“As for Roux’s court-martial…” Bene went on.
“For asking questions when no one else would,” Roux snarled, revealing a raw wound.
“Questions like…?” Mina ventured quietly.
“Like, why describecivilian casualtiesascollateral damage?” he rumbled. “Questions like, how much is acceptable, and who is qualified to make that call?”
Ah, Roux. A man too principled for his own good.
“Then there’s Henrik and his unauthorized conversion…” Bene went on.
Mina paled. “You mean, changing someone into a vampire?”
Henrik shrugged. “She begged me to.”
“Too bad the coven didn’t see it that way,” Bene observed.
“Says the convicted embezzler,” Henrik snarled, like that crime was on par with his.
Bene scowled. “Yeah, if embezzling means sleeping with a mob boss’s daughter.” He looked at Mina and quickly added, “Not like she was underage or anything. It was just that Daddy didn’t approve.”
“Better than getting your balls cut off,” Henrik observed dryly.
Bene winced. “The plea bargain was definitely worth it. My balls are worth an embezzlement charge.”
Mina looked like she wanted to slap her hands over her ears. “How does any of this involve Gordon? And how does working for him help you?”
Roux ran a hand through his hair. “Gordon has clout and connections. He can pull strings. Get records changed. Make problems go away.”
“Isn’t there a group that’s supposed to preside over supernatural crimes?” Mina snapped her fingers, thinking. “What are they called? The Guardians of Europe?”
We all exchanged surprised looks. Mina knew a lot more than we’d assumed.
“They try,” Roux said. “But some crimes slip through. And in some cases, it’s not in the parties’ interests to go to the Guardians.”
“You mean, like Marius’s guy,” Mina murmured, thinking aloud.
“Notmyguy,” I huffed.
She tapped her lips, clearly digesting — and sickened by — the news. “What about Szabo? Who is he? What does he want?”
Roux drew invisible lines on the table, and I watched, afraid his fingernails would extend to claws.
“Szabo was supposed to join us, but we went to Gordon with some…er…concerns.”
I grimaced, but Roux had been right. We had to do it.
“Concerns?” Mina’s voice went up.
“Concerns.” Roux nodded firmly. “The rest of us were committed to…well, getting things cleared up. Moving on.”
I worked my jaw back and forth, wishing things were different.
“But not Szabo,” Roux said. “We didn’t think he’d be able to toe the line — any line — and we told Gordon as much. So, he cut Szabo.”
Roux finished there, though his throat bob revealed there was more to the story.
To Mina’s credit, she didn’t ask. She just said, “So, Szabo lost his chance to clear his record, and he resents you for that.”
