Page 8 of The Gangster King

I was rejected.

By her and her father.

“You want that girl? You wait until you’re powerful enough to claim her,” my own father said after overhearing the conversation.

“Don’t bother. She hates you.” Gianna, my annoying sister, had added. She’d been fifteen but to be fair, she’d probably still say it now.

Gianna.

Where is my sister? I thought she had been out of the area when the gunfire broke out but now I’m concerned she might have gotten mixed up in the raid.

Jesus, why did my father bring her to the fucking warehouse to begin with?

The moment the FBI arrived, we all began firing and running. My mind goes back to that moment.

Pop, pop, pop.

I heard my father cry out and spun around. But I knew. I knew with one look that he was dead and that I couldn’t stay put for a second longer.

So I turned and ran for my life.

Around me, bodies dropped, protecting me as they’d been trained to do. I reached the large shipping container at the rear of the building and skid around to the hidden far side. There I punched in the security code on container 853 as my hands shook with adrenaline and locked myself inside.

“Fuck,” I’d cursed, sucking in air as the sound of gunshots and screaming continued outside.

Papa...fuck.

I hadn’t had much longer than a split second to focus on the fact my father was lying a few yards from me, lifeless.

Braxton was a fucking snitch.

The guy owes me for not taking his life. Gianna is in love with him, and that’s the only reason he’s still breathing. I hope he’sgot her to safety. Because I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about her.

There’s a look men get when they claim a woman.

If he hurts her, I will fucking kill him.

I figure he’s an undercover agent, but something about that doesn’t sit right with me. He’s not one of us. That’s clear now.

So, after taking ten seconds to process my father was gone, I pushed off the side of the container and kicked the dusty woven mats to reveal the hidden trap door. Then quickly climbed down the ladder, closing it behind me.

Even if they heard the metallicbang,it would’ve taken them far too long to find the correct container, get through the digital lock, and follow.

I knew they wouldn’t.

Thank god I knew about the hidden escape route. Salvatore and my father looked after the trafficking arm of the organization, but they’d shown me the operation and the escape a month before.

Without bringing it to my father’s attention, I’d done my best to distance myself from that part of the business. Trading humans is fucking appalling.

It makes me sick.

Could I do anything about it?

No. I was a fucking kid, and my father was a powerful dictator in our world.

But I can now.

Listen, I’m not some fucking angel, nor am I going to pretend to be. I’ve done repulsive things in my life and expect to be heading south when my time is over. Me and Lucifer can laugh about them.