One Reason to Kill (Escaping the Mafia Book 1)

by Evelyn Kiss

  It’s like sex, arrogance, and danger—all bottled up and intoxicating me. I wade through the pheromone overload and impetuously lift my head to stare at the somewhat hostile man towering over me, and challenge him to either tell me off or turn me on.

  His eyes lower to my lips just as the elevator pings and opens its doors. “I guess we are even then.”

  I let the guys get in first. Santiago is in the middle, slightly ahead of the other two who flank him on either side. I’m not stupid enough to join them, so when Santiago raises his brows at me, silently asking if I’m getting in, I reply, “I’ll wait for the next one. I’ve had my fair share of close encounters with alpha-holes.”

  The door closes, and I take a deep breath. Guys like Santiago “Chains” Payne are exactly the type of guys I should steer clear of. He’s damaged, and there’s a part of me who wants to fix him, while the other part wants to tell him exactly where he can shove his arrogance.

  4

  Chained

  Santiago

  I could kill these two fuckers for being dicks to her. They knew nothing about her, and they just took it upon themselves to be assholes.

  “So, she was hot,” Gunner breaks the silence. “Hotter than all the other one-nighters.”

  “Yeah, Chains. I mean, your tastes have been seriously lacking these last few months. I am glad you finally landed some prime pussy.” Maddox always has to go there. Before she died, my mom taught me not to disrespect women by referring to them by their sexual parts. Hannah used to give them all shit for it. Now that she’s gone, I guess no one gives a damn anymore… including me.

  “Why are you two keeping tabs on who I fuck?”

  Maddox smiles slyly. “It’s our business to know what you do, who you do it with, and where you are. You’re still a member. Remember that?”

  “How can I forget?” I exhale loudly.

  Chains. I was nothing more than a North Dragon on a leash. I should have suspected that when they moved into the building, they weren’t doing it because they wanted a taste of the upscale life.

  Never travel alone. That was another rule of the inner circle. The Council used our friendship as a way to keep tabs on me. Maddox and Gunner probably volunteered because they were the only two who gave a damn about me. Most of the others only accepted me because they feared Hannah’s wrath.

  Without Hannah, I don’t fit in. I’m not rich, and I didn’t pledge the society like most everyone. I was the exception, the novice who got in and passed because Hannah helped me cheat. The final round ended up with me confessing. Some members believe I have no place in the circle. An opinion I agree with.

  Which is also why I’m glued to the Den. I didn’t get privilege information like some inner circle members, and I’d never climb the staircase of the inner circle to rise in rank. My only responsibility was running the Den.

  I served alcohol to the rich drunks, drug cocktails to junkies, and dealt with stock, including the back room that served as a back-up armory and relic depository. Below all the boxes of whiskey bottles and high-end drinks were the bullets, and the back of the refrigerator was a makeshift door that leads to a room with weapons. That was my job: a metal librarian and a glorified bar manager. Well, that’s not true. I was the well-trained, lethally vicious guard dog.

  The elevator doors open, and we spill out into the lobby. The doorman always gets nervous when he sees me. I can only imagine what he’s thinking with all three of us together. I nod to him when he opens the door to the indoor resident parking garage and head for my bike. Maddox and Gunner follow me. At first, I thought they parked next to me, then I realize their bikes aren’t in the garage, at least not in this section.

  This is not a good sign. I check the perimeter and spot why I had the two of them tailing me. They’ve come for me.

  “Santiago?” My mouth drops when I see Teagan standing near her car. Daxton is inside on the phone, while Aysen is smoking a distance away.

  Of course, they send her to lure me back in. I’ve always had a soft spot for the baby Blackwell. Aside from Aysen and Daxton, she never mattered to anyone, especially not her family. The day Hannah died, that all changed. She became the Blackwell legacy, and in front of me were the children of three Council members.

  And I only tolerated one of them: Teagan.

  I haven’t heard from her since the funeral when she convinced the Council to give me a reprieve. It’s only fitting she’s the one to revoke it. I have nothing against her, but fuck if the situation doesn’t split my bones.

  “What do you want, sweetheart?” I can’t help the snark and the bite in the nickname. It’s who I am without Hannah. An ass. Even to the people I care about.

  Aysen drops his cigarette and gives me a poignant glare, warning me to watch my tongue.

  Things have changed.

  I correct myself, “I’m sorry. I have to meet my brother in twenty minutes, and I am already late. Maddox and Gunner…” I trail off when I realize they were buying time.

  She nods, confirming my suspicion. “I wanted to catch you before your meeting.”

  “Are you calling me back into play?” I ask, as Daxton exits the car and Aysen rounds the front. They wait on her to break the news.

  “Daxton and Aysen have joined me at Vonwest.”

  “What? How is that possible?” They were older than college-age.

  Maddox and Gunner, who are still flanking me laugh. “Anything is possible for the society,” one of them mumbles. “Connections.”

  “Why are you at Vonwest?”

  Aysen answers this time, “The North Dragons are looking for novices and expanding into Vonwest territory.”

  “What do you mean expanding?”

  “There’s a player at Vonwest that’s got the interest of the Council.”

  “Just one?” I ask Teagan. “Setting up base at your school so you can recruit one person? What’s his value?”

  “That’s privileged,” Aysen quips back. “We need someone who could help us eliminate the current dealer, so we can set up base and start recruiting.”

  Teagan interjects, “We don’t need you to eliminate anyone.” She sends a scathing look at Aysen, who rolls his eyes and looks off to the side. “We could use your help though.”

  I smile because only Teagan could make that boy shut his trap. “College drugs?” I’m pretty sure Teagan chose Vonwest because it was fraternity-free and society-free. Now she wants to start a chapter there? “What are you doing, Teagan? And since when do we sell drugs to kids on campus?”

  “Vonwest has a lot of potential—a lot of influential candidates.”

  She doesn’t elaborate any further, so my head whirls around to Daxton, the often more level-headed one of the legacies. “Anything to add?”

  “We need to show the Council we are capable of recruiting to move up. That’s how Hannah started.”

  “With me,” I add the tidbit since it seems to linger in the air.

  “And drugs help draw the more privileged. You need money to buy the hard stuff.”

  I laugh, swiping my hand across the stubble forming on my chin. “Is this a joke, Tee? How much farther do you three need to move up? You’re legacy and part of the next Council.”

  “It’s not about moving up, exactly.”

  “Up is the only direction,” I recite one of the rules.

  “Not when you’re trying to change things.”

  I’m pretty sure change isn’t sanctioned. They’ve been ruled by the same decree since the 1900s. “So, the Council knows your setting up a drug ring at Vonwest?”

  “Yes, but they don’t know everything.”

  “Fuck me, Teagan.” I don’t trust the Council, not one fucking bit. Not even when it comes to their own kids. They had used Hannah, and Hannah used every one. “And Gunner and Maddox? How much do they know?”

  “They’re in with us and a few others.”

  “In? So now you’re in when all you’ve ever wanted is out?”

  She
smiles half-heartedly. “We’re never out, are we?”

  Teagan didn’t want this, but she’s taken charge of something and has a plan. Maybe if I play by her changed rules, I can appeal to her later and get her to let me go. “What do you need me to do?”

  Daxton steps forward and says something in Maddox’s ear. My assigned stalkers are excused, and he waits until they are at a safe distance before explaining. “We need you to help us.”

  “Help with what exactly?”

  “Our fathers think we aren’t anywhere near ready to be let in on all the secrets.”

  “The blackmail files,” Teagan clarifies.

  “Do they have a choice?” Neither of the three has any living siblings. “The only other alternative is outside the family, and I don’t see your fathers being okay with that.” My head tilts toward Teagan, my once almost-sister-in-law.

  Daxton shoots me a narrow-eyed glance, as if questioning it will make her change her mind.

  She blushes as she glances at the two guys, hinting at something more going on, which she doesn’t elaborate on.

  “Dealing?” I give up and nod my approval. I did it all the time at the Den to rich assholes. Vonwest students aren’t much different. “Doing it on a college campus is risky. We can draw too much attention if we go in big.”

  “That’s exactly why we choose you, Chains,” Teagan says softly, almost as if she’s regretting asking me to do this.

  “She’s right. Gunner is too old for it and will stand out. And Maddox is out of the question. We need someone who can blend into the crowd. You’re the only one, other than the three of us, who can pass as a Vonwest student.”

  “Wait a minute! Are you talking enrollment?”

  “No,” Daxton clarifies. “You’re pretty well-known around these parts. I think most people will be more than willing to let you into their parties.”

  “He means the girls,” Teagan adds with an eye roll.

  I get the feeling she isn’t completely comfortable with this situation. Vonwest is her sanctuary. Having her two worlds collide is hectic.

  “So, can we count on you?” Daxton poses the question, yet I have a choice in the answer.

  “I’m in.” I exhale through my nose. “I can’t believe I’m going to ask this, but I need a favor.”

  Teagan immediately becomes alarmed. “What kind of favor?”

  “We have a meeting with Pheonix Records today. I need you to postpone it.”

  Teagan scrunches her nose, causing a furrow between her brows. “Why would you want us to stall? From what I understand, this is something you were working for. My father was banking on it, actually. The more fame you get, the better it is for them.”

  “I don’t want my brother involved in this. He’s just a kid.” Like her. “Buy me a few weeks, or…”

  Her eyes shoot up to mine, silencing me. The moment my thought leaves my lips, it will be real and I can’t take it back. It will be betrayal, but I’d save my brother and his band from the society. “Have it just be me.”

  There’s a silent exchange between the three of them that causes me to still my tongue. I know better than to meddle, but anyone who knows these three knows something about their dynamic has changed. Aysen has been quiet most of the time, fiddling with his phone and not interrupting. Daxton only stepped up when Teagan gave him the opportunity to.

  But the biggest difference is in Teagan.

  If I had to pin it down, I’d say she’s embracing the power that comes with being a legacy, and she has realized just how much influence she has.

  “We’ll take care of it,” she says. “Can you meet us at Vonwest tonight? We have a lot of planning to go over.”

  “Aysen,” Daxton calls out. “Text Chains the address to the dorm and have your dad secure an all-access card for him, so he can come to the suite whenever he needs?”

  Aysen nods and heads into the car to make the call. Daxton walks over to the driver’s side, leaving me and my would-be sister-in-law alone.

  She tucks the long strands of her pin-straight brown hair behind her ears as she approaches me. Her eyes dart to mine, studying me before she says, “I wish I could have given you more time, Santi.”

  “I don’t know how much time would be enough.”

  “I don’t mean more time to mourn Hannah, because trust me, one day you will realize she wasn’t who you thought she was.”

  My jaw ticks. The need to protect Hannah’s memory pulses through my veins, but I have to stifle it. Teagan would be in charge soon, and I needed her approval to get the fuck away from all this shit. “Then what did you mean?”

  She glances back toward Dax and Ace, neither of them paying us any attention. “We’re getting out of this damn society.”

  “Careful, Tee.” I don’t want to see another person I care for end up dead. Her mother and sister are both dead. One was already buried, the other? It was just a matter of time before they found her. “Be smart.”

  “There’s so much shit going on right now, Santi. Being smart is the only way I am going to get through this.”

  As she looks over her shoulder, I fight the urge to ask her for more information. I get the distinct feeling something is on her mind, and she doesn’t want them to pick up on it. “I know it’s none of my business, Tee, but is everything okay between you three?”

  A heavy sigh escapes her lips. “Things have gotten a lot more complicated since the last time we spoke.”

  “That’s vague.”

  “Vague is all I can give you on that.” She closes the distance and leans in inconspicuously. “But I can tell you something else… My cousin called me.”

  “Cousin?” I shake my head and lower my voice before we draw attention. “Since when do you have a cousin?” That I knew of, there was no family aside from the two girls.

  “I didn’t know either, but she reached out to me.”

  “When?”

  “Often… At first, it was just to talk about her mom, to see if I could give her more information on her, but without my mom, there wasn’t much I could do. I didn’t even know Mom had a sister.”

  “Neither did I. So, you’ve been talking?”

  Teagan bounces her head. “She asked me for help with some things, and I want to say yes.”

  “What does she need help with?”

  “Escaping the Mafia.”

  I nearly choke on my own saliva. “Are you serious?”

  “She’s getting married next Sunday, and she’s being forced into it. The guy she wants to be with lives here on the East Coast. They’re eloping somewhere or something. I didn’t ask for details.”

  “She’s dragging you into her runaway bride experiment? You’re going to unleash so much shit on the society, your father will never let you hear the end of it.”

  “That’s why he doesn’t know yet.”

  My eyebrows pop as I take in the parking lot. Five of us and Teagan. She’s asking me to do a sneak job behind the secret society’s back. Yeah, this will work out real well. I choke down my sarcastic comment and get the details on this suicide mission—because one way or the other, this will be the reason we all end up dead one day. “What does she want from you?”

  “To intercept her father’s drug deal.”

  “That’s it?” I shake my head as the gravity of the situation weighs down on me. “This is bad idea.”

  “Is it?” She scoffs. “We get a payout of one million and another five million worth of drugs.”

  “You don’t need the money, Teagan.” Where was all this coming from? I glance back at Dax and Ace and wonder what the hell these three are up to. “The society is above this; they don’t sell on the streets.” Unless it’s to secure territory or people, like they are doing at Vonwest. “What are you going to do with the drugs?”

  “Sell them on campus. Turn six million into twenty-five million. Money I don’t have to tell my dad about or the Council.”

  “And do what with that money?”

  “Find my mo
ther.” She glances back, lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper. “But Dax and Ace don’t know that. They think this is solely to help us set up our connection with the guy the North Dragon’s want. Once the three of us take the seat, we are going to dissolve the society and create our own legit one.”

  “And the other two seats?”

  “Majority rules.”

  Maziato and Ambers would never let that happen.

  “Roaslie’s probably dead, and this is going to send you down the same path. It’s not just the Council, Teagan. There are way too many people who bank on the society. Literally. Billions of dollars circulate through it. Do you think your father won’t find out about what you’re doing? He’s been searching for Rosalie for a long time.”

  “But he hasn’t found her, and I saw my mother.”

  My mouth drops open for a split second before I plaster on a stoic expression. “Where?”

  She hesitates. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to be sure.” I know she’s lying. Keeping this secret was not going to protect her mother, but it was going to put Tee in danger.

  “You don’t have to tell me.” We have always been friends, but I was still a member of the Inner Circle. My obligation was to report the sighting, but I wouldn’t be able to do that without getting Tee into trouble. Teagan’s mom abandoned the society, taking some very important secrets with her, and there is no escaping.

  There’s no way out. Except for her, somehow.

  She’s been in hiding for years. Even though the Council had eyes everywhere, no one has ever spotted her.

  Teagan takes a moment to drudge through the consequences of telling me. To my surprise, she chooses to trust me. “I was at a friend’s house. Dax and Ace came to pick me up, and they noticed someone watching us. When I looked back, a car was coming, and the headlights shined on her. I swear it was her, Santi.” Her shoulders tighten, and I can see a sheen in her eyes.

  I peek over her head and check on Dax and Ace, giving her a moment to regroup. The guys were adamantly talking about something, not paying us any attention.