keira’s words come back to me. Hearing them felt wrong, even as she was right. I want her to pay for betraying me and my family. So why did it feel like shit to watch her gracefully accept her lot in life?

My brothers fill the room with their restless energy. Ash paces by the window, jaw clenched tight. I have no doubt he’s thinking of a million ways to kill Hampton. "So we're really letting that bastard live. After what he did to Hannah?"

Flint sprawls in a leather chair, deceptively relaxed, while Blaise leans against the bookshelf, arms crossed.

"We need him alive," I say, my voice level. "For now."

"For now?" Ash turns, blue eyes blazing. "He kidnapped my pregnant wife. He would've killed her if we hadn't gotten there in time."

"I understand?—"

"No, you don't." Ash cuts me off. "You promised me. I’ve followed your orders for the last ten years. I married when I didn’t want to?—”

“And it seems to be turning out?—”

“That’s not the point. The point is I’ve asked you for only one thing, and after everything I’ve done, you’re denying it?”

“It’s not like you didn’t want to enact our revenge too. Hampton stays breathing until we've secured our hold," I say. "Then you can have him."

Flint shifts in his chair. "And what about your bride-to-be? That wasn’t the plan. Where does she fit in all this?"

My jaw tightens at the mention of Keira. "She's insurance. The families respect her, even if they feared her father."

"That's not what I asked," Flint says, and I know Blaise has shared with them both the meeting I had with the men earlier today.

Blaise pushes off from the bookshelf. "You crossed a line today, Phoenix. That shit you pulled with the staff, that was fucked up.”

I can’t stop the look on Keira's face when she dropped to her knees from flashing back through my mind. Not only is she resolved to her situation, but she was calling me out. Wanting to know if I really was the monster I’m purporting to be. She’s learned that I am.

"One week," I say, changing the subject. "We announce our return to Boston with a wedding that no one will forget."

“What about those who helped us? Seems like we should do something to show our appreciation,” Blaise says.

I nod. “Let’s have a dinner. Tomorrow. Rileys, Donovans, all of them. It will give us a chance to let them know our plans.”

“Short notice,” Flint says.

“I’ll take care of it.” I decide I’ll personally invite the families and make the arrangements. It’s the least I can do to thank them for how quickly and effectively they responded to take down the Keans. Moving on to the next topic, I ask, “What's the latest on the law enforcement angle?"

Flint pulls out his phone, scrolling through messages. "My contact at BPD says they've been building a case against Hampton for months with help from information Lucy was able to deliver. Tax evasion, money laundering, murder and arson.” He glances up. “They’re pinning Marshall’s murder on Ronan.”

“Lucky son of a bitch,” Blaise quips. And it’s true since Flint is the one who killed the police superintendent a year ago. He did it to protect Lucy who was about to be killed by the man.

Flint flicks his glance toward Ash. “The cops and Feds could put Hampton away without us having to get our hands dirty.”

I lean back in the chair, possibilities spinning through my mind. "How reliable is this information?"

"Very.”

Ash’s gaze jerks between Flint and me. “No. Hampton is mine.”

Flint shrugs. "If Hampton goes down legally, it creates a power vacuum we can fill without looking like we orchestrated a coup."

"It's cleaner," I admit. "Less blowback from the other families."

"And it gives us plausible deniability," Flint adds. "We just happened to return right when Hampton's empire was crumbling."

“No one will believe that,” Ash argues, looking at Blaise for support.

“We said we’d do things differently. More like Dad,” I say.

Blaise scoffs. “Dad wouldn’t have mom on her knees ready to suck his dick?—”

“That’s different,” I snap.

“Yeah, you are different.”

I shift in my seat not liking the disappointment I see in Blaise’s eyes. He and Flint have always looked up to me. It doesn’t sit right that I’m losing their respect.

Again, I change the subject. “How soon would they be able to arrest them? I want Hampton to watch his daughter marry me before they take him away."

Ash's laugh is sharp enough to cut glass. "You want him to watch the ceremony? That's your big revenge plan?" He stalks toward the desk, planting his palms flat on the surface, leaning into my space. "Hampton Kean doesn't deserve to live another week, much less rot in a cushy federal prison."

"We've been over this?—"

"No, we haven't." His voice drops to a dangerous whisper. "You've decided, and we're supposed to fall in line. Like always."

The tension in the room thickens. Blaise and Flint exchange glances but stay silent.

"What happened to Hannah wasn't just business," Ash continues. "He put a gun to her head while she was carrying my child. He ended up shooting her."

I meet his gaze steadily. "I understand?—"

"Stop saying that!" Ash slams his fist down, sending a pen holder crashing to the floor. "You don't understand. None of you do. You think this is just about our parents, about reclaiming what's ours. But it's more than that now."

He straightens but looks at me with the same disdain as Blaise. "Every day Hampton breathes is another day he could have someone come after us. After our families."

"We have him locked up," Flint interjects.

“You know as well as I do that he’ll have loyalists or a contingency plan. People on the outside ready to act if something happens to him." He looks at Flint and Blaise in turn. "What if it's Jenna? Or Lucy?” He turns back to me. “Or your precious bride?"

He’s not wrong. I have no doubt Hampton will kill Keira if it means his own freedom or revenge. The thought of Keira in danger sends an unexpected surge of protectiveness through me. I push it away.

"As long as he's alive, none of us are safe," Ash says, quieter now. "None of us will ever be safe."

The room falls silent. I know he's right. Hampton alive is a liability we can't afford long-term. But I need him for now. I need the families to see his public fall from grace. But I can’t dismiss my brothers’ input.

I rub my temples, considering Ash's words. The weight of leadership has never felt heavier than in this moment, with my brother's rage burning across the desk between us.

"You're right," I finally say, breaking the tense silence. "Hampton is a liability. But killing him now would create chaos we can't afford."

Before Ash can say anything, Blaise steps forward. “Phoenix is right. The Kean men are watching us, testing us. If we appear weak or divided, they'll turn on us before the week's out."

“Eliminating him will show strength and take away any hope they have for his return.” Ash makes a good argument, but my mind is made up. At least for now, Hampton stays alive.

"We need to solidify our control. Make it clear to everyone in Boston that the Ifrinns are back and stronger than ever.

The wedding will be more than just a marriage ceremony.

We invite every family in Boston. Not just to witness our union, but to pledge their loyalty to the Ifrinn name.

" My voice grows stronger as the plan takes shape.

"We'll make it a ceremony of fealty. One by one, they'll kneel before us and swear allegiance. "

"With Hampton watching from the sidelines," Flint adds, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Seeing everything he built transferred to us."

"Exactly." I nod. "And once we have their pledges, once our position is secure?—"

"Then I get Hampton," Ash finishes.

"Then you get Hampton," I confirm.

Blaise crosses his arms, considering. "It could work. The old families respect tradition. A formal pledge ceremony would carry weight."

"And anyone who refuses to attend…" Flint trails off.

"Marks themselves as our enemy," I complete his thought. "Making our next targets clear."

My brothers exchange glances, and I can see the plan taking root. The tension in the room shifts from conflict to purpose.

"One week," I say. "One week to bring Boston to its knees."

They nod in unison, and I feel our collective resolve solidifying, as strong as it’s ever been in the last ten years since we first vowed to avenge our parents.

“I still don’t get why we need Hampton for this. He didn’t hesitate to try to wipe us out."

"Because we're not them," I snap, annoyed that he won’t let this go. I rise to go pour myself a whisky. "We're smarter than them. More strategic."

Flint leans forward. "Public humiliation would hurt Hampton more than death. Make him watch as we dismantle everything he built."

"Exactly," I agree, swirling my drink. "We strip him of his dignity first, then his empire, then his life."

"Mercy could be seen as weakness," Ash argues.

"Or strength," Blaise counters. "Controlled power is more intimidating than blind rage."

I down my whiskey in one burning swallow. "We make an example of Hampton at the ceremony. Force him to publicly transfer power to us before the other families."

"Hampton dies," I assure Ash, meeting his furious gaze. "But we do it our way, not his. We show Boston the difference between Kean brutality and Ifrinn justice."