Page 67 of The Hitman's Prince

With Orion, Jacob, and Caspian properly fucked, I went to my office alone. I’d lost track of the days passing when it came to life with the three of them, drawing a line across my father’s old paper desk calendar with the tip of my finger until I reached the proper date. Time had definitely gotten away from me, but with the damage Vanessa had recently brought down onto my own fucking home, it was imperative for me to put my own wants aside and focus on my needs.

I needed Caspian to shoot me.

Needed to smoke Vanessa out of the woodwork.

Needed Orion to put a bullet in her head.

Needed Presley Moore to make his fucking move, and I needed Gideon and Fletcher to do what they did best.

Scheme.

The list of needs quickly overtook the wants in my life,which didn’t extend far beyond keeping three very different menverynaked and in various states of use. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something I could enjoy until a handful of people were dead, so time was definitely of the essence.

The one thing I’d learned during the months I’d spent as head of the family had quickly shown me the most important way I was different from my father. He was always surrounded by other people, but he’d been isolated. The men around him were there because they were scared of him. The men around me were here because they wanted to be, and that was an irreplaceable kind of loyalty. It was the kind of loyalty that would get me out of this shit show alive.

I leaned back in my chair and called Fletcher.

“Angelini,” he greeted, amusement rich in his voice. “To what do I owe the displeasure?”

“It’s a business call.”

He sighed. “Always happy to entertain, but I need you to know if it involves any harm coming to Daren, it’s a non-starter.”

“It doesn’t.” I didn’t plan for it to, at least. I hoped none of the other parties involved would make a liar out of me. “I’m much more interested in his cousin at this point anyway.”

“Jacob Moore,” Fletcher teased. “The penitent priest.”

“If only it was as straightforward as blasphemy.”

He laughed at that. “Did you fuck him at the church? That’s bold, even for you.”

“I bled out on the steps,” I reminded him. “The least I could do was get a blow job on the altar.”

“Let me know how that logic works out on Judgement Day.”

Scrubbing a hand down my face, I gave another look down at my calendar, at all the days that had passed without notice or care.

“Do you believe in that shit?” I asked him, sincerely interested in the answer.

“I don’t know what I believe. But I know that one life with Gideon isn’t enough, so there better be something for me when all of this is said and done.”

“Admirable,” I mused, knowing in my bones I would find Orion in every other life I found myself living. Knowing Jacob would end up alongside us, and Caspian too.

“I don’t think this is the business you called about, though.”

“No,” I agreed. “I assume you remember that my house was hit?”

He hummed his agreement.

“In the coming days, I’m going to…” I trailed off, suddenly unsure if I could trust Fletcher Sinclair.

“Disappear?” he guessed, after I’d gone too long without finishing the thought.

“There’s lots of reasons for me to die, Sinclair. I just want you to know that.”

On the other end of the line, Fletcher sucked in a sharp and surprised breath. I leaned forward, restingmy elbows on the desk and catching my head in my hands.

“What are you…”