Nothing but a severed finger.
That's not what had my blood boiling. It was the ring still upon it. The diamond smeared with his life force, yet his crest had been wiped clean. They wanted me to find it. They wanted me to know it was them.
The Vypers.
I let the tears fall for a moment. It was all I could spare. There would be time for grief later. A split second to mourn the loss of a man who had been like a father to me. First, there would be retribution, and I would bring it. I pulled the phone from my pocket and dialed the one person I had to call, Lucian.
“Reggie, what's wrong?” His voice was low. “You never call this late.”
There was one thing to say: “They got him...”
“Reggie...”
I set the phone on the desk, Lucian still on the line, and heard them coming. They had tripped over something in the back room. I pulled out my pistol and ducked into the shadows. I was raised in this house; I could maneuver through it with my eyes closed.
They couldn't.
I hit the master bedroom and made my way to the power box. One flick of a switch and whoever was here was now blind and stumbling. I slipped into the closet and waited as the footsteps grew closer. There was only one on this side of the house.
I counted his steps as he made his way into the room, slowly, using his feet to check for debris in his path. I held my breath and slid the gun into its holster. The man stood right in front of me and didn't see me. I saw him perfectly. Two tours with the military had taught me to be an excellent hunter. When he turned his back to me, I lunged, snapping his neck. Quickly, I hauled him into the closet and closed the door.
There were at least two more.