Page 88 of Empire of Dark

An unguarded moment of clarity from Sylas and I could not fault him for it. I’d recently become aware of how a beating heart full of compassion and benevolence could shift one’s perspective. Even a malefic’s.

I inclined my head to him. “I will get her back to you. In what condition, though, I cannot guarantee.”

He nodded, grim lines setting deep into his face. “My uncle is en route. And we never had this conversation.”

I nodded. I knew what that meant. The Genoras would side with whoever got them what they wanted—Lenora.

Sylas walked past me, disappearing down the dark hallway that led to the rear of the building.

I continued onward toward the elite lounge Eustice was in. After cracking the door, I could hear a slew of women’s voices and giggles through the deep red, heavy velvet curtain that lined the area in front of the door. Eustice’s low, gravelly voice joined in, laughing.

I drew in a deep breath, holding it in my lungs. I better damn well not see Ada in this room. She couldn’t have possibly made it back here this quickly.

Then again, she kept doing things I thought were impossible.

Like making me obsess over her. Making me want her in a way I’d never wanted a woman. Making me loosen the tight shackles I’d placed on Venetia’s life.

Just as I grabbed the edge of the curtain to slip into the room, my earpiece crackled.

I dropped the curtain and stepped backward out the door as Ada’s voice sounded in my right ear.

“An ice cream truck in front of a tobacco shop. I think to the east, that’s where his eyes flickered to.”

My fucking supernova—how in the hell had she gotten the information out of one of Eustice’s men so quickly? Apparently, loyalty wasn’t what it used to be. That, or one of my brother’s men was just as wasted as my brother was.

I yanked out my phone, sending the direction to the slew of men I had combing the streets around the nightclub for Lenora, then I touched the earpiece. “Copy that.”

Now I just needed to stall whatever was about to happen in this room until we had Lenora in our possession, assuming Ada’s information was correct. I went into the room with clear intent this time, drawing back the curtain and stepping into the private lounge.

Eustice sat on a long red couch across from me, two women, one a blonde and one a redhead, both naked and gyrating on either one of his thighs. Three other women sat topless on the other couches, two of them kissing and fondling each other. Eustice had his hand on his cock, though it was currently still encased in his tight red leather pants.

One had to work to get in and out of leather pants like that, and I’m guessing he wasn’t about to spill his load on the first naked beauties to grind against him. He liked the challenge, my brother.

Eustice glanced up from watching the breasts bounce in front of him.

“Damen.” His arms dove between the naked women on him and parted, shoving both of the women off his thighs and onto the floor.

One squealed on the way down.

I threw my palm up at him. “Don’t stop on my account. I’m not here for the entertainment. I’m here for the meeting.”

He had the good sense to scramble himself off of the couch and stand. Not too wasted, then. “What meeting?” He cocked his head to the side, looking at me curiously like he had no idea why I was here.

“It seems you’ve gone and taken something that doesn’t belong to you, Brother.”

“Now what would that be, little pip?” He’d called me that my whole life. When I was six and he’d tied me to a fence, singeing cigarette butts into my chest just to watch my blood sizzle out the flames. When I was forty and he reported with glee that Rodolfo was dead. When I was sixty and a good head taller than him and he’d slammed a shovel against the back of my head just as I woke up, then clamped me in place down in the undercrofts, slicing ribbons into my skin after I railed at him for killing the girl he'd been fixated on—the one he’d squeezed so hard, her chest had broken open, her heart sliding out like the yolk of a cracked egg.

That was when I knew he truly was a madman.

I looked at the women—all of them skittish and glancing between one another in panic. “Out,” I barked in their general direction.

The women all grasped at clothing, holding it in front of their naked bodies as they scampered out of the main door to the room, leaving us alone.

“Asshole.” Eustice dragged a thumb along the side of his lips, the thick silver rings on every one of his digits gleaming in the low, moody light. “Why did you have to go and ruin my fun? I’m just here for a relaxing night.”

I glared down at him. “Playing ignorant does you no favors. What did you do with the girl?”

His top lip curled into a snarl, transforming him from the best-looking Folotto brother into the demon that he truly was. “You’re not going to take her from me.”

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