Page 89 of Riordan's Revenge
My unease grew. I gestured to the enforcer. “Where have ye been this evening?”
Shade kissed Everly’s temple and stepped aside. I moved with him, but his grim, satisfied expression told me all I needed to know.
My guess came out low and dark. “Ye took out Bronson?”
The enforcer pressed his lips together. “Don’t give me shite about doing my job. Aye, we went back, and we got the result we needed.”
“He’s dead?”
My heart stuttered at his confirming nod.
“But—”
“But nothing. Your taser incident could’ve ended him and left us with no answers. I took this one on my own.” Dangerous control played out in his voice, and the yellow flames from the burning canvas reflected in his eyes. “It was worth the effort.”
Fucking hell. I’d missed out. I’d wanted the kill so badly.
“What did he give up?” I gritted my teeth.
“Red’s trafficking route was first. Arran passed that to Tyler.”
First? I stood taller, the city at my back and misery in my heart. “What else?”
Shade shot a look to the main stairwell entrance where Arran emerged with Genevieve, the jewelled choker at her throat glinting in the firelight. “Tell Cassie what we got.”
The gang leader closed in, and his smile was all the more savage for the words that followed. “Everything. Bronson confessed. We found our killer.”
Chapter 28
Riordan
My revenge haze lifted. “Bronson admitted it?”
“He did,” Arran confirmed.
It had been a while since I’d seen the man dating my sister, and I jerked my gaze away as Gen kissed him way too enthusiastically for a brother to see. But her happiness had a ripple effect, a sense of lightness settling over our bonfire party on the warehouse roof.
“That’s it, the killer’s been caught. He can’t hurt anyone else,” Everly said.
“Did Bronson say why he wanted Cassie?” I asked.
Shade produced a phone from his pocket. “He said a lot at the end, they usually do. Ye can watch the recording to hear it all.”
“Ye taped it?” Cassie breathed. She didn’t have the same air of joy. If anything, her mood had dimmed.
Shade passed her the device, unlocked with a view of the bloodied, tied-up gangster.
My gut curdled.
“I’ve made a cut to give anonymously to the cops. It contains the pertinent details but keeps us out of the frame. It doesn’t show his death either. That’ll be left for them to assume, or maybe think he left the country.”
His death. They’d killed him. I reached for Cassie, encircling her arm. She swayed against me.
Shade continued, “Red gets it first. Then, along with the cops, it’s being sent to the major news sites and some of the bigger social media warriors who’ve been banging their war drums around town. The news goes out in time for breakfast, so watch it now but then I need that back. I’m not keeping the burner phone or the full video as a trophy.”
With trembling fingers, Cassie walked swiftly away to sit cross-legged beneath the lip of the roof ledge, her focus locked on the screen and the scene playing out. I stared after her, but Shade addressed me before I could follow.
“Strike one against the mayor. I like it.” He indicated to the fire. Patches had already formed in the canvas, the thin paint layer turning to ash. “Manny said the cops were here. I take it ye were seen when ye paid him a visit.”