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“One million,” the auctioneer said crisply, and I knew Patrick had swallowed the bait.
I carried the paddle with me, humming, as I stepped into the gilded hall. Red curtains were draped around each door that led from this hallway; I was willing to bet it looked a lot nicer than Aurora's hallway.
I cupped my earpiece. “Remy.”
That was all it took.
Somewhere, there were security guards watching a looped feed. Pax pulled open the door to one of the rooms, and I strolled inside.
“Patrick,” I said, and he turned, his eyes wide and horrified.
“You stole from my father,” I said mildly. “And therefore, from me.”
I made a bored gesture with my gun, although I really did find the man abhorrent. “Also, there’s the whole business where you’ve been trafficking girls. That kind of thing doesn’t bother my father, but it annoys me, Patrick.”
He made a sound of protest.
“The transfer already went through,” Remy said into my ear. “Aurora’s rate’s been paid.”
“Great,” I said, right before I shot Patrick. The silencer on this gun was impressive, the sound of the gunshot barely louder than a dropped book, and I looked at it with admiration.
Pax and I dragged him out of the way. Then Pax straightened, wiping his bloody hands. “Quite the hostile takeover.”
“They shouldn’t have fucked with Remy,” I said. My father had left this place on my to-do list for a while, but it hadn’t been a priority for him–or me–until they decided to disrespect Remy’s mother. They’d thought Remington's father was more powerful than I was.
They guessed wrong.
I sank into the chair that Patrick had previously occupied–which was more like a throne.
Tradition dictated the way the new club owners cemented their position, by giving the members leverage over the owner. After all, by being the new owner of the club where all the mob families met and did business, I would have a lot of power.
I waited for them to bring me my Aurora.
Two of the club’s bouncers dragged her into the room. She wasn’t fighting–yet–she was obviously taking in everything around her, her eyes flickering around the room, then landing on me. Was she afraid? Or was she plotting?
One of the security guards shoved her down to her knees in front of me, all but throwing her to the ground. Pax, who had been leaning with his arms crossed over his chest, pushed off the wall abruptly. He was all coiled muscle and fury, but he stopped himself. I gave him a quick, hard glance. Not yet. None of the guards had noticed the way he’d rushed to bust some heads for Aurora’s sake, and neither did she.
“Roll cameras,” I said quietly to Remy. There was a faint hum of electronics and the light came on the video camera in front of me, transmitting to all the other guests in the other rooms. I rested my hand lightly on Aurora’s head as I rose and faced the camera.
“I’m taking control of the Twisted Rose,” I told the assembled guests, and the voice synthesizer in my mask distorted my voice, making me sound like a monster. “Patrick Devine has abruptly retired. And in accordance with tradition, I’m here to provide your leverage.”
I could feel the rumble of tension through the club. One of the guards tried to walk back into the room, drawing his gun, and Paxton slammed into him, driving him back into the hall. There was a wet sound and a scream and then the door slammed shut, blanketing us in silence once again.
“I’m going to use you to christen my new territory,” I told Aurora with a smile, not that she could see it behind the ornate, faceless mask I wore. “Feel free to fight back. Everyone here would enjoy watching the Demon’s daughter break.”
If I weren’t such an asshole, I would’ve told her what we were doing before we ever left. I was sure she would’ve agreed to help take down the Twisted Rose. She would’ve played the part I was forcing her into now anyway.
But this was so much more fun for me.
Especially if she figured out the game. Aurora looked up at me, and I wondered if she really saw me, even behind the mask.
The thought made something warm and strange surge in my chest, but I pushed it down.
Punishment first.
Chapter22
Aurora
