Chapter Twenty-Nine
CASSIA
REXTON’S WORDS RUMINATE, tumbling around in my mind. “If Charlie found out…”
I should’ve known he’d be just like the others. Not a single person here, at least not anybody worth knowing, treats me like an adult. They act as if I am a spoiled, little girl who has had everything handed to me. They don’t trust me.
My failure to murder Mammon didn’t help.
I assumed things would be different with Rexton. He left Wrath when I was young. I have no memories of him, and he didn’t recognize me when we crossed paths in Greed. I took that as a good sign, but I was mistaken.
He can’t handle me sending him a prostitute. He can’t handle the mere thought that I might know what sex is. He’s afraid of what my parents will say—as if they have the right to care. They don’t.
I grind my teeth. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a child.”
Rexton blows out a breath, his eyebrows furrowing together. “I’m aware of that.”
Is he? It doesn’t seem so.
“I’ve been fully independent for several years,” I continue. “I have my own apartment. I make my own money. I buy my own groceries and cook my own meals.”
“That’s nice.”
“I’ve been fucked by several men.”
Rexton blinks. “Okay.”
He sinks into his chair. He doesn’t know how to respond to me. Good. It’s about time people get it through their thick, fucking skulls that I’m not a child.
“I don’t need your lectures on sexual harassment,” I say. “You would’ve accepted the prostitute had it come from anybody but me, and I don’t appreciate you treating me differently because you once saw my chubby baby arms and smelled a shitty diaper or two.”
Rexton shakes his head. “I’m not. I just don’t appreciate—”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Rexton falls silent. I can practically see the cogs turning in his brain. He’s trying to find a way out of this, but there isn’t one.
“Cassia,” Rexton starts. “I need you to listen to me very carefully…” He leans forward, propping his elbows on my desk.
“I don’t give a fuck what or who you do in your free time, and I especially don’t care about your weird complex about being viewed as an adult.
I don’t appreciate coworkers sending prostitutes to my home, end of story. ”
Lie.
“You’re worried about my mother finding out,” I say. “Do you think she’ll be upset her baby girl has gotten herself involved in such adult activities?”
She wouldn’t give a fuck. Mom loves everything I do.
It’s impossible to disappoint or upset the woman, minus the rare occasion I put myself in danger.
My fathers don’t care about my adult activities, either.
They prefer not to know the details, but they sure aren’t threatening the men I occasionally bring home. They understand I’m not a child.
“It was a poor choice of words,” Rexton admits. “I didn’t say it because you’re Charlie’s daughter. I said it because she and I recently had a conversation about my romantic life, and she would find great humor in knowing a succubus paid a visit to my home.”
I lean back in my chair, sucking my cheeks into my mouth. Is that true?
On the off chance it is, I’m not going to inform Rexton that David was involved. David has a big mouth, and it’s only a matter of time before he tells my parents about my good deed. Mom will find out. It’s just a question of when.
“Do you view me as a child?” I ask.
Rexton shrugs. “Physically or mentally?”
“Don’t insult me.” A brief pause, then, “Both.”
“Physically? No. I think of you and the tyrannical child who used to run around the Wrath estate as two separate individuals. My brain doesn’t make the connection that you’re the same person.”
I hum. “And mentally?”
“Mentally, you’re at best a bratty teenager.”
I shouldn’t have asked. I knew he’d give a snarky answer.
“I don’t appreciate coworkers sending prostitutes to my home,” Rexton continues. “That’s the only reason I’m here. It has nothing to do with who your parents are or the fact that I briefly knew you as a child.”
My eyes narrow. “But you love succubi. I’ve heard about the sex shows you used to participate in within Lust. People left you great reviews.”
Rexton’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
It’s subtle, but it’s there. He’s embarrassed.
Why? Sex shows aren’t something I’d personally consider participating in, but I’m not one to judge.
My father was the King of Lust, a title now held by my brother.
Sex isn’t something I was raised to view as taboo, nor do most Wraths.
We’re quite open.
“I’m not that man anymore,” Rexton says.
“No?” I raise a brow. “And now you’re…what? A family man?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
I can’t help but laugh. I try not to, I really do, but that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Rexton is currently the most sought-after man inside Wrath. Everybody either wants to be him or be with him. He could have any woman he wants, Jassy excluded, and he’s chosen to settle down?
That’s absurd.
“Very well,” I say, conceding. “I won’t send any future sex workers to your apartment.”
Rexton bobs his head, visibly pleased. He looks oddly relieved, too, like he wasn’t sure we’d reach this agreement. I’m more than capable of processing and handling simple requests. It’s insulting to think otherwise.
“I do appreciate the card,” he says. “Your attempt to apologize is…meaningful.”
He’s insulting my heartfelt words again. I choose to ignore it.
“I meant what I said about no longer holding a grudge against you for being the one to murder Mammon,” I say instead. “I’m disappointed it wasn’t me, but holding my failure against you has been detrimental to my mental state. I would like to move past it and start over. Truly, this time.”
Rexton chews at his bottom lip, holding back a smile. “I would like that, Cassia.”
Great. I smack my tongue against the roof of my mouth, not sure what else to say. I’m not usually an awkward person, but Rexton turns me into a blubbering fool.
“If that’s all…” I finally say.
I let my words trail off, hoping Rexton gets the silent message to leave. He’s made his point, and I wish to be left alone. I’m a busy woman, and I don’t need his constant distractions. They aren’t appreciated.
Rexton rises, not a single word slipping from his lips as he takes his leave. I wait until the door is shut firmly behind him before sinking to the floor, my muscles turning to putty as I slide out of my chair. I end up halfway beneath my desk, my legs cramped and my neck awkwardly bent.
This was humiliating. Rexton didn’t like my gift. He accused me of sexually harassing him. It couldn’t have gone worse.
—————
I jolt awake, locking eyes with the man standing at the foot of my bed. Aziel.
I groan. “What the fuck?”
“Get up.” He tugs my comforter, destroying my warm cocoon of sleep. “Prince Nolic has taken over Greed, and he’s marching an army toward our borders.”
I’m out of bed in a heartbeat. Aziel is already gone, but I know where to find him. He’ll be at home, holding meetings out of his private office. He loves forcing people to cram inside the small space during times of trouble.
It’s because he’s scared to leave his mates unprotected.
Once, after a particularly nasty argument with the King of Envy, Aziel refused to let me, David, and Valeria out of his sight for almost three days. He even brought our beds into his bedroom. It was complete overkill, but Mom has confided in me that Aziel is different after Luca’s death.
He’s paranoid, terrified of losing another child, so I don’t hold it against him.
I take five minutes to dress, shove food into my mouth, and teleport to my childhood home.
As predicted, Aziel’s office is already filled with Wraths. Mom and Gray are nowhere to be seen, probably banished upstairs, where it’s safe, and Silas is in his office holding a meeting of his own. His door is closed, and I hear faint chattering from inside.
“Cassia,” Aziel greets me as I step into his office. Three generals look over. The others pay me no mind. “Come sit with me.”
A chair has been pulled up beside Aziel.
I’ve never been invited to sit behind his desk, and I bite my tongue to prevent myself from smiling as I accept the seat. Aziel is marking up a map, furiously dotting coordinates as the general across from him shares them.
He’s marking Prince Nolic’s army.
“How large is Greed’s military?” Aziel’s sharp question cuts through the room.
I follow his line of sight. Rexton is standing in the doorway. He’s disheveled, his clothing wrinkled and hair mused. He’s wearing all black, and he adjusts his shirt as he moves forward to peer at the map.
“It’s hard to say,” he admits. “I wasn’t involved in Mammon’s military efforts.”
Aziel frowns. “You’ve spent the past twenty years by her side. You have the most insight. Give your best estimate.”
Rexton visibly hesitates, blowing out a long sigh. “I’d say she has about a hundred thousand active members, but I’m not certain. She grew exceedingly paranoid in the years after Luca’s death, and she was selective with whom she shared information. I was never invited to join those conversations.”
A hundred thousand active members? That’s a large army. Larger than expected.
Mammon historically maintained an active military of about fifty thousand, with an additional twenty thousand or so trained men who could be called in during emergencies. A hundred thousand active members is significantly more than we planned for.
It rivals Wrath’s numbers.
“Are they trained?” Aziel asks.
“I believe so.”
“Fuck.”
I eye the map, my lips pursed. They’re heading toward the mountain range, which is to be expected, but they’re taking an unfamiliar route. They’re traveling south, where the terrain is roughest.
Why are they going this way? It doesn’t make sense.
“Raum.” Aziel shifts his attention to the tattooed general. “Can you cover this pass?” He points to one of the valleys on the mountain’s south side. I’m assuming that’s where Prince Nolic is guiding his army. It’s a dangerous location, and Raum is best equipped to handle it.
He’s experienced, and he’s sharp.
Raum nods. “Of course. I’ll gather my troops and leave immediately.”
“I’ll come with you,” I say.
I rise from my seat before Aziel has the opportunity to argue. If I want the generals to take me seriously, I need to fight. I need to become an active participant, not sit behind a desk giving out orders.
Plus, Raum is the only general Aziel would consider letting me work under. He’s by far the most trusted of them, and he oversees the strongest unit.
Aziel turns red, his cheeks flushed. He’s livid with my decision, but he won’t deny me. He can’t. He wouldn’t do that to me. I have to hope he wouldn’t do that to me.
Several seconds pass in tense silence, the room waiting for Aziel’s response.
My heart skips a beat when he turns toward Rexton. “Go with them.”