Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Aware my shock is quite apparent on my face, I turn, eyeing Devon. He has a similar holy shit look on his face and I push down my emotions and slowly let out a breath, regaining my composure. Xavier is still talking, but I’m not paying attention to the words he’s saying.
The Order is watching the Malus vampires’ every move, and Xavier just named Marcus Henry on live TV. If he’s willing to do that, there’s nothing off limits anymore when it comes to the Order.
Or the deal, which Xavier basically just revoked.
While I don’t know the exact terms of the deal, I do know the basics.
In exchange for a female hunter, the Malus family was to leave the Order and all its members alone.
I always assumed that meant they couldn’t kill them, but I suppose outing one of the highest ranking members and blaming several unrelated incidents on him technically isn’t leaving them “alone” either.
The news segment ends, and Roger says something about another reporter at the police station, where the police chief is going to give an update to the investigation. Then the cameras stop rolling and I blink myself back to the present, watching Roger shake Xavier’s hand.
Xavier gets up, buttoning his suit jacket as he stands. His eyes meet mine and some of the anxiety starts to go away.
“That was incredible!” Victoria rushes out, speeding around me to get to Xavier.
I suddenly pick up on a new feeling from her, one that I hadn’t noticed before.
She thinks I’m just a lowly human and Xavier should be with someone better matched for him.
Someone—shockingly—like her. She’s not the first person to be jealous of me solely because I’m married to Xavier, and honestly, I don’t blame her.
I would be jealous, too.
Xavier is a force of a man and if we’re going just on what you can see on the outside, he’s a solid ten out of ten.
Good looking, rich, powerful, and respected by humans and vampires alike—that’s enough to make anyone jealous, right?
But then when you get to know him, really know him, there’s so much more to love about Xavier Malus.
“Now when you leave,” Victoria goes on. “You’re going to go through the front so the cameras are on you. I need you looking weak and scared, Wren.”
“Why?” I ask, making a face. “I’m weak or scared.”
Theo, who’s standing off to the side but can hear everything said thanks to vampire hearing, narrows his eyes ever so slightly.
“You’re a human and—” she starts but I interrupt her.
“That doesn’t make me weak or scared and you know I’m a witch.”
Victoria presses her lips together and her feelings of not liking me get stronger.
I exhale and try to close off that part of my mind before I start acting bitchy, too.
“Unless you’re ready to come out to the general public about that, we need you to be as relatable as possible for our human viewers. ”
“Right,” I chide, just loving being reminded that my marriage to Xavier was purely a political move. What we have now is real, but the rest of the world might not be convinced and I don’t care what anyone in the VC thinks. “I don’t know how to look weak or scared.”
“Just be yourself,” Xavier says, stepping closer. “Having the public see you confident and assured is the better option.” He looks from me to Victoria, and there’s something about his expression that makes me think they’ve had this discussion before.
“I agree,” I quickly say. “Looking scared makes it seem like I don’t have faith in my husband.”
“She’s right,” Theo agrees, zooming over. “What would it say about our family if one of our own is worried about her safety? That’s not reassuring the public they have nothing to fear.”
Victoria recovers with a smile. “Right. So, just, uh, look human. Breath and like cough or something.”
“Got it,” I say. “I’ll sound like a smoker with bronchitis.”
“That might be a little dramatic, but okay.” She smiles and then reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone to take a call.
“Governor Richards has invited us for drinks,” Theo tells Xavier.
“It’s weird how normal it is to invite you over for dinner or drinks when you don’t eat dinner or drink, isn’t it?” I muse out loud and Xavier gives me a half smile as he takes my hand, linking my fingers through his.
“Apparently, the Reapers are not happy with your new hero complex the media is giving you,” Theo goes on. The Reapers are a gang and part of the Malus coalition. “It might also have something to do with you stabbing a fork through their leader’s hand.”
“The ground rules are very simple,” Xavier replies calmly. “Don’t disrespect anyone in the family.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, brother,” Theo goes on and I can tell his patience is wearing thin.
“But I will remind you of a previous issue.” He raises his eyebrows, not wanting to say it out loud.
Right. There’s a mole in the coalition. Someone tipped off the Church of the New Dawn about our last meeting, and people died because of it.
“And the invitation was extended to just you and I.”
Xavier’s grip on my hand tightens and looks up into his pretty blue eyes before he has a chance to tell Theo I’m his wife and no one can tell me not to come.
“I’m fine with sitting this one out,” I say. “I’m tired. Like a weak human, I suppose.”
Understanding my sarcasm, Xavier just gives my right hand a little squeeze.
“Then let’s get you home.” He looks into my eyes and my heart swells in my chest. Things are bad.
Like the worst they’ve even been. But really and truly, standing here with Xavier’s large hand holding mine, I feel like everything will be okay.
“What the hell, Wren?” Antonio exclaims as soon as step into the house, closing the garage door behind me. Devon and I just got home after being dropped off so Theo and Xavier can meet with the Governor at his house.
“I take it you saw the news.” I reach down and unbuckle my shoes.
“I’ll let you take this one,” Devon tells me and speeds out of the room.
Antonio’s eyes widen. “He said his name. On live TV.”
“He’s not Voldemort,” I go on, stepping out of my shoes and moving into the kitchen. “We can say his name without anything bad happening.”
“Now’s not the time for jokes, Wren,” Antonio says and I know he’s pissed because he just said my name twice in like thirty seconds.
“Trust me,” I snap. “I know. I know more than anyone that nothing about this is funny. So be mad at me all you want for trying to lighten the mood.”
Antonio’s expression softens. “I’m not mad at you.” He slowly takes in a breath and then heavily exhales. “Poking the bear isn’t the best strategy here.”
“What is?” I ask him, shaking my head back and forth.
“And I ask that seriously? The Order isn’t what we think it is.
At all. If they knew all along my blood was needed to open the portal, then this has been their plan for nearly thirty years.
The demon said the Order’s had control for like fifty years, so it seems to me they’ve been corrupt for some time now.
How we normally deal with things isn’t going to work on them. ”
Antonio brings his hands to his face and lets out another sigh.
Part of me wants to be annoyed with him, but then I remember his whole world got flipped upside down and he quite literally died.
Physically, he seems just fine but mentally this has to be a very difficult thing to deal with and it’s not like he can go to a therapist and explain what just happened.
Betrayal trauma is extremely traumatic and this wasn’t just a case of finding out your long-term partner cheated on you.
The Order is a lie, Vivian and Marco are pieces of shit, and in less than thirty days, a very powerful demon is going to be set free.
I have no idea what it’s like inside Antonio’s head right now and there’s a selfish part of me that wants him to be my big brother, tell me it’ll all be okay, and come up with a plan.
“I know,” he says, lowering his hands. “Starting a war with the Order isn’t the way to do this. For hundreds of years, the Malus family and the Order haven’t had any issues because of the deal that was made. Now…now I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Have they though?” I start, brows pushing together as I think.
“The Order didn’t hunt vampires and they discouraged the hunters in this area too, but getting the demon involved…
that’s not leaving the Malus family alone.
The fallout of all that created a lot of drama and issues we had to deal with. ”
Antonio considers my words, going over to the island counter, leaning against it.
My phone rings and I reach into my purse to get it.
Leo’s name flashes up on the screen. I instantly snatch it up, but stop myself before I can answer.
What the hell am I going to say? Does he even know what happened?
If he does, that means he was talking to Marco and Vivian and maybe he can help track them down.
“It’s Leo,” I tell Antonio, and he comes over. We both look at each other and then he nods, telling me to answer.
“Hey,” I say, putting the phone on speaker.
“Wren,” the person on the other line replies. It’s not Leo and I recognize that voice right away.
Ryder.
“I could use your help. Leo is drunk and about to be arrested.”