Page 2 of Mitchell
Mitchell stopped listening to Wilson. Of course, he'd heard him. On some level, he took in Wilson's words, but it was only to understand Wilson's agenda. His mind wandered to the last moments he'd had with his father, as they often did before a fight. It only took one blow to end his life. The thought always sent him back to the past.
You boys have always been my number one. You know that. Now it's up to you to put Jude first. Do you understand, son?
He had understood. Everything he'd done since his dad passed away had been with Jude in mind. Even while walking with Wilson, wishing one day the devious dickhead would get what was coming to him, he knew he'd fight with everything he had because he had to make it back to his little brother.
Chapter Two
Seryn sat in a diner sipping on a soda and watching people through the window. He'd ordered loaded fries ten minutes ago and expected the flirtatious server to drop them off soon, not that he cared about food. He wasn't hungry. But someone didn't come into a place like Dale's Diner: Home of the Famous Steak Sandwich without ordering something to eat. He wanted to blend in, not that he succeeded.
He was too pretty. Too perfect in his clothing. Too expressionless. Too off-center. Too crazy. Too much of a vampire. Too much of a warlock. People told him all the time how he was too much to blend in with everyone else.
Most days, it was easy to lean into his weirdness. But sometimes, he just wanted to be normal. Waffling between self-doubt and acceptance left him unsettled. Unless he was working. Only then did he know who he had to be. He performed no matter what the job required. More importantly, Seryn knew how to read people. So, he knew the flirtatious server with his dark mop of hair and his shy smile would be Seryn's ticket into the tunnels. But that was if the young man knew about them.
The tunnels remained from the automobile industry boom at the turn of the century. It seemed Americans had a difficult time as new drivers. Since the laws surrounding vehicles either didn't exist or they were too new, pedestrians became frequent victims of accidents, prompting the city to intervene. So, they built walkways under the city, leading to and from popular spots.
Of course, nothing stayed pure. The city shut them down, and criminals found them useful. From pickpocket thieves to bootleggers during prohibition and finally a crime boss with an underground fighting ring and a slew of slaves.
Seryn knew how many slaves Niall Davorion had, but not if Mitchell Burke was one of them. He found evidence connecting the Chained Devil's former leader to Davorion. Not only that, but there was a fighter who hadn't lost in months. Certain people who gambled in the underground talked about betting on him. Seryn strongly suspected they were talking about Mitchell, although he had nothing more than a gut feeling to back it up.
The diner was the key to finding out. The building had been in the Davorion 'family' for over a hundred years. But all 'family' meant was Davorion was some type of paranormal, probably a vampire since they populated the city. It meant Niall Davorion had bought the building to access the tunnels so he could move alcohol from one speakeasy to the next all around the city. As the times changed, so had Davorion's purpose for the tunnels, but he'd always had access.
The server carried one of the largest plates of fries Seryn had ever seen. Processed cheese sauce with chunks of bacon covered the fries.
For an establishment owned by one of the biggest criminals in the city just to keep his criminal activities under wraps, they took their job of creating unhealthy, delicious food seriously.
Seryn smiled and thanked the server when he set the plate in front of him.
"Can I get you anything else?" The server implied he'd give Seryn anything he wanted, including sexual favors if he chose. Seryn could tell by the way the server's gaze slid down Seryn's body as if he could see Seryn's lower half past the booth's table. He licked his lips and smiled shyly as if he hadn't just undressed Seryn with his eyes. The shyness would have been surprising if the server were unaware of his own behavior. But he knew exactly what he was doing.
"No, thank you." Seryn wasn't there to get off and even if he was, the server, while cute, wasn't his type.
"Enjoy your meal." The disappointment was obvious in every syllable. He was young and naïve enough not to school his features and tone. It spoke of either a sheltered life or a personality in which he didn't let others change him.
The server turned back to the counter.
"Actually, you could help with something." Seryn pulled a paper napkin from the dispenser and put it next to his plate. He didn't make a habit of eating unhealthy food, but he was hungry, and he wasn't sure when he'd have the time to eat again.
The server turned, meeting his gaze with a hopefulness that would die a quick death soon.
"Would you inform me when Todd starts his shift?"
The server drew his eyebrows together. "Todd?"
"Todd Harmen. He works every afternoon, doesn't he?" Seryn hadn't gotten his information wrong. Thoroughness had saved his life more than once in the past.
"He's usually early."
Seryn would have responded, but a vision came to him. It was of a man with short blond hair and scabbed over puncture marks on his neck. He was on the shorter side and thin. But he wore designer clothing, even though he smelled like grease. He was in what appeared to be a glass room. Or at least that's the view the man looked out of while he sat on a plush red couch and… peoplewatched? Seryn wasn't sure what his agenda was, but it was clear the only thing worth doing was watching the well-dressed people file into what appeared to be a large arena. Seryn would bet the view through the glass only went one way.
A door opened somewhere behind the man, making him turn.
The person who entered was definitely a vampire. He wore a gray suit that appeared tailored and expensive. His fangs had already descended as if he could smell his meal even from outside the small luxurious room.
"Get undressed, Todd. I want your body and your blood this time."
Todd shivered. Whether in anticipation or fear, Seryn couldn't tell. Maybe Todd knew the next few moments would be his last.
Seryn smiled at the server, trying to forget the vision. Todd Harmen would die at the hands of Niall Davorion if Seryn didn't step in. Todd was just trying to survive the best way they knew how, even if it meant selling himself to a devilish criminal. Either Todd had a limited mental capacity, or he was naïve. Either way, money motivated him.
