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“How do you mean?” Malloy was a rich fucker. Surely he didn’t need my father?
“Senator Marlowe informed us that Malloy had a cache of ancient artifacts – apparently these were found sealed in an underground chamber in Alexandria, Egypt, about eighteen years ago. The cache went straight onto the black market, never saw the inside of a museum.” He flicks an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder. “Your father might’ve had something to do with it landing in Malloy’s hands.”
My veins buzz with energy. That’s it – that’s what Daddy traded for me. His most valuable treasure.
Of course, Daddy would consider ancient artifacts more valuable than cash or jewels. And if it came from Alexandria, that could mean items from… from the period the emperor Augustus fought Marc Antony and Cleopatra for control of the Roman Empire.
Daddy would lose his shit over treasure like that.
“Of course, you can’t sell crap like that,” Constantine says. “It’s too unique, too priceless. But you can use it as collateral when you make the kind of deals we make. It’s easier to move old junk than millions of dollars in cash. If Malloy’s collection was worth anything like what Marlowe claimed, that kind of collateral could secure decades’ worth of deals, which is exactly what Malloy was doing with it. So why had Julian given it to Malloy instead of keeping it within the Triumvirate? Malloy was getting too big for his boots, making all kinds of demands on Julian, starting to insert himself into Triumvirate decisions. I think he fancied himself a future member, and it’s my humble opinion that Julian was allowing him too many liberties. Julian turned down a perfectly good business relationship with Walter Hart because Malloy refused to work with him. So Walter went to Brutus to establish the body brokering ring, and that’s where Brutus started to build support and funds to make his move against your father.”
Shit, shit, shit. All the pieces are coming together. It’s all connected – every horror in mine and Noah’s and Eli’s and Gabriel’s lives comes back to the bargain on my life. In exchange for me, Julian August made Howard Malloy. My fake father gave my birth father everything he needed to design the drug that would take Noah’s life, put Eli’s dad behind bars, and put Grey Death in the hands of the Duke of Blackwich.
I glance over at Noah again, and I can see he’s thinking the exact same thing.
“Why did you want to know how Malloy was funding his business?” I ask. “If Malloy was weakening my father, wasn’t that good for you?”
“Julian couldn’t see Brutus’ betrayal coming, but I could. And I could see Nero licking his lips with excitement to get his hands on the August empire.” Constantine shrugs. “Nothing much has changed since then. So yes, I was interested in the treasure. Malloy was about to be feeding the worms and I wanted to get my hands on it before the Augusts or Lucians.”
I lean forward. “And did you?”
“No. All I know is that Brentwood was supposed to get the location out of Malloy and then kill him and his wife. But he came back and said someone got to the treasure first and cleared it out. Only it turns out Brentwood was a lying sack of shit, told me he finished the job when really he blubbered like a baby because he’s afraid of your sister, and left without the cache. I sent a few men to search the house back when it was empty, but they couldn’t find anything.” He shrugs again. “I assume whoever killed the Malloys got away with the treasure, but if they did, they’re keeping it quiet. We’d all know if something like that was floating around the market.”
But she didn’t. Because she never thought to ask her mother. And now she’s after me because she’s convinced I’ve got it.
But I don’t.
Not yet, anyway.
“Thank you. This has been enlightening.” I step forward and hold out my hand. “I look forward to a fruitful alliance with you.”
“To our nuptials.” Constantine wraps his long fingers in mine. We shake. I don’t exactly feel good about this, but I feel… confident.
My confidence lasts until I turn to leave and something heavy drops on me from above. I slam into the floor, the wind driven from my lungs.
Someone digs a knee into my spine, yanks my hair back, and draws a blade across my neck.
Noah
Shit.
I lunge for the figure holding Claudia, but I’m not fast enough.
Everything happens in a flash.
A thin line of red wells at Claws’ throat as the blade bites her skin. Claudia reaches behind her, slides her own knife from her sleeve, and jabs it into her attackers’ thigh.
Her attacker screeches, rolling to the side to claw at the knife in her leg. I recognize her now – Cali, Constantine’s tribune and Brutus’ ex-girlfriend. Her romance cut tragically short by Claudia putting a bullet in her lover’s skull. I guess she wants to even the score.
“Let me help you with that.” Claws yanks the blade from Cali’s leg. Cali howls as blood squirts from the wound, splattering across Claudia’s face. My girl staggers, one hand clutching her throat, the other wrapping around the blood-soaked knife handle. Her face sets with grim determination.
Get her.
I’m mad as fuck at Claws right now, but I still want to see her kick Cali’s ass.
Claudia lunges. Cali swings her injured leg with surprising force, and swipes Claws’ legs from under her. I’m flying toward them, but I seem to be moving in slow motion. Cali’s body unfurls, like a panther pouncing on its prey, her hands outstretched to scratch and gouge. Claws lands good and rolls, crouching low and using Cali’s own momentum to shove her off balance and flip her onto her back. They crash to the floor, rolling as they claw and hiss and bite at each other. Claudia slams her fist into Cali’s nose, and Cali rakes her nails down Claudia’s face. It’s blood and rage and carnage.
I grab Cali’s shoulder and yank her off, aiming my pistol in her face. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you for attacking my Imperator.”
