Chapter 35 Dom
DOM
Where the fuck are they?
As my eyes flitted from the crowd to the watch around my wrist, I couldn’t help but snarl.
They must think I’m some sort of fucking sucker to leave me waiting. Like I’m not their best goddamn asset.
The cold glass in my hand clinked against the counter with more force than I’d intended. Behind the grates of the old service window, a man in a black suit appeared, backlit by the warm glow of the ticket office signs above the bar. “Can I get you anything else, sir?”
My eyes lingered just a second on the oblong shape embroidered on his jacket: it almost looked like a smear of paint, except for the negative space carved out of either side that supposedly made it a train.
Stupid fucking symbol. Shouldn’t have to squint to know where I am.
Shaking my head, I slammed back the rest of my bourbon and passed the glass over to him. “No, thank you, Teller.”
He nodded, clearing my empty glass before moving to the next patron. As much disdain as I might have for its design, the symbol was an important one. It identified the Teller as an employee, rather than a patron of the most exclusive underground venue on the East Coast.
Here, every piece of clothing had a meaning. My own navy suit, nearly black, was enough to tell others to stay away. But my open shirt collar told them that if they tried to touch me, that I’d be doing the fucking.
And then there was the gold ring on my middle finger.
Tensing my jaw, I shook my head. Ridiculous.
A promise I wasn’t sure I could keep. I never should have put it on.
Hoping to distract myself from the nuisance she was, I studied the crowd. The dancefloor was a mess of colors and cuts that announced what each patron was here for.
A handful of monogamous couples moved through the crowd together, wrapped in red.
A woman in an open-backed green dress swirled under the dancefloor lights as whatever had been slipped into her drink took effect.
And a pretty light blue at the edge of the crowd sought a partner for her Sleeping Beauty fantasy.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t tempted. The idea of taking someone while they were asleep was intriguing. Giving into my own excitement despite their vulnerability…
But I hated the desperation of this place.
It was a means to an end. One I was getting sick of waiting for.
I wasn’t one to be caught idling, not for anyone. But especially not for The Oracle.
Just as I was about to stand from my stool, giving up on the messenger ever appearing, a person in a brown suit and a bird mask sat next to me.
“Fucking carrier pigeon.” I grumbled as I turned to look at them. These fucking messengers always came in shit-brown, like they were monks in some ancient goddamn monastery.
Sanctimonious fuckheads.
“Follow me.” The pigeon nodded toward the hallway of private rooms.
Uninterested in being left behind, I followed them through the crowd. My height was an advantage in the crowd, making it easier to stay locked in on the masked messenger ahead of me.
Once we reached the edge of the old train terminal, flashing lights illuminating the marble walls that led to arched, glass ceilings, I couldn’t help but admire the classical style.
It was a wonder this place was ever left to rot.
Timeless, a building like this — much like the house — would stand far longer than any generation could predict.
It seemed like a common issue in these parts: letting something quite gorgeous fall into disrepair.
But not once the Madame found it. She knew it’s worth for the seedy world she’d been cultivating. And thus The Station was born.
The pigeon guided me into a private room. Used primarily for sex, the space was furnished with a closet of kink toys, blackout curtains and glass walls for those who liked to become a spectacle.
Despite the leather couch along the wall being the only item in the room that would appear to absorb sound, not a peep could be heard outside the walls of the confined space.
I closed the door behind myself, crossing my arms as the pigeon methodically closed the curtains.
“You don’t need to bother with that. I’m not here to fuck.”
A low hum came from her mouth. “The intimacy of our secrets is worth protecting.”
I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes as the pigeon folded her hands over each other, staring back at me.
Through gritted teeth, I growled. “Why are we here? You know what I need.”
“The Oracle has new information. There is trouble on Mount Olympus.”
“Yeah, I’m aware, fuckhead.” I hated talking with them like this: through masks and coded nonsense.
The pigeon simply nodded, unfazed by my frustration. “The girl who hurt the crown prince… Zeus is moving forbidden resources in their hunt for her.”
“Whatever little birdie told you that is full of shit. Isaac would never be that reckless. I saw the reports, and it’s nothing they could be caught for.
It doesn’t draw on the underground resources at his disposal.
” My jaw tensed as I stepped closer. “And it’s best you don’t forget who the real crown prince is, birdbrains. ”
The words tasted hollow as they left my mouth. I knew The Oracle wouldn’t send a messenger if it wasn’t true. Still, I couldn’t believe my father would use those resources to find her. She wasn’t important enough, not for any of this. Not to them at least.
The pigeon shrugged. “The Oracle does not make mistakes.”
“Very funny,” I scoffed. “You must be new.”
“Perhaps, the young god of war should be aware that she is not the favored child of Zeus. Too adversarial to be trusted.” The pigeon lifted her chin, staring me down through the thick bird mask.
Heat rose in my chest at the barb. It took all my self control not to close the distance between us and pummel this smug motherfucker. No one spoke to me like this, not without consequences.
But like it or not, I needed The Oracle. At least for now.
Deep down, I knew the pigeon’s warning was valuable. Isaac was anything but a fool. If he needed to use the illicit resources, then he was desperate. And Isaac was a dangerous beast when he was cornered.
Which meant that, even in the haven of Zeus-free Valemont, Kiera was in serious danger.
I’d only moved back there because it was the one place in a hundred miles that fell outside of Zeus’ omniscient eye. But now, I knew the red-headed reason that the noose of corporate surveillance was slowly tightening around us.
Or at least part of it. I still couldn’t figure out what she had on them that lit such a fire under Isaac’s ass. Was it blackmail on Gabriel?
“Even so, we don’t need the girl. Get rid of her.” I growled back
“The girl is of importance.” The pigeon swallowed hard, a secret in her words.
But as I stared at her, I knew what was being said. “She has the shares? Maura has to have them.”
The pigeon tried to press past me toward the door, but I quickly stepped into their path. My blood boiled as I tried to control my shock. She couldn’t have the shares. Isaac and Gabriel had been chasing Maura down for years, trying to secure Zeus’ future from anyone who dared stand in their way.
“Won’t answer? How about I make you?” My blood boiled as the pieces clicked into place. Kiera having the voting shares would be enough to make Isaac violent. With them, he could finally cut me out and let the malignant cancer that had grown just before Brennan died take hold of it all.
If Isaac knew I’d been harboring her, all of my shares would dissolve.
There was only one way to protect Kiera.
“I have shared all I can.” Standing firm in front of me, the pigeon’s blue eyes stayed steady under the mask.
Darting my hand out, I grabbed the collar of her brown suit. “Fucking monks. Then get her out of here. Extract her. Now.”
“That request is above my station.” The pigeon took a calm breath, not caving under the firm grip I had on her clothes.
My knuckles whitened as I hissed at her. “Then bring me someone who can manage to do their goddamn job.”
A slight shake of her head told me everything I needed to know. “The pigeon only carries messages one way.”
Anger swelled in my chest, the desire to throw a punch overwhelming me. I could get away with it here, at least until The Oracle saw their bloodied bird. Then there would be consequences.
Maybe.
The truth was, I was The Oracle’s most valuable asset in their fight against Zeus Industries. As hesitant as they were to admit it, I knew that they would be in the dark without me.
Before I could press her into the wall, she slipped from my grasp, releasing my grip on the collar of the dull suit. The pigeon reached for the door handle and disappeared into the crowd — the pulsing music of The Station pouring back into the room.
Leaning against the arm of the leather sofa, I forced a deep breath. I’d always needed to coerce air into my lungs. But all of this — Kiera, The Oracle, Isaac — it was dizzying.
There was only one way for all of this to end.
But it meant that I’d have to get my message to The Oracle myself. And with my father moving armies to find Kiera, I’d have to do it fast.