Page 46 of Blood Descendants
“Never,” I agree, even though I’ve only met the man once. A man who propositions his son’s fiancée after dinner isn’t a man you can predict the actions of.
“Come on,” Ares says as I see his silhouette cross back to the main door. “We need to get going. We can’t be late to that meeting.”
Nodding, I follow after him. He opens the door and confidently strides out, which is smart. Act like you belong, and no onewill question it. I walk out after him, and Ares locks the door once more and pulls it closed.
We climb back into the SUV, and Billings merges back into the light traffic.
“I don’t know what it really helps, but at least now I know Ophelia left out the back,” I say, mulling it all over.
“It’s something,” Ares agrees. He reaches across and takes my hand. My eyes rise up to meet his hazel ones. “We’ll figure out what happened to her.”
He doesn’t promise we’ll find her. I swallow hard. Because I know the likely outcome, logically. My gut has been trying to tell me for a while now. So, Ares doesn’t make promises he can’t keep.
But I see it in his eyes. He means it. He will help me find out what happened to her.
We roll through the night, and at just ten minutes to midnight, we pull into a parking garage. Not wasting any time, Ares guides me to the elevators. We step inside, and he presses the button for the seventy-ninth floor. It’s a silent, anxious ride up. And I find myself wondering how the hell I ended up here. Just a few weeks ago, I was teaching self-defense classes and eating microwave mac and cheese by myself in my bedroom. And now I’m about to walk into a room filled with rich, dangerous vampires who run this city after dark.
And the man standing beside me, the one that’s covered in tattoos, the one who looks like he runs an illegal casino and will break fingers if you don’t pay him what he’s owed, the one who is smooth, and calm, and supportive, he slips his hand into mine, interlacing our fingers once we slide past the seventieth floor. He brushes his thumb over my knuckles, a soothingaction.
This is your life, Lana, I tell myself.Fake it if you have to. But don’t let them think you’re weak.
I raise my chin as the elevator dings and the doors slide open.
Side by side, Ares and I step out. There’s an open lobby, but there’s nowhere else to go but straight to the giant double glass doors ahead. There’s no signage, no names on the door. It’s the kind of space that says if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, you’re not meant to be here.
Ares pulls the door open, and I walk through. My grip tightens on his by the second, but he doesn’t even flinch.
It’s a huge room, filled with modern, shiny tables and black and silver chairs. Everything is polished, cleaned, and dusted to perfection. I’d almost guess this was some kind of high-end club. There’s a gleaming bar at the back of the space. And all around the entire area are floor-to-ceiling windows, granting us a gorgeous night view of New York.
Near the windows, in the center of the space, an area has been cleared, and a dozen chairs are circled up. There are five men sitting there, talking amongst themselves, including Augustus.
Ares’ father looks up, and immediately, his eyes go to me. They narrow, and I’m sure he’s recalling our last encounter with my nails digging into his scrotum. And from the lack of other women here, I’d guess my presence isn’t welcome due to the fact that I own a vagina.
“This is a closed meeting, son,” Augustus says. He spreads his arms wide on the chair. Leaned back, one ankle crossed over the opposite knee, he’s the picture of collected and calm. But the tension in his shoulders gives him away.
“Marriage means equality,” Ares says as he walks us into thecircle of chairs. He guides me down into one before taking the seat right next to me. I note he’s placed me as far from his father as possible. He takes my hand once more, the action extremely deliberate. “It means truth and trust. I don’t keep anything from Lana. I don’t make decisions without her. So, my presence here means her presence as well.”
“This isn’t how we do things, Augustus,” a man growls. He’s older than Augustus and kind of an ugly man. His nose is bulbous, his hair a bit greasy and slicked back. He wears a tacky suit like he’s trying to look like a mobster.
“Time has shown us that evolution is essential to survival,” Ares says, his tone low and dangerous as he levels the man with a look. “Even immortals could stand to learn this. My fiancée stays.”
The doors to the space swing open and in walks another man. His eyes immediately flick to me, but he doesn’t seem threatened by my presence. Not like the others.
“It’s your risk to take, my son,” Augustus says. He steeples his fingers before him, his gaze fixed on me. “Every piece of information you share with this human woman, one who won’t be one of us someday, puts her in more danger. You do realize what must happen to her should the two of you break up?”
Ice washes over my skin at his words.
“None of us have to worry about that,” Ares says as he brings my hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Besides, you wouldn’t hurt the mother of your unborn grandchildren, would you?”
At this, Augustus’ eyes widen. “Does that mean…?”
“I’m late,” I say with a shrug. “But there are two more days until I can take a test.”
Shit. My acting skills have their limits. I’m already pretending to be Ares’ fiancée, I’m not sure I’m up to pretending to be pregnant as well.
This softens the look in Augustus’ eyes. And it makes me sick. I feel like a breeding cow. Produce babies, and you’re valuable. Don’t, and you’re nothing but scrap meet.
“It’s your risk to take, son,” Augustus says with a shrug. “Just don’t doubt the outcome if things end.”
