Page 73 of In Prey We Trust

Too bad his wimpy heir discarded my dish rag daughter. I could have taken that away with a manufactured scandal, though perhaps…

“Matilda!” I snap. She runs over with my fresh drink, looking pathetically terrified. “Find out everything you can on that idiot child of Titus and do it now. I believe I know how I’ll reward his… ingenuity in our contracts.”

Blinking, she takes out a notepad and scribbles on it quickly. “Yes, Madame.”

“Also, pull every record we saved from prior to the blast at my school. I want to see all the files on incidents there last year. Get birdbrain on the phone if you have to.” Sipping the ice cold martini, I smile to myself. My plot might hit two targets with one mortar and the thought pleases me.

“Is there a particular incident or student you want information on, Madame?”

Ha! Nice try, featherhead. No, I won/t be giving you detail to pass to Delores.

“No, I simply want to look at everything. I need to match it up with the escalation in violence for the insurance paperwork in this file.” I wave the papers I haven’t even looked at towards her and she nods. Turning away to gaze at the portrait of my father on the wall, I stir my drink as I consider how I will arrange things to suit my machinations. It has to appear believable and not be traceable to me, so I’ll use Bruiser. He has plenty of disgusting contacts in the underground world that won’t ask questions.

With my revenge on the thieving tiger settled in my mind, I examine the next set of papers. They aren’t helpful, so I head to my desk to file them. I sit my drink down and shift my right hand, pressing a paw pad to the scanner on the drawer. I take no risks with security, even in my home. Dmitri often spoke of trusting those closest to you the way you’d trust a starved animal and I concur. Anyone can betray you and being prepared minimizes the impact.

“Where’s the intel file on Delores? I want to review her progress outside of that performance in the ring last week. She didn’t know I was there, but given her profile has risen astronomically since she started at Capital Prep, I have to keep a much closer eye on her.” Leaning back in the plush chair, I wait for my assistant to flit about again and when she brings me the next files, I growl, “This had better be complete. I lost my contact at Apex and had to purchase a new one mid-year. I do not want to suffer the same setback this year.”

“B-But, Madame… we could not have predicted a murderer would randomly select our mole for execution. How shall I instruct your team on your wishes?”

I roll my eyes and sit up, pushing the button on my intercom. “Bruiser! Idi syuda.”

The lumbering bodyguard appears within less than a minute, dipping his head as he enters. “Madame Lucille. What may I destroy for you?”

My smile is fangy as I tilt my head at Matilda. “No destruction—at the moment. Your skills are required to investigate my current contacts at Capital Prep. I do not wish to have a repeat of the lost connection from last year. Drive up there tonight and tomorrow. Do what you do best.”

The look on his face is gruesome and I know anyone he gets his hands on will suffer if they don’t comply with his orders. “As you wish, Madame. I will vet them completely, even if it requires pressure. Do you have further instructions while I am on campus?”

He means do I want him to visit my chubby leech; I’m not stupid.

“Perhaps. I will think about it and, before you leave, visit me again for clarification.” I cut my gaze to my shivering hawk assistant. I don’t want her warning my daughter that Bruiser is coming and I’ll make certain to activate the communications blockers after I dismiss her.

“Understood.”

Bruiser exits the room and I shuffle my papers again, pausing as I inspect the details of the trackers I’ve had in Delores since she was in diapers. Squinting, I eye the data, then click the mouse on my computer to look at the posting of the foolish eldest son of the Raj. Something doesn’t add and I can’t quite—

Ah-ha. Very clever, Delores. Very clever, indeed.

“Matilda!” I startle her again and she scampers over to appease me. “I need to speak with the cybersecurity head and Doctor Rankin immediately.”

“Yes, Madame. Right away. May I inquire what I should tell them about your call?”

I snort, giving her a sharp look. “No, you may not. You will call Doctor Rankin first and patch him through to my office. I will have you reach out to Brutus after I get what I need from Rankin. Is that clear enough or should I try it in smaller syllables?”

“N-No, ma’am. I mean, yes, Madame. I understand.” She pushes her glasses up and writes on her pad again. “Is there anyone else I should contact?”

Leaning back in my chair again, I ponder her question. I’m going to find out why Delores’ trackers all show her scattered across the campus when I know she’s in a video placing her at Inky Depths at the time in question. Once I do, I’ll dispatch Bruiser to deal with the techs, who should parse my intel and missed her brief excursion. Then I’ll call that sleazy old feline on Bloodstone and discuss our strategy for his wayward sons and their adoptive orphan.

“No. However, I require a mid-afternoon snack. Tell the cook I demand fresh food and it had better arrive quickly lest I head down to check on it myself.”

That gets her moving. My ridiculously mousy bird secretary is fond of the head chef and she’d swallow her whole tongue before allowing him to be served on his own platters. Smiling to myself, I push the button on the intercom and call for Bruiser again before she returns. He stomps in, arching a brow inquisitively.

“She can’t be trusted not to spill her guts to Delores.” He nods, straightening his jacket as he waits. “Not only do I want you to shake up our contacts and verify their covers, but I want you to find out everything that’s happened on campus these past few weeks. Sniff out what my daughter is hiding and how we can monitor her better, then find weak points we can exploit later on. I need to know what she might stick her nose in before she does it.”

“And if I find out who was responsible for our contact’s death? What is your wish, then?”

“Don’t take them out until we know what their game is. The Society or the Council did not coordinate the murders at Apex. They are likely linked to the little show that destroyed my school, Bruiser, and I want vengeance for the affront. No one survives interfering with my plans, but we cannot strike back until we know what they want.”

“Consider it done, Madame.”

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