The older man waved a hand carelessly. “She died. It worked out well that I was hunting for a new one when Easton got in touch with me. Even an idiot can get something right every oncein a while, apparently. I figure it won’t take much to extend her contract into a long-term anchor agreement. The last one gave me fuck-ups for progeny. It’s time I started over.”
“She’d never agree to that.” Luis worked hard to keep his expression relaxed when all he wanted to do was rip Malachi’s head off his shoulders.
Malachi’s pale blue eyes sharpened with interest. “Oh? I did get the impression that you knew her.”
Luis’s voice came out light, but his eyes were flat with banked rage when he answered, “Only well enough to say for certain she’d never agree to an anchor arrangement.”
The older vampire snorted. “Ah, so she turned you down, then. That’s a sign of good sense. Not that she really needs it. Anchors really shouldn’t be allowed to use their brains too often. It distresses them.” Malachi fixed the sleeves of his suit with quick tugs of his ring-clad fingers. “Give them enough allowance and some shiny things and they’re content. I’m sure she’ll be much the same.”
Luis felt his breathing quicken. Only the subtle shifting of his brother’s feet reminded him that now wasn’t the time to rip Malachi’s balls off.
“You seem very confident you’ll win,” he drawled.
Malachi tipped his tattooed head to one side, indicating his entourage — a small fleet of tattooed men. Hissnakes,as he called them. Not men who owed him loyalty out of blood ties, care, and mutual benefit. They were all conscripted and branded as his through a career of blackmail and extortion.
Luis even recognized one of them: a lean, dark-eyed and dark-skinned man who’d once been a United Congressman’s son, before his father borrowed money from the wrong monster. Luis thought his name was once Rhodes, but now people only called him Bite.
If Malachi wanted you dead, that was who he sent — and who he’d without a doubt throw into the ring as his proxy.
“I have a good feeling about my odds,” Malachi quipped, like it was all for fun.
The thought of Malachi of all people coming within ten feet of Francesca, let alone having the privilege of tasting her blood, made rage boil in the pit of his stomach. He wouldn’t care whether she was comfortable or happy. He’d use her until she had nothing left to give, just as he did to everyone who had the misfortune of falling into his orbit.
Just as he’d tried to do to a powerful young witch, once upon a time.
Inclining his tattooed head, Malachi offered an insincere goodbye. “I look forward to seeing you in the ring, Amauri brothers.”
Neither of them bothered to return the sentiment.
When Malachi and his entourage were far enough away, Milo turned his head to whisper, “I’m going to step out for a second.”
Luis frowned. “What? Why?”
“Because if that piece of shit is here, you need more help than I can give you by myself,” Milo answered. “I’m calling in a favor.”
Watching him move toward the doors, Luis called out, “Not Marietta!”
Swiveling his head to give his brother a disgruntled look, he replied, “Of course not. She’d start throwing knives before you even stepped into the ring. Just trust me, okay?”
“I trust you.” Luis swallowed. “You’re my brother. You’re theonlyone I trust with her.”
The corner of Milo’s scarred lip kicked up in a wry smile. “Just a friend, huh?”
NINE
“When wereyou going to tell me you knew Luis Amauri?” Easton hissed.
“Don’t snap at her,” Maxine butted in. “This isn’t her fault. This is all you, idiot! Just how many people do you owe money to?”
Francesca watched them go back and forth with mounting dread. In her mind, everything had seemed so simple. The reality had proven far from it.
She sat in a chair in the corner of the room, her heels abandoned and her mind full of white noise. Her body still buzzed with arousal, an ache that hadn’t even come close to dissipating, and the lingering effects of adrenaline. She knew she should’ve left well-enough alone. Sheknewit.
But some phantom bent on ruining her life had possessed her and now everything was shit. It was that damn selfish, screaming little demon in her that came out sometimes, slipping through the cracks of her armor when her willpower to just keep going weakened.
That desperate thing always made her do something reckless. Last time it was packing up and moving to United Washington on a whim. Now it was… this.
“Why does that matter?” Easton sputtered. “Everything will be settled tonight. If the Amauri maniac doesn’t kill me first!”