Set up for war, I see, Meiling observed.
Most of these estates are. The moment the words were out, he wished he could take them back. Her friend’s farm hadn’t been. The farm had been an open, friendly place. Gedeon knew that Lubin’s kitchen staff had purchased vegetables from the farm in order to feed Lubin and Miguel fresh food.
Meiling didn’t reply. He couldn’t give her comfort because there were too many eyes on them. The door opened and a servant in a crisp white uniform ushered them inside and quickly closed the door against the heat, humidity and insects. The hallway was wide and cool. The floor was hardwood. Gedeon had been there on many occasions, and he always thought it was a mixture of class and a bit over-the-top.
They were shown into the study, Lubin’s favorite place. His bodyguards were placed in their most discreet positions. They could fade into the background, and no one would notice them. Lubin could conduct business or visit with his friends and yet still be safe should someone have an unexpected desire to attack him.
“Gedeon.” Lubin stood, both hands extended in greeting. The lines in his face revealed strain. His eyes showed real tension, but his grip as he took both of Gedeon’s hands was strong. “It’s good of you to come. Thank you.”
“Of course, Lubin. This is my partner, Lotus.” Gedeon had no idea if Meiling’s name had been compromised. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Few things shocked Lubin Diaz, but it was clear Gedeon Volkov having a partner did. Lubin nodded to her. She flashed one of her demure smiles but kept her eyes lowered. Miguel greeted Gedeon as well. Gedeon assessed his reaction to their arrival. He seemed just as happy to see them as Lubin did, which was odd.
Once they were settled and the servant had brought in refreshments, Lubin got right to the point. He wanted to hire Gedeon immediately. He explained that, without his consent, his sons had dabbled in human trafficking. The implication was that it was Frankie more than Miguel who had set the operation up, although Lubin had to know Gedeon wasn’t a fool. Frankie wouldn’t have had the first clue how to do such a thing. He let that pass.
Miguel took up the story. “There was a woman. A blonde. She was staying at the Regent, you know, where all the tourists with money stay.” Miguel glanced at his father and then down at his hands. “I wasn’t told about this until afterward. Frankie found out that these men were hunting her. They offered a steep reward for her. She liked to go out to the clubs and dance, so Frankie thought it would be easy enough to snatch her up. Apparently he was right. His thought was to grab her and negotiate a higher price for her.”
Gedeon had perfected the art of looking bored. He didn’t look at Meiling. Miguel was talking about Libby. Libby had been hunted by the same group of men who were hunting Meiling. He willed Meiling not to interrupt, not to ask questions or say anything at all.
“Frankie and his crew drugged the girl and took her out to our cabins in the forest. The boys had a go at her. They usually start training right away. She was a fighter. She didn’t look like one, but she put up a fight like you wouldn’t believe. I was out there briefly, and that’s when he told me these other men had been looking for her. I thought she was more trouble than she was worth. I told Frankie to sell her to them and I left.”
“Did you know who they were?” Gedeon asked. “The ones who wanted her?”
Miguel shook his head. “I didn’t find out until recently. Had I known, I would have personally delivered her to them and hoped they would have been satisfied. No, I didn’t know. I left and thought Frankie would take care of it. Instead, his men thought they could tame her. They ended up killing her. That brought hell down on us.”
“So you know who they are now.”
It was Lubin who nodded. “That’s why I called you, Gedeon. We have trouble here. Frankie got us into big trouble. He didn’t mean to, but you knew him. He always acted the big shot. He thought he could take on the world. He always went behind my back starting new projects that were going to make us big money. This girl, this Libby. The men who wanted her are members of Dragon Throne Justice.” He whispered the name.
Gedeon studied Lubin’s pale face beneath his olive complexion. It would be difficult to feign that level of fear. It made a kind of sense. The Chinese had their Dragon Throne. In Siberia there were rumors of Dragon Justice. If shifters decided not to allow anyone more gifted than those in the Dragon families to live, what could be more natural than to band together and murder the unsuspecting families of those with more talents?