Pretty Vengeful Queen (Ruthless Hearts Book 3) by Callie Rose

Author:Callie Rose [Rose, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

24

MADDOC

“Shit, Madd,” Dante says under his breath, rolling his shoulders back as he adopts a lazy-looking smile and chin nods at the representatives of the 17th Street Gang as they head toward us. “Not often we have so many outsiders this deep.”

I grunt softly in reply, knowing the comment is just his way of relieving some nerves. Neither Logan nor Dante likes my decision to invite so many other gang leaders this deeply into our territory, but they do understand it.

Our perimeter is at risk. Just like we predicted, McKenna’s been picking away at it every fucking day. We’ve done what we can to protect our people and our resources as we continue to give up ground, but now we need allies. We need a goddamn alliance to stand against him, and the only way to convince other gangs that we need it, and more importantly, that we’ll honor it, is with a face-to-face meeting.

And as much as it pisses me off to admit, the only place I truly feel confident we can get that done without risking an attack from West Point that would disrupt these talks before they even get started is right here, in the heart of Reaper territory.

I nod at the familiar faces of the other gang leaders as they array themselves around us. Besides the 17th Street Gang, which we’ve always had a solid relationship with, we’ve invited the Cobalt Crew, who we definitely haven’t, and a few other low-level players; organizations whose borders either touch ours or touch West Point’s.

Gattrock, from the south side of the city. The Kraits, whose tiny-ass territory is crammed between the warehouse district and the neutral zone downtown that The Six enforce. The Stonebrew gang, led by an upstart who’s too fucking bloodthirsty, in my opinion, but knows how to get shit done.

It’s no surprise that he’s the one who speaks up first. “What’s this about, Maddoc?”

The cocky smirk he usually wears nowhere in sight as he shifts his weight uneasily, obviously no happier to be in the heart of our territory than we are to have him here.

Before I answer, I scan each group carefully, giving my gut one last chance to pick up on any potential treachery. On any reason not to share the information we have with them.

I don’t find it.

Everyone we’ve brought together is clearly wary of each other and wondering why I brought them together, but none of them are outright enemies. Other than the 17th Street Gang, I wouldn’t say any of them are actually allies, either—not with us, and not with each other—but I do know they’ve all made deals with each other before.

It’s a start.

“You’re all here because we have a common enemy,” I finally say. “West Point.”

That gets me a variety of reactions, from skeptical muttering to verging on disrespectful.

Victor Ruiz, the leader of the 17th Street Gang, is the only one who has the balls to respond directly.

“It's no secret that we're not on good terms with McKenna,” he says carefully.

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