“Yes. Yes. And with all your resources and manpower, you still couldn’t find him.” I lifted an eyebrow, my skeptical nature coming out to play. He opened his mouth when I butted in. “But that is not what we are here to discuss. We can table your failure for another conversation.”
My dad’s mouth dropped, and Syris giggled behind his hand. “I wonder where she learned how to cut down someone while also dismissing them?” My dad’s lips pinched shut when I gave him a sharp look. I had won the trial, he needed to go forward.
“Rayla, have you ever thought about why now?” the quietest of the bosses asked in a hushed tone, and we all fell silent. I narrowed my gaze on Easton, trying to process what he was saying and not just barrel through. “Since we have been trying to find him, and we have all the resources you so clearly listed, have you thought about why he would show up now? Why would he make himself known to you and only you? Why didn’t he come to this location and demand an audience with us?”
The thought had crossed my mind for a second... maybe more than a second, but I always pushed it to the side because that was not what was the most important information.
As he held me, I felt his longing. His eyes had shone brightly as he gazed at me, as if he was glad to be seeing me.
“Soon, my rose. Soon.”
I remembered his words and knew he wanted to be near us, near me. He wanted to come back to where he belonged, we just didn’t know the circumstances. There could be a hundred reasons why he had not shown up until now, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. I wanted him to trust us, to know we would be on his side and help him.
I had this pull to him that was unexplainable. Something called to the young girl inside, telling me to scoop this boy up and take care of him. A flash of his delicious smile and sexy dark looks caused my heart to beat faster, and my mind cleared. Yes. I knew we needed to get Lex back where he belonged.
“At this point, I think there are many reasons that he would have not shown up. Some good and some bad, but we really don’t know that information until we get him.”
Easton gave me one nod, not arguing with me, not disagreeing with me, and it helped calm my nerves. He saw the value in bringing him in, and that made me feel better about fighting so hard for it.
“Okay, guys. Let’s bring in the troops and have you all head out. We have a demon to catch.”
Chapter 6
Afterthemeetingwiththe soldiers, I divided them among the heirs evenly. As each heir introduced themselves to their group, I felt an intense gaze on me. I turned around and was met with those familiar all-seeing violet orbs.
Cosmo shifted his eyes to the side, signaling he would like to talk in private, and I gave him a single nod. As soon as I stepped out of the room into the hallway, he called out, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
I bristled at his words, my shoulders straightening as I swirled around, ready to take him on. My immediate reaction was to argue with him, to focus all my hurt from his words and lash out at him, but that wasn’t what a good leader did. Instead, I folded my arms and gripped my biceps to calm myself down as I cooly replied, “What are you having an issue with?”
His eyes narrowed as he mimicked my arm placement with his own power stance as he went forward with his argument. “I don’t like splitting up from you. I feel like you should trade me with one of the men on your team.”
“No.” My response was immediate and final. I would not do that. That would make me look weak, especially now after I set out the whole plan. I refused to appear weak. I wasn’t some little woman that needed a man to come with her to look after her. That was worse than a death sentence in an organization like this, and he knew it. What was going on with him lately?
He stepped up to me, getting in my bubble as his amethyst eyes drilled into mine. His crisp, clean scent permeated the air and relaxed me, while the tingle of spearmint lit my body with each breath he took. I bit the inside of my lip, making sure he couldn’t tell, as I called up all the reasons I couldn’t have my way with him. Why it wasn’t a good idea to shove him up against the wall and take a bite of that buttery sweetness and sharply acidic taste from his veins. My mouth salivated thinking about it. My eyes glued onto the dark, pulsing vein in his thick, ink-covered neck, calling me in with its constant thrum. Would he be just as sweet as I remembered? It had been so long since I had a taste.
“Ray?”
“Rayla?”
My name being whispered with his voice laced in concern hit me like ice pelting me awake. I closed my eyes for a second as I stepped back while trying to get my craving in check before I focused on his always stoic face. “Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.” His brows furrowed, but I kept going, hoping he didn’t catch my moment of weakness. “My answer still stands.”
His face pinched, and his mouth opened for his rebuttal, but I raised my hands before he could get it out. “It will look weak, and you know it.”
“I thought you trusted these people? Isn’t that what you proved to your dad just now? That you all are in this together, thick or thin?” His tart and immediate reply made me think that what I had said made him angry. What the hell did I do? It wasn’t something I hadn’t said to him before. I also needed to connect us all together, have them all understand we were a team. This included him and Rick because they were just as important as the heirs and bosses to me. Did he think I wasn’t including him in that equation? I decided to try another angle.
“It’s not that I fear looking bad in front of the other families, it’s that I refuse to appear like we are not pulling our weight. I want the Desmonds to look equally as strong, so as a whole, we are impenetrable. We can’t have dead weight this high up. We all have to perform.” I grabbed his hands, holding them softly as I focused on his striking orbs. “Even me.”
His eyes closed, and he hung his head as he huffed out a breath. He took a few seconds, squeezing my hand before he lifted his head. His eyes softened around the edges as he opened his mouth. I hoped he would say something like I was right, but nope. His face turned stoic as his eyes darkened into a deep purple, and he backed up a few steps.
The door to the conference room opened, and golden hair and crystal eyes caught my eye first, shining so brightly it was almost blinding. Falcon paused when he saw us, and his eyes flicked between us. Cosmo made a quick retreat while saying, “I understand. Please notify me when you are in the area and when you leave. I will tell Rick to do the same. The three of us will be the farthest away, so if we need backup, open communication is key.”
I nodded, and he zoomed back into the conference room. Falcon waited where he was, and his eyes slid to the door that Cosmo just went through before narrowing for a second. What was he suspicious of?
“What’s up?” I asked, hoping to pull his attention away from Cosmo.
Falcon moved toward me, placing his hand out that held a thin platinum chain. “My father said you were going to need this.”
One eyebrow lifted as I wondered what the hell that meant. When I didn’t take the bracelet from him, he moved closer, unclasping the side with a charm that had sexy kissing lips and fangs. He nodded at my wrist, and I rolled my eyes to comply. What the fuck was going on with these men?
