Declan- Present
I control my breathing and take cover behind a wall as I hone in on my target’s location. Holding my gun up near my ear, I listen intently for his footsteps to come closer. Suddenly, a figure darts into the open warehouse door. His footsteps echo in the silence of the empty, abandoned warehouse. I can hear the crackle of his shoes as he tries to stealthily make his way across the floor. Slivers of light slip through some of the broken windows managing to penetrate the darkness of the empty room. I watch intently as the shadow moves closer to my hiding place and let him take a few more steps before I take him. Collins is holding a gun in his hand as he runs his gaze around the room nervously. Before he moves past me, I reach for his gun hand and elbow him in the face. He falls on his back, holding his nose as his gun skids across the floor. Moving forward, I step in front of him and point my gun with its silencer at his head.
The bastard rolls over, trying to duck my gun, but I grasp his ankles fall to my knees and kick him in the face. Blood gushes everywhere. Collins spits blood from his mouth and gives me a frightened look. “Fuck!” He says as he turns and tries to kick me in the stomach. He’s definitely not a match for my fighting skills. The Confradia taught me well. Before he can move, I raise my gun and aim it at his head. “That’s right, asshole! Now get your ass up.” He shudders as he rises from the floor. He knows why I am here, and he’s scared, which is probably the only smart thought he’s had so far.
I narrow my eyes and tilt my head. “Do you know who I am?” He swallows hard and gives me a grim nod. “Yeah, I know who you are…you’re...Out…Outlaw.” He stutters as he calls me by my code name. I step around him, maintaining eye contact. “Then you know why I’m here.” His eyes dim as he gulps loudly and nods in confirmation. He’s completely speechless. Moving closer, I narrow my eyes and growl through clenched teeth. “I’ve been looking for you for a while, Mr. Collins. You’ve been a bad boy. You know that the Confradia doesn’t like it when its own men betray them. It wasn’t very wise of you to side with Willem Kazik. You know that Kazik is on the Confradia’s most wanted list, don’t you? Now you’re going to be a good boy and tell me where Kazik and Christoph are.”
His eyes become glazed. I can tell he wants to continue fighting, but I also know that he’s just a lowly analyst who used to work for the Confradia. The Confradia trained him on basic fighting moves, but they never trained him in the field. He doesn’t understand the kind of pain I can make him feel. But I’m planning on correcting that misconception tonight. His face pales with fear. “Let me go, Outlaw, I…I can make it worth your while.” He mutters apprehensively. Jaw tight, I lower my gun and smirk at his obvious ploy to stall the inevitable.
“Really? And what could you possibly offer me?” His expression changes from one of fear to a confident one instantly. “Anything…anything you want. Just name it, and it’s yours.” I pretend to contemplate his offer for a moment, then raise my gun and aim it at his temple. “Well, for starters, you can tell me where Willem or Christoph are hiding.” His lips tighten, and his chest begins to heave. I smirk when he begins to back away. I can see that he understands his mistake in thinking that I’m easily swayed. “I…I don’t know where they are. I don’t deal directly with either of them.” He replies in a panic.
Thinking his words through, I tilt my head with a measuring scowl. “Are you sure about that, Collins?” He nods his head, sweat beading his forehead. “I swear, I don’t know.” Sneering at his pleading tone, I shrug my shoulders and cock the gun. “Then I guess you’re of no use to me.” Collins falls to his knees in supplication. “Please, Outlaw. I swear I don’t know anything.” I shake my head. “Why don’t I believe you, Collins? Oh, I know. It’s because you were so confident a minute ago. Where’s your confidence now?” Placing my finger on the trigger, I sneer at his dejected tone. “Please, please, please, I don’t know. Willem and I didn’t directly deal together. He had…Christoph…Christoph, contact me!”
I halt at his words. My main target is Christoph. I’ve been trying to find the bastard for the past year. Christoph is Willem Kazik’s brother. According to the file, Christoph’s setting up to do something on Willem’s behalf. We recently found out that Christoph was a hitman for the Russian mafia. I don’t know how the Confradia missed that information. Perhaps Willem has allies in the Confradia. Christoph is also one of the key figures in the kidnapping and sexual slavery of young women and girls. Catching him would be a huge coup for the Confradia and its war against skin trading. I point my gun at an empty chair near the rubble on the floor and gesture for him to move. “Sit!” I retort with authority. Collins keeps his hands over his head as he slowly maneuvers his way to the rusted chair and plunks down unceremoniously on it. It’s amusing that he doesn’t take his eyes off me. Reaching into my suit jacket, I toss him a set of cuffs. “Wrap them around the armrest and place them around your wrists.” As slowly as he can, he lowers his wrists into the restraints, lock them in place and shakes his hands to show me that he’s locked in place.
Placing the gun behind my back, I rub my thumb across my bottom lip and remove my suit jacket. Collins’ eyes widen in terror instantly. Face swollen and bloody, he strains against the restraints and desperately asks, “What…what are you going to do?” I don’t say a word at first. Sometimes it’s best to play with your prey before you take action. Rolling my sleeves up, I place my hands on the armrests and whisper near his ear. “Listen, and listen well, Collins, because whatever you say next will be important in determining whether you will survive the rest of the night.”
Collins nods his head enthusiastically. “Yeah…yeah, anything you want, Outlaw.” Oh, he’s ready. I think to myself with a knowing smirk. “Good. You can start by telling me about Christoph. How did you meet? And why did he choose you?” Collins gulps loudly and looks down at his hands with a miserable frown.
“TALK!” I yell out with a threatening growl. Collin flinches, his back slamming into the chair with fear. His body shudders, and his lips tremble. For a moment, his mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Frustrated, I pull back my fist and punch him in the face. Blood splatters down his chin, and his eyes roll to the back of his head before he sputters out. “All right…I-I-I…I was at a nearby bar, having drinks and minding my own business when Christoph walks in and takes a seat next to me. I swear I didn’t know who he was. He was an alright guy until he began asking me all these questions. Truthfully, I didn’t even know why he was talking to me. I mean, I’m a nobody at the Confradia─just a lowly employee.” He mutters with a note of incredulity. Sweat glides down his face as he puffs out a breath and swallows deeply. Pulling a knife out, I hold it against his throat. “What kind of questions was he asking you?”
Collins scuttles back in his chair with a squeal and gasps. “He…he asked me about the codes we used in our system and about file transfers. Then, a few days later, he showed up at my house. He told me that I was going to be useful to his people. Then he threatened me. He told me that he’d kill my family if I didn’t comply. I didn’t know what to do. Every week…” He stops for a moment, his body deflating in defeat as sobs begin to wrack his body. Pulling the knife away, I narrow my eyes and wait for him to gain some semblance of composure.
“…he began coming around every week. He always wanted something. At first, it was the things he asked for that were inconsequential. Files that were of no importance. Then, he began asking us for the codes of certain offices and employee schedules. I guess I didn’t want to think too much about it. If someone died or something bad happened, I figured it was a hazard on the job. Things came to a head when he asked me for the Confradia directors, Jaxon Maxwell and Logan Blake’s schedule. I completely freaked out when he asked me but gave in when he gave me pictures of my daughter playing on the school’s playground.
Eventually, he revealed that he worked with Willem Kazik.” He tightens his lips before he croaks out mournfully. “There was nothing I could do by then. I had betrayed the Confradia. He had me by the balls, and he knew it.”
I gaze down at the pitiful man and place the knife back into its sheath. “Where’s Christoph?” He shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. He simply shows up whenever he needs something. I don’t know where he is. I swear…please…” He pleads again. After a moment, I remove my cell phone and make a call. The voice at the other end answers quickly. I respond. “I have a pickup warehouse ninety-eight near the south-west Hudson.” The voice confirms the pickup and hangs up the phone.
I look back at Collins. “I believe you. Unfortunately, you still have to answer to the Confradia.” Five minutes later, the warehouse doors open, and several Confradia agents walk in. Without a word, they walk up to Collins and release him from his restraints. I observe impassively as they lift a subdued Collins from the chair and drag him out of the room. Once they’re gone, I unfold my shirt cuffs and slip my suit jacket back on. Looking up into the fading light, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Man, I seriously need a drink.
Santana“Connor!” I call out to my brother as I make my way out of the room. You’d think that after all of these years of caring for him, I’d be less disturbed by the thought that I have treated my brother like a baby. At this point, we’ve both established a routine where he turns off his alarm, and I have to drag him out of bed every morning. “Connor!” I call out in frustration with a solid shake to his shoulders. Anyone would say that an eighteen-year-old should be a little more responsible, but in the case of Connor, they’d be wrong.Groaning and yawning, Connor turns over and gives me a grouchy look. “What the hell San? What time is it?” I look at my cheap plastic watch then back at him. “It’s seven in the morning. Classes start in sixteen minutes. Get up!” He rolls back in the seat and gives me his back. “I don’t want to go to school.”Narrowing my
Chapter 7: Blood will tellDeclanOnce the Confradia men take Collins away, I stroll into the nearest bar, ready to wash away the sins of the day and find an even keel. A small part of me feels bad for Collins because his family was put in a precarious position. But another part doesn’t because he brought it on to himself. Taking a seat on a nearby stool, I gesture for the bartender, Ronny, to serve me a drink.Striding towards me, Ronny gives me a welcoming smile. “Declan! It’s good to see you.” He calls out with delight as he stretches his arm out. Ronny’s old biker with tattoos all over his body and thinning gray hair. His leather Harley Davidson vest strains around his muscled shoulder as he leans over the bar’s counter and shakes my hand. “Hey, Ronny. How are you?” Ronny shrugs his shoulders. “Same as always. Just pounding the pavement every day. How’s it going with you?” I shake my hea
SantanaI’m beyond exhausted tonight. All I feel is relieved when I get to the apartment. As usual, Connor is sitting in front of the kitchen counter with his computer in front of him. “Hey, Connor,” I rest my bag on top of the living room table. Connor nods his head but never looks up from the computer screen. Nothing ever changes. I think with an exasperated smirk. “What’s up?”Connor shrugs. “Nothing.” That’s when I see the picture on the counter. “What are you doing, Connor?” Connor picks up the picture and points it in my direction. “I couldn’t stop thinking about this picture all day. I mean, it doesn’t make sense. Do I have a brother? Is this kid my brother?” He asks. From the set of his shoulder and tight lips, I can tell that he’s going through something. He seems frustrated yet hopeful at the same time.“I don’t know, Connor. Maybe
DeclanI meet Priest as soon as I get to the body shop. “Declan…good, you’re here.” He mutters sarcastically. Unperturbed, I take a seat in a nearby chair and drily ask. “Cut the shit, Priest. You know I’m busy. What is this about?” Priest smirks and walks around his desk to stand in front of me. “Actually, I think it’s best if I show you. Follow me, Declan.” He gestures to the door, takes his walking stick, and walks ahead of me. Even though he had corrective surgery to regain his eyesight, he’s still walking around like he’s blind. I guess it’s taking some time for him to adjust to his new eyes. They’re kind of freaky when you look at them, which isn’t to say that women are deterred.Releasing a resigned sigh, I follow Priest down the corridor until we make it to one of the rooms used to detail cars. Curious, I look inside and see a young man tied to a chair. He looks unharmed.
SantanaOh, my God, it’s him. I can’t believe he’s here and that he’s Connor's brother. When I saw him standing next to Connor, looking so imposing and masculine, I thought I was going to faint. I think fate is laughing at me. How is it possible that the only man I haven’t been able to forget is related to my brother? I catalog his features, trying to figure out how I missed the similarities. Unlike Connor, Declan is rugged and masculine. He hasn’t changed much. His muscles strain against his perfectly fitted suit jacket, and his jaw is firm with fashionable stubble. He has high cheekbones, arched eyebrows, and a patrician nose. His eyes are perfect with long dark lashes, and his skin is a golden hue. I can’t take my eyes off him.Unfortunately, as gorgeous as he is, I can tell that he’s a lot more like Alistair than I thought. I seethe with anger at his words.“Look, I can see that you&
DeclanMy thoughts are a mess by the time I get home. Looking around the first floor of my lavish house with its spacious living room and open concept kitchen, I feel my gut churn with guilt. My house is a bi-level brownstone. The walls are brick with metal buttresses on each corner. Several years ago, Hunter installed a state-of-the-art security system. The doors are reinforced steel, and the windows are bulletproof. There’s a fireplace dominating the living room's main wall and two plush navy blue couches with various colored pillows resting comfortably against the soft material, courtesy of my mother.There’s a gray area rug in navy blue patterns and a sturdy rustic pine coffee table along with the couches. The floors are dark mahogany, and the walls are painted a light sleet color. My offices and my bedroom are located on the second floor, next to my gym.Taking a deep breath, I unwrap my tie and toss it angrily across the floor. As I make my way
SantanaThe morning light shines down on my face from the small window above my bed. Not wanting to get up, I place the pillow over my face and close my eyes. I feel worn and exhausted, which makes sense since I barely slept. When I did sleep, I dreamt of him. The dreams were pretty intense. I bite my lip, recalling a specific dream. Declan and I were in bed kissing. He was caressing my bare back as his muscled body wrapped around mine. Unfortunately, as soon as I woke up, reality set in. He’s Connor’s brother. Either way, it’s a pipe dream considering he doesn’t want anything to do with his brother─ his own blood relative.My alarm goes off a minute later, snapping me back to reality. Groggily, I throw off the covers and rise from my bed. Cold seeps through my body as my feet hit the bare floor. The landlord must have turned off the heat. Ever since the building was sold to a new owner, the building has been rapidly falli
DeclanI rush out the door feeling like a fool. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I reprimand myself mentally. Why did I kiss her? The kiss was amazing, but now I feel like an ass. One moment I’m kissing her, and the next, I’m telling her that it’s a mistake. I don’t blame her for being pissed and kicking me out. She didn’t deserve for me to treat her that way.Distracted by my thoughts, I walk up to my car and find three men leaning on the hood. My body stiffens with anger at the sight of the asshole leaning against my million-dollar car. These men don’t understand that I’m not in the best mood, which is not the right time to cross me. The one that I assume is the leader straightens up as soon as he spots me. Unintimidated, I narrow my eyes and move closer. The leader gives me a threatening glare and swells his chest out in an intimidating fashion. It amuses me to see that they think I’m an everyday Joe who would