Page 70 of Madness

I saw Dante clench his jaw as he nodded his head. Everyone was getting frustrated with the war the Gallos were trying to start. I didn’t mind the bloodshed, but it kept me away from more pleasurable pursuits. I was ready to end this so I could focus on my little dove.

“Have we considered a meeting with them?” Leif asked. “I’ve always gotten along with Matteo. I cou—“

“You want to talk peace.” My father’s hand slammed on the table, rattling the glassware. “They’re stealing our clients. Killing our men. They started this, but we’re going to end it. We won’t stop until we’ve spilled every drop of their blood.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. My father liked to talk a big game, but it had been years since he’d actually been out on the streets. I didn’t disagree with Leif. As much as I’d love to cut a few people open, it might be faster to negotiate turns with them. But I wouldn’t go against my father in front of everyone.

My mind wandered again as he went on another rant about the Gallos’ deaths. I pulled my phone from my pocket and tapped the screen. My teeth ground together when I saw I still didn’t have a text from Henry. He was supposed to let me know when he returned to the house. I had things I needed him to take care of today.

He was the newest recruit, but he seemed eager to learn. He also had a boyish quality I hoped made Kincaid more comfortable. I didn’t blame her for being intimidated by Tristan and Bash. Tristan now understood who he was and wasn’t allowed to touch. My blood still boiled at the fact that he’d thought it was okay. Even if she was just a toy then, she had beenmytoy.

I tapped the screen again, intending to send Henry a text, when the dining room door opened. I resisted the urge to jerk in my seat when I saw Bash enter the room. He was supposed to be on a job. He wouldn’t come here unless something had gone wrong. He acknowledged my father with a respectful head tilt as he quickly walked to my side. He crouched next to me to whisper in my ear.

“We have an emergency.” His voice was urgent, but his body language gave nothing away. We couldn’t appear weak in front of the other capos.

“What kind?”

“Shoots fired over the police scanner.” I gripped my phone to stop myself from smacking him in the face. Why did I care if the police were investigating shots fired? He interrupted a meeting for this? Even if it was at one of our clubs, he was equipped to handle it. “Outside of Kincaid’s apartment.”

I shot from my chair before my mind fully processed his words. All I could think about was getting to her as fast as possible. My hand went instinctively to the gun at my back, checking it was there. I was halfway to the door when my father’s voice cut through the roar of blood in my ears.

“This meeting isn’t over.” He snapped.

“It is for me.” His guard grabbed my shoulder before I could reach the door.

“I won’t tolerate this disrespect.” My father’s voice dripped with contempt, but I was beyond caring. He feared me, and it was time for me to use that to my advantage.

I struck, breaking the guard’s wrist and tossing him to the floor. He moaned and clutched his injury to his chest. Weak.

My hand closed around the gun at my back. I pointed it right at my father. Everyone in the room stilled, unsure of what to do. They didn’t want to have a shootout in close quarters. More of us would die than live. I was beyond caring.

I needed to get out of this room. I needed to get to Kincaid. She had to be okay. But something in my gut told me she wasn’t. And it was my fault. It could’ve been random. But I knew. Our war had come for her.

“I can leave with all your blood still inside your body, or I can leave with it on the floor.” I tilted the gun with a shrug like it didn’t matter to me. And didn’t. “Either way, I’m leaving.”

My father’s eyes burned as he stared at me. I could see the resignation in his expression. He didn’t want to let my disrespect go, but he knew I’d kill him without a second thought. He knew I was ruthless. Soulless. His death wouldn’t even register.

He nodded once. I’d have to deal with him later, but for now, he was letting me go. I turned my back to him as I walked out, letting him know I wasn’t afraid.

I raced through the house. My heart beating so hard I thought it would crack my ribs. I collided with Alessandra in the hall. I gripped her shoulders to keep her from falling and ran past.

“Maddox, what’s wrong?” She called after me, but I ignored the concern in her voice. I didn’t have time to explain.

I barely had the door to my car closed before I was peeling out of the driveway. I ignored traffic lights as I raced down the streets. Buildings were a blur as they whipped by.

My breathing was an erratic rhythm as my knuckles turned white from my grip on the wheel. Sweat collected on my back the longer it took to close the distance between us. I hadn’t even made sure Bash and Tristan had made it out of the house.

I had never felt this before. Fear.

I was the cause of people’s fear. I didn’t feel it. But suddenly, it permeated my veins, making my blood still. My chest tight. And my mind blank.

My body yanked against the seatbelt as I threw the car into the park and shoved the door open. The terror in my veins doubled as I took in the scene in front of me. The car she’d left in this morning was parked at the curb. Both back doors were open. One of the windows was shattered, and the metal was riddled with bullet holes.

Cops crowded the space. Their blue and red lights reflecting off windows and puddles on the ground. My eyes scanned the area looking for her in the people milling around the street, trying to see the action. Bodies lay on the road covered with a sheet. A quick glance told me they were men. My feet pounded the ground as I raced to an ambulance parked further down.

I looked for a glimpse of white blonde hair. For a sliver of her porcelain skin. The sound of her voice. Anything to tell me she was okay. That my little dove lived.

I ripped open the back doors and shoved aside a medic, ignoring his protest, as I looked at the person on the gurney. Henry’s face was pale. Blood soaked his shirt, and bandages wrapped around his head.