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“Aida, how nice of you to join us so promptly. Please, have a seat.” Brando smiled and nodded at the chairs in front of the desk, two already occupied by Santino and Matteo. But that wasn’t how I knew them.
For five hundred years, I’d called them something different—all of them. Beelzebub, Satan, Mammon …
And Aida, my devilish demoness—Abaddon, a princess of Hell.
She looked over the men suspiciously and stayed by my side as I preferred.
“What is this about? I told you I wanted nothing to do with this silly scheme you three insist on continuing.”
“Sure, but the time has come for you to participate. It is a family business, after all, and you wouldn’t want to disappoint Father, would you?”
She stiffened at my side. My fingers brushed against hers to let her know I was there.
“What do you want?”
“We’re expanding. The roots have settled here in Chicago, and it’s time to grow. Our human sister, Sera, is married to the Captain of the Irish out of Brooklyn, but there is an Italian family there who have a tenuous arrangement with our brother-in-law. We’ve reached out and offered you—”
“—I am not being sold to human swine!”
“You’re not being sold, Abaddon. We’re giving you a parcel of land and an opportunity. Turn the human over to your dog,” Santino nodded at me. “But leave the vessel intact, Talon, because progressive as they might want to appear, they are not, and you will need a male face to carry on our business. Wear him when necessary and keep him in the closet when you don’t. Then, your job is to turn New York into your playground.”
She looked over her brothers suspiciously. “This seems too good to be true. If it’s so valuable, why aren’t you three fighting over who goes to claim it?”
They all shrugged. “We’re settled here. Wives, families.”
Aida rolled her eyes. “So I go, I begin salvaging in Staten Island, then what? I do the hard work, and you come and claim it all?”
“Not at all. There’s no trick, sister. We work together, as we always should have. Your success is our success.” I glanced at Aida once more, but she appeared still unconvinced. “We do this for Father. There doesn’t have to be only one in his glory.”
“Well, we all know that’s not how He works. And frankly, I don’t believe that’s how you three work for one second either.”
Matteo smiled. “You can either go willingly or by force, sister. The choice is yours.”
MAGNUS
The sun hung low,burning above the horizon line. Flames of orange and pink licked the buildings around mine, reflecting the natural beauty. Lifting the highball to my lips, I took a slow sip and let my gaze shift from the city to the reflection of the scene behind me.
He slumped in the chair, a steady stream of blood drooling out between his lips. My two guards stood at the door, arms crossed and unmoving. They were here for show, not because I felt I needed the protection. I was fine doing it myself.
But a man in my position, getting to where I had, meant there were certain appearances I had to keep up. And goons were one of them.
Inhaling deeply, I savored the heavy scent of blood in the air. A guard’s stomach growled.
“Soon,” was all I said as I turned, setting the glass on my desk again. I adjusted the sleeves of my shirt, keeping them against my elbows as I approached the man. “Break time is over, Reuben.”
I began to approach him when my phone rang behind me. Exhaling heavily, I turned back to the desk. Grabbing the cell, I hit answer and pressed it against my ear.
“What?”
“Magnus, is that any way to greet me?”
I’d say my blood ran cold, but … well, it already was.
“What do you want?” While his voice may have inspired obedience once upon a time, it had been a long time since I was his little pet. I was a different man now than the one he knew. More powerful, perhaps even more so than him in some ways.
He laughed mockingly, and the phone’s receiver gave it an eerily tinny sound. “The council has made arrangements while forming new alliances across the country. Part of the arrangement is our allies have offered a sacrifice. They suggested a wife, but I know your proclivities are not always sostraight. Do with her as you wish, but she’s to be left unharmed per the arrangement—for now. We’ll be in touch with more details.”
The phone clicked as the call ended, but I remained unmoved. This was a lot to process. Namely, his new connection with the council. He’d always told me he was not interested in being on the council. What had changed?
