Page 39 of Sinful Empire (Mount Trilogy 3)
He is Eduardo, the man who sat in front of my desk and agreed to take over the dealings of coke, meth, and pills in the split of the New Orleans drug market. I was more than fair, but for some goddamned reason, he crossed the line. Broke the rules. Shattered the compact.
Now he pays.
The low-level shooter who put a bullet through the windshield has already been dealt with, and didn’t say anything more than his boss ordered the hit. Now, his boss will answer for it.
Z opens the door of the armored Escalade and I step out. As I walk toward the door, I spy a pair of hedge clippers left by some gardener who probably fled days ago when the bullets started flying. Z follows behind me, and I nod to them.
“Grab those.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
I pull a Cuban out of my pocket and light it, taking a few puffs before I nod at him to open the door. Saxon, Ransom, and a whole crew of my best people are covering us from every angle. Not that there’s anyone left at this point who could do any damage.
I step inside, my shoes echoing on the marble floor of the airy entryway, and head to the right like J described.
Eduardo is duct-taped to a chair and he’s practically frothing at the mouth, spewing threats in two languages. Maybe three.
Regardless, I don’t care.
“You will die for this, Mount. Fucking die. You and everyone you love.”
I puff on the cigar, staring at him. “You’re the one who broke the rules. I let you come into my city, make a shit-ton of money, and you dare take a shot at me?”
“I didn’t fucking take a shot at you!” Spittle flies from his mouth as sweat drips off his face.
“Your man did. He admitted it. He said you ordered it.” My tone is without emotion. There’s nothing but ice in my veins.
“He lied!”
“How do I know you aren’t lying?” I look over my shoulder at Z. “Get creative with those hedge clippers.”
As Z walks toward him, Eduardo rails at me. Seconds later, his curses turn to screams just before his pinkie hits the floor. It’s closely followed by his ring finger, which pings as the gold wedding band he was wearing hits the marble.
“Fuck you, Mount! You’re gonna die for this! I didn’t order shit.”
I nod at Z again.
Screams fill the room, but all I can picture is Keira’s face going pale as she fought to stay conscious after the accident.
“You do not fuck with me or mine.”
“I didn’t! He went rogue!”
“Then you should’ve had better control over your organization. For that, and the fact that you spilled even a single drop of my woman’s blood, means that your life is forfeit.”
I meet his dark brown gaze that’s filled with hate, rage, and fear. What I’ve done to him is nothing compared to what he’s done to others.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Mount.”
I puff on my cigar again. “Then you’ve outlived your usefulness.”
Z steps back and I give him a nod. “Put that piece of shit out of his misery. He’s not worth my time.”
I turn on a heel and head for the front entrance, curses echoing behind me before the distinctive sound of a suppressed bullet silences Eduardo permanently.
Keira
“The terror ruling the streets of New Orleans this week seems to have ended. Residents are still advised to use caution as they resume their daily activities, but bullets are no longer flying. The police haven’t yet issued a statement, but we expect one to be forthcoming.”
