I moved my jaw from side to side as the sting from his hit dissipated. I made sure I gave away no emotions as I looked back at him and kept my voice devoid. “I thought we were going to leave the heirs alone? Try and bring them to our side?”
“Do you really think we need an idiot woman? What were they all thinking, anyway, having her in leadership?” He scoffed, looking around at the few men he already had in here. “A fucking woman. Only thing she would be good for is fucking or dying, right, boys?” They all chuckled with uncertainty. I’m sure they all heard about how bloodthirsty and vicious my little vampire was, my uncle being the only idiot to underestimate my mate.
He was making it harder and harder by the day to stay by his side. I wouldn’t have cared so much about him thinking one way or another about someone, but to say that about my mate, I was having a hard time physically not making him pay for the stupid shit he said.Breathe, Lex. Breathe. You need to keep this up, wait for your moment.
“Plus, we were always going to take a shot at that Syndicate scum if they came into our territory. Also,”—he turned away from me and toward the two other men—“how the fuck was she able to come so close to the entrance? Are the barriers not working? Go have Kevin double check everything to make sure it is all up and running correctly.” When no one made a move to leave, he yelled at the them, “Go!”
They scrambled out of the room like their asses were on fire, and my uncle put his full attention on me. “And, you, where the fuck were you?”
I straightened my shoulders, looking past him as I responded. “I was on my last initiative we spoke about. Watch and learn about the Syndicate’s movements.” My uncle opened his mouth to scream at me again, but I would not have it. “That night, they all split up, looking around for something, and I chose to follow the bosses, knowing they were the more important figures.”
His mouth closed as I gave him the answer I knew he wanted. “Well? Have you got anything?”
I shook my head, you always had to give truths if you wanted to cover up a lie. “The bosses didn’t leave the Desmond compound except once, going into a storage unit. I couldn’t get any closer since they have top-of-the-line security cameras.”
My uncle’s eyebrows pinched as he combed through his beard, thinking about something most likely insignificant. He mumbled to himself as he turned away, “They must be hiding something there, something of incredible value...” I didn’t give a flying fuck about any of that, but if it kept my uncle’s attention away from Ray, then I was all for giving it to him.
Since he was focused on some of the information I gave him, I decided to see if he would give me information. I kept my tone flat, not putting any inflection on any word as I asked, “Any progress on the goal?”
My uncle stopped in his tracks, and his back straightened as he gave me his profile. “We have had a hiccup, but Kevin is on it. Step one will be complete soon.”
If I asked him what step one was, he would deflect the conversation to another topic, saying he wanted to surprise me or show me Kevin’s true worth. So, instead, I asked something that would make me seem supportive and not inquisitive. “Do you need my help with anything?”
My uncle gave me his best car salesman smile as he stepped over to me, landing his hand on my bad arm. Pain surged from where he put pressure, and I dug my nails into my other palm as I clenched through the pain, keeping my breath steady and my face impassive.
His beady eyes shone something dark and depraved. I used to think it was pride, but after watching people for most of my life, I learned that it wasn’t pride, it was something darker. Something like ownership. I didn’t care since we had the same goals, and he obviously needed me, but now I had someone else to protect, someone else to make sure he couldn’t touch, and I saw him in a different light. More of a threat.
It was weird having so many feelings and emotions now. Almost foreign... but I didn’t hate it.
“No, son, I don’t need you just yet, but soon. Once I have what I need under lock and key, I will tell you everything.” Greed filled his eyes at that moment. “Then we will have everything... just like your father would’ve wanted.”
My heart twinged at his mention of my father, his brother. I only have a few memories of my parents, but they all are happy ones filled with love and warmth, but it had been so long that the memories were losing the impact they’d had on me in my youth. They didn’t ignite the same passion from before, being eclipsed now with a brighter memory, a new purpose.
“Of course. For the Devil name and revenge for my father and mother.” He patted my back, causing more pain to run down my arm, but I bared it, I always did in front of him.
“Good. Good.” He walked over to his desk, in a much better mood than before, so I felt my moment was up to get my ask in.
“Since you don’t need me here, and we need information on how to infiltrate the Desmond compound for later, I was thinking of trying to get closer to the Desmonds and find a way to make it easier when the time is right.” He sat down, rubbing his hand over his chin as he thought about it.
“You are too valuable of an asset, if you get caught as being a Devil—”
“Of course, I will get caught. I will come into the place as Lex Devil, the long-lost Syndicate member.” His eyes opened with fear, but I pressed harder. “The heirs all seem to want to find the ‘missing link,’ and even if the bosses want me dead, they won’t be able to if the heirs are the ones to bring me in, fighting for my side. No, they would need to wait and time my death right, but by the time that comes around, we will already be in place to take care of them all.”
His eyes lit up at the prospect of it being that easy. “Trick them right under their noses.” His voice held a giddy note to it. “Have you betray them in the end... it would be a sweet kind of revenge... .” I needed to push him a little more.
“It’s something they would never do, something someone who is smarter and more cunning would do.”
My words filled his eyes with so much excitement he was practically salivating at the idea. He always had an inferiority complex against the bosses, but I never plucked on the string until today, when I really needed to.
“Yes. Execute this plan, and when the time is right, I will give you a signal, so be ready.” I nodded, keeping a tight lid on my emotions as I put my hand to my chest.
“I won’t fail you.”
1.Savage by NEFFEX
Chapter 15
Itwasalmostimpossibleto get Cosmo to pay attention to getting clean after our shower session. He was all handsy and cuddly because when we left this steamy cocoon, we would enter the real world, and in the real world, us being together would have its own set of issues and obstacles.
