Both hands clenched into fists, I do my best to steady my rage. “She’s going after you now, too?”
“No. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t suspect we’ve had contact.”
“Then what the fuck did she want?”
“To offer me a job.”
“A job.”
“Seems the council wants to absorb our little company.”
“Of fucking course, they do.” I turn away, my attempt at processing what Brad has told me. Number one, and definitely the most troubling, is the lack of support we can count on from the community. But the fact that the council wants to take over my company? There’s a reason I privatized it because, in doing so, I could decide which jobs we took and which ones we didn’t.
Council members slaughtering humans? Those jobs were always a no. In fact, back when Steven Astor had been hunting the streets, I handed over any supernaturals who brutalized humans over to him. He took care of them, and I went on my merry way. After he died, I began dealing with them myself, and, well, let’s just say I haven’t added to my tattoo in some time.
But it kept the city streets safe for humans, and that’s a hell of a lot more important than another bloodless year for me.
“I told her no if that helps.”
“I’m assuming she didn’t take that well.” I turn back to him.
“You’d be assuming correctly. She threw a massive wad of cash my way, argued, and assured me I would be changing my mind. My guess is that she is going to deliver your body to me in hopes of intimidation.”
“I thought you didn’t think she suspected we were still in contact.”
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean she believes I’ve completely turned my back on our friendship.”
“We need help.”
“I know you do. And I am still looking. That succubae den you asked me to look into? Nasty bitches.” He shivers. “That den in particular.”
“I suspected as much when Bella said her mother would rather have her raped than let her be free.”
“Yeah, well, from what I can tell, that ranks right up there with the torture and murder of human men almost nightly.”
“Humans?”
He nods and reaches into the pocket of his sweatshirt to withdraw a sheet of paper. “Brought you this just in case, you know, you wanted to take a look at it later.”
I snatch the sheet and shove it into my pocket. “I know a hunter who will take pleasure in ridding the world of these fuckers.”
“Figured you might.” Brad pulls his hood back up over his head. “Listen, man, this situation you’re in, it fucking sucks, but there are people out there watching, and I really believe that when push comes to shove, they’ll step up.”
“They’re going to have to. Otherwise, we won’t survive this.”
* * *
The house isdamn near pitch black when I’m walking back into it. It’s eerie, not having anyone lingering in the living room, especially Rainey. She’s been damn restless since all of this started. Elijah, too. Think they got so used to going out and hunting nightly that having to sit here on their hands has made them antsy.
Click.
I spin, dropping down and sweeping out with my foot. It comes into contact with something hard just before someone grunts and thuds to the ground.
“Really?”
Light floods the room, and I stare down at an exasperated Deissy. “How did you know?”
“You let the door shut all the way behind you,” Rainey scolds as she moves into the room. “Guy’s hearing is even better than mine.”