He got in the car and texted Ferro a simple message: DONE
A few seconds later: EXCELLENT. REPORT IN IMMEDIATELY.
Facing the man would be difficult. Maintaining his cool when all he wanted to do was kill him, even harder.
yes, sir. on my way back.
Sometime later, he pulled past the employee parking lot and left his car in a busy restaurant’s lot. When no one was around, he summoned Dune’s visage and stepped out of the car. He could easily take on the arrogant swagger, the square shoulders…because Kade had those, too. When you’re the best of the badasses, you absorb it into your body, your personality.
Kade was no longer one of them. He felt the glimmer of the man he used to be, the one who didn’t fit into the Vega mold. Nor did he fit into the Kavanaugh mold. He didn’t know that guy anymore. For twenty years, he’d been stuffed away, chastised and humbled.
He used Dune’s card to enter through the employee entrance. A long time ago, they’d used magick to prove their identity. In the way Dragons could no longer fly because of population and technology issues, Deuces had to limit their use of magick in public. Now it was a card. A sorry exchange, though it worked well for Kade at the moment.
He nodded at another Vega and ignored the Arguses, like Dune did. Holding on to the illusion this long took all of his effort. The magick pinched every muscle and organ in his body. Dune was an easier illusion to pull off than, say, a Dragon, but it was still work. Could he sell it to Ferro?
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on Ferro’s door. After his customary “Come,” Kade stepped inside and closed the door behind him. If Ferro made him, Kade would fight. Ferro might be more powerful but he was out of practice as far as combat went. Another reason Kade eschewed the higher positions.
Ferro took him in, his eyes shrewd. He scanned Kade’s body. He knew. Already, in the first seconds, he knew. Damn it.
Kade prepared for him to Catalyze, but Ferro kept his cool. Even the flames in his eyes weren’t wildly flickering. Kade had seen enough Dragons gearing up to fight to know the signs. Maybe he didn’t suspect after all. Yet.
Ferro stepped around from behind his desk. “Not one scratch or cut? Not even a bruise? Kavanaugh’s good. I find it hard to believe you could kill him and the woman and not sustain any injury.”
Kade gave him Dune’s most arrogant smile. “Because I’m better.” He ducked his head. “But I have to confess, it was far easier than I thought. Kavanaugh was trussed up. As he was trying to convince me to release him, he told me that the woman’s brothers ambushed him. I took him out right there, and then went after the woman. If that’s all, sir?—”
“What else did he say?”
Psychological stress made the illusion even harder to hold on to. Kade’s muscles were cramping now. “He spouted some nonsense about a conspiracy.” He laughed. “Even accused you of being in on it. Once his head was no longer attached to his body, he had nothing more to say about it.” He took a step back toward the door.
“How did the woman die?”
Kade had prepared for all of this, but Ferro was usually content to hear the end result. Why was he so curious now? Because he has a personal stake in it. “She must have heard Kavanaugh’s screams. I punched a hole through her chest the moment she came around the corner.”
That’s what Dune would have done. The thought of that weakened Kade and made it even harder to hold the illusion. He waited impatiently for Ferro to dismiss him. He’d get suspicious if Dune was in too much of a hurry to leave. Dune enjoyed his kills and loved to regale anyone who would listen with every nuance of his fight.
“Good job,” Ferro said, turning toward the desk.
Kade fought a sigh of relief as he gripped the doorknob.
“Wait.”
Kade had to pry his fingers off the knob and hide his grimace as he turned his pain-wracked body back to Ferro.
“You said Kavanaugh was trussed up. But he was conscious. Why wasn’t he using his power?”
Hell, he didn’t want to go there. “I touched the rope they used to hold him. I think it had Lucifer’s Gold threaded in it.”
“And you didn’t take it? I don’t like the idea of Fringers possessing something like that.”
“I could hear others coming, having heard the screams as well. I decided it was best to retreat than engage an unknown number of enemies.”
Ferro held his gaze, then gave a quick nod. “Understood. Retrieve it at your earliest convenience but tell no one. Give it to me.”
“Yes, sir.” He barely held on, praying that Ferro wouldn’t stop him again as he reached for the doorknob. His fingers were stiff, fumbling. He stepped out and closed the door just as his illusion flickered. He shot a look at the pit, people going about their business. Did they know that one of their own had gone rogue? Would he be detained on sight? Or worse, shot? Mia sat, staring off into space, her expression bereft.
Hold on for one more minute.
Kade walked awkwardly to Dune’s office, happy that Guard policy dictated no locked doors. He collapsed to the floor the second the door closed behind him. The illusion pulled out of his cells the same way a needle pulled out of the body. The dark skin vanished, his body went from the bigger, bulkier physique back to Kade’s lean state.
