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The car drops us at the entrance. Security pats us all down. They don’t give a shit about the drugs. They look for talismans, amulets, blood. Inside, the club isn’t packed. I guess the opening didn’t go as planned. Still, the place looks good. Cold metal, black glass, magic runes pulsing under the floor like veins. I keep my heels off the lines. This feels like dark magic even I don’t want to touch. Never trust a witch. Ever.

I spot Alexa on the balcony with her circle. Better to avoid her entirely. Instead, I hunt for Henry, her right hand. If the Silver Witches dipped their fingers in this mess, Henry will know. I find him at the champagne bar. Silver Witches have deep pockets. He looks elegant as always, sharp suit, perfect hair. To be honest, he is a good right hand. Say what you want about Alexa, she’s building the coven strong.

“The place looks nice,” I say.

He turns, surprise flickering before he smooths it away. “Lara. I didn’t know you were invited.”

“I came with the girls. You know how it is. The clients call, I come.”

“Right.” His gaze moves over my dress, then back to my face. “Actually, I could use some.”

He looks strained. I tuck my hair behind one ear, flutter my lashes, and give him the kind of smile I learned from the girls at Velvet Blush.

“Maybe we should find somewhere quieter,” I say with a sexy rasp. “I have something really good.”

A spark lights in his eyes. “Oh, don’t worry. The advantage of owning the place is that I know all the rooms.”

His hand settles on my back as he guides me through the club. Fingers drift lower than I like. Still, I keep walking. I only need to endure it for a little while. We enter a VIP room tucked behind a dark corridor, elegant, sound-proofed, with a velvet sofa and a mirrored table. Henry sits and pulls me closer by the waist. One more move and I will strangle him, but I cover my irritation with a smile.

“I see Alexa is trying very hard,” I say.

“Oh, yes.” Henry leans back. “She has enormous ambition. She wants to be in charge.”

“Of the Silver Witches? I think that’s going rather well for her.”

“Yeah.” He hesitates. “The covens…”

I catch the pause before he looks at me with sudden curiosity.

“I saw you at the Silver party talking to Lex,” he says. “You still close with the vampires?”

I try to laugh it off. “Not really. He just buys from me. Like everyone else.”

“Are they still looking for Julian?” He digs deeper.

“What do you think? That Marcus is going to let his property vanish into thin air?”

Henry gives a dry smile. “Then he should’ve kept a tighter leash on his investment.”

Maybe he couldn’t. But the word catches me.

“Investment?”

Henry sets his glass of champagne down. “Without Julian, the land goes back to the Von Battens. And they’d rather go to the wolves than work with Marcus.”

“I thought a vampire’s estate passed to his progeny, or back to his maker if there wasn’t one,” I say.

“Technically, yes. But the Von Battens secured everything in the family trust fund. Even after Julian’s death, everything goes back to the family. They might be human, but they are not stupid.”

“So, if Julian is gone, Marcus gets nothing from them on paper?”

“Yes.”

Then, if Marcus killed Julian, it was all for nothing. And even worse, the properties might end up on Caruso’s doorstep.

“How do you know all this?” I ask.

“We have the same lawyers.” Henry grows impatient, and his eyes drop to my purse. “But back to us. What do you have for me, darling?”