AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When Abe, a prominent lawyer from the Attorney General’s office, left the club, I went to the window and looked at the bustling nightlife. The door cracked open, and my hand went to my gun.
“Remind me again why I don’t disarm you at the door like all my other patrons?” James Black growled, pressing the door closed behind him.
I snorted. “Not even you would dare, Black.”
“I should try it once. Life is losing its spice.”
“Wow, that must be so nice for you,” I said, a slight sneer slipping into my tone.
James stopped beside me, looking down to the street below. “I’m not some sentimental fucker, Drakos. You know this.”
I grunted.
“What happened to your sister—my condolences are intangible and therefore useless, but you have them nonetheless.”
The pragmatic bastard. “They’re not useless, mate.” I uncrossed my arms and slapped his shoulder. “We’ve been through a lot, you and I.”
“Be that as it may, can I do anything? You never called me, which I assume means you have a handle on it?”
“But yet you thought to check in with me? Hell, mate, are you getting soft?” I couldn’t help it; the teasing jab slipped out. James was an old friend, not that he was the sort capable of holding friendship.
“It’s a practical question,” he ground out. “No sentiment required. So, if you need me, it behooves me to lend a hand.” A dark smile turned up the corners of his mouth. James had a cruel side. “Maybe it’s you, Drakos, who’s going soft.”
“How do you reckon that?” I asked, my tone sharp.
“You’ve kept the devil’s daughter alive. Webber said he tried to talk you into exterminating the whole tribe.”
Ice flooded my veins. “She’s not responsible for the sins of her kin. It was a slip in judgement to assume they were heaped on her head.”
“I’m glad.”
I jerked back, turning to face him.
James flicked a sideways glance at me, then returned his attention to the plebians strolling up and down the street. They were in search of a good time laced with wickedness to soothe the toll of their corporate masters, and Club Black’s door enticed them into a promising darkness.
“You don’t have to look so surprised, Drakos. Your wife is good for you. I knew you’d tame her the moment her father brought her here to barter her away.”
And with that, he just confirmed that he listened in on conversations at the bar—something I always suspected. Secrets were currency in the underworld...if they didn’t get one killed first.
“If you knew something about the devil’s whereabouts—”
“I’d tell you, Constantine,” James cut in, closing his eyes as he dragged in a deep breath. Whatever pain he was hiding, it was deep and cruel if it threatened to break his famous resolve. “Family is everything. Don’t lose what you have left.”
“I won’t.”
With a silent nod, James turned on his heel and left the room.
I scrubbed my hands over my face.When was the last time I slept?I wasn’t superman; bed called. More accurately, my bride did.
Smiling to myself, I left the room and took the private elevator down to the atrium, where the doors were thrown open to the dance floor, beckoning party seekers to come and experience a hip night. More decadent events were hosted elsewhere by select invitation only. My club card was the highest level, not that I used some of the rarer services James offered. At one time, I might have considered spending time with some of the socialites who escaped to those nocturnal recesses, seeking adventure their wealth and privilege couldn’t openly allow them to purchase. But not now. Now, Talia was enough for me.
I pushed through the throngs of people, who were all eager to start their night. It was still early by all standards, but that didn’t deter these people. Something caused the hairs on the back of my neck to prickle. I paused, my back to a mirrored wall. The security check point, complete with metal detectors, was clogged with individuals pushing inside. Ralph and an extra guard waited with Philip just beyond the doors. And yet, that sixth sense that kept me alive on the streets roared to life, warning me not to go that way. The music of the club droned behind me. It was one long cadence, with pulsing bursts of thunder and the sharp screams of banshees. I’d always hated clubbing; that was my sister and cousin’s scene. Gritting my teeth, I pushed that thought aside and strode into the mass of eager souls who wanted to lose their inhibitions.
The flashing lights were nauseating. But I circled the space, staying to the edge for as long as I could. Just past the bathrooms, I came up short. It was either climb the wall to the balcony’s ledge and swing myself into the backstage area or push my way through the writhing bodies on the dance floor until I reached the stage’s edge, where I would be let into the staff only area without question. Hating the dilemma, I took a moment to arrange for my pick-up. Whipping my phone out, I messaged Philip to come to the back.
Philip: Okay, boss.
That message was quickly followed by a second.
