Standing in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere with his pretty agent at his side, Johnny didn’t care about the bullet wound to his leg or his dislocated shoulder. The pain coursing through his body didn’t keep the smile off his face. Staring the owner of Dragonfly in the face was gratifying, but watching his pops put a bullet in the man who’d ordered him to be tortured was going to be even better.

Don Carlo’s voice cut through the air. “What do we have here? Nine little turncoats all lined up in a row for me. It must be Christmas come early for this old man.”

Bringing his head up, he looked with pride on his father’s predatory face. He was dressed in an expensive suit. As always, his coat was immaculate and his leather gloves assured he would not be leaving behind a fingerprint. His old man was fastidious in his own way.

“You won’t get away with this. My organization is…”

“Now ours.”

The finality of his father’s words brought the man to a stuttering stop.

“You know what’s funny about this whole mess? We honestly only wanted the girl. If you’d been reasonable on that score, you’d still be under your French mistress right now instead of kneeling on the cold concrete about to take your last breath.”

“You above all men should know, I take what I want.”

“You’re on your knees with your hands cuffed behind you. It’s a very submissive pose for a man to make claims about taking what he wants.”

“You’d be a fool to kill me. My men will tear your little operation apart.”

Sighing dramatically, Don Carlo squatted down to speak to the man face-to-face. “It’s seems there’s a new sheriff in town. Most of your employees are either dead or under a new and more lucrative contract with my organization.”

“That’s not possible.”

“It seems that most of your employees think you’re a bit of an ass. Even I was surprised at how quickly they unrolled the welcome mat for us. Even your newest office in Dubai fell right into line. Then again, I suppose it was an opportunity for advancement for the men you have stationed there, since none of my men were remotely interested in relocating to the middle east.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’ll tell you a little secret. I was outraged at how your men treated me. Torture to a man like me is no little thing. I’ve been imagining all the horrible things I wanted to do to you in retribution. Now that my moment for revenge has arrived, I find that taking everything from you, including your life is more than sufficient. Perhaps I am mellowing out as I grow older or I have lost my thirst for blood, but the thought of torturing you no longer holds my interest.”

Stretching out his hand, Johnny was quick to lay a gun in it.

Johnny watched with morbid fascination as his father unloaded a bullet in the center of each man’s forehead. Lenny was the only man who begged for mercy. Johnny had been glad they put off doing him in favor of finding his pops, cause the older man wanted to do him himself. Johnny could understand that need. Lenny had been his best friend and first officer for years. Don Carlo had implicitly trusted the man who was also his first cousin. Of the whole mess, Lenny’s betrayal had been the part that messed with his dad’s head the most.

Grabbing Sarah’s hand, he hobbled out of the darkened warehouse behind his father. The sunlight blinded him for a brief moment. Sarah moved closer and grabbed the tourniquet around his upper thigh. Without looking up at him she inconspicuously used it to help navigate him to the SUV. Climbing into the vehicle, he sat across from his father. The vacant look in the man’s eyes, unnerved him.

“Snap the fuck outta it, pops. We got it all nailed down, just like you wanted.”

Nodding the older man plastered a fake smile onto his face. “You never can see how close the darkness is to swallowing you, until it’s right on top of you.”

Sarah moved across the SUV to sit beside his father and Johnny stretched out his injured leg, knowing what her distraction was going to be. She took the old man’s hand and pulled up her shirt. Johnny watched the light flash on in his eyes. She beamed at him as she pressed his hand to slight curve of her belly.

“Seven weeks down thirty-three to go. Are you hoping for a girl or boy?”

Suddenly, the older man was all smiles. “I ain’t never had a girl.”

Holding up her shirt, she pointed to her belly. “Take a picture with your smart phone and send it to your wife. I want to hear what she has to say.”

Don Carlo was so excited his fingers were wiggling back and forth like little worms as he searched around in his coat for his phone.

Sarah glanced over at him with a self-satisfied smile. “You doing okay there, big guy?”

Watching his father take a picture of her belly and begin a text, he motioned her forward. “I got this bullet wound to the leg and a shoulder thing goin’ on but don’t think for a goddamned minute that’s gonna keep out of that sweet little…”

Just then Don Carlo cleared his throat authoritatively. “Leave my soon to be daughter in law alone. She’ carrying my grandchild.”

Johnny nodded to her gloved hands. “Want to put the man out of his misery?”

Pulling off her glove, she showed the older man her huge diamond engagement ring. Immediately his hand went for his cell phone again and Johnny rolled his eyes at how predictable his father could be.

Laughing he commented to no one in particular. “I got a fiancé, a baby on the way, and a new international company to run. I ain’t doin’ too bad for myself today.”

Smiling up at him, his old man remarked playfully. “I’d say you were doing pretty goddamned good. Now’s not the time to get cocky. You gotta keep your head about you now more than ever.”

“Yep, looks like Antonio might be your new protégé.”

“That’s a fancy ass word comin’ outta your mouth son. You sure you’re feeling okay?”

“I’m guessin’ you’re not still lookin’ to give my favorite girl a dirt nap, are you pops?”

“Hell, I think I like her better than you. That sister of hers is just fuckin’ fine as well.”

“Fuck, you just like them cause they’re snipers.”

“I like them cause they’re snipers that cover our asses. Money can’t buy that kind of loyalty, son.”

“Maybe we can get them to teach mom a thing or two.”

Johnny laughed when his father’s head came up fast enough to give an old man whiplash. “You had better be fuckin’ kidding me, Johnny.”