Page 17 of Dancing with Daggers

Ares tried to focus on the sensation and her scent and not the murderous rage that was coursing through him. "So what's your angle? Why are you here, Zia? You're a Volso, but you're not? You're not here because you want to run the family."

"Corven thought someone outside the family could figure out what's happening inside it without suspicion."

Ares's brain tried to think through the rage and figure out what she could be getting at. "This is about Kristofer being killed?"

"Partly. Corven thinks someone in the family did it, and he wants to know who," Zia said with a small smile. "I'm good at discovering secrets, especially because everyone who looks at me sees a dumb blonde from a little village."

Ares looked down into her big eyes. "No, you are far from that. Do you have any theories on who could have killed Kris? We had the news say it was sirens because he was found by the water, but no one could confirm it. It was the investigator's best guess."

"It's someone in the family, but no one in this building. I thought you might be the killer for a bit," she admitted.

Ares's brows shot up. "Why me?"

"Because Camille, Erik, and Emilia aren't smart enough to know how to murder someone and then make it look like sirens had attacked him. You are. Don't even try and lie to me and say you aren't capable of killing someone."

"I'm more than capable. I killed that fucking hitman trying to snipe you last night," he admitted.

Zia's eyes went wide. "You're telling me the truth."

"I am. I killed him, and I would do it again in a heartbeat," he replied and lifted her chin. "You might not be blood, but no one else knows that. He thought he was killing a Volso, and that has consequences. I protect my family, especially from themselves. I will need all your evidence on Erik's dealings."

Zia nodded. "Okay, I'll get it for you."

"Good. I'll also look into the money laundering in Camille's charity." Ares brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Fucking hell, you've been here a few days, and you've already turned my whole life upside down."

Zia beamed at him like he had just given her the best compliment in the world. "Sure have! But better me than Galen or Thor, right?"

Ares didn't know about that. He knew how to handle the sorcerer and the Viking. The woman in front of him? No fucking idea. He wanted to lock her up or pin her down or both so she would be still long enough for him to figure her out. The thought didn't sit well with him. He barely noticed other people; she was suddenly all he could see.

"You need to keep your head down tomorrow," Ares said, turning off the shower. She opened her mouth, but he put his hand over it. "Please, Zia. Don't argue with me about this. Whoever hired that hitman wasn't fucking around. Until I know who it’s targeting you, I need you to stay in the building."

Zia pulled his hand away from her mouth. "Okay, but only because I like my head where it is and not because you told me to."

Ares sighed. "Good enough."

12

Ares was back at his desk the following morning, looking over Zia's photographs of Erik's dealings.

Ares only had himself to blame. He had been the one to push Corven to find some employment for Erik. He had invited the snake in.

Now, he would have to pay off the debts and try to cover it up so the Volso family didn't lose auctoritas with the vampire council. They were still reeling from Aulus's conspiracy to try and become king of the vampires. If Ares acted quickly, no one would notice him having to clean house. He would have to deal with Corven's disappointment, which was somehow worse.

Ares was always the one who gave him bad news, including Kris's death. He had been stewing over what Zia had said about the murderer being in the family.

Who could have had a grudge against Kris, though? He was sweet and harmless as far as dhampir went. He kept to himself, living out on the coast and painting. He always had a kind word and open house for any of the Volsos.

There had been more than one occasion that Ares had visited him and had just drunk a beer and watched him paint. They didn't need to talk. Kris had never tried to force him either. Killing him benefitted no one. It was just a malicious act of violence.

Unless it was done so that it would hurt the family the most. The very idea rocked him. Ares pulled up his file on the family and the long process Corven had been going through to choose his heir. It had been years, and most hadn't even known they were being considered. He shouldn't have access to the file at all and had never been motivated to look in it until then.

Ares's eyes snagged on a photo, and his blood went icy. He was older and had a fresh scar on his face, but his brother was looking at him from a photo snapped without Mars noticing.

Ares pulled up the file. There was no address, no indication of where the photo had been taken. The information in the file was basic, citing his current criminal dealings, which were mostly petty theft and assault charges. Corven's notes had been one word—Unacceptable. That he had been noted at all made Ares want to throw up.

Corven had been the one to find them and pull Ares out of the shit hole he'd been raised in. The vampire had found young Ares covered in old blood and sitting in his room. He couldn't remember how many days it had been.

Ares had taken one too many beatings from his father, one of Corven's more volatile children, and Ares had finally snapped. Mars, who had always gotten in on the beatings, had been so scared, he had abandoned his ten-year-old brother.

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