The Deadliest Sin Series Complete Collection, page 140
Konstandin sighs and shakes his head. “This won’t solve anything. Rea and I have been trying to catch up with you for weeks to tell you just that.”
Rea moves closer to Agron tentatively, her blazing-red hair pulled back from her face set with determination. “He’s right. You and I never got to meet, but I’ve been where you were. My father sold me to your brother in a greedy bid to build his empire with Tarek’s support. I was used and abused and only escaped because of Konstandin. We thought we were free, but no one is ever really free of this life. You can’t outrun the sins you commit, and trying to only leads to a lot more death and destruction.”
Her green eyes shift to Kat, who stands stock still, chest heaving with her barely restrained fury.
It’s common knowledge that Konstandin killed Aleksander Gashi and left Kat a widow, but the way the two women are looking at each other, it appears there may be more to the story than we all know.
Rea takes a small step toward Kat, holding up her hands in surrender, and Andres wraps his arm around Kat—either to hold her back or offer her comfort.
The beautiful redhead motions toward Konstandin. “Konstandin killed Saban for assisting Tarek, and I killed Aleksander to protect our son from his wrath over his brother’s death. That set Kat down her path, which set off a series of events that affected all of us and brought us all here today.”
Seeing everyone all together now, knowing the history the families have together, how one bad deed has spawned another and another, it’s laid out before me like a massive chess board. Only instead of just two players, there are half a dozen—each making moves that affect another. Each digging their own graves even deeper by creating more and more enemies and committing more and more unforgivable sins.
I don’t see any way for this to end well—for any of us.
Konstandin approaches Kat and inclines his head toward her. “Kat and I attempted to end this. We came to a truce to protect our children, to try to keep them from living the kind of anguish you’re going through now, Agron. But even then, I got pulled back into it because Rea’s father would never let what I did to Tarek, did with his daughter, go unpunished.”
After all these years, Rea’s father just couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t forgive what Rea and Konstandin did for love, and instead, he was willing to destroy Agron and her family to find the man he held responsible.
That’s a heavy weight for Konstandin to bear, one I wouldn’t wish on anyone—even one of my enemies in this room.
Felipe moves away from one of the armed men and closer to Agron. “When the Lord said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ it was not to encourage or justify vengeance but rather to limit it.”
Galen laughs, the first interjection he’s made since Agron’s arrival. “That’s rich, coming from you, Father Felipe.”
I can’t fight my own smirk at Galen’s response because it’s true. The irony of my brother quoting the Bible about vengeance isn’t lost on anyone.
Perhaps Galen isn’t so bad after all.
If we survive this and Valerian can get him to forgive me for what I did to him through the Luna Cartel, there may be room for him in our new Chicago.
But right now, that’s a very big if.
Konstandin ignores Felipe and Galen’s comments, turns to his sister, and grasps her shoulders. “You can’t do this and walk away, Agron. There will always be someone else to step up. Someone who will come after you for what you’ve done. Your past will always be there, no matter how hard you try to forget it or how much time passes. Killing them won’t bring your husband and children back. All it will do is stain your hands with blood you’ll never be able to clean from them that will taint everything you touch.”
Tears stream down her face now, her lips quivering—the façade of strength she wore when she entered crumbling in the arms of her brother. “I have to do something. Someone has to pay for what they did to me.”
Konstandin presses a delicate kiss to her forehead. “You’ve already managed to kill the men responsible. Rea’s father and his partner are dead. The rest”—he scans us—“the rest is in God’s hands. It is not for you to judge them for their sins. Let Him do it whenever their day comes.”
His words make my chest tighten, and I swallow through the lump in my throat, surveying all the people in the room, each now facing the reality of what their actions have caused—even indirectly—though, I doubt many care.
Each of us has plans, goals, desires, wants, and needs, and no one is afraid to remove any obstacles to those.
It’s made for a very violent few years in this city.
Slowly, Rea steps up and takes Konstandin’s place, embracing Agron while he turns to look us each in the eye.
“I have no quarrel with any of you. I tried to stop all this when I called and warned Valerian that your last meeting was about to have visitors. What’s done is done. And these men”—he makes eye contact with each of the men Agron brought with her—“will not hurt you because they know if they do, they will have to answer to me.”
The chilling effect of his words rings clear as the men slowly lower their weapons. They may have assisted Agron out of some loyalty to the Morinas or because they knew her when she was married to the elder Syla, but they know Konstandin’s reputation and won’t dare do anything to cross the deadly man.
Wise choice on their part.
But everyone here still has beef with someone else in the sinister circle.
Me with my brothers and Kat.
Galen with Valerian for betraying him by working with the Albanians and Kat for her assault on his business—and me if he finds out I’m behind Luna.
Valentina and Cutter with Valerian for him stabbing them in the back to take me.
Kat with basically everyone, dragging Andres along with her in her hate and desire to control everything.
The only ones who don’t are Konstandin and Rea. They’ve been battered and bruised, lost everything more than once, had their lives destroyed by the sins of those around this room and those outside it, too, yet they both stand here as the voice of reason, begging Agron to see it.
Everyone here has blood on their hands, has committed sins we will have to pay for eventually; I don’t want that to be today. Konstandin and Rea may have stopped his sister for the time being, but the five families have been at each other’s throats since the day the Blood Rose Cartel moved into Chicago.
This will never stop unless someone does something about it.
SOFIA
Our businesses will only survive if we respect each other’s territories and admit that no one family will ever be powerful enough to control all of Chicago.
We have to co-exist as peacefully as possible, or it’s mutually assured destruction. That fact has been proven over and over again by everyone in this room.
I move to step around Valerian to argue just that, but he wraps a strong arm around me and drags me back against his hard body, dropping his mouth to my ear from behind me.
“I don’t know where you think you’re going, kotyonok, but you’re not leaving my side.”
Twisting my head, I look up at him. “Someone has to do something, say something. Otherwise, this will keep happening even if Konstandin has stopped Agron.”
Valerian considers me for a moment. “You’re wise beyond your years, kotyonok, but I should do the talking.”
I open my mouth to argue with him, but he leans down again and tightens his grip on me.
“I wouldn’t argue with me, not unless you want to pay for it later.”
A zing of anticipation shoots through me despite the tense surroundings, but our debate gets interrupted by Valentina finally taking a half-step away from Cutter in her heels.
Her amber eyes assess everyone carefully. “It appears our mutual enemy has been handled, but that still leaves many of us at a stalemate. We must decide the future of this city if we hope to have anything left of it. Despite the many wrongs done to me, I have tried to remain neutral in the squabbles of others, and I am willing to move forward with a clean slate to avoid any more bloodshed.”
Her eyes lock on Valerian. At least Valentina is thinking about it, too, and realizes we’re all screwed if we keep going like this. She will find a way to make him pay for what he did to her, but it won’t be today and it won’t be anything we can anticipate. Cutter’s smug grin from behind her confirms that.
Felipe turns to her. “And what do you suggest, Ms. Marconi? I don’t think any of us are willing to back down from our businesses—”
I pull free of Valerian’s hold and approach Felipe. “You don’t have a choice, hermano. I made myself clear the other night. You and Andres are no longer in control of the Blood Rose Cartel, and you need to leave Chicago.” I let my gaze drift over to Kat. “And take her with you.”
Galen’s eyes widen as he takes in the scene, then his gaze flicks to Valerian. “What the fuck is going on?”
Valerian inclines his head toward his friend. “I apologize for not properly introducing you. This is Sofia, Felipe and Andres’ sister. She runs the Luna Cartel and is the new head of the Blood Rose Cartel.”
Galen’s scarred face twists in rage as he lungs toward me, but Valerian stops him from advancing with a strong hand at his chest.
“I understand your anger, comrade. But I assure you, we will make amends once this is over.”
The green in Galen’s eyes darkens as he glares at me, lips curled into a sneer. He points a finger at me. “You and I will have a talk after this, Sofia Rose.”
His veiled threat sends a shiver down my spine, but I’m confident Valerian and I can iron things out with him in the future. Once he sees our plan—to return Chicago to what it once was—he won’t be able to resist. But in order to achieve that, we need to deal with my brothers and Kat. And it’s out there now—my challenge to them, done in front of the other families.
This is the kind of insult Felipe can’t let go unanswered, but a smile spreads across his face and he issues a low chuckle. “Mija, it is so hard to be angry with you when I’m so full of pride.”
Andres approaches, his face impassive despite the fact that I’m in the middle of tearing them down. “We’ve discussed the situation, and Felipe, Kat, and I have decided it is best for us to leave Chicago.”
A rumbling of excited chatter from the room fills my ears as I process his words. “You’ll go?”
Felipe nods. “Chicago has become…”—his eyes flicker across everyone— “crowded. We feel there are other places more suitable for us to expand our business. Valentina, Galen, and Valerian’s groups have a long history here and will remain respected. We’ll leave the Chicago branch of the Blood Rose Cartel to Sofia and allow her to do with it what she will.”
It isn’t what I asked for—what I demanded, really. They aren’t backing down on the control of the business, just offering to share it with me, but it still feels like a win. When it came down to it, I’m not confident I could have ordered my men to take them out, let alone pulled the trigger myself.
Despite everything they’ve done, there were good times, good feelings. They did what they thought was best for me—even if it was wrong.
Konstandin nods. “I’m happy to see you reached an amicable agreement on this. Blood spilled between blood is the greatest of sins.”
He would know.
Kat’s heels click as she approaches us, her eyes narrowed on me in accusation. “But before we go and leave Chicago to you, I need to know something.”
This can’t be good.
I prepare myself for whatever she might want—or a shot from the gun she undoubtedly has concealed in her purse. “What?”
“Were you the one who took down my plane and almost killed me and Andres?”
I can’t stop the grin spreading across my face as I shake my head. “I wish I could take credit for that. Truth be told, I considered it, but I didn’t have enough time to prepare and get things lined up. It wasn’t me.”
Kat turns to Cutter. “You?”
He smirks and shakes his head. “I wish, but no.”
Her accusatory gaze hits Valerian and Galen. “You two?”
They both shake their heads, and she finally settles on Agron, dark brows raised.
“Was it you, then?”
Agron pulls out of Rea’s arms and swipes at her tears, her golden eyes darting to Genti where Kat just stood beside him.
¡Dios mío!
If Genti has been working with Agron, it would certainly explain how she’s been able to keep her crew on the five families so easily, finding them at each
Kat catches the look between them, and her jaw hardens as she approaches her most loyal man, the one who has always been at her side since she took over from Syla. “Were you helping her this whole time?”
Genti’s hands fist at his sides, his lips curling into a snarl. “I was loyal to Michael, and you killed him like he was a cockroach under your shoe. Then, I devoted myself to you, only to have you throw yourself into his arms.” He points at Andres in disgust. “I helped her because I could never have what I wanted—you! And if I couldn’t have you, at least I could have your territory in Chicago once you were six feet under with Rose.”
He's so busy raging at his boss that he doesn’t even notice her reach into her purse and pull out her gun.
Everyone remains silent, watching to see what she will do with the man who has stood by her side since the day she sought her revenge against Michael Syla for her husband’s death.
Just as Valerian and I have made it clear where we stand, so has Valentina. Galen is a wild card, but one I hope Valerian can manage. The only thing left standing in the way of me taking what I deserve and ruling it with Valerian at my side is for Kat to make her final statement.
This will be her final act as the head of the Albanian fis here in Chicago before she hightails it out of town with her son and my brothers. Knowing Kat, it will be one that leaves an impression.
She raises it with a steady hand and points it at his face. “I trusted you, Genti—with my business, my life, with my son’s life. You’ve committed the ultimate betrayal. These people…everything I’ve done to them and them to me was just business. None of it was personal. But what you’ve done, it is unthinkable. The ultimate knife in the back. The greatest of sins. And you know what they say…sin kills.”
Bang.
I hope you enjoyed the Deadliest Sin Series. Keep reading for a note from Gwyn about the series, and enjoy the Inland Seas Series which features some familiar characters and overlaps the Deadliest Sin Series.
The series is complete and available now, starting with Squall Line!
SQUALL LINE: books2read.com/SquallLine
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Hello, Readers!
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the Deadliest Sin Series over the last few years. The five families are near and dear to my heart. Finally saying goodbye to them is hard, but I am comforted by knowing things will go on in Chicago, with Valentina and Cutter, Sofia and Valerian, and Galen at the heads of their families while Kat, Rose, and Felipe start a new adventure in another city that will soon be in their tight grasps.
These characters live so deeply in my brain that I have several other series that overlap this one where familiar faces appear - The Inland Seas Series and The Scarred Heroes Series. They are both complete and available now!
Start the Inland Seas Series here with Squall Line —> books2read.com/SquallLine
Start the Scarred Heroes Series here with Dead Reckoning —> books2read.com/DeadReckoningGM
And watch for more appearances from the Deadliest Sin families in future books! Thank you for reading!
Gwyn
ABOUT GWYN MCNAMEE
Gwyn McNamee is an attorney, writer, wife, and mother (to one human baby and two fur babies). Originally from the Midwest, Gwyn relocated to her husband’s home town of Las Vegas in 2015 and is enjoying her respite from the cold and snow. Gwyn has been writing down her crazy stories and ideas for years and finally decided to share them with the world. She loves to write stories with a bit of suspense and action mingled with romance and heat.
When she isn’t either writing or voraciously devouring any books she can get her hands on, Gwyn is busy adding to her tattoo collection, golfing, and stirring up trouble with her perfect mix of sweetness and sarcasm (usually while wearing heels). Gwyn loves to hear from her readers. Here is where you can find her:
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Gwyn McNamee, The Deadliest Sin Series Complete Collection
