Ruthless People Read Online Free PDF Page B

my blood pressure dropped
     while my cock rose in hope. I could have sworn I heard the old man snicker.
    “Closest fucking call of your life,” Declan uttered, as we waited for the ugly duckling’s
     reply. The timid girl glanced at us, but did not answer. Instead, she kept her eyes
     glued to the floor. If she didn’t speak up soon, I would twist her ugly little head
     off.
    “It’s fine, Adriana. The man before you is Melody’s fiancé. You may speak freely,”
     Orlando told her while I was losing my goddamn patience.
    Bowing at us first, she rose and gave me her full attention, standing with so much
     pride it almost distracted from her appearance . . . almost.
    “Good morning, sir. The Boss is in a meeting in the basement,” she said, making us
     all freeze. Everyone in our world knew that fucking word.
    “Is this some sort of joke?”
    “Who do you think has been running things while I die, gentlemen?” He snickered, before
     turning away from us. “If you don’t believe me, you are free to go to the basement.
     But be forewarned, you won’t meet a woman who needs to be taught anything. Benvenuti nella famiglia , 4 Callahans.”
    Flaming, I turned back to my father who was still staring at the sick man in the chair.
    “Did you know this?” I glared at him, only to have him glare right back. Most days,
     I knew my place under my father, but the tides were shifting. I was rising, and I
     needed to know if he had held information from me.
    “No, Liam, I was not aware. It seems to have been a well-kept secret, but does explain
     the recent growth of the Giovanni Empire,” he replied, seeming somewhat baffled by
     the thought of it as well.
    “No fucking way a girl has been behind all this,” Neal said like a child.
    “Take us to her then,” I commanded the girl, and she nodded. I would see this Melody
     and find out if she was truly the Boss they had dared to call her.
    “Sedric, may I share words with you for a moment?”
    My father nodded, no longer caring what I chose to do.
    One last time I turned to Orlando, who didn’t even bother looking back as we left.
     It must have been a grim day for him. He would lose a company and a daughter. I didn’t
     pity him, though—he’d be dead soon enough.
    The ugly duckling didn’t speak, or even bother breathing, until we reached the end
     of the hall that was guarded by two of Giovanni’s men. From the corner of my eye,
     I saw both Declan and Neal slowly reach for their guns. In Declan’s left hand, his
     cellphone was ready to call in more guns if this was a trick. But my instincts and
     common sense told me that Orlando really was dying and he wanted to marry off his
     daughter first. What I didn’t know was what to believe about said daughter.
    “Sir.” The men glanced at me before opening the door, only to reveal an elevator with
     Fedel Morris inside. He was the bastard son of Gino Morris, one of the fucking mutts
     who had the balls to break into our safe house and kill fifteen of our men sixteen
     years ago. It was the reason my father pushed for this goddamn contract.
    “This is as far as I can go, sir. It was a pleasure to be of service,” Adriana said
     to us, giving me a short bow again before stepping back.
    “Mr. Callahan,” the mutt said with forced respect, making space for us in the elevator.
    The moment we were all inside, Neal took a step next to him, clearly itching for an
     excuse to pull the trigger. He knew Neal was there but did not say a word or even
     flinch when Declan reloaded loudly.
    All any of us could hear when we stepped out of the elevator was a man gasping for
     air as water splashed around him. We were a level up from where they were waterboarding
     the man. The basement was just one giant gym with a boxing ring in the corner. They
     had cleared everything on the ground floor to make room for their prisoner. As I stepped
     up to the rail, a few eyes fell on me. The men gave me a short nod as if they