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That’s a real leader.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever been a real leader.
So, what the hell do I do? How do I control a savage faction without playing to their most basic needs?
… Maybe I don’t.
The toaster beeps and I transfer my modest breakfast onto a porcelain plate, putting only the thinnest layer of butter on the steaming surface. With that in hand, I start to eat… and pace.
Maybe I don’t have to be a leader to lead. Maybe I just have to be smart.
If my men want a fight, then I can give them a fight.
But against who?
It can’t be against Leo or any of his allies, that would defeat the whole purpose. I need a scapegoat. Someone who deserves the violent attention of my brutal army.
Someone who needs to pay.
I’m hardly half way through my toast when I realize I have the perfect target.
Thales Retsos.
The crispy bread crumbles in my hand as I form a fist at the mere thought of him. Leo was worried we might have to work with the rat bastard in order to secure some semblance of peace.
Fuck. I’m sure he’d be happy if it could be the other way around.
And I wouldn’t even have to lie to my men. All I would need to do is tell them the truth, about how Retsos kidnapped Castor, about how he threatened me. I’m sure they would be happy to go after the fucker.
That would at least buy Leo and me some time before their attention turned back to us. And it will turn back to us, eventually. My men won’t forget that I was stolen right out from under their noses.
… But maybe I’ll be able to convince them that Leo was rescuing me…
My mind starts racing with a million different ideas. It’s almost exciting. The hope that they generate is enough to disintegrate the stone sitting in my gut, and I begin to feel as light as a feather as I pace around the kitchen, planning and plotting.
Alright, so Retsos is the target. But how do I get the word out?
It can’t be through Leo or his allies, my men will see right through that…
God, I wish Castor was here to help me with this. I already know that he’d be fully on board, and he’d also probably be full of ideas. It definitely wouldn’t hurt that the men we’d be dealing with have always had a great deal of respect for him. Castor is a soldier’s soldier. He knows how they think. Together, we could have a full plan of action before Leo returns.
Leo…
I haven’t even found the time to be worried about him. Fuck. Should I be? At times, my dark prince can seem nearly invincible—even if I have seen him at his most vulnerable. Hell, the way Castor described their escape from Retsos’ fortified vineyard made it seem like Leo was almost superhuman.
My long lost protector couldn’t hide the begrudging respect he held for Leo’s abilities. Some of it slipped through his tough words, and I guess they stuck with me.
Leo will be alright.
There is no use waiting up, worrying about him. I’ve been given a task, and if we’re going to come out of this together, then I’m going to have to do my part.
I’m still racking my mind for ideas when I find myself back in our room. It’s become my safe place. And it’s not hard to understand why.
Leo’s earthy scent lingers in the air, floating up from the discarded clothes neither of us have had the mind to pick up off of the floor.
I swat his intoxicating fragrance away, forcing myself to stay focused on the subject at hand.
… And then my gaze falls onto the nightstand.
