Page 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it.”

~ Lily Tomlin

Saros

I woke to Cosmo shaking me.

“What the fuck?” I whispered, not wanting to wake Em.

“We have a problem.”

I waved him away and got out of bed, rushing into the bathroom to clean up. Once I stepped out, Cosmo was holding my suit and Em was sitting up in bed.

“What’s going on?” The sheets were pulled up to his chest.

I quickly dressed. “I’ll be back. I need to go find out.” I moved over to him and gave him a kiss. “Keep the bed warm.”

“Be careful.”

I nodded and then followed Cosmo out of the room and down the stairs. Most of my guys were already assembled in the sitting room.

“Talk to me.”

Benny handed me a tablet, and I saw video playing of another one of my businesses ablaze. It was a supply warehouse where I had things from medical supplies to sports equipment. That inventory was sold to many businesses in the area.

“Anyone hurt?” I tried to rein in my anger.

“That’s the problem.” I looked up at Cosmo. “It was after hours. No one was supposed to be there. When we first saw it, we figured it was just a financial blow.”

“But it wasn’t—who was inside?”

No one answered, right away meaning only one thing. “I asked who the fuck was in there.”

“Boss.” Mike stood.

“Who?”

His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened there was devastation. “Paulo,” he whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear him.

I turned to Cosmo, then Benny. “What?” It was as if I were shot; pain radiated through my body. “How? He was here.”

Benny’s face pinched, and he swallowed loudly. “He needed more supplies with the number of people here. There weren’t enough. We thought because it was late, it was safer. He went with Teddy and Bobby. He just needed to get to the medical storage space. We thought it was fine.”

I spun and threw the tablet against the wall, leaving a nice-sized hole. “What part of no one fucking leaves this house without my say-so was unclear?” I felt myself unraveling.

“I made the call, Saros.” Cosmo stepped forward. “I wanted you to have time with Em, I…” His voice cracked. “It’s on me.”

My hands clenched into fists. I wanted to punch him, someone, something. I turned, the antique demilune table the target of my wrath. I gripped it and flipped it, shattering everything on top of it. With the table no longer blocking access to the wall, I drove my fist clean through it. I didn’t think about what I was doing to myself, to the house, or the fact that I was surely waking everyone up. Paulo was dead.

“Saros!” My name was shouted loud enough to know it wasn’t the first time. I spun to tell whoever interrupted me to fuck off but came face-to-face with Em. “Stop, baby, please.”

He walked over to me without a lick of fear on his face and wrapped his arms around my waist. He didn’t say anything more, just held me. Since he’d been here I’d done everything to comfort him, and now the tables had turned. I released my breath and embraced him, burying my face into his hair and letting his calming scent wash through me.

“Let’s sit.” I followed him to the love seat, and once we were settled he took my hands in his. “They’re bleeding.”

My first thought was to call Paulo, but then I realized I couldn’t. “They’re fine.”

“I need some warm soapy water, clean towels, bandages, please,” Em asked someone—who, I wasn’t sure.

“Teddy and Bobby?” I didn’t take my eyes off Em’s hands in mine.

“Bobby was shot, but he’ll be okay. Teddy was knocked out. Your aunt is with them downstairs,” Benny said.

Em released one of his hands to retrieve the bowl, his injured one resting in mine. I watched as he carefully cleaned my knuckles and wondered how often he’d had to do this to himself because of Ramsey.

He was so meticulous. Cleaned, dried, and wrapped them without saying one word, without asking anything. When I finally met his gaze, there were tears in his eyes…he knew.

“I’m sorry, Em. I know you liked him.”

Em’s brows twitched. “Saros, no.” He placed the bowl on the table and held my face in his hands. “He told me what you did for him. I lost someone I knew. You, baby, you lost a brother.”

“Clear the room,” I heard Cos order. “Take your time, Saros.”

I never took my eyes off Em and after the doors closed and it was just us, I did something I’d never done in front of anyone. I cried.

Em pulled me to him and like I’d done to so many people in my life, he held me, protected me through my vulnerability. He didn’t shush me, tell me it would be okay. No, Em lived with this monster who’d done this. He understood that words meant so little, and actions were everything.

I pulled away and kissed him. How could Ramsey not know the gift he had in this man? Maybe he did, and maybe that was threatening for him. Well, Ramsey was done. I’d wanted to do this as tamely as possible for all the territories. Fuck. That.

“I’m ready.”

Em nodded. “I know you are.”

Once I was cleaned up, Em moved to the doors, opened them, and people filed in. I had my back to them, waiting for them to settle, centering myself. A gentle brush of Em’s hand on my arm eerily calmed me, and I faced the room.

“Ramsey Brookes and Barrett Frazee don’t understand that this isn’t a game they can win. They hit me hard tonight, but one thing I’ve learned in my life is that when I’m knocked down, I get up ten times stronger than before.”

I looked at Em, who was smiling proudly at me.

“I want everything; I don’t care what it costs. Ramsey Brookes and Barrett Frazee will watch everyone they love, everything they built, be eviscerated and only after the world around them is at their feet, broken, will they die.”

Em nudged me, and I opened an arm to him so he could cuddle in.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked him.

“No one should be ready for what’s happened or for what’s to come. I understand it, and I know Ramsey. He won’t stop until he has you on your knees begging.” He smirked and tapped my chin. “That’s not Saros Tancredi’s style. He took enough from you—it’s time you took from him.”

I pressed a kiss to his soft lips. “I’ll take it all.”