“Are you warning me?” Adam’s jaw clenched.
Broni knew it was time to tell him the truth. It was her only chance. The worst that could happen was his going through with giving her to his men, and that was unacceptable to Broni.
“I wasn’t in that alley by accident,” she began.
“No shit,” Adam interrupted.
Broni ignored his sarcasm.“This is going to come as a surprise, but I feel it only fair to give you fair warning. Truthfully, however, I don’t believe you or your men deserve one.”
She had their full attention. Broni could tell they had believed that she would beg for them to change their minds. They were prepared to listen to her pleas then throw her to the men on the other side of the door. Callous bastards. No, they didn’t deserve the warning she was about to give. The only reason she did was because, for her own safety, she needed their cooperation.
“I was lost because mymother is a powerful woman. Her enemies had attacked me and my sisters. If they find me here, not one of you will be left alive.”
Awry smile came to Adam’s mouth. He thought she was bullshitting him. Broni stared him straight in the eyes.
“Where are your sisters?” Adam asked.
“I don’t know.” Broni’s worried face had Adam straightening, leaning forward in his chair.
“Who’s your mother?”
“It doesn’t matter. The only thing you need to know is you need to let me go before it’s too late. You and your club are going to be drawn into a situation that you won’t be able to handle.”
Adam’s smile was one of misplaced confidence. “I’m sure we can handle anything that comes knocking at our door.”
Broni looked at him with pity in her eyes. “Don’t for a second believe that you can handle this. Your men are nothing compared to the ones that want me and my sisters eliminated.”
“All I hear are empty warnings. I’m not afraid. Who is your mother?” Adam repeated his question.
“I am Moirai. My mother is Fate, a Goddess of great power. My sisters and I are also very powerful. My sister, Zerina, is the eldest. She delivers souls to each child upon their birth. My youngest sister is Cara. She has the privilege of escorting souls to their destination when they pass from this life to the next.”
“I’m Broni. I protect humans until it is their time to depart.”
“Jesus, you’re fucking crazy.” His look of stunned disbelief didn’t stop her words. His reaction came as no surprise.
“I know you don’t believe me,” Broni paused, looking across the table at Rhys, “but how would I know you wandered from city to city until Adam found you? You’ve been stabbed twice and shot once over fighting to keep a pair of shoes that weren’t worth the surgery it took to keep them. You stay with the Dark Highwaymen because they lead dangerous lives and keep you in liquor. You barely eat enough to keep yourself alive. You also are near enough to visit your family’s graves yet remain separate from the city that was once your home.”
He didn’t believe her, but he would. Rhys was about to find out the truth the hard way.
Chapter 4
The laughter around the table had Broni tapping her fingertips on the table in frustration. Humans never believed anything unless it was in front of their face—the belief in the Gods had died out centuries ago—so she gathered her patience. Taking a deep breath, she used her knowledge of them to gain their belief.
“You’re a hard man, Adam, but you have one attribute that makes you stand out above other humans, your loyalty. The men in your unit knew you had their backs during the first fights. You were an excellent soldier. I watched many of your fights. You almost died many times, but I was always there, protecting you. It wasn’t your time.
“One battle in particular was very bloody. You were engaged by enemyfire when the whole camp was bombed. Many soldiers died that night, but your team survived because you had moved them miles away to the next camp. Why did you do that? The camp you were stationed at was supposed to be the safer of the two, yet you moved them. Why?” Broni was surprised when he actually answered her question.
“I had a gut feeling something was going to happen. I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. It wouldn’t stop until I told my men to gather their gear.” Adam’s voice was hard as memories of that night were brought back to life.
Broni nodded. “That was me. Remember that knife fightin Tucson? When those bikers jumped you?” Broni continued, despite his silence, “You couldn’t believe you survived. That was me. They were determined to steal your money. They waited for you that night in the dark, watched as you got drunk, and left with that prostitute at your side. You were about to get in your truck when they struck, yet you were ready with your own knife, killing both of them before they could lay a hand on you. Why did you have your knife hidden in your pocket at the ready?”
“I feltlike someone was telling me about danger. I thought it was just nerves being back in the states, but I still pulled my knife out of my boot just in case.”
Broninodded.
“How do you know so much about me?”
“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.” Sadness was in her eyes as she turned her attention to Rhys. He had come a long way from the spoiled, rich man wearing thousand-dollar suits. “How should I convince you, Rhys? I can tell you anything about your life you want to know, yet you would still doubt me. It is in your nature to look for deceit.”