Page 8 of Claimed By Shadows

Hunt straightens in his seat next to me as the men approach, all three dressed head to toe in black and wearing black masks that cover half their faces. That’s another thing about them. No one knows exactly who they are because when they’re together like this, they cover their faces.

The one in the lead, a tall man with skin that looks dark in the lowlights of the club, steps up to the table, taking a seat next to Fingers. Lucifer is his name, my mind supplies. They all have names of fallen angels, taking them when they pass the trials that are brutal as fuck.

“Hunter Anderson, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he purrs, his deep voice washing over me and sending fucking shivers down my spine. The other two men, one with hair that looks black and the other with almost silver hair, stands behind him, flanking his back.

“Likewise, Lucifer,” Hunt says, setting his glass down on the table. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Whatever you’re having looks good,” Lucifer replies, and Hunt signals the waitress over, who is already bringing Hunt’s favourite whiskey and three more glasses. “May I introduce Azazel and Belial?” Hunt nods at the men standing at Lucifer’s back, and they nod back, but I focus on trying to work out who is who.

“Azazel, meet your cousins, Roman and Rowan Kent,” Lucifer says, his lips tilted in a smirk as if he has known the connection all along and is enjoying revealing the secret.

“Nice to meet you, boys,” the dark-haired one states, his Irish accent unmistakable.

“You too,” I reply, glancing at Rowan, who is staring at the guy in that way he does, dissecting him, trying to work out what makes him tick. It’s unnerving as fuck, but Azazel’s lips twitches, like he finds it amusing.

“Of course, tonight wasn’t just about a family reunion,” Lucifer interjects, his voice devoid of any emotion.

“Of course,” Hunter adds, his face a mask and unreadable as he doesn’t take his eyes off Lucifer.

“We’d like to extend an invasion to the three of you, to a poker game that we are holding in a couple of weeks time,” Lucifer tells us, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a black envelope with gold details that sparkle when the lights hit them.

He extends his hand out to Hunter, who takes the envelope and opens it, pulling out a single piece of black card, also with gold foiling. Something else falls from the envelope, and my insides twist even before my mind has fully caught up with what it is. A perfectly dried iris flower sits on the glass table, its colours dull but bright enough to still make me sure what the flower is.

I snap my head back to Lucifer, who is sitting there with a half smirk on his face, like he knows the bomb he’s just dropped on us.

“What is this?” Hunt asks, his voice dark and full of a menace that usually has people pissing their pants. Lucifer just smiles, inclining his head.

“I think you know,” he states, then gets up. “We don’t take IOU’s on the night. You play with what you have on your person, so make sure you bring enough.”

My skin tingles and sweat beads along my spine when Lucifer turns his back on us and strides away.

“See you there,Col Gaolta,” Azazel says before following him, the silver-haired one, Belial, walking after them.

I glance back down at the flower, then up at Hunter’s swirling eyes.

“Does this mean she’ll be there?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as I hardly dare utter the words, as if by saying them I’m jinxing something.

“Perhaps,” Hunt replies, looking at me, his jaw working as he thinks. “But why would they do this? What is their price?”

“Ya won’t know until they tell ya, lad,” Fingers interjects, and I blink, having forgotten he was even there. “The question you should ask yerself, is what are ya willing ta pay ta get her back?”

I lock eyes with Hunter first, then Rowan, and I know mine have the same answer in them.

Anything. Everything.

We would pay whatever it takes to get Iris back, to have her with us where she belongs.

“GET YOU THE MOON (FEAT SNØW)” BY KINA

IRIS

Nik and I spent as long as we could in the woods on the Petrov Estate, just soaking in each other’s presence. It felt so damn good to have his arms around me, to allow myself to sink into him and just forget all the shit that I’ve had to go through lately.

Like all dreams though, I had to wake up, and my stomach growls as we head back towards the mansion when the sun is high in the sky. Nik lets go of my hand just before we leave the tree line and my heart aches at the loss. I know we will have lotsof eyes on us, but I still yearn for his touch, even knowing that it could sign our death warrants.

“Let’s have lunch together,Malyshka,” Nik suggests under his breath, his husky voice sending goosebumps across my skin. “Sergi is out on business and he said I can spend some time with you, so it won’t be suspicious.”

Knowing our time together isn’t quite at an end eases the pain inside of me as we make our way inside and towards the dining room, seeing only a few of Sergi’s men along the way. They all incline their heads to Nik in respect, some lower than others, and I wonder if those men are more loyal to him than his father. Will they support him when the time comes for him to take over?

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