Adrian had always known vengeance wasn’t clean.
It didn’t come in swift bullets or neat justice. It came in pieces....broken oaths, shattered trust, blood on your hands from people who once sat at your table. And now, as he stood over the bruised body of Emilio Vargas, he knew they’d only scratched the surface.
The bastard had limped away with a broken jaw, two cracked ribs, and a promise to deliver their warning to the Council. Adrian didn’t expect him to survive long after that. The Council ate weakness. Emilio had shown them he’d failed. He was already a dead man walking.
Adrian lit a cigarette out of habit, then crushed it out before taking a drag. Old reflex. New discipline.
Valentina stood by the window, her frame outlined by dawnlight. She hadn’t spoken since they’d cleaned up t
