Sinner's Revenge(65)

“Is that how you killed him?” Dorian asks, the sound of his voice wavering slightly. Before Cyrus can speak, the man next to him is shot and falls dead at his feet.

“Yes!” Cyrus yells, his own voice breaking at the sight of his two dead brothers.

Dorian tucks the gun behind his jacket before turning and addressing the whole room. “Do any of you know what happens when a man with as much power as me has a son?” Nobody answers, or even breathes, but you can hear the wheels spinning in everyone’s head. “He doesn’t get to live. My brothers, they all died before they could step in for me because they were murdered. Killed by my enemies and by my own. People don’t like change. They are scared of it. So they do what they feel like they have to, to survive.”

“My children were the light of my life. I prayed every day that my wife would give me a daughter so that my son wouldn’t suffer the same fate as so many others. My prayers were answered, and on the same day my worst fear came true. My wife had twins, a boy and a girl. So I developed a plan. A plan that would change the face of my business. A plan that would allow my daughter to carry on my legacy, because she wouldn’t be seen as a threat and would be allowed to live to an age where she could protect herself. A plan that would give my son life—life provided by a family who took care of their own. A family like yours.” He points to us, and I feel like my heart has been ripped from my chest all over again.

“My plan worked for so many years. But you,” he says, pointing to Cyrus. “You destroyed that. You didn’t take the life of a member of Sinner’s Creed. You didn’t take the life of Dirk Dixon. You took the life of Dirk Demopolous—my son.”

My heart hammers against my chest at his admission. I can’t believe my ears. Holy fucking shit. Dirk was Dorian’s son. Diem was Dorian’s daughter. Dirk was Diem’s brother. And I’d been fucking his sister. If he were alive, he’d kill me.

Dirk’s life was doomed from the beginning. His family couldn’t protect him. And neither could his club.

A wave of emotions seems to crash through the warehouse. Sinner’s Creed—guilt and heartache. Death Mob—fear and regret. Dorian—grief and failure. I look at Diem, and her eyes hold the same emotion I felt in my heart at Dirk’s death—pain. “Please, hear me out,” Cyrus begs, his hands folding before his chest like the coward he is. “We gave them a choice. Dirk’s death isn’t on my hands. It’s on theirs.” I start toward him, but Jimbo grabs one arm and Chaps grabs the other when I reach for my pistol. Dorian turns toward me, his look unreadable.

“He killed twelve of my men,” Cyrus continues. “They did nothing to warrant death, but he killed them in cold blood.”

“You initiated the fight by finding his weakness,” Diem adds. I can hear the grit in her tone, but Dorian’s gaze paralyzes me and I can’t look at her.

“But we gave them a choice.”

Dorian holds his hand up, silencing Cyrus, and speaks to me. “Tell me he’s lying.”

I shove my brother’s hands from my shoulders, and reluctantly they let me go. “The choice was Texas or Dirk’s life. Dirk knew that if Sinner’s Creed lost Texas that the club would fold. As a Sinner’s Creed National he had a say in the decision. He knew the woman he loved was dying and he couldn’t live in a world where she didn’t exist or the club didn’t exist. So he sacrificed himself.” I pause, fighting to control my anger and emotions. I didn’t like speaking about Dirk’s death like it was nothing more than a means to an end. He was a fucking human being. He was my brother. My friend.

“We couldn’t stop him. And we wouldn’t have tried, because he had more pride and honor than any man I’ve ever met. And what he did was the same thing you’ve done. He protected his family, his empire, and did what he had to do to ensure that his legacy lived on.”

Dorian’s eyes narrow, his expression more thoughtful, and I’m sure it’s because I’ve said words about his son that make him proud. The regret in his face shows, and I know that’s because I know more about his own son than he did.

“Why did you take on this battle, knowing that you would lose? That you would die?” His question catches me off guard, but I don’t have to struggle to find an answer. The truth comes as easy as breathing.

“Because he’s my family.” He nods, but I’m not finished yet.

“I’m not like you. I’m not a coward.” Jimbo grows still next to me, as Dorian’s eyes narrow further, making them seem colder and deadlier. Chaps calls my name in warning, but I ignore him. My next words will either kill me or save my life. But the outcome doesn’t matter. I’ve got something to say and I’m fucking saying it.