Page 15 of Death Deals

That meant Andre was pretty high up in the chain of command. Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t too surprised. Authority radiated in his demeanor. You could see it in the way he spoke to employees and how they respected him. Even when he’d interacted with the Perezes. He was definitely more than a boss or club owner.

“If your king is trying to push the boundary lines, why did he agree to attempt peace with the other monarchs?” I asked.

Andre paused, and in his silence, my curiosity peaked.

“He doesn’t know what you’re doing, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t,” he admitted. “And if he ever found out, it’d mean my immediate death. Possibly the entire annihilation of my faction here in Fairport for following my instructions.”

“Do they know, at least?”

He shook his head, his expression grave. “Unfortunately, I’ve had to lie to them all. But if I can find a way to bring the families together and stop the fighting, I can save our species from self-destruction. Our numbers decrease every day by the hundreds. We’re close to extinction because we are our own worst enemy. It needs to stop.”

“And you think this letter will help?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t know if it will, but I hope. The pieces of the letter are the only things that survived the fires, and all we share. It’s the only remaining information we have about our origins. Even the oldest of us aren’t old enough to know how we began or what started the hatred between us. If this letter gives us some insight into the past, maybe we can find out how to move on from it.”

The determination on his face and in his words seemed genuine to me, but I still wasn’t sure if I was ready to believe him yet.

“I am lucky Hector shared my thoughts on the matter and was able to create an alliance, as thin as it may be,” Andre went on. “His family has lost the most. Their numbers are minimal, and I think his king is growing desperate.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked, eyeing him skeptically. Realistically, we had just met. He’d saved me from the Omaris because heneededme. This was a business transaction, really, and he could have kept it clinical, but he was sharing something that could hurt him if discovered. Something I could use against him if I wanted to.

Andre turned toward me. “To be completely honest, I really don’t know. Maybe it’s because of what you are. Angels are supposed to be a trustworthy lot, aren’t they?”

I snorted a laugh. “You could say that. Though, I’m not really like the rest of them.”

He nodded, agreeing. “That was quite obvious.”

“Hey.”

He shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I’m risking so much already and having your partnership is what I need for this to be truly successful. My last chance.”

Great. I already have so much on my plate. Let’s add vampire world peace to that list.

I frowned. Every time I thought I’d managed to climb out of one mess, I found myself thrown into another.

“And what about you?” he asked.

“Hm?”

“What about you?” he repeated the question. “How does an Archangel get herself trapped in a demon contract?”

“Because I’m an idiot,” I grumbled and rubbed my forehead. I didn’t want to talk about myself and the terrible situation I was in.

His brow rose, urging me to go on.

“I really don’t want to go there right now,” I said.

“It’s only fair,” he replied “Besides, if I’m meant to help you, I should probably know what I’m in for. You said a demon was after you? A Greed demon?”

I winced.

“We have a rather long drive,” he started. “Perfect time to get to know each other a little better.”

The double meaning to his words made goosebumps rise.

Shit. I was in so much trouble.

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