Chapter 12
12
Dimitri
I leave the house feeling like the biggest dick in the world. Why won’t she just tell me the prick’s name? I’d stop pestering her if she did. I snort softly. Well, that’s not true. I’d stop pestering her long enough to have Alessandro run a background check on him. At least I know it’s not Joao. No matter my feelings for Lilith, that’s a line that I won’t cross.
I arrive at the mansion owned by the Brotherhood to find that I’m late. That’s Dallas traffic for you, though. I’m led right into the chamber room where I will wait until my induction ceremony begins.
There’s a knock on the door and Brooks Henderson, aka the Face of the Defiant God Brotherhood and one of my former surgical patients, peeks in.
“Doing alright, Santos?”
I huff out a laugh. “As well as expected.”
“I feel that, brother.” He glances over his shoulder before asking, “Has Blanc said anything about having you remarry?”
My eyes bug. “No! Did he say something to you?”
It’s something that’s been on my mind even before Jones took his life. Knowing I was next in line to become an Elite Member was stressful enough without the added worry of having to remarry. I just hope Blanc doesn’t try to pull any shit like he has with the others.
“Easy, man. No, he didn’t say anything, but it wasn’t long after I became an Elite Member that he told me he wanted me to marry Jacqueline Chanel Minty Smith.”
“Nothing has been said.” I pause. “But Jackie did ask me to dinner.”
Brooks shakes his head. “Just be careful. She misses the power that came with being an Elite Wife. She tried to get her claws in me, and it backfired, so you’re probably her next victim.”
I snort, but only because I’ve known Jackie for years and feel like I have a good read on her. Does she like being connected to the Brotherhood? Sure. Does she want to marry me? Maybe. Does she want to become a mother to my children? No. So, I’m not worried in the least.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Well, I’ll see you on the other side.”
I dip my head as he leaves.
It’s strange being in the position. I joined the Defiant God Brotherhood when I was eighteen, the same as my father and grandfather before me. I knew coming in that there was a chance that I would serve as an Elite Member, but I didn’t think I’d live to see that day. For the most part, Elite Members are appointed late in life. But that was before the killings began.
While all deaths can’t be blamed on one person, we all know there’s someone out there watching us. Waiting to strike again. Which means it’s up to me and the other Elite Members to find this person and stop them before he goes after our loved ones.
My fists are clenched at my side as the door opens and I’m told the ceremony is starting.
Like so many men before me, I make my way past my brothers to the bottom of the amphitheater deep beneath the mansion. Charles Blanc preforms the induction ceremony, a hard glint to his eyes. I’m sure these changes have been hardest on him. He’s had to watch as four of his friends have died in less than a year, leaving him the last man standing.
Blanc dips his head at me as the ceremony finishes. It’s done. I’m an Elite Member.
I meet my brothers in the common room for drinks, though I don’t feel like celebrating. Not when Brooks’ words dance through my mind. People stop to congratulate me, but there’s only one person I need to speak to tonight.
Blanc turns as I approach, finishing his drink.
“Ah, I wondered when you’d find me.” He gestures to the room and explains, “The others have all done the same after their ceremonies.”
“Are you going to force me to remarry?”
He lets out a bitter laugh. “Haven’t you heard? Things are changing within the Brotherhood. The old ways no longer matter, according to the other Elite Members.”
“It’s a yes or no answer, Blanc.”
“Things are changing. Is finding you a new spouse what’s best for the Brotherhood? Yes. Will I make you remarry? No.” He sighs. “So, there’s your answer, Santos, though I hope you will find someone and remarry on your own.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
He shrugs. “And you’re the one who has to live with that. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I see someone I need to speak to.”
He walks away from me, going to Claudius Irons. They lean in as they speak, and I don’t miss how Blanc’s eyes widen.
Whatever they’re speaking about doesn’t concern me.
I walk toward Moretti, Henderson, and Carter. The other Elite Members. But I’m stopped by Montgomery and Wolfe. I eye Wolfe warily. I’ve never trusted the man, especially after I found out how he abandoned Lilith, letting her be placed in foster homes after her father died. I wonder if he knows that she lived on the streets? I still feel sick to my stomach when I think about it.
“Congratulations, Santos. I’m sure this is a happy day for you, though I couldn’t help but notice that your son isn’t here.”
“Joao is out of the country,” I reply.
Not that it’s any of his fucking business.
“Ah. To be young again.” He smiles. “I hear my niece is working for you for the summer.”
There’s nothing sinister about his words, but that doesn’t stop the hairs on the back of my neck from standing.
“She is,” I agree. “She’s doing a remarkable job.”
“Glad to hear it. I was just telling Montgomery here that she’s good with children.”
Montgomery nods his dark head. “Always a good thing to hear. My second son’s wife is terrible with children, and they had to hire a nanny, much to my wife’s dismay.”
“Does that mean you’re looking for a nanny to help your son?”
Because I’m trying to figure out why Wolfe was even talking about Lilith.
“Gods, no.”
Wolfe says, “He is, however, looking for a wife for his youngest son. The boy is a bit of a disappointment, and a marriage to my niece comes with perks that may…inspire a young man to do better.”
My breath hitches in my throat.
“You’re arranging a match between the two? Why?”
“Why does anyone arrange a marriage? Wolfe wants me to invest in his company. I wasn’t interested in first, but when he suggested his niece marry my son, I saw the mutual benefits we’d get. I get to say all three of my sons are in the Brotherhood, and Wolfe can grow his business.”
“Hard to believe either of them wants to marry, though.”
“Wolfe assures me the girl is willing. From what I have seen, she’ll make an excellent match for my son, too.” Montgomery says, “And they seem to get along. They’re going on another date tomorrow.”
They continue speaking, but all I hear is ringing in my ears. Wolfe is trying to marry off Lilith. My Lilith. There’s a beast deep inside of me that demands I go home and claim Lilith as my own. To make her mine so that the entire world knows.
“You okay there, Santos? You look like you saw a ghost,” Wolfe says.
I force a smile and say, “Everything is fine. If you’ll excuse me, I need a drink.”
At the bar, I toss back three shots of vodka consecutively.
My mind races.
If Wolfe and Montgomery sign an agreement, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I pause. But what if Montgomery is telling the truth? What if Lilith is a willing participant? And is it possible that Montgomery’s son is the one she’s been texting? Blanc said things are changing within the Brotherhood, which means our children are no longer being forced to marry. But if she wants to get married, well, that’s an entirely different problem.
I’m reaching for my fourth shot when it’s taken from my hand by Alessandro Moretti.
“Believe me, this won’t solve anything.” He tosses back the shot and asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“What do you know about Yemi Montgomery?”
“Not much other than he’s cheating on his wife with anything that walks. Why?”
“He and Wolfe are planning a marriage between Wolfe’s niece and his youngest son.” I pause. “Can you look into the son for me?”
“Playing matchmaker, Santos?”
“Hardly. The girl is working for me for the summer. She’s a friend of Joao’s.”
Calling her that feels like an insult. She’s so much more than just Joao’s friend.
Alessandro eyes me before nodding. “I’ll see what I can find out.” He pauses. “If the girl means something to you, Santos, you need to take the bull by the horn.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His lips lift in a small smile. “Did you ever hear how I married my wife?”
“No, I don’t believe I’ve heard that one.”
“She was set to marry someone else, so I crashed the wedding and had her marry me instead. Took a page right out of your book.” He slaps my shoulder. “But I suppose you’re a different man these days, eh, Primal God?”
Hearing my nickname feels like ice water being doused on me. I’ve worked hard to build a life where I’m known as one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the world. But there was a time long ago when I was known for other reasons. Reasons that would make men tremble. My gaze lands on Montgomery and Wolfe. Reasons that would ensure I did whatever it took to get what I wanted.
I exhale shakily.
Fuck.
I need another drink.
And then I need to figure out what in the fuck I’m going to do with this information.