“Make yourself at home.” He said. "I'll be right outside in the hall if you need me call out and I'll hear you." With that, he left and closed the door. Alex went to the living room and took a seat in the large leather chair because it smelled like Roman. He would wait forever, if he had to.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Leon lived in the Highrise apartments near the lake. He must be paid very well for his services to afford this place. He also was not a member of the Castile Coven because all of Castile's people lived at the Lodge, a sprawling compound on the edge of town, nestled in the woods. He was hired for this job, and Roman was going to make him regret it.
It was easy enough to gain entrance to the secure buildings, which are never as secure as they claim or appear. Being well dressed and presenting as upscale, the door just opened for him; no one questioned. Leon lived on the ninth floor, and he was home. Roman could smell his disgusting trail.
He located the apartment and waited until the hallway was clear before breaking in. He was skilled and probably waiting to be found, so Roman was prepared. His short sword, which he preferred, was in his right hand and his dagger in his left.
Guns weren't effective against vampires, and Leon was definitely a vampire. He made it two steps inside the apartment, and Leon was on him. Flailing his long sword in a way thatindicated he was not proficient, but a long sword could do great damage if he managed to connect.
Roman threw him off and backed him up, and they moved around one another. They entered the larger living area with a kitchen behind him and a glass door and balcony in front of him. He took a couple of swipes at Roman, but he knocked him back again. Then the guy charged him, swinging his sword from side to side. Roman caught him on the left side with his dagger, slicing and twisting before Leon could move away.
He stumbled a bit before gaining his balance and dancing to Roman's right. He made a wide swing with the sword using both hands, and Roman kicked him in the chest, driving him backward and through the glass door.
Roman followed him to the balcony. Leon was back on his feet in an instant and managed to catch Roman’s upper arm with a shallow slicing backhand. Leon was measuring his moves now, less reactionary and more thought out, but he was still off balance with the long blade. It was an unfortunate choice and would seal his fate.
They moved back and forth, testing and waiting, and then Leon did it again and lunged at him. Roman grabbed the base of the sword, dropping his dagger, and swung Leon to the left while sweeping his feet out from under him. Leon went over the railing in one swift motion. Nine floors down and landed in a wooded area run through with a branch.
Roman took his sword and left the building, descending via the exterior. Once he reached the ground, he stole a truck from the parking lot and headed for the Lodge. Karl resided at the Lodge as well as Finnian. It was unlikely that Karl took it upon himself to kill the two men from the bank and try to kill Alex. He was acting under Finnian's orders as always.
****
"I sent a crew to the Highrise apartments," Victor told Conall as they sat together in Conall's office. "Roman killed one and bloodied up the area doing it. The crew will take care of the apartment and remove the body.”
“Where is he now?” Conall asked
"On his way to the Lodge to confront Finnian Shade and his toady Karl. According to our information, Karl was tasked with killing the two men from the bank due to trust issues. But Finnian put a hit on Alex because Roman disrespected him.” Victor laughed.
"How did he show disrespect?" Conall asked, not really caring. He knew that Roman would finish whatever he had started, and the Castile Coven would feel the pain. Roman was lethal and efficient, and it was ill-advised to underestimate him.
"He knocked Jackson around after he found out he was the one who attacked his beloved. Apparently, Finnian took that as a personal insult since he was fucking Jackson." Victor rolled his eyes.
“We’re going to have to look at the Castile coven very closely. They seem unbalanced; perhaps it's time to test their boundaries.” Conall was always looking for growth and acquisition.
“They may be ready to deal once Roman finishes with Finnian and his goon Karl.”
“Maybe we’ll just take what we want.”
“Sounds good to me.”
****
Roman drove up to the gates and exited the truck. There were two guards at the gate standing together. He waited until one walked away heading up toward the Lodge, and then he walked up, and the one guard instantly went on the defensive. Roman kept walking, and he separated, moving in front of Roman and pulling out his weapon.
“What is your business here?” He barked at him.
"I'm here to kill Finnian Shade." He said truthfully and pulled his sword. No sense lying, considering he was covered in blood from his last fight. The guard was more skilled than the last man Roman had killed. He didn’t have time to dance around, fearing that others would hear and join the fight, so he went at him hard, beating him back and breaking him down.
He got a few good hits, laying Roman open on the left thigh and stabbing him in the lower left abdomen. It hurt like a bitch but was surface nothing deadly. Roman used his short sword, raining strikes down on him as he took his dagger and plunged it into his side, going deep and twisting it for maximum damage. He then jerked it upwards, splitting him open and dropping him to the brick pavement.
Roman grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the bushes that lined the driveway and fence. They would find him eventually. He opened the gate and walked in, closing it behind him. The grounds were not clear, but it was easy enough to avoid those moving about.
He kept to the trees and the shadows until he made it to the Lodge. He could smell Karl's scent, which was sharp and pungent, and led him around the side of the Lodge to an outbuilding located about one hundred yards from the Lodge.
The place looked to be some sort of greenhouse or solarium. Karl sat there drinking a cup of something and readinga magazine. Next to him, Finnian Shade is scrolling his phone. He couldn't have asked for a better setup.
“Good morning.” He stated as he stepped into the sunlit shelter.