Chapter 36 Asher
IT’S LATE AFTERNOON on Thursday and I’m going over the figures on a new account when Elaine pokes her head in my office.
“Got a visitor,” she smirks, standing aside as Cord looms in the doorway.
I catch his eye and can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. “This is a surprise.”
“I need to talk to you,” he says without preamble, walking in and sliding into the chair in front of my desk.
Elaine is still hovering behind him, no doubt fishing for some juicy gossip. “Don’t you have something to do?” I ask her.
“Actually,” Cord interrupts, “if it’s all the same to you, I’d like her to stay. This concerns both of you.”
Okay, my curiosity is piqued. Elaine shuts the door then pulls up another chair as Cord reaches into his pocket and withdraws a cell phone.
“New phone?” I ask, wondering if that’s why I haven’t been able to reach him the last two days.
“It’s not mine.” He looks at Elaine. “Can you hack this?”
She snorts. “You have to ask?”
He hands it to her. “We picked this up off a vamp we killed the other night. It’s been ringing but we can’t answer it because it requires a fingerprint to unlock it.”
“I’d have to take it home,” she says. “All my gear is there.”
He seems to think about that, then nods.
“You say you killed the vamp?” I ask.
He threads his hand back through his hair and sighs. It’s then that I notice he looks tired, making me wonder how well he’s been taking care of himself. I swear the man needs a full-time keeper.
“We went back to the street where we were ambushed to see if we could scare up some activity.”
“I take it you found some,” I prod.
“You could say that. Turns out they were hanging out at this bar in the neighborhood. We sat on it for a day then last night sent in a team to raid it.”
I don’t like where this is headed, considering the shape he was in the last time he visited that area. The only thing keeping me from having a full-scale meltdown is the fact that he’s here now and appears relatively unscathed.
“How did that go?”
“About as well as you’d expect. They were on their own turf and pressed that advantage. You’d think they knew we were coming.”
He pauses, his eyes haunted. “It was ugly. We lost six men, but we took out at least that many of theirs and burned down one of their hideouts.”
“Is that where you got the phone?” I ask.
“No, we picked that up off one of the three who tried to jump us in the street. They all had phones on them, but this was the only one with that level of encryption. It’s got to mean it’s used for something important, right?
” He looks at Elaine. “Dante’s guy tried to hack it, but he doesn’t know this shit like you do. ”
“He could’ve done more harm than good,” she murmurs.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.
“I know. I swear sometimes…never mind.” He leans back in the chair.
“This is turning into one big clusterfuck. Dante is on the rampage because he’s losing men and money, and the rest of us are scrambling around trying not to become a statistic.
We need to catch this Python asshole before it’s too late. ”
“What do you mean?” I ask, throwing a sideways glance at Elaine. Does he really want her to hear this?
He seems to remember she’s there and shakes his head. “Nothing.”
Fortunately, Elaine is smart enough to read the room. She stands up and pats him on the shoulder. “I’ll get back to you on this as soon as I have something.”
“Thanks, El,” he says, ignoring her smile at the new nickname.
After she’s gone, I lean forward, forcing Cord to look at me. I can tell something is bothering him beyond the disaster that happened in the bar. “What aren’t you saying?”
He hesitates, like he’s mulling over whether to tell me what’s on his mind. Finally he seems to come to a conclusion.
“This doesn’t go beyond us.”
“Naturally,” I agree.
“One of the guys and I were talking. What if the Python’s goal is to bring in the Black Guild to dismantle Dante’s rule?”
I let that sink in for a minute. I don’t know how long Dante has been the head of New York’s Crimson Guild and how he compares to bosses in other cities so I can’t judge him on that. All I have are my personal feelings toward him, which aren’t flattering in the least.
That being said, the Crimson Guild is the Clan equivalent of the mafia and secret police rolled into one.
They mostly deal with the ugly side of our kind, so they can’t be expected to have a lily-white reputation.
And while I hate that we have to have them, I’m not so na?ve to believe everyone is a law-abiding citizen.
Just like with humans, there are good vamps and bad vamps, and it’s the job of the Crimson Guild to make sure the bad ones don’t expose all of us.
I know they also run borderline elicit businesses like blood dens and fight and kink clubs, as well as smuggling operations.
I have no clue what specifically they smuggle.
Does it bleed into the human world? Probably.
But I would imagine if they drift too far in that direction to where it would lead to our discovery, the Black Guild would step in to steer them back on course, if not shut them down completely.
As much as I don’t like him for personal reasons, what’s to say a new boss would be any better than Dante?
Is that what the Python is gunning for? Why would a man with his wealth and standing in the community want the thankless job of being a mafia boss?
Is it boredom? A power trip? A score to settle?
“Why?” I ask Cord.
“Why what?”
“Why would he want to dismantle Dante’s reign? What’s in it for him?”
Cord shrugs. “That’s what I’m wracking my brain to figure out.
I’ve been trying to find an angle, to make sense out of this.
It’s not like it was down in New Orleans, where a rogue started creating his own Outlier army.
Most of the men we’ve captured or killed have been Clan. And they’re not just from around here.”
I did not know that. I just assumed they were all Outliers. “Weren’t the first ones you encountered Outliers?”
“Yeah, but I’m beginning to think they were an anomaly. We’ve got vamps defecting from Dante for the Python.”
“You’re kidding?”
He shakes his head. “I wish I were. That’s what’s got Dante on the warpath. To be honest, I had to get out of there today to get away from him. He’s going to get us all killed just to satisfy his ego.”
That doesn’t make me feel any better. “Cord, maybe it’s time to do what you told me you were considering the other day.”
“I can’t do that right now. Not with this threat hanging over our heads. I owe him that much.”
I hate that he feels he owes Dante anything. He’s the one who’s been taking all the risks the past few years while Dante sits in his office and orders people around. “I don’t want to see you get injured or killed.”
“I’m picking my battles. I tried to talk him out of this last one, but he can be pretty single-minded when he’s backed into a corner.”
“That’s not good for any of you.”
“I know that. That’s why I’m hoping Elaine can come up with something on that phone. Maybe it’ll give us a way in.”
“Don’t forget, we’ve got the benefit on Saturday where you can get face to face with Thalium.”
He nods. “I haven’t forgotten. I have to pick up my tux tomorrow.”
I smile to myself, picturing him in the suit. The thought stirs my dick, which is not what I need right now. “Are you going back to Dante’s tonight?”
“Why?” he smirks. “You have something else in mind?”
“I always have something else in mind for you.”
He sobers. “I really should, but I’m tired. And no, I haven’t been feeding like I should.”
“Then it’s settled. You’re coming by my place tonight. I’ll order in. You can take a nice long hot shower, just the way you like.”
He bites his lip. “You know about that?”
“Come on, Cord, I know you. Why do you think I had it installed?”
“But…we were apart.”
“Wishful thinking, remember?” I smile at the heat I see flare in his eyes. “Look, I’ve got a few things to finish up here today, but you could head on over to my place to wait for me. Take a shower and a nap. I’ll call the concierge and give you the elevator code.”
“I already have it,” he grins.
“Sneaky.”
“I pay attention.”
“Okay then. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
? ? ?
I lie awake long after Cord is deeply snoozing next to me.
We had a good evening, maybe the best we’ve had since we reconnected, which ended in some mind-blowing sex.
I glance over at Cord; who still has the rope burns on his wrists, and smile.
If only I could bottle this moment and keep it close to my heart.
But as soon as I think it, the future intrudes.
Saturday night we’re going to be in the presence of the architect of the chaos that’s threatening our kind in the city.
I can’t deny the prospect bothers me. I’m not exactly scared, just concerned.
Will he know we’re sizing him up? And if so, will he try something at the benefit?
I wouldn’t be surprised if he had men stationed around the venue.
I’m sure Cord has thought of the same thing.
And that brings me back to his boss. I haven’t told Cord about Dante’s name on the guest list. I’m not even sure he’s going, but I wonder if he knows Thalium will be there.
Maybe it would be best if he was aware of what he might be walking into.
I’m no fan of Dante’s, but the fact is, he is the current head of the Crimson Guild, which puts him in charge of the safety of our kind in the city.
If someone is challenging that, he needs to know, especially if it might put him face to face with that person.
The more I think about it, the convinced I become that he needs to know.
I could tell Cord, but he might decide that gives him an excuse not to go.
Instead, I grab his phone off the nightstand and scroll to Dante’s contact information and enter it in my phone.
It’s just past two a.m., so I imagine Dante will still be awake.
I take my phone and steal out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind me, and punch in Dante’s number. It rings four times before someone picks up.
“Who is this?”
“Dante?”
“Yes.”
I cross to the window in the livingroom and gaze out over the city. The sight always restores my own feeling of power. “This is Asher.”
There’s tension in his voice when he asks, “Has something happened to Cord?”
“No. This isn’t about Cord.” Well, not exactly anyway. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay, you have my attention.”
“Your name is on the guest list for the Arts Council benefit Saturday night.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have my sources. Are you planning to attend?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I haven’t decided. As you’re well aware, we’ve kind of got a situation going right–”
“I would suggest you make it a priority to be there,” I interrupt.
“Why?”
“Because Howard Thalium is also on the guest list.”
He’s quiet for several minutes. “That’s…interesting.”
“I thought you might think so.”
“Are you going?”
“Yes.”
“Is Cord?”
Now it’s my turn to hesitate. “Yes.”
“Good. I take it he doesn’t know about this conversation.”
“No. To be honest, I don’t want to spook him.”
He chuckles. “I doubt that’s possible.”
“He respects you,” I reply, though it pains me to do so. “He wouldn’t want to intrude if he wasn’t wanted.”
“Just between you and me, Cord is my best man. I’d always want him there.”
“Good to know. I guess this means we’ll see you Saturday night.”
“I guess so. And Asher?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for the information.”
“I may not agree with your methods, Dante, but I believe we’re fighting for the same cause.”
I hang up and lean my head against the glass. I don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is about to happen to change everything.
“Ash?”
I slip the phone into my pocket and turn to face Cord. “What are you doing up?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He crosses the room and closes his hands around my arms, looking into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just thinking about Saturday night.” At least it’s not a lie.
“Yeah, I’ve kind of been doing the same. But don’t worry. It’s not my first rodeo.”
“I know. I just…I’ll be glad when this is all over.”
“Me, too. Come on, let’s go back to bed. We both need our sleep.”
I let him lead me to the bedroom, savoring his presence. As he tucks me against his chest, I release a contented sigh.
Please don’t let anything spoil this.