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He’d changed into a dark suit and crisp button-down shirt, required attire for the Ruby Speakeasy. No tie, though; Xavier didn’t don a tie for anything but funerals and mating rituals.
I explained what Ridley had told me about why she’d been targeted.
“A rogue?” He lifted a brow. “You sure she’s not playing you? A slayer will lie like a snake if they think—”
I cut him off with a slash of my hand. “She’s telling the truth.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do. Trust me.”
His expression changed. “She got to you. You’ve been fucking the bitch.”
My hand wrapped around his throat. We might be friends, but he’d just crossed a bright, hard line. “Don’t. Call. Her. That.”
A muscle in his jaw worked. “Sorry.”
I gave him a shake. “You will respect her, got it? She’s my woman.”
He dipped his chin.
I released him, blew out a breath. “We’re linked. That’s how I know she’s telling the truth. I can feel her emotions, and she meant it.”
His brows crawled up his forehead. “You mated a slayer?”
“Not yet. It’s still new—I just realized myself. I’m not sure if she knows it herself.”
Xavier smoothed down his jacket, straightened his shirt collar. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know.” This apology sounded sincere, unlike the first.
“Apology accepted,” I said with a curt nod. “I need you to get out there, see what you can find out. Who put up the money for the hit? Somebody has to know something. Start at the Ruby, but if SI is involved, you may have to work your underworld contacts. But be careful. From what George said, Spider didn’t know about the reward—and if he doesn’t know George attacked us first, he’ll be gunning for me.”
“Understood.”
“You have cash for bribes?”
“Fifty thou.”
“Good. If you need more, get it. I want answers, ASAP. But don’t go into the underworld itself—Spider knows you’re my chief of security. Oh, and transfer 50K to his account. I want to act as if nothing happened until I can work this out with him.”
“Got it.”
I waited until he left the loft, then headed for my office and my stash of burner phones. I’d decided to chance a call to Gabriel.
I hadn’t forgotten what Xavier had said about Mila undergoing the transition to dhampir. Gabriel must be standing guard over her gravesite, waiting and worrying until she’d made it safely through the transition. But I hoped he could give me a few minutes. He was smart and pragmatic, and closer to the top people in the syndicate than I was.
More importantly, he had Father’s ear. If anyone knew what Karoly Kral was thinking, it was my older brother.
Plus, the thing about George knowing Ridley was a princess niggled at me. There was something odd about this, some piece I still didn’t understand, and I was hoping Gabriel would have some insight on it.
I put a SIM card in a phone and activated the number. I sent a text with my identification code so Gabriel knew it was me, then pressed the Call button.
What I hadn’t figured on was my father answering instead of Gabriel. “Zaquiel? Is that you?”
I jolted, took the phone from my ear. Father must be out at Montauk with Gabriel, unless he was having my brother’s calls routed through him.
“Zaquiel?” he repeated. “Where are you?”
He sounded so normal. Like he hadn’t staked his own lieutenant last night.
