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The next fewweeks go by in a bit of a blur, and by the time I attend my first meeting as part of The Six, I’m feeling a lot more confident about my right to be there. Maddoc, Logan, and Dante have been educating me about all things Reaper-related, and I feel much more knowledgeable about the world I’ve stepped into.
The few nerves I do still carry into the meeting with me smooth out pretty quickly, because for all the power they wield, The Six are just people. People who it turns out I really like.
At first, it’s a bit strange to see them outside the formal setting of their headquarters at Saraven. The meeting is actually held in the house that Ayla shares with Marcus, Theo, and Ryland, and seeing them in a more comfortable setting makes the love between the four of them even more obvious.
I can relate. The relationship with my own men gets deeper, better, every single day.
“Have you successfully reclaimed your entire estate now?” Marcus asks me before we get down to official business.
“Yes,” I say with a vengeful surge of satisfaction.
I’m Austin’s widow, and since that fucker forced me to marry him, I haven’t just reclaimed my inheritance. I’ve exercised my right as his legal heir toallhis assets.
“And the status of the new territorial borders?” Theo asks, slinging his arm around Ayla’s shoulders as he takes a seat next to her on one of their plush couches. “Have the Reapers gotten those straightened out?”
I nod. “We’ll be taking most of the former West Point territory. The small contingent of holdouts who wanted to continue operations for the organization have realized how difficult that would be without resources, and agreed to stand down.”
“We had a report from Wolf Mathis that some of that last group swore fealty to him.”
“That’s right,” I confirm. “And Maddoc is making a point to keep strong alliances with Mathis and all of the other gangs whose territory used to share borders with West Point, so that they all know the Reapers aren’t gunning for their territory too.”
“Allthe other gangs?” Marcus chides me gently.
I grimace. “You heard about the Scorpions.”
“We heard that when they attacked, thinking the Reapers would be too disorganized to protect what was theirs, they tried to claim it was a defensive move when you tried to expand into their territory.”
“They lied,” I say flatly.
All six of them give me shark-like smiles, but it’s Ayla who speaks. “We know. And the thorough way the Reapers put down their aggression sends a clear message to any other organization who might be thinking the same thing.”
I bite back a grin. “I thought The Six didn’t take sides.”
She gives me an innocent look belied by the steel in her eyes. “We don’t. We simply maintain order. And the support we’re providing for the orderly expansion of Reaper territory is part of that. A smooth transition of power allows us all to profit.”
“And on that note, let’s get down to business,” Theo says, leaning forward. “There have been some city zoning changes in the warehouse district that are putting certain operations at risk.”
I listen intently, learning all I can as they efficiently go through their agenda. They’re incredibly organized, ruthless and intelligent, and while I’m definitely a little bit out of my depth, they don’t treat me that way.
Even better, I’m able to contribute a little bit here and there, which gives me the confidence that I won’t feel that way forever. The more time I spend with The Six, the more my new role does feel like a good fit, just like Chloe said. It’s just one that, like a good pair of heels, I’ll have to break in a little before I’m completely comfortable in.
“Riley, a minute?” Ayla calls out to me when the meeting breaks up. I’ve already said my goodbyes and am more than ready to head back to my men, but I wait for her to catch up to me, silently admiring the red roses inked onto her arm above her prosthesis.
They’re Dante’s favorite color, and they make me want more ink of my own.
“What’s that smile for?” she asks once she reaches me, a knowing gleam in her eye. “One of them in particular, or all of them at once?”
“What?”
She laughs. “Never mind. Although, I’d be happy to havethosekinds of conversations over some good whiskey someday. Right now, I just wanted to check in with you. See if there’s anything I can do to help you settle into… all this.”
“Being part of The Six?”
“Sure, that too. But really, I just meant all of it. You’re taking to your role with us like a duck to water, but I know how overwhelming it can feel when you really start to understand everything happening behind the scenes with these organizations.”
I nod. “It’s like a whole second city overlaid on the Halston I grew up with.”
“Exactly.”
