Chapter 24

Marius

I couldn’t stop the rush of satisfaction coursing through me as I watched her come apart in the chair, utterly vulnerable. Seri’s slip earlier—the mention of someone precious to her—wasn’t lost on me. No, I’d stored it away in the back of my mind like a prized secret. The look in her eyes, the way her breath hitched as she almost admitted the truth, was something I couldn’t ignore. She wasn’t as impenetrable as she thought.

And the way she responded to us... I could feel her body, even now, humming with the energy of what we’d done to her. But it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

As we pulled her pants back up and straightened her jacket, the men’s hands moved over her skin with a purpose, each touch a reminder that we weren’t done yet. Damon’s fingers grazed her arms, his touch deliberate, marking the places he’d already claimed. Tyrone, ever the master of restraint, kept her close, ensuring she felt the tension between us as we helped her fix her hair. But it was me who took the final step—my fingers brushing over her bare skin as I straightened her shirt, a lingering moment of ownership that sent a thrill through me.

I wasn’t going to let her go that easily. We’d all made that clear.

“Come to Sigma Phi tonight,” I told her softly, though my tone was far from polite. It was a command, even if I wrapped it in a veneer of casualness. “Don’t forget. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

She didn’t argue—she didn’t even say anything. She just met my gaze, a look that almost made me think she was trying to hold onto her willpower. But I could see it in her eyes. She wasn’t fooling anyone.

Before she could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling my attention away. I glanced at the screen, and the irritation hit me instantly.

“We have a meeting,” I muttered, not wanting to let on to Seri anymore than she may or may not already know, and with a single nod to Damon and Tyrone, I signaled for us to leave. This would be quick; I would make sure of it.

But even then, we didn’t leave her without checking.

Tyrone leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead, his touch cold but intense. Damon’s kiss was softer, more lingering, as if sealing her decision. And then, I stepped forward, my lips capturing hers in a kiss that was all possessiveness. It was more than just a kiss—it was a promise. It was a warning. One she was trying not to accept with her hands pressed against my chest, with fingers curling into my jacket as our lips touched.

"You know that you’re ours now, Seri," I whispered against her lips before pulling away, hearing the softest of whimpers from her, i almost missed it. "We’re not finished here."

When I walked away, I knew she felt the weight of that final kiss. It wasn’t a goodbye—it was a mark. A mark she wouldn’t easily erase.

The car ride into the city was quiet, the engine’s hum almost soothing as we made our way into the city. It was the only quiet moment I’d have all day, I could feel it in my bones. The supplier was skittish—there was talk of a takeover from rival families, people growing too bold in their desire to make their own move. Whoever had started this talk didn’t know who they were dealing with, and that was something I had to fix.

The supplier’s nerves were palpable when we walked into their office. I could see the way their hands shook as they tried to keep their cool.

“Your shipment’s still on track,” I said, my voice cold and sharp, like a knife slipping through flesh. “No one’s going to touch that shipment.”

Damon leaned forward, his voice smooth as ever. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. The Big 5 control everything, remember? No one dares to mess with us.”

Tyrone’s eyes were a cold, calculating reminder of how dangerous our family could be. “You’re being paranoid. Get a grip. We’ve got it under control.”

It didn’t take much for the supplier to crack, agreeing to the terms after a tense few minutes. But the conversations that followed, tracking leads and talking to other family heads, stretched into hours.

The supplier wasn’t the only one getting nervous. The streets buzzed with rumors, each one more frustrating than the last. We spent the next few hours chasing leads, tracking down informants, and making sure people remembered where their loyalty belonged.

The first stop was Pietro, a low-level enforcer for one of the smaller families under our protection. He was waiting in the back of an abandoned warehouse, shifting nervously from foot to foot when we walked in.

I took one look at him and sighed. “You look like you’re about to piss yourself, Pietro.”

His eyes darted between me, Damon, and Tyrone. “I—I just don’t want to be in the middle of this.”

“There is no middle,” Tyrone said, voice sharp. “You’re either with us, or you’re against us.”

Pietro swallowed hard. “I heard it from a guy who runs numbers for the Russians. He said there’s whispers about someone making a move—big move. Not just here, but across multiple territories. Like someone’s trying to push in on all five families at once.”

Damon scoffed. “That’s suicidal.”

“Unless they have backing,” I muttered, the wheels in my head turning. “Who else knows?”

Pietro hesitated.

I stepped forward, letting my presence fill the space. “I asked you a question.”

His breath hitched. “Javier might know more. He’s been hearing things from the Italians.”

Tyrone glanced at me. “Let’s go.” We left Pietro in the cold, his fear still clinging to the air.

Javier ran a club downtown, a known neutral zone for criminal dealings. By the time we walked through the back entrance, he was already waiting, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand.

“I figured you’d be stopping by,” he said smoothly. “Word travels fast.”

I didn’t have time for his games. “Who’s making a move?”

Javier smirked. “That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”

Damon stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. “Javier, we’re not in the mood for riddles.”

Javier sighed and took a slow sip of his drink before setting it down. “Alright. There’s a name floating around—Vasiliev. But here’s the thing—he’s just a middleman. Someone else is pulling the strings.”

Tyrone’s expression darkened. “Do you have a name?”

Javier exhaled slowly. “Not yet. But I’ll tell you this—whoever it is, they’ve got money, and they’ve got balls. Enough to make people second-guess their loyalty.”

I clenched my jaw. That was a problem.

“Let us know the second you hear anything,” I told him.

Javier nodded, but there was something in his eyes—hesitation. Fear. That didn’t sit well with me.

The last stop of the night was a dockside warehouse, where a contact from the Irish mob was supposed to meet us. He was late.

Tyrone paced the length of the empty loading bay, tension rolling off him in waves. “This is getting out of hand.”

Damon exhaled sharply. “They’re testing us. Seeing if we’ll react.”

I stared out at the water, my mind racing. “No. They’re not just testing us. They’re laying the groundwork for something bigger.”

Before either of them could respond, headlights flashed across the lot. A black SUV rolled to a stop, and O’Malley stepped out, his usual cocky grin replaced by something more serious.

“Got bad news, boys,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “The word on the street? Someone’s targeting your family specifically.”

Silence. Heavy. Suffocating.

“Why?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.

O’Malley shook his head. “No one knows. But I’d start looking close to home.”

My stomach twisted. If someone inside our own ranks was working against us…

Tyrone cracked his neck. “We need to get ahead of this. Now.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s head back.”

By the time we made our way back, it was late—dawn almost breaking.

The drive back to Sigma Phi felt long, my frustration mounting. We couldn’t see her tonight, and the thought gnawed at me. But tomorrow would be different. I wasn’t going to another chance pass me by.