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“No. You need to stay here.” Turning to face him, I smile.
He pushes his glasses up his nose and sighs. “Do I even want to ask why you’re going?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll go pack for you.”
“Good boy.”
Kai beams at the small praise and disappears upstairs. Feeling a slight rush of affection for the young man, I decide to give him the raise he has been asking for. He really is the best assistant a man could have. He is new, fresh-faced, and vibrant, and he will be an asset to Solitaire one day. Right now, he is too young, too naïve in the ways of how the Secret Society works. He doesn’t understand the undercurrent of political power that runs through the veins of the Society, nor how influential we are in certain aspects of government when it benefits ourselves. Our end goal is power. Always has been, always will be. There isn’t a single corner of Earth that doesn’t have a base of operations, and one day, I don’t doubt the world will be run by one global government: Solitaire. But that is a long way off yet. Past my lifetime and that of Kai. But it is the dream that keeps us running.
Following Kai upstairs, I stand in the doorway as he meticulously packs me a bag.
“How long will you be gone?” he asks.
“Remains to be seen. How does a million sound?”
“A million what?”
“Pounds.”
That stops him dead in his tracks. His gaze fixes on mine. “Are you fucking messing with me?”
“Do I joke about money, Kai?”
“No, never. But…” He breathes out through his nose. “That’s a lot of money.”
“Do you think you’re worth it?”
“Yes,” he states with the confidence of someone who knows that while they are not inimitable, they will be damn difficult to replace.
“Well, how does it sound, then?”
“Perfect,” he replies with only a slight stammer.
“Good, then. Welcome to the upper ranks.”
He freezes. “What does that mean?”
“Lots of different things, Kai. You will be learning how to be a force in this world, and it’s not for the weak.” Crossing over to the dresser, I take off my cufflinks and place them in a small wooden box.
“I’ll do you proud,” he says with conviction.
Smiling at him, I say, “I know you will. I’m going to shower, and then I’m leaving. You can stay here while I’m gone. Look after the plants.”
“You don’t have any plants,” he says, confusion in his gaze.
“Figurative plants, Kai.”
He nods as if he knows what I mean, but I hold in my chuckle.
Turning to the en-suite, I pause at the door. “One more thing, Kai. Get to know Jemima Pearson on a personal level. Meet cute. Make her fall for your charms. Yes?”
His gaze bores into mine, full of questions he doesn’t ask. “Okay.”
Nodding, I close the bathroom door behind me and strip off my clothes. Stepping into the shower, I blast the water out as hot as I can stand it and then close my eyes. I’ve been trying not to think about it too much, but now that I’m alone, I can’t help it. Dante skipped out and headed up to the North of England for one reason and one reason only.
To meet the Don.
