Page 40 of Madness Behind the Mask
Leon shakes his head. “Not yet. But it’s only a matter of time if we don’t get her back. He’ll break her.”
I snort. “He’d have a better chance of trying tosireher.”
Given how strongof a witchKatieWilksis, shewon’thave a chance of surviving the siring process.Shewilldie in absolute agony, the innate magic in her blood warring with Aleric’s. Massive organ failure. Bleeding from every orifice. Rapid seizures one after the next, hour upon hour until she died. Alone.The only creaturesa born vampirecansirereliably – well, ‘reliably’arehumanswithoutany slither of magic inside them.
And still, the chance of that happening is more than herbreaking under his torture. She’s a strong bastard who I highly respect andiscapable of hypnosis that can get a man to chop off his own fucking penis –somethingI’ve had the pleasure to witness when some scumbag tried to feel her up.
If Aleric is dumb enough to stay in her presence long enough to torture her, he’ll be dead before sunrise.
“Maybe she won’t,” Leon says, “But is it worth the chance given all she knows?”
My eyes narrow on him. Katieis ourregionalhotel managerfor all of Florida. She runsthetwenty-five hotels we own, promoting our penthouses to people of interest, offering them ridiculous deals just to get them in so we can then clean up after them. A violentboyfriendwins aholiday he never entered. The mayor of St Augustinegetsadiscreetservice that keeps his name off thepaperworkand the women he pays for in through a back door.Katie evengota few stockbrokers from Wall Street in as they holidayeddown in West Point Beach.
Shegivesthem excellent service,makessure theyhaveeverything they needbefore they leave, none the wiser that their livesarealready owned bytheShadow Domain. She cleanstheir rooms personally, collectingloose hairs and cum off the sheetsin little bags marked with a code that is coded again when I add it to my ledger.
So when an associate of the boyfriend’s ends up dead, beaten to death in an alley not far from his work, and his hair is found on her body and his dried cum is found on her thighs, hurriedly wiped off so only small bits remain, he takes the fall for our crimes.
MayorReynolds isblackmailed into greasing political hands for our gain and our enemies’ losses.
But it isthestockbrokerswho give us the most back in that set of three.
What we do with their collected DNA is the heart of our Family. We use it in spells to spy through their senses,listening in onshady deals and quiet conversations.I canalsomix it with my telekinesis, allowing me to control them without need of a scry,regardless of range.
Although Katie doesn’t know the full picture of my plans, only being told which targets to bring in,her last one was President Harry Truman himself. He had a lovely holiday in Key West.
“You should kill her before she talks,” Leon says.
All those in my trusted circle –the capos and advisors and top-level associates– were required to gift me with a few strands of their hair as an offering of loyalty. And a warning of what’d happen if they ever broke that trust.
I lean back in my chair, my eyes on my son. “Is that what you would do as Boss?”
His eyes don’t waver as he nods. “If not to keep her silent, then to stop her suffering.”
My lips tighten.Alericis a sick bastard,more even thanAntonio.A death by my hand would be a kindness.
But the spell required to reach out to her, to use her as a scry to guide my telekinesis wherever she is in this world will leave me vulnerable and drained for days. It’s a last resort, used for dealing with traitors or for gleaming information we can’t move forward without. Such strong magic always comes with a high price.
“She deserves at least that kindness,” he says. “Given her unwavering loyalty over the years.”
Her unwavering loyalty.
Something about that settles harshly in my stomach.
Christian Gale had unwavering loyalty,and his head ended up on my desk three weeks ago.
Pushing my chair back, I stand and grab my suit jacket off the back of it. “Come see your Mother,” I say,needing to be out of this house and back in mine, where Sau is. I want to make sure she is sleeping soundly, safe in our bed.
That notrusted associateshave entered our fuckingroom.
The knot in my stomach tightens as I turn my back on him and walk towards the door.
“How isshe?”heasks softlyas he follows me through the house.
“You should see her for yourself.” Iglance at him as I open the door into the night.“Come have dinner with us tomorrow. She asks about you every day.”
He looks away, so much guilt on his shoulders for not yet having caught all those who’ve hurt her.
“The blame is mine, Leon,” I say softly. “Ifailed to protect her. Not you. And given she can still bare to see me, she’ll love to see you.”
