Page 65 of Dangerous Deviance
The rest was the same; we crossed the empty entrance lobby, passing the white furniture with the bright red orchid in the middle of a table. That flower caught my eye. It was delicate and utterly feminine, but the color was violent, being the only smear of color on the entire floor. It reminded me of those women from the woods, of Ellie. Each of them was dangerous, but mysteriously so, wrapped up into a package that was hard to resist. Like a light bringing us closer to our deaths, those women lured us in. And Ellie lured me.
The guard let us up to the top floor without a word. As the elevator cart clicked to a start, my stomach sank. Derek sucked in a breath. The elevator rushed to the top in an electric hum. Stepping out of the cart, we exchanged a glance, then opened the office doors.
“My favorite brothers,” Muro said. He clicked a button on his wireless earbud, then smirked and gestured to the two of us to come in. I glanced around his office; this time, there were no beefy guards pouring shots of whisky in the corner, but there was a woman kneeling to the side of him, her head bowed. Derek studied her for a moment, as if he recognized her, but he shook it off.
“One of these days, I’ll have to make the trip to Sage City myself,” Muro said, his tone nonchalant as if we still had a good relationship. “But alas, business keeps me here, in the headquarters. You know how it is.”
I got the feeling he was saying that to mock us. In comparison, we, the Adler family, controlled Sage City, our state’s capital, and had footing in Las Vegas, as well as other businesses in different states, a legacy that had taken us generations to build. Muro, on the other hand, had spread throughout the entire United States quicker than a weed, stretching his greedy fingers, caring more about his growing power than building his foundation that would last.
But civilizations were built and destroyed like that. Muro would find that out soon enough. And the best part was that he hadn’t covered Sage City yet, the only other major city in our state.Westood in his way.
The only reason we were there was for Gerard. He had insisted that we try to work it out. Negotiate. Reason. I wouldn’t have agreed, except for the fact that we knew Muro had to do with the women from the woods, and by seeing him, Derek argued we might be able to figure more out.
“You’ve come to discuss purchasing artillery, correct?” Muro said. I glanced at Derek, who shook his head.
“We came to discuss our recent orders,” Derek said.
“Ah, that’s right. I hear there was a misunderstanding with my men,” Muro asked, looking at me. “You came to apologize?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed in his face. “Actually, we wanted to make sure you understood that therewillbe cutbacks.”
“Cutbacks,” he said. “I see. Because a home is a home.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And we don’t like it when people touch our things.”
I lifted a brow.Our things? Why did it seem like he was talking about Ellie? Muro calling her a ‘thing’ made me feel like shit. How could I consider myself any better than Muro when I had captured her? Forced her to my will? Became her god?
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Muro smiled, his mouth pulled wide. “And what do you think I’m talking about, Wilhelm?”
I stared at him, daring him to make a move. “Women,” I said. Because he was right. I hated when other men talked to or touched Ellie, but she wasn’t a ‘thing.’ I glanced at the kneeling woman, but she hadn’t moved. “Women,” I continued, refocusing on Muro, “especiallymywoman, deserve more respect than that.”
“Your woman,” Muro snickered. “What an interesting concept. Do we ever reallyownanything? Especially people. Every being has a mind of its own. Unless, of course, you get rid of that mind.”
Get rid of what? Their minds?
Just like he had manipulated the women at the Skyline Shift.
The woman was as still as a statue on the floor, waiting for Muro’s demands.
“We know you sent those women,” Derek said. He adjusted in his chair, then put his hand on his gun.
“What women?” Muro asked, a playful grin on his face.
“We found five naked women in the woods. Two of which tried to kill us.” Derek left his arm loose at his side, ready to fight. I wrapped my own hand around my gun, a flicker of pain from the cut still healing there.
Muro’s eyes scanned my face, lingering over the scab on my cheek. “I see you’ve been having fun, then,” Muro smiled. “Tell me. Does she like getting her cunt fucked with a dagger?”
How did he know about that?
“Watch it,” I growled. Derek hit the back of his knuckles on my leg, warning me to stand down.
“So there are feelings, then?” Muro laughed. “It’s no matter to me. You know that if I raise a finger, you two won’t make it out of this building.”
But there was a chance that we could take Muro down with us, and he knew that possibility as well. He even let us keep our guns—perhaps he wanted a fight. I rubbed my pistol in the holster. Muro eyed my movements the entire time.
“We’re here to negotiate,” Derek said.
“Not to kill more of my men?” Muro said. I sneered, and Derek hit my leg.
