Buttons and Grace

by Penelope Sky

  I felt the bomb explode inside my chest once she made the suggestion. It was a great idea, but something I didn’t want to do. Crow and I had argued about this a few times. He wanted to give up the business and live a quiet life. It wasn’t worth the war the Skull Kings would bring on us. But it was all I had, my life’s work. My father ran the business his whole life until we inherited it. The woman I loved didn’t love me back, so I had nothing else to commit my life to. The business wasn’t just about money. It was about identity.

  “Cane?”

  I heard her voice even though my mind was spinning at a million miles an hour.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Um…” I didn’t know what I was thinking. I felt like an ass for hesitating at all.

  “Are you going to contact them?”

  There should be no doubt in my mind. Our father’s legacy didn’t matter anymore. All we had was each other. That was the important thing. I could live without my work, but I couldn’t live without my brother. “I’ll call them now.”

  Chapter 5

  Crow

  Any minute now, I would be rescued.

  Cane would storm the compound with our men, kill Tristan, and release the ropes that bound my wrists together. I would see my wife again, meet my son or daughter. I would hold Button until she finally stopped crying. When I retrieved her from Greece, I might stay for a few weeks—take an extended vacation.

  I just had to hold on a little longer.

  Dried blood was caked down my face, my head was still pounding, my gut screamed from the internal injuries I suffered.

  But I was high—knowing this would end soon.

  Cane was a genius when he called me. He figured out a way to get the information he needed without having my tracker. He didn’t give up on me. At any moment, he would risk his life to get me out of there.

  The door opened, and Tristan walked inside, his sneer now raised into a smile. One of his men set the chair in front of me so he could take a seat. “You want to know what your brother’s biggest flaw is?”

  I stared at him, only one eye functioning.

  “Arrogance. He thinks no one can outsmart him. And you know what? You’re arrogant too.”

  I stayed silent, knowing a conversation was pointless. Sometime in the next few hours, Tristan would be dead. I’d be the one looking down at his corpse—and spitting on it.

  “You think I don’t know what that conversation was really about.”

  The high I felt suddenly evaporated like a drop of water in a hot pan. I did my best to control my reaction, and the only reason I was successful was from years of practice. I had the best poker face in the business, but my skills were seriously being tested in that moment.

  “You think I underestimated the Barsetti bond?” he asked. “I knew Cane was full of shit. I knew he was just trying to figure out where you were. I’m glad. Because he’s going to roll in here with a few men—while I have a hundred. I’m gonna blow that asshole to hell. Once I’m done with him, I’ll kill you. Adelina will be easy to track down, and eventually, I’ll find that gorgeous wife of yours.”

  Adrenaline spiked in my blood, and I wondered if I had enough rage to break through the ropes and chains that bound me. I wanted to rip his chair in half then beat him to death with it. But there was still a possibility that he thought Cane was telling the truth, so I didn’t change my reaction. I swallowed my anger and hoped I’d get my revenge somehow. Cane was smart. I just hoped he was smart enough to realize he was walking into a trap. He had to stay alive. He had to protect Adelina as well as my wife—and my future child.

  Now I was scared of losing Pearl all over again.

  She was safe in Greece, protected by my best men. She had the paperwork to keep her in hiding as long as she wanted. But if Tristan didn’t give up, he might find her one day. She might be stupid and take a trip to the mall alone. Tristan might look at her kid and realize how similar it looked to me. Thankfully, no one knew she was pregnant besides Cane, Lars, and me.

  Tristan continued to examine me, waiting for me to take a bite of the bait he placed on the hook. “Your face hasn’t changed, but I know your heart is racing. Your eyes are the same, but there’s fear in there—deep down inside. That’s exactly what I wanted.”

  “Did you send men to Serengeti?”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “Now look who’s arrogant. I told you the truth, and you didn’t believe me. Cane isn’t coming, and my wife is vulnerable. Now all you’re doing is wasting time.”

  Tristan continued to give me that aggressive look with a crooked sneer. He rose from the chair and kicked it over. “I can’t wait to fuck your wife in her mouth, her pussy, and her ass.”

  Chapter 6

  Cane

  Constantine answered the phone with his usual act of strange indifference. “My favorite Barsetti. How’s it going?”

  He’d never met my brother, so it didn’t make sense for him to have a favorite. But Constantine was a bit of a nutjob in that way. He was always hanging off the edge, ready to turn in either direction. He was full of craziness, but he was also full of ruthless intelligence. It was the reason everyone hired him to do their dirty work. He had a mental hinge that allowed him to live a life free of remorse and guilt. I’d seen him gut a man like a fish then immediately eat lunch afterward, while the corpse was still warm and bleeding on the floor. “I’ve been better.”

  “That’s too bad. Hope you aren’t expecting me to fix your boo-boos.”

  “No. Actually, I have something for you.”

  “Indeed?” he asked, a smile in his voice. “You know there’s only thing I want. I just haven’t decided if I’m going to take it from you.”

  I’d been a brother to this man in my past. The fact that he considered me to be nothing more than a stranger hurt my pride. But I knew it was just the way he was programmed. He didn’t feel camaraderie like the rest of us. He was built on a different foundation. “You can’t take anything from me, Constantine. But I’m prepared to give it to you in exchange for something.”

  “A barter, huh? What do you have in mind?”

  “I know you won’t be able to turn it down.”

  “Then it must involve a lot of bloodshed.”

  “Actually, yes.”

  He grew quiet. “I’m listening.”

  “I have a job for you. I have an enemy I need to eliminate. You take him out for me, and my entire business is yours.”

  He was quiet again, his twisted thoughts working quickly. “All for one man? I hope you have a legitimate reason why you can’t do this on your own.”

  “I do. This man is in a complex with a hundred soldiers. All heavily armed.”

  “Now we’re talking…”

  “He has my brother held captive. I need your crew to help mine take everyone out in the compound while I get my brother out of there. That’s the job. It’s big. There’ll be a lot of casualties. But the trade is fair. Do we have a deal?”

  Constantine took his time thinking to himself. He didn’t say anything for nearly a minute. I was in a time crunch, but Constantine operated by his own rules. He couldn’t be rushed or persuaded. “You need to be more specific.”

  “About what?”

  “Who’s the main target?”

  “Tristan Clavern.”

  “Ah, yes. I know him. Never liked him.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “So your entire business is mine, huh? Does that include everything?”

  “It includes everything inside the warehouses, the supplies, the clients, everything. Your men can resume my business, and my clients don’t even need to be aware of the change in ownership. But I suggest you don’t fuck them over because they’ll come after you.”

  “I’m a very honorable man…when it comes to business.”

  “Does that mean we have a deal?”

  Constantine paused again, and this time, it seemed like he was drawing it out on purpose. “I think so.
When is this going down?”

  “In an hour.”

  “In an hour?” he asked incredulously.

  “I know that’s extremely short notice but—”

  “I like it. The business has been getting too easy lately. Send me the location, and I’ll meet you in thirty minutes.”

  Chapter 7

  Crow

  I was scared.

  I couldn’t lie to myself.

  My brother’s life was on the line. Button would never be safe if we both died. Adelina would be a prisoner again. My body would be thrown into the middle of the ocean so my remains would never be found.

  My life had completely turned upside down since Cane asked me to save Adelina.

  What if I had just said no?

  What if I were in Greece with Button right now?

  Would things have been better? Or would they be worse?

  Could anything be worse than this?

  Two guards stood on either side of the door at the entrance to the warehouse. The place was cold because the ventilation system must have stopped working ten years ago. The concrete was cracked in places as time and the earth made its mark. All I could do was sit there and keep waiting. The pain was agonizing, but it didn’t seem important compared to the fear deep inside my chest.

  Then I heard an explosion.

  Cane was here.

  Tristan’s prediction was right on the nose. He knew Cane would come, but he was outnumbered. Even with all the resources we had, Cane didn’t have enough men to wield the right firepower.

  Hopefully, Cane would flee and get out of there alive. I needed him to take care of Button and the little Barsetti since I wouldn’t be around to look after them. It wouldn’t take long for my brother to figure out there was no possibility he could win this war.

  The gunshots started. Yells erupted. Commands were issued. The two men on either side of the door ran out to join the fight since I wasn’t going anywhere. It seemed like I was sitting in the middle of a war zone. Listening to the slaughter go on outside was worse than seeing it.

  My imagination made it much worse.

  Time seemed to slow down as I continued to listen to the bloodshed. I was surprised the battle wasn’t over yet. It should have ended within two minutes. Cane and our men didn’t stand a chance against everything Tristan had.

  It was hopeless.

  The door flew open, and Cane and Bran sprinted into the room.

  What the hell?

  “Watch the door.” Cane darted to me, gave me a quick glance over as he checked my injuries, and then pulled out a knife.

  “Tristan is ambushing you,” I blurted. “He’s got a hundred men posted around the compound.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Cane cut the rope that bound my wrists together then moved to the chains around my ankles.

  Bran remained at the door, covered in a bulletproof vest and a helmet. He wielded a large machine gun, ready to take down anyone who approached the entryway.

  Cane couldn’t pick the lock, so he pulled out his pistol and shot the chain right next to my foot. It snapped in half like a piece of pasta. “Can you walk?”

  “Yeah. What about Tristan?”

  “The men will take care of him. I have to get you out of here.”

  I yanked the rope off my hands and rose to my feet. I didn’t even make it to my full height before I stumbled, my body staggering to the right. I didn’t realize how weak I was, how much blood I lost, and what the dehydration had done to me.

  “I got you.” Cane pushed his shoulder underneath mine and held me up with his arm. “The chopper is going to land in five. They’ll get you out of here.” He supported me as we headed to the back door that was bolted shut.

  “No.” I stopped moving, gritting my teeth as I felt pain shooting up my leg. Tristan kicked me there this morning, and something had ripped. Every time I breathed, my broken ribs screamed in pain too. “I’m not leaving until I kill that fucker.”

  “Trust me, he won’t make it out of this alive. We need to worry about you right now.”

  I moved away from his hold, but I could barely stand on my own two feet. I felt dizzy, light-headed, and overwhelmingly weak. “That asshole threatened to rape my wife. I’m not leaving until I have at least ten bullets in his brain.” I felt my leg shake as I worked to support myself.

  Cane wrapped my arm around his shoulder. “What’s more important, Crow? Getting back to your wife and kid or getting your revenge?”

  My rage needed to be satisfied, but I knew Button was terrified right now. She wanted to hear my voice. She didn’t care how Tristan died. She just wanted me to be safe. I clenched my jaw as another jolt of pain ran up my body.

  “I promise I’ll get him, Crow.” Cane escorted me to the door again, Bran still posted by the doorway.

  “He knew,” I said as I felt my ribs scream.

  “Yeah, I know. Adelina told me he would have figured out our plan.”

  “Smart girl. Where did you get the men?”

  “That’s a long story.” Cane got to the doorway and shot off the hinges so he could kick the door down. “I’ll tell you when we get into the chopper.” The door flew open with a heavy thud, and the sound of gunshots became louder. We were blocked by another warehouse, and men were positioned in the center of the opening, ducking behind cars and buildings.

  Cane swept the area before he crossed and took me behind the power plant, which looked like it’d been abandoned for ten years. I leaned against the wall and breathed through the pain.

  Cane kept his eyes trained on our surroundings, his gun ready to fire. He tapped his ear. “Send in the chopper. Come from the west. Drop a ladder and don’t land.” Cane remained sharply focused, no longer looking at me because he kept checking our surroundings.

  I saw the chopper in the distance, bulletproof and jet black.

  “You’re going to have to hold on to the ladder so they can get you out of here quicker. Once the men realize it’s here, they’ll probably try to shoot it down.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll stay behind and cover you.”

  “No.”

  Cane didn’t look at me.

  “We both get out.”

  “I’m not abandoning my men, Crow.” He glanced at me before he turned away. “I have to make sure I kill Tristan, not just for you, but for Adelina. I know you would stay and help, but you’re too injured. I got you into this mess, and I have to get you out.”

  “The chopper can carry us both.”

  “I’m not leaving,” he said firmly. “I’ll get out of this alive. Don’t worry about me.”

  The chopper zoomed in at a high speed and dropped the rope ladder toward the ground. The rotors were loud, announcing the helicopter’s presence to everyone within a mile radius.

  “We don’t have time, Crow. Go.” Cane left my side and darted back into the mayhem. He ran along the wall, staying under cover as he rejoined the fight on the other side of the warehouse.

  If I could physically do something, I’d grab a gun and join him. But I was too weak to do any damage. I would just get killed instead. Since I had a family waiting for me, that wasn’t an option. I used the last of my energy to run and jump onto the rope ladder. I swung forward, toward the sky and underneath the helicopter.

  They immediately flew off, carrying me away from the gunshots that could still be heard as we rose in height. My ribs screamed in pain, and the weakness from my limbs made it difficult to hold on, but I wrapped my arm around the rope and locked it into place. If I let go, I would dangle.

  They started to reel me in, pulling me into the chopper as we flew over Rome and retreated to a safe location. When I reached the skids of the chopper, one of the men pulled me inside and shut the door. It was even louder in there, directly underneath the rotors.

  “We’re taking you to the hospital.” He handed me a helmet with a radio so I could understand what he was saying.

  I pulled myself into the seat and
strapped myself into place, feeling my mind go fuzzy. “I need to talk to Pearl.”

  “Cane’s orders are to get you medical attention. You can call her later.”

  She had to know I was okay. “Just give me your phone.”

  “We can’t use it in here. You know that.”

  I ground my teeth and looked out the window, feeling the last of my energy slip away.

  Chapter 8

  Cane

  The battle was over.

  The bodies were piled behind the warehouse where they would be burned. The already run-down compound looked even worse now that we were finished with it. People in the area probably called the police when they heard the gunshots, but the police knew to look the other way. They knew we wouldn’t cross them if they let us be. The citizens thought the police ran this country, but it was actually the criminals that controlled it.

  “Found your little friend.” Constantine emerged from the circle while dragging Tristan by the ankle. He pulled him along the pavement, a trail of blood smearing behind him. Tristan was still alive but seriously injured. Constantine dropped him right in front of me, wearing the same grin a demon would wear. “We’re settled, then?”

  “Yep.”

  “Tomorrow, we’ll be at your base first thing in the morning. I expect everything to be in order.”

  “It will be.”

  He nodded to his comrades before he winked at me. “Have fun. Revenge has always gotten me off far better than a woman ever could.” He walked away with his crew, heading to the vehicles scattered around the area. Some vehicles were on fire from the gunshots, and others were simply totaled.

  I lost a few men, but most of us made it out of there alive.

  Tristan wouldn’t be able to say the same.

  Tristan pulled himself up with weak arms. Blood dripped down his forehead and across his lips. His hair was matted with the wet blood that soaked into the strands. He sat up, slightly swaying with weakness.