Read The Deliverance of Dilan (The Syndicate #4) Online

Authors: Kathy Coopmans

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The Deliverance of Dilan (The Syndicate #4) (6 page)

BOOK: The Deliverance of Dilan (The Syndicate #4)
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John tosses her into the back, or more like throws her like the trash she is. Once the taillights are out of view, reality hits. I have to tell my friends and family what the hell is going on. They deserve an explanation, and I deserve the shit they will give me for keeping all of this from them.

“Motherfucker. This is some fucked-up shit.” Aidan places his hands around the back of his neck and paces the hallway just inside the door from where we came in. I see he still likes to swear up a storm. He could create his own dictionary. I’m not kidding.

“I didn’t want any of you involved in this. I had every intention of taking them down without you all. It’s fucked up.” I lean my head against the wall, waiting to be scolded like an adolescent child.

“We’re a family, man. You know better than that,” Cain says. Their disappointment in me does not go unnoticed when they both plant themselves in front of me, weighing me down with a disappointed stare.

“I know. But fuck, don’t you think you all have been through enough? And now this. And hell, you all have families. Kids, wives, and fiancées.” I nod my head at Aidan, letting him know I know he’s engaged.

“We chose this life. So did Calla and Deidre. However, this gets done with our help. And this gets done after Roan and Alina leave for their honeymoon. She doesn’t need to know about this. Not until they return.” Fine by me. I couldn’t agree with Cain more. Now the problem is, what the hell do I tell Roan when I show my face back in there? I lie. That’s what the fuck I do.

I loom in the hallway long after they’re gone, my ass planted on the floor. Hell, John more than likely has returned by now. Fuck if I know how long I’ve been sitting out here with my head shoved up my own ass, contemplating my next move. I’m scared to go in there. It has nothing to do with the scene played out a while ago. It has everything to do with her. Her response to seeing me again, her questions. All of it. And Roan. How in the hell do I explain this to him? He knows by now, I’m sure of it. He needs to hear from me. The first thing I need to do is apologize to both him and Alina. It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.

I half chuckle, knowing Anna must have had her eyes on her. Was she jealous? Or bitterly angry? There’s only one way to find out. I need to seek them all out. Starting with my cousin.

By that time I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not going to matter what I want to do. Once Salvatore lets Ivan Solokov in on the information I know about Alexei, they will decide how and when this plays out. What our next moves will be. How long we will keep Jazmin locked up. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Ivan has her killed right away. My plan was to send her brother one of her deathly hands, in a gift box. The same damn way they sent Alexei to Calla. To let the fucker know I know he played a part in his death. Ivan will want her dead. Her body thrown at the gates of the mansion of Juan’s home. Hell, he may even know by now. These two powerful men may be at their children’s wedding , but that does not mean their jobs go on hold. Not in the underworld. There are always secret rituals, complex procedures on the way things are done. This is one of the reasons I came to my uncle in the first place. He would have my ass if he knew I was out to bring another family down without telling him. I know damn well I would never be able to achieve this on my own. But fuck me if my loyalty in this tangled web is not to the men I care about the most. The need to protect them from this. Hell, maybe I need protection from myself.

They’re involved now. Not a damn thing I can do about it. What I need to do is get my ass in there and face my cousin. I’m leaving out the part about Alexei’s death . He’s one of those need-to-know basis. He’ll leave it be, until he returns. If he decides to go, that is.

Heaving my body off of the floor, I take the few steps down the hall toward the reception. The music gets louder with each step I take. Images of Anna hit me, dancing, swaying her sexy as hell little body to the beat of the music. Her lush ass is taunting me as it rules my damn mind as well as my cock. Fuck, I need to talk to her too. If she’ll talk to me, that is. I’ll make her, damn it. She will listen. Jazmin is no threat to her. It’s her brother and his throne of treacherous men who will come after anyone involved once this war begins. A family is about to be brought down. I’ll take my last lungful of air protecting her, keeping her away from this shit. She may not like it, but it looks like Anna Drexler will be stuck with me again.

“I should beat your ass for bringing that bitch here.” Roan takes a seat next to me at the corner end of the bar. “I’d like to see you try,” I tell him jokingly. I take a long sip of my beer, never taking my gaze away from him.

“I wanted to, until Dad told me the reason behind why you did it. We all knew Royal set you up. Hell, you and I talked about it more times than I can count. I never expected the Carlos family had shit to do with it. That fucker was more disloyal than I thought.” I look for signs of betrayal on Roan’s behavior, with Royal being his brother. I find none.

“Yeah, he was.” I put emphasis on the word was. I know my uncle well enough that he hasn’t mentioned anything about the other issue at hand. I leave it be. This is his wedding night. I’ve fucked it up already. No way am I throwing a match and watch the entire night go up in flames.

“I’m sorry, man. The last thing I wanted was to ruin this night for you. Congrats by the way,” I tell him sincerely.

“You didn’t ruin shit. Alina’s fine. Everyone’s good.” He takes a sip of his expensive shit. How in the hell my friends can drink that crap is beyond me. Give me a damn beer over that nasty ass whiskey any goddamn day.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’ll apologize to her.” My gaze leaves him. I haven’t seen Anna since I’ve been back in here. I’ve spoken to John, who was back in no time. My uncle caught me the minute he saw me. He’s already set up a meeting for the day after tomorrow. Just like I knew he would, he’ll have a plan in motion by the time we all arrive.

“I’ll be gone ten days. Once I’m back, I’m with you on this, Dilan. We will bring them down.”

Guilt suffocates me more, while pride hits me. I’m a damn lucky man to have these men by my side. This shit will get ugly. More blood will be shed than anyone of us have seen before. I keep that shit tucked away too. Roan is a smart man. Hell, they all are. He knows this without me having to define it.

“I better not hear from you for ten days, fucker. You enjoy yourself.” He scoffs then turns around and finds his wife.

“Have you taken a look at my wife? There isn’t a damn thing that will make me want to call your ass.” I throw my head back and laugh. “I sure the hell hope not.”

“You and I will talk when I get back. Keep your shit about you until I return.” I pull him in for a hug, this hug taking on things that have no business being said here. He knows things will get out of hand while he’s gone. Especially when Jazmin doesn’t show up anywhere. They’ll never find her. The tracking device I’m sure she has on her phone is in my pocket. I’ll destroy the fucker the minute I step out of this room.

Everyone else will be on high alert. Laying low. It won’t take those fuckers long to pin her back to me. “Go get your wife.” I lift my chin in her direction. “I intend to. Take it easy, man. It’s good to have you back.” I watch him until he snakes his arm around Alina, who’s dancing with a few of her sister-in-laws. Lucky bastard.

I study the entire room. The reception is still packed. People are dancing, drinking, and socializing. Anna is nowhere to be found. Fuck.

“She went to her room.” Deidre strolls up alongside of me, rubbing her pregnant stomach. She’s cute. I couldn’t be happier for her.

“That obvious, huh?” I tip back the last of my beer.

“You hurt her, Dilan. I’ll cut your dick off if you do it again. She’s in room 821.” That’s all she says to me. Fucking hell, I love my family. Protective. Loyal to the god damn hub of our existence. We all have different blood flowing through our veins, were raised differently. Some were brought up with scruples, such as Calla, while others pretty much raised themselves. Like Cain and Aidan. Roan and Alina know this life better than most of us. They’ve lived it, breathed it. Alina wanted out of it. And here every single one of us stands, preparing for the biggest battle of our lives. But nothing will prepare any of us for what’s in store. I’m not stupid. I know an empire is about to crash. It’s going to be tough. There isn’t any room for failure.

As I take in the likes of my family and friends around me tonight, one thing is for damn sure: these women are as badass as their men. And I’m about to go get my own woman.

I say goodnight to my parents. They look at me with emotions galore. Love, respect, and support. I nod in the direction of Aidan and Cain then walk out of the room, shutting my phone off as well as the bitch’s, who won’t have fingers to even dial the motherfucker by the time we’re through with her.

It takes me one minute to stomp the phone into pieces. I yank out the device before I pick up what’s left of it and shove the shiny, cracked pieces into the garbage. For tonight, they can think she’s here. Tomorrow, this fucker will be buried at the muddy bottom of the Hudson River.

Right now, though, I’m heading to the room of the woman I need to protect. We may all be caught up in this shit, but Anna has no idea the good and the bad that will come out of what she did tonight. She not only saved me, she made it possible for me to be with her. Whether she likes it or not, Anna now has a bodyguard.

CHAPTER FIVE

ANNA

 

 

“You’ve hardly touched your food, sweetheart,” mom whispers in my ear. “I know.” I’ve been pushing it around my plate, taking small bites here and there, hoping no one will notice. After that entire scene happened, I lost my appetite along with wanting to be here. I’m bitter, hurt, and angry. Dilan never said a word to me, acted as if he didn’t know me at all. A part of me wants to believe he did it to protect me from her. But why? And now he’s gone. Cain and Aidan came back in shortly after, but no Dilan and no John.

An instinct in my stomach I cannot ignore, weighs heavily on me. Something I cannot explain. Dilan is in trouble, or he’s about to be. I’m angry, because I want to help him when I shouldn’t care at all. I’m bitter, because no one will tell me what the hell is going on. I’m stuck in my own head. It’s inhabited by him, and I’m tired of it. I’ve been hesitating at the approaching yellow light for too long, deciding if I should stop or go. Every time I make the decision to go, I’m hit by a big truck. It’s maddening. How many times do I have to remind myself he doesn’t want me?

“I’m going to my room for a bit. Give me a little time,” I tell my mom as I toss my napkin on the table, excusing myself. “Anna,” she calls out, gently placing her hand over the top of mine when I stand. “Please come back. Don’t let this ruin your night.” Her expression showcases how worried she is. “Just a little time, mom. Don’t worry.” I grab my clutch and head for the door. I sigh the minute I escape. Guilt washes over me for leaving. I have no intentions of returning. All I want to do is lie in bed and cry myself to sleep. It’s weak of me to do so. Especially when that’s all I did for months after he left.

My feet carry me to the elevator, my heart dropping the minute the doors shut and I’m finally alone. Pressing the button for the eighth floor, I sag against the wall. The need to strip out of this dress burns away at me. I hate this. All of this was for him. And he didn’t even notice. Bastard.

I step off of the elevator. No need to hold my head up any longer. I feel defeated. Angry. Bitter. And so damn mad at myself. By the time I make it down the hall to my room, retrieve my key card out of my clutch and slide it in, the tears hit full force. I open the door, closing it behind me, and I cry as I sink my ass down on the cold tile floor. This makes me even angrier. I cry for what was never mine in the first place. I cry for leaving my friend’s wedding reception. God, I hate this. Stupid woman that I am.

I stare at the bed that seems to be calling my name. Leaning forward, I undo the straps of my heels, flinging the damn things across the room. Who cares where they land? Those were a waste too. If I weren’t so exhausted, I could go on a laughing fit for even thinking he would notice me. He’s an asshole, that’s what he is.

I stand and pad to the chair in the corner, snatch my phone out of my clutch, then toss it onto the chair. I know my mom will text me. Hurriedly, I drag the dress off of my body, dropping it into the chair too. I leave my bra on and take the few steps to my suitcase. I unzip it and grab my white sleep shorts. It takes a few seconds to slip them on. Then I move to the bed, not even bothering to turn off the lights, pull the covers back, climb in, and curl up into a ball. Anger sets in, more deviant now. I hate crying. Especially over him.

I startle, flying straight up, when there’s a knock at the door. I know it’s my mom or one of the girls checking in. There’s no doubt in my mind that whoever it is, is going to try and drag me back out. All I want is to be left alone.

I don’t want to answer it. If I don’t though, whoever it is will be calling me. I flip the covers off, mumbling for everyone to leave me be as I make my way to the door.

“I told you I needed some time,” I say with annoyance. I unlock the door then swing it open. My eyes go wide when I see who it is. “Dilan,” I manage to crook out, giving him an icy stare. His eyes leave my face, and I watch them dilate, turning from brown to black as he starts at my neck, then slowly travels the length of my body. Oh shit. I’m half naked. I quickly gather control of my mind that could easily become inebriated on him. I drop my hand from the doorknob, ready to slam it in his face, when he gently grips my arm. He pushes his way inside while coaxing my body backwards. The door shuts automatically behind him before I can tell him to get out. He swings me around, trapping me between him and the door.

My chest heaves up and down. I swallow nervously when his fingers ever so slightly skim up my arms. I feel the goosebumps forming in every spot he touches, leaving a firing trail of heat that makes them disappear the minute his touch roams higher, my blood forming into a liquid fire. He’s never touched me like this before. Softly. Delicately. I love it and hate it at the same time.

BOOK: The Deliverance of Dilan (The Syndicate #4)
3.12Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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