Primal Pursuit

It’s a good, solid two weeks of work.

I could probably outsource some, but it’s not a thing I like to do. In my work, the art that goes into the wet work is as important as the mechanics.

“You’ll have to be ready to move in when I take them out,” I say. “Different MO for each of these cunts this side of the ocean. I think they go first, and then I hit Europe. Work my way up.” I start to shift the photos into an order I know will work.

“We’ll take care of that,” Caelian says from across the table. Usually he’s the fun one, the brother with the most personality. But today he seems on edge. And that sets me on edge.

“What do you need, Davian? This is a fucked-up operation.” The dark and deadly tone from Alexius should send most running. It does. But we’re not most.

We might not be the good guys, but there are actual monsters out there. Those who don’t respect boundaries. Those who hurt and abuse. Do we come close to lines? Absolutely. But the women at the club, the women we buy and take off evil motherfuckers, they have a choice. Their freedom, or our protection. And just like everything else in this world, Dark Sovereign protection doesn’t come free. They get protection, a life they can only ever dream of, and they work the halls of Myth. Some might argue that they’re getting saved from one hell to be shackled to another, but they don’t get hurt here. They don’t get forced to do what they don’t want to do. They live in the lap of luxury, get treated like royalty, and if someone, anyone,hurts a hair on their head without their consent, that person dies a slow, agonizing death.

It’s all mutual here. It’s about consent.

Even with my rabbit.

It’s why she has a safe word.

For now.

“Davian.” Nicoli’s eyes narrow at me. “Those marks on your neck, should we be worried?”

I touch the mark Poppy left on my throat. “No.”

“You sure?”

“Sex, Del Rossa. Just sex.”

Tobias raises his brows. “With the girl from the confessional?”

“Stay out of my business, jackass.”

“She’s pretty. She even turned up at Myth. For him.”

I shoot a very dark look at Tobias. “Thank you very fucking much.”

He makes the sign of the cross.

“You remember why you recruited me?” I cut my gaze between the Del Rossa twins.

“That hit?” Alexius asks.

I get up and pour a drink, then lean against the office wet bar while I down half of it.

“The hit proved I could do a job professionally and not get caught. And Fowler Industries—” a code name for a small mafia outfit “—have sunk back below the surface because of it, sticking to small jobs and greasing wheels. But that’s not why the Dark Sovereign hired me.”

Alexius looks at me, tapping a hand on his desk. “It’s because of your father,” he says, studying me. “My dad wanted you on the team because you proved you couldkeep a level head no matter how strong your emotions are. Killing your father for his crimes isn’t something most people can do, not like you did.”

I tip my drink toward him. “Exactly. If I can do that, I can handle some girl who knows her way around a fucking knife.”

“We don’t want trouble, Davian.”

“I know you don’t want trouble, but she isn’t. Not yours. Her issue is with me. Her wants are with me.”

“Sounds messy,” Tobias says, looking smug. “She wants to kill him.”

“I thought the sanctity of the confessional was sacred.”

“I thought you told me I wasn’t a real priest.”