Page 1 of Vengeful Union
1
Finn
The car pulls to a stop outside the derelict warehouse surrounded by trees and overgrown weeds. It looks like a place the homeless go to seek shelter. But they don’t. One tried once, but it was his mistake. No one has seen him since. It was the wrong time, wrong place.
“We’re here, boss,” Alex says as he turns in the driver’s seat to face me. He’s the pretty boy, as Jacob would call him. The man’s a hit with the ladies.
He’s a brilliant soldier and would have moved higher within the organization had he learned how to keep his mouth shut. He started out as my sister’s soldier. Being that close to the Boss is a fucking privilege. When Makenna found out she was pregnant, they promoted Alex to one of her security guards, meaning he was on the fast track. But then he fucked up. He got a little close to Holly - my niece. He didn’t remember who he was and tried to come between her and her husband. The man’s lucky he’s alive. If that had been anyone else, they’d have been six feet under. Instead, they shipped Alex off to me, and he’s been a great asset since he arrived. But he’s also on thin ice. One mistake and he’s gone. Thankfully, he seems to have realized how close he was to losing his life and now he’s the very best soldier I have.
“Let’s get this done,” I tell him as I climb out of the car.
The wind whips around us, rustling the trees, as I quickly move across the gravel, heading toward the entrance to the warehouse, Alex in step beside me. Standing at the door, wearing a huge fucking grin, is Jacob, my right-hand man. He’s been with me since we were kids and is the person I trust most in this world.
"Boss," Jacob says, rubbing his hands together in glee. He’s just as bloodthirsty as I am. Jay loves to get his hands dirty; the dirtier the bloody better as far as he’s concerned. My cousin Jade thinks he’s got a death wish. It’s something she says regularly, which causes Jacob to just grin at her. "He's waiting for you."
I nod and roll my shoulders. Good. It's been too long since I've unleashed the anger roiling inside of me.
"Did you speak to the Boss?" I ask, regarding my sister.
Makenna is my boss and the leader of the Irish Mafia here in the east of America. The men are completely loyal to her, and she more than earned it. After we lost my father, Makenna and the rest of the family made sure that everyone who was a part of the kidnapping of my niece, and the reason my da was killed, was sent to an early grave.
From what my men have told me, it was like a well-oiled machine the way they took everyone out. I'm pissed that I missed it. Hell, I missed a fuck of a lot. Including my da's funeral.
"I did. She's not happy."
Yeah, I know she isn't. When Makenna became Boss, she slowly eradicated the rats from the organization. She killed each one, letting the other soldiers, underbosses, and grunts know that the Clann will not tolerate traitors.
"Not that I give a shit," I begin, "but what did she find out?"
Jacob interlinks his fingers and flexes them out, and the sound of his knuckles cracking reverberates around the warehouse. His nostrils flare as he glares toward the entrance. "Jamie O'Malley has been dealing with the Bratva."
I grit my teeth. Why the hell is that bastard in bed with the Russians?
"He's been real cozy with the Pakhan, Maksim."
There's a lot of history between our families. They're not happy that we took out half of their men, not to mention that I have been encroaching on their business. Being a loan shark comes with many benefits. Money is a huge factor—although, I'm not in need of it. But having low thugs owe you comes in handy. They get real creative in how to put you off and extend their time. The main thing they like to offer is information. And knowledge is power in this business. Discover there's still a rat in the organization, and you can put the rodent down.
"Hmm, well, it's time for the rat to find out what happens to those who cross the Clann." And this is why I'm here. I'm who my sister calls when she wants things to be taken care of. I'm the one she calls when she wants information.
"The Boss has requested information," Jacob tells me, and I nod while smiling. "She wants to know why he was with Maksim, and what he's told him."
It means that I get to play with him before I end his life. I get to push him to the brink of despair, dangling the sweet thought of mercy before snatching it away and killing him.
"Do you have what I asked for?" I ask, already knowing his answer.
The grin he gives me is sinister. “Yeah—although, I’m curious as to what you need a fucking rodent for.”
“I’ve got twenty on the bastard being frightened by it,” Alex remarks, and I shake my head. He and Jacob are the same: always down for the blood and gore.
Jacob throws his head back and laughs. “Nah, not the boss. He’s more sadistic than that.” He rubs his hands together. “I’ve got fifty on the boss having the rodent chew the fucker’s toes off.”
I smirk. This is what I have to listen to every time the Boss calls me in to take care of someone. It’s not just my men, but the entire Clann. I’ve become somewhat of a bogeyman, though the tales the men regale are never believed—even if they are true.
My men encourage me to get creative; to let my anger out in ways they’ve not seen before. And I’m not one to let them down.
“You girls finished?” I ask as we step into the warehouse. One of the dozens we have scattered around the city.
This one is bare, not a fucking thing inside of it—other than what we bring with us on the day. The walls are crumbling, and the windows are still broken from a shoot-out we had here a few years ago.