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“And if that happens,” Bastian said, “we’re going to have a bloodbath on our hands.”
“Maybe we should temporarily move to a safe house,” Damian suggested. “We don’t need them bringing another war to Devil’s Creek.”
“Let them,” I shot back. “We’re prepared.”
“This is our home,” Drake cut in. “I don’t want that shit brought to my doorstep again. My mom has been a wreck for the past two weeks because of it.”
“It was my front door,” I pointed out. “My house they destroyed.”
“Alex isn’t safe, even at your estate,” Sonny said. “I don’t care how many men you hire.”
I shook my head and sighed. “Since when did all of you turn into a bunch of fucking pussies?”
“It’s the smart play,” Callum Cormac said as he took a puff of his cigar, blowing rings in front of his face. “We don’t want blood all over the streets of Devil’s Creek. Drake is right. This is where we live. Gunfire will draw a lot of attention from the surrounding towns.”
“Who fucking cares?” I rested my wingtip on my knee and leaned back in the chair, my eyes on Callum. “We own the police, the mayor, the goddamn governor. And we have Senator Marx in our pocket.”
“Kali’s dad doesn’t have any real power,” Bastian challenged.
“He has enough.”
“We should talk about Kali,” Damian added. “She can help us out with Alex. She wants to come by the house for an assessment.”
I had implanted Kali Marx into Alex’s life for a reason. Kali was a trained psychologist who helped Marcello’s men with their post-traumatic stress disorder. She had a gift with soldiers, so I figured she could help Alex.
“We have a meeting with Carl tomorrow,” I said to Damian. “Tell Kali to come over afterward. She can have lunch with Alex at the house.”
He nodded, then removed his phone from his pocket.
“Kali thinks we’re close to unlocking her memories,” Bastian said.
“She’s getting there,” I admitted. “It’s only a matter of time. But she needs to remember what happened to Aiden. He’s the key to everything.”
“Maybe we should do more exposure therapy,” Drake suggested. “Chasing her through the streets of Beacon Bay helped her remember stabbing you.”
“We could take her to the temple,” Sonny said with way too much enthusiasm for my liking. “That might spark something.”
I nodded in agreement. “Let’s get through this meeting with Carl. I have a feeling he’s up to something.”
“Wellington is shady as fuck,” Bastian said. “I don’t trust him.”
“Me neither,” Damian added with a sneer.
The other Knights echoed their sentiments about Carl Wellington. I’d never liked him or trusted him, not even with Alex. She wanted to believe he was her savior, her perfect Pops.
But I knew the real Wellington.
His interest was the only one he served, and if that meant sacrificing Alex to win the long game, he would do it. He handed Aiden to me on a silver platter because he refused to accept this legacy. There was nothing Carl wouldn’t do to preserve the future of his family. Aiden was another obstacle in his way.
“Alex isn’t speaking to you,” Sonny said to me. “Do you plan on fixing that before we lose our status with The F Society?”
I stamped out my cigar in the tray, blowing a cloud of smoke in his face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Cormac.”
“Marcello tells me everything, which means the Knights know Alex asked you for space.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “She’s mad. Alex will get over it.”
My words said one thing, but they lacked certainty. Even when I was at my worst, she hadn’t asked me for space. We should have been growing closer, not apart. I was royally fucking up with her, and I had no one but myself to blame.
“Without a queen, we can’t admit new Knights,” Drake said, annoyed. “This bullshit affects us too.”
“I have it under control,” I lied.
“Do you know what Carl wants to talk to us about?” Callum Cormac asked me.
I shook my head. “About the future of the Knights.”
“That can’t be good,” Bastian groaned.
“Nope. And he wants Alex at the meeting.”
“The wedding,” Drake guessed. “That’s what he wants to talk about.”
“I assume so,” I confirmed. “But something tells me Wellington is plotting against me.”
Sonny laughed. “That’s your paranoia.”
I was turning thirty at the end of the month. My father had to transfer the Grand Master of The Devil’s Knights' power to me by midnight on my birthday. If I hadn’t fucked up with Alex and Aiden last year, I would have already become their leader. The Charter dictated the next Grand Master couldn’t assume the role without the new queen by his side.
I rose from the armchair and straightened my lapels, my eyes sweeping over the group. “Wellington’s refusing to give his approval to marry Alex. He’s got something up his sleeve.”
Drake’s phone dinged. He shot up from the couch and held out his cell phone. “Kurti is on the move again.”
