“No.”
“Damn you,” Mr. Alexander said coldly. “Do you know what I will do to you?”
“You will do nothing to me.” Antoine drawled, bored. “What you will do is listen. You want vampires dead in Boston, and on that our interests align. I will kill some for you. In return, you’ll stay away. Beyond that, I don’t care what you do, except that if you come near me, Cally, Eve, or anyone important to us, I will find you. If I catch so much of a hint of your presence in Boston, I won’t rest until every vampire knows of your existence. How long do you think your Order will last, when you are no longer a secret?”
The sound of Mr. Alexander nervously clearing his throat came from the phone’s speaker, but when he spoke again, it was with bluster. “You expect me to let you kill one of my senior operatives without consequence? I have anarmyof—”
“You’re not getting the message, are you?” Antoine cut him off. “One more time. If you anger me, I will findyou. I will kill you. I will find and kill every single member of your Order. The only reason I haven’t revealed your existence to other vampires is because you’re not important enough to matter. But Darian made the mistake of taking something that was mine. Are you going to repeat that mistake, Mr. Alexander?”
Two heavy breaths came down the line. “I understand.”
“That’s a start. Now give me your confirmation that you will stay away.”
“Yes, damn it.” It sounded like a painful admission.
“I thought we’d come to an agreement.” Antoine winked at Cally. “One other thing. You also threatened Cally’s father, which is inexcusable. You may have already wiped his 401k. I don’t care either way, but in compensation for the anxiety you have caused, you will make an error in Mr. Davis’s favor, and add a zero to the end of the original balance. Make sure it’s done within twenty-four hours, Mr. Alexander, because you don’t want me making a trip west. It’s a three-hour drive, and I would arrive…angry.”
Antoine killed the call, then tossed the phone off the bed.
“I love you so much,” Cally said, pressing herself into him. “Thank you, Antoine.”
“It was only what they deserved—” He broke off as she kissed him deeply.
It was a minute before she pulled back, confusion furrowing her brow. “Wait. I didn’t think you spoke to the other vampires much. Would they support you if you told them about the Order?”
“I doubt they’d care at all,” Antoine admitted. “But our friend Mr. Alexander doesn’t know that, does he?”
Cally grinned, pushed him back into the bed, then climbed on top.
*
“Tobias has increased the number of thralls at his estate,” Noah said.
Antoine raised an eyebrow. “So soon?”
“It’s been a week since Nico… disappeared.” Noah balanced his tablet on his knee and gestured with his free hand. “Frankly, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”
“But that means Tobias had an interest in Nico.” Antoine rose from behind his desk, and walked to the window of his study. It had become something of a ritual, meeting here rather than the living room, as if this were the war room.
The thought made him want to scoff; they weren’t prepared for a war.
“They were both Minh’s lackeys,” Belle commented from the sofa in the corner, where she sat with her legs up. She was in jeans and a hoodie again, and it was her second visit since the night they’d rescued Eve, but Antoine hadn’t yet figured out how to say no to her.
“I didn’t expect them to keep that connection after Minh’s death.” Antoine frowned as he looked outside. “What of our own thralls? Have you moved those who were on Nico to Roberto?”
“Yes.” Noah’s chair creaked as he shifted his weight. “Though it’s been difficult to get close. There are alotof thralls at his estate.”
“That’s his bloodline.”
“I know, but he’s also been playing host to one vampire after another.”
“Courtiers coming to pay homage to their new king,” Belle scoffed. “Maybe that’s why you’ve heard so little from him.”
“He might not even know you’ve escaped,” Noah said. “It’s only been two weeks.”
“You should still assume some of his thralls are watching you.”
“With respect, Lady Belle,” Noah said with careful deference, “why would he bother with a house he believes is empty?”
