Page 47 of Love & Power

“Let me see if I have this right… you appear out of nowhere after fifteen years of being hidden away. Then your father is killed shortly after making you the new leader of the Caprioni Family. A few weeks go by, Ivy makes contact, you decimate the rats creeping in on your business, make an alliance with Dom to add to your alliance with our family, and now here you are leader of the Raffas as well?” Von listed, ticking off a finger for every major event. “Woman, do you realize you’ve managed to become the queen bitch of the underworld in only a few fucking months?”

Laughter burst out of me at her description of the past few months of my life. “If only that were true, then I wouldn’t need to have this fight,” I managed to get out, using my napkin to dab at the tears from laughing so hard.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Queenie,” Von challenged, pointing her knife at me. “These crusty crime lords wouldn’t bother to go after you and your family if they didn’t see you as a threat. No one survives as long as you have, and that, my friend, is what really scares them. Poison is right, though. You don’t have much time, and you need us like holy water for a vampire. Who better to help kill those mummified relics than two monsters they helped to create?” she asked, flipping her blade absently.

I paused my drink almost to my lips before I set it back down. “So you’re in?”

Von caught her dinner knife and stabbed it through a packet of butter into the wooden table. “What are friends for if not to help cause a little chaos?”

Reaching down, I pulled free the knife I had strapped to my calf, hidden under my pants. I then stood and shrugged out of my jacket, which Gemma quickly took from me, revealing my bare arms. “If we are going to do this, then we are going to do this right,” I stated.

Both women watched me as I took the tip of the knife and dragged it up my forearm, creating a three-inch-long wound that started to bleed. “This blood symbolizes the creation of a new alliance between the three of us… the birth of a new family to replace the ones who will be lost in our reckoning. A family that is led by women to prove once and for all that we are a force to be feared.”

Von stood and freed her knife from the table, slicing her arm without hesitation. “Those who betray this family, may they burn in hell.” Von grabbed my arm, surprising me as she pressed our wounds together, making me hiss as she finished the vow. “We are one until death.”

Stunned, I blinked, not expecting Von to pledge absolute loyalty to this idea I created on the spot. Surely, her loyalty would be to her father, brothers, and her family name. Ivy extended her bleeding arm as well. I met her gaze, only seeing calm determination reflecting back at me as I gripped her arm.

“We are one until death,” Ivy vowed, which I repeated before she did the same with Von.

A hand pressed a cloth to my arm, pulling me out of my daze to see Thad beside me. “Keep pressure on it so it stops the bleeding,” he murmured, urging me to take my seat.

Gemma was assisting Ivy, who was trying to brush her off, but the girl stood firm as she assisted the woman who saved her life. It made me curious if Ivy recognized her or not, then again, it had been some years ago. Glancing at Von, I did a double-take, only for my jaw to drop at the sight of Bear licking Von’s arm clean.

“Bear, stop. It’s not that big of a deal,” Von grumbled, then caught me looking. “Don’t ask. Trust me, his logic will only creep you out. Hell, it creeps me out sometimes, and I trust this man with my life.” Finally, she snatched up a spare napkin and wrapped it around her arm blocking Bear’s access to the wound.

“Does he know how filthy the human mouth is?” Ivy asked. “Seriously, we’re going to need to flush that out and make sure it’s as clean as we can get it, or an infection could set in.”

Von used her other hand to rub her temple. “Bear believes that blood is the source of life and should never be wasted. He knows I don’t agree and won’t reconsume my own blood, so he does instead.”

Ivy and I exchanged a look but didn’t comment. People were free to believe in whatever they wanted so long as it wasn’t forced on others. If Bear truly accepted this ideology as truth, then who was I to say he’s wrong? Furthermore, he respected Von’s choice not to act on his beliefs, but I struggled with Bear physically forcing Von to allow him to consume her blood.

“I told you guys you didn’t want to know,” Von muttered.

She attempted to shove Bear away from her as she secured the napkin, making me snicker. Von was like a mouse trying to shove an elephant—it just wasn’t going to happen. Bear took the hint and backed off, but the slight furrow between his brows told me he wasn’t happy Von was hurt.

Clearing his throat, Thad drew our attention. “Ladies, I know your lunch isn’t over, but under the current situation, I think it might be best if we left. Each of you needs to be bandaged properly, and it might be best to take this conversation to a more private setting.”

Thaddeus had a point—the girl talk was over, and the subjects I wanted to discuss shouldn’t be heard by just anyone.

“I have to agree,” I shared. “Plus, there is a rather important Family meeting I can’t be late for. You’re both welcome to come back to the estate so we can have this conversation with everyone involved.”

Ivy finished off the last of her wine and stood. “Then we best be off. Everything is already paid for, so we can head out immediately.”

Seeing Von was also going to stand, Bear pulled back her chair, hovering like a worried parent.

“Stop that,” Von snapped. “For fuck’s sake, you’re acting like this is the first time I’ve gotten hurt. Jesus, I did this to myself. I know how not to nick a fucking vein.”

She started to leave but paused and pointed to the table. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Bear frowned and sighed, clearly not following her train of thought.

“You owe that man you tossed into the wall an apology or a nice fat tip… you choose,” Von ordered.

Instantly, the man’s hands were flying, and it was clear he didn’t feel the need to do either of those things.

“No,” Von barked out. “One or the other, Bear.”

Snarling, Bear pulled out his wallet and dropped a wad of bills on the table but took a fork and stabbed it through the stack of money securing it to the tabletop.