Chapter 6: Collect What’s Mine

Logan

Atticus let out a deep breath. In the Pack, murder was something that was only done as a last resort. But as a Mafia Family, rules had to be followed. Anyone who borrowed money from us knew that.

“I need you to meet with them and decide whether they live or die. I’ll respect your decision, and so will your father.” He looked me square in the eye.

“So, these are Father’s orders?”

He nodded. “This is the next step in your evolution as the Crown Prince of this Pack. Your father wants you to be ready to take over when the time comes.”

Although I hated the thought of losing my father, I knew this was necessary. Every Pack needed a clear successor. Without one, it could result in anarchy and open rebellion as potentials fought to gain control.

“Consider it done.” I started to walk out, but Atticus stopped me.

“Logan, take whoever you want with you, but take only those you trust.” Then he walked out as I followed.

Marshall, my younger brother, was standing in the hallway waiting for me.

“Marsh, I need you to gather my Crew. We have a job.” I started up the stairs when Siren, my sister, appeared at the top.

“Did I just hear that you’re doing a job?”

I stared at her for a long moment.

“Logan, if you’re doing a job, then I’m going, too.” Despite Siren obviously being a woman, she was as tough as they come. When she was younger, Father had insisted that she become a sheltered Mafia Princess, but she had other plans, preferring to get her hands dirty when needed. Over the years, he just stopped fighting her on it.

“You’re part of my Crew, so of course you’re coming.”

She clapped with delight.

“But,” I said, stopping her little happy dance, “you will do as I say. There will be no going rogue this time. I’m in charge. Whatever I decide goes. Got it?”

“Aye.” Her shoulder-length bright blonde hair fell into waves but didn’t touch her shoulders, reminding me of a forty’s starlet, especially since she always wore black and bright red lipstick. But now, I was so used to seeing her like this that I couldn’t imagine her any other way.

She passed me on the stairwell. “I’ll help Marsh gather the crew.” Although she was two years younger than Marshall and the baby of the family, she was no one to mess with.

“Do it quickly,” I said, hurrying up the stairs. “We’ll leave in one hour. I don’t want word getting out that we’re coming.”

“Aye,” Marshall and Siren said in unison.

On the second floor, I headed up the main stairwell, taking two at a time. Maybe this was a good thing. I needed to release some pent-up energy, and had no way to release it. I felt sorry for the men and the families we were visiting tonight.

Upstairs, I pushed open the door and dressed in a black suit, a medium-blue dress shirt, and a blue and black striped tie. When it was official business, I dressed for the occasion. After all, a message had to be sent. We were a professional organization and we needed to represent it as such.

I slipped into my black Italian loafers I kept polished for occasions such as these. But before I slipped into my suit coat, I strapped on my shoulder holster, making sure it was loaded. Then I slipped on my suit coat and shoved some loaded magazines in the inside pockets, knowing it was going to be one of those nights. After that, I strapped a knife to my left ankle and another gun to my right leg, just in case.

Ready, I headed down the stairs, and Siren, Marshall, and two other men were waiting for me in the foyer.

“Are you loaded?”

“Aye!” they all said in unison.

“Are the cars ready?”

Marshall nodded. “We’ll go in the limo, and the other men will ride in the Mercedes that will follow us. Also, there’s a driver for each car.” He was letting me know precisely how many were in our detail, just in case everything went sideways. We didn’t want to take down any of our own people by mistake, but that rarely happened.

I nodded once and looked over my Crew. “Remember: No one goes down without my say. Got it?”

“Aye!”

I let out a deep breath. “Then let’s roll.”

They waited for me to leave first, since I was the senior member of the Family on the Crew and the Crown Prince. I held the door open for my sister and she slid inside as my brother got into the front, and I slid in beside my sister.

“Where to, Boss?” Mace, my driver, asked.

“I’m not the Boss.”

Mace nodded. “Yes, My Prince.”

I hated that, too, preferring just to be called Logan, but at least it was better. There was only one Boss in our Family, and it was my Father.

I gave him the address, and we pulled down the long driveway, headed to our first stop.

I looked out the window as we drove, wondering where my lady was and what she was doing. I never thought of her with another man. I couldn’t bear it. In my mind, she was already my Mate. She didn’t know it yet, but she was mine. And when I found her, I was going to make her my wife and my Mate.

We pulled into the driveway of a small house, and we all got out immediately, guns drawn. The men waited outside while Marshall, Siren, and I headed toward the door. The drivers kept the cars running.

I kicked the door open, and Henry Talon was sitting in his living room alone, eating cornflakes in his boxers and a muscle shirt.

“I don’t have the money!” he yelled as the cereal bowl went flying across the room.

“Not good enough.” I set a chair in the center of the combination kitchen and dining room. “Sit!”

“Please, My Prince!” he begged, shaking as he slowly sat on the chair. Marshall shoved him down the rest of the way and zip-tied his hands behind him while Siren zip-tied his legs to the chair. “I don’t have the money—”

“Is there anyone else in the house?”

“N... no... no one but me.”

I grabbed a chunk of his hair and yanked his head back, nearly breaking his neck. “Where’s the money?”

“I don’t have it!” he groveled, tears coursing down his cheeks. “But if you give me more time—”

“We’ve given you plenty of time and warnings,” I cut him off. “This is the end of the line.”

“No, please! I’ll do anything!” He shrank away in the chair. “Please, don’t kill me!”

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you... not yet, anyway.” I made a show of pulling out my weapon and cocking it. Then a sly smile lit my lips as I shoved the gun between his legs. “I’m going to shoot your balls off.”

Marshall laughed.

I shot him a warning look, and he stopped immediately, and the stoic look on his face returned. “But I’m not going to shoot them both off. No, I think I’ll just take one for now. So, which will it be? Right or left?” I pushed the barrel farther into his crotch.

“No, please, no!” He screamed as tears ran down his cheeks, physically shaking. “I... I... I have the money in my safe! All of it!”

“Where?”

“Behind the painting at the head of my bed!”

I nodded toward Marshall. “Check it out.”

“We’re taking too long,” Siren said behind me.

“Can it.” I glanced over at the window to see what she was looking at, and the men outside were getting restless.

There was some banging in the other room, and then Marshall rushed back in. “It’s there!”

“Cut him loose.” We never used names when we were on the job, but we had worked together so long that we all knew what to do. I yanked his head back again. “Open it. And if you try anything, you’re a dead man. Consider this your last chance to come clean.”

“Aye,” he said, his voice trembling. When he stood, he could hardly walk; he was shaking so hard.

“Hurry it up!” I yelled at the man. When he was in the room, I nodded to Siren. “Keep a lookout.”

“Aye.” She turned so she could see the bedroom door and the men outside.

When we walked in, a wall safe was right behind the bed, as pretty as you please. “Open it!”

“Just give me a minute!” he yelled, staggering toward the safe. With trembling hands, he rotated the tumblers first this way and that. A moment later, the safe popped open.

I nodded to Marshall. “Take just what he owes us.”

Marshall hurried to the safe and did precisely as I said, stashing the cash into a leather zippered cash bag.

I wadded up the paper and threw it at him. “Now. Consider your debt paid in full.”

“Thank you, thank you,” he mumbled as he sank to the floor. I thought the poor bastard might have a heart attack.

“Let this be a lesson to you,” I said, raising my chin. “Don’t you ever think you can get away with keeping what’s ours. Got it?”

He quickly nodded, and I backed out of the room and into the kitchen. Everyone else was gone. I rushed outside, and everyone was already loaded into the cars.

I slammed the door closed and slid into the car beside my sister. “Hit it!”

“Whoo hoo!” Marshall yelled, beating the dashboard. “The way you handled that was perfect!”

“Can it! We’re not through yet!”

I gave the driver the next address, wanting to hit all four of the houses tonight. I didn’t want any of them to get wind of what was going down and try to skip town. No, this had to be handled quickly tonight.

We pulled to a stop in front of a single-story house, and we all slid out of the cars. I headed toward the front door with Siren and Marshall hot on my heels. I kicked open the door and a woman screamed, holding up her hands, but I went straight for the man.

“Quick! Is there anyone else in the house?” I fisted his hair, pulling his head back.

“Yes! My son and daughter!” the man shook, holding up his hands. “Please, kill me if you must, but don’t kill my wife and children!”

“Call them out here!” I yelled, pointing my gun at his wife.

“What the hell is going on in here?” a young wolf asked as he stepped into the room. He saw what was going on and lunged toward me, but Marshall quickly pinned him against the wall by the throat, growling.

“Do as we say, and no one has to die!” I yelled in his face and turned to his father. “Now, call your daughter out here!”

“What the hell?”

My head snapped up, and I nearly fainted as my heart pounded in my ears. At that moment, I knew exactly what I was going to do.