CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Andras
Ilet Typhon take Sara from me for the next dance. It was the right choice, as I was losing my patience with her. More than that, I wanted her. I craved her. When she walked into the ballroom in that stunning blue gown hugging her curves, and those mischievous eyes turned my way, I knew it was a mistake to have her here. The delicate diamond necklace around her slender neck made my dick throb all too quickly. I wanted to collar her, see my own sparkling choker around her throat, put her on her knees and make her mine. When she started dancing with that half-wit, Clayton, I lost it. And I never lose it.
I felt Leviathan’s laughing eyes on me as I strode toward him and the bar, away from the dark angel calling all my daemons to the surface.
“Did you speak with security?” I snapped at him, but he only grinned. Levi was one of the only people who could irritate and defy me regularly without immediate punishment. He was just so goddamn genuine all the time. Even Devon cracked a few smiles for him.
He nodded, one hand in his pocket as he casually sipped a whiskey. “The firework fiasco is under control, but the fence is down. It should be up shortly, and I have extra men patrolling the grounds as well. Four other cars had explosives attached to them. The Uber driver is dead.”
I raised an eyebrow as we both watched Sara and Typhon dance. “Who did he bring to the party?”
Levi smirked, his eyes twinkling and making my frown deepen.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” I muttered, staring at the woman I was quickly becoming obsessed with. Not that I would tell any of them. “Where’s Devon?”
Levi rolled his eyes as we walked toward the bar and away from the dancers. “Pouting in the corner and stalking her from the shadows.”
I scoffed, taking a sip of my vodka and letting the cold liquid seep into my bones. I needed to cool the fire Sara Braun was stirring in my veins. “That idiot is half in love with her.”
“He’s not the only one,” Levi mumbled under his breath, his eyes roaming over the belle femme waltzing like a queen on the dance floor. The shining tiara resting in her styled blue hair would look ridiculous and tacky on anyone else. But not her.
I rolled my eyes and faked a bored expression. “She’s just another greedy pussy, Leviathan.”
Levi growled, and I snapped my gaze to him in surprise.
“Watch it, Andras. Just because you’re in denial doesn’t mean I will tolerate you speaking about her like that. Besides, you know she isn’t. The other two have been watching her. She hasn’t fucked anyone else at Ty’s gym, or entertained any man who flirted with her at Dev’s bar. Our girl isn’t fucking around with anyone else. I think you’re just pissed she’s not on her knees for you yet. And that I got her to squirt all over your desk.”
I tried to punch Levi in the arm, but he shifted out of range and laughed, his obviously possessive daemon settling once more.
Before I could reprimand him for that little stunt, Levi’s eyes narrowed and we exchanged a look, a sudden presence crowding behind me. I turned and greeted it with cool indifference.
“Hello, Father.”
The bartender immediately slid a gin martini to Laszlo. He picked it up and took a sip before turning away from me. Laszlo walked along the garden-side wall, and I knew he wanted me to follow. I downed my vodka and kept my pace even as I followed him to a quiet alcove. Laszlo Blackbyrn was a massive man, almost as broad as Ty. The deep green of his custom suit paired nicely with his dark skin. He kept his hair short and styled. Laszlo never moved hastily, commanding a room with his threatening presence alone. People edged away from him as he walked, easily registering the monster hidden behind the handsome smile and fancy suit. He watched the dancers and sipped his martini, saying nothing for several moments before I couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
“I didn’t realize you were attending the ball tonight, Father.”
He ignored me. A lesser man would be sweating in the silence, but I was used to this. Molded by him from boyhood into the ruthless creature I was now. I maintained my bored expression until he finally responded.
“Things are moving along quickly. We will need you boys in North Carolina before long.” He uttered the words quietly enough that only I would hear.
My body tensed, knowing what would come next.
“So, you’ve found the girl you’ve been looking for?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
“Nearly. Her father will get her to come to us. And once she does, we will finish what we started. Finally.” The tremor of excitement in his voice unnerved me. “Have you discovered any information about the recent deaths of some of our members?”
My jaw ticked with frustration. In the last two years, fifteen members of The Obscuritas had been murdered. Seven of those were in the last two months, counting Jackson Delano. “No, sir.”
Laszlo sighed. “Disappointing. How has it come to be that one of my spies has discovered information when my fully trained son has not?”
My teeth grated, but I chose to ignore his comment. Laszlo was in a mood, and with Sara here, I didn’t want to start a fight.
I adjusted my suit jacket and pretended to be uninterested. “What did you find?”
He turned slightly and raised a condescending eyebrow. “And why would I share information with a son who cannot find things out for himself?”
For fuck’s sake. “We know Jackson was tortured and murdered. It was clearly a professional hit. The mansion as well. The staging was well thought out.”
Laszlo grunted. “For a novice, it was adequate. This was not a team. This was a single being seeking retaliation.”
The way he spoke made goosebumps rise beneath my jacket. “Being?”
He didn’t respond. I glanced his way and watched as his gaze caught on something, or someone, and I nearly choked as I realized who he was watching.
“Who is that beauty Typhon is attempting to dance with?”
“No one important.” I kept my voice even and uninterested. “She’s a student in one of my classes. Leviathan invited her.”
I chanced a look, and my heart stopped as his eyes grew hungry, watching them. Watching her.
“Typhon seems to be enthralled with her. His thoughts are quite loud and unguarded,” he mused, sipping his drink.
I checked my mental shields, but they were still intact. While he could read almost anyone, the other Princes and I were able to block out my father’s psychic attacks thanks to the gifts—as he liked to call them—the four of us gained from the ritual all those years ago. We also all gained the ability to read minds. Apparently, Ty was thinking more with his cock if his shields were lowered. But I wasn’t worried for him. In fact, I surmised he was doing it on purpose as a distraction. I was worried my father would discover something about Sara Braun if he spent too long looking, and I was right.
His breath caught, and I knew what he would say next. “Interesting. Can any of you read her?”
I grimaced, unable to get out of this. “No.”
He cocked his head, tracking her with more interest as alarm bells sounded in my brain. “How very interesting. Keep her close. Bring her to me next week.”
I swallowed as my throat went dry. “Of course.”
Laszlo nodded, pleased. He handed his empty glass to a passing server and disappeared into the crowd.
Levi came up behind me and gripped my arm hard. “Andras.”
I kept my eyes on Ty and Sara as my father stalked across the room. “We will take her tonight. She’s caught my father’s eye.”
“Fuck.” Levi cursed under his breath. “He cannot get his hands on her, Andras. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Any woman we’ve ever known, and you know it.”
He was right. The thought of handing her over to my father made my blood boil and rattled the icy cage around my heart. I wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone else but I sure as fuck wouldn’t be giving her to my father.
“We move forward with our plan then. Tonight, we kidnap Sara Braun.”