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“That’s why I’m calling you directly. I know the docks belong to your brother in New York, which could complicate things if your relationship is still shaky, as the reports say.”
He opened the link he’d created and saw the female in a warehouse, surrounded by her men, wearing a sly smile as she tapped a long, manicured nail. She was writing on a notepad, so her lieutenant could see her plans without speaking or revealing them to him—stupid female. She should know secrets never stay hidden for long, especially from someone like him. Did she think mentioning his rift with Scepter would hurt his poor little heart? She obviously worked from information idiots gathered.
Zooming in, he read her words. We can’t take his head the moment he walks through the door. I have a plan. The sentence written in her bold script didn’t send fear down his spine. In fact, he smiled at her audacity. He’d told the others she had balls, and she did. Sadly, she didn’t have the means to back up any plans, at least not when it came to killing him. He and his Clan were not mere humans like her and her men. The Jaos weren’t pushovers, but Severin and the others had a reason loyalty followed them from continent to continent.
“Sounds solid, Mai. I’ll see you this evening.” They agreed on a time and then disconnected the call.
He opened the link further, letting the sound filter into his mind. The males around her argued over who would fire first and who would dispose of his body. He wanted to laugh at their words, knowing they’d never get the chance.
Mai slammed her open-palmed hand on the table. “Silence, you fucking idiots. When he gets here, we will discuss business, and then, as he turns to leave, we will take him out. I’ll have three of my best assassins on the scaffolding—one on each side and one directly behind me. He won’t leave the warehouse alive,” she said, smiling with satisfaction.
Severin barely suppressed the urge to kill them where they stood. Knowing their tentative plans, he shut the link. He loved playing with prey, especially those dumb enough to think they could kill him.
He rubbed his hands together like a child getting their favorite chocolate bar after a year without any. In a flash, he dissolved into smoke, creating a black-and-red rift in the air that appeared above. In a swirling mass, he flowed toward the center until it swallowed him whole. On the other side, he rematerialized in the center of his council office, next to the table where he and his Clan met. He walked to the head of the table, running the tips of his fingers over the old wood until he reached the chair at the very end. He let out a heavy sigh.
“How very dramatic, Sev.”
Severin sat in the leather seat, then answered Eliana. “I’m in a dramatic mood. It’s not every day you overhear your execution plans.”
“Well, in your case, you’ve heard it at least—” Eliana raised her finger, one at a time. “By my calculations, at least three dozen times, give or take a few dozen. Why are you being so melancholy this evening?”
He slumped in the chair, resting his chin in one palm as he stared at her. “I thought Mai was my friend. I hate killing friends, you know,” he sighed.
Eliana settled in the corner near him, crossing one long leg over the other. He looked at her outfit and quirked a brow. “What are you staring at?” Eliana asked.
With a flick of his finger toward her brown skirt and white blouse, he let his silence answer.
“Ugh, you’re a jackass. Just because I’m not dressed like a whore doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with my outfit of choice. I happen to like this...this skirt.” Eliana patted her thighs.
“Oh, so you like dressing like a school teacher from the Wild West?” Severin shoved her off the table. She landed on her feet like an agile cat. Not that he didn’t think she would, since she was hundreds of years old like her brothers. They were all used to taking hits and getting back up.
“For your information, I was in the middle of a little role-playing when I got your summons,” Eliana muttered, taking her seat.
He frowned. “Role-playing? Wait. I didn’t summon you here.”
“You sent out a mental order for all of us to meet you here.” Eliana tapped her temple, indicating the order had come through their link.
The sharp pain piercing his skull threatened to turn into a full-out soul-destroying ache. He shook his head. “I didn’t send anything to you or the others. Fuck. Wouldn’t you and the others realize the link wasn’t ours?”
He opened the path to his Clan and sent a message. “Who is a dickhead in this group?”
“Enzo is for sure,” Castle said.
“Fuck you, Casteloni. You’re just jealous because I was getting laid when the summons came from the fake Sev, and you were busy getting takeout.”
“If by takeout you mean eating pussy, then yep, that’s what I was doing,” Castle growled, making slurping noises through the connection.
“Oh my god, you guys are disgusting. I swear, one day I’m going to kick all of you in the nads so hard you won’t be able to get it up for years,” Eliana promised, tossing images of them with their hands over their crotches with tears streaming down their faces.
“Why you gotta be so mean, deirfiúr beag?” Enzo asked.
“Silence. Be here within the next minute before my patience snaps.” Severin closed the mind link.
They materialized in their seats. Castle sat to his left, Uriel to his right, and Enzo next to Eliana, one right after the other.
Uriel clasped his large hands in front of him, waiting for Enzo, since he was the last. “So, what the fuck was that last-minute call about?”
“Did you not get the original summons about the meeting?” Eliana asked.
