Chapter 9
Kevin expected me to take his house.
His cars.
His membership clubs.
He was almost disappointed when I did not.
“You’re not freezing everything?”
“I already froze what belongs to Morgan.”
He frowned.
“Same thing.”
“No.”
That distinction mattered.
Anything he bought legitimately with his personal money stayed his.
Everything paid through the black card returned to family control.
The lake property.
Luxury equipment.
Three vehicles.
Madison’s tennis machines.
The private suite at the club.
Kevin laughed.
“You’re taking things from my daughter.”
“No.”
I looked toward Madison.
“I’m removing things you bought using stolen money.”
Madison looked uncomfortable.
Good.
She needed truth without humiliation.
Her regular tennis lessons stayed.
Her school stayed.
Her clothes stayed.
Her life did not become punishment for Kevin’s choices.
I would not repeat what he had done to Noah.
Kevin noticed.
“You’re soft.”
There was the word.
Again.
I almost smiled.
“No.”
I walked closer.
“I’m precise.”
Taking from Madison to hurt Kevin would be easy.
Cruel.
Dramatic.
Also lazy.
Kevin lost every Morgan position.
No crew.
No spending authority.
No vote in internal decisions.
No access to family accounts.
His personal wealth remained enough to live comfortably.
That irritated him more.
He wanted to become a victim.
I refused to give him the costume.
“What about Rourke?”
“Gone.”
“Mercer?”
“Gone.”
“Vale?”
“Gone.”
His shadow council collapsed because I removed the money and told their crews exactly where it came from.
Most had believed Kevin was using his own branch funds.
When they learned he had siphoned from the central family accounts without authority, loyalty evaporated quickly.
Mafia men forgive violence faster than they forgive being funded by a man who lied about where the money came from.
Kevin looked at me.
“You planned this fast.”
“No.”
I glanced toward Noah playing inside with his replacement cake.
“You made it easy when you spent seven million dollars building men who disappeared the second the card stopped working.”
May you like
That was not power.
It was subscription service.
