He clears his throat when I don’t answer and Breaker says, “One of them. Steele will be here in a few weeks.”
Steele. Striker. He shouldn’t have been allowed to pick his name.
“Right,” Dave says, glancing over his shoulder to the group of women he left. “Zane told me you sent an offer to Rune’s office. He’s going to contact you soon.”
“The offer was sent a week ago,” I say, leaning slightly into my accent. “It has an expiration date.”
Dave winces at my tone. I make sure it’s sharp. Impatient. Exactly how I feel.
“He had a bit of a delay,” Dave says. “But he’ll be in contact soon.”
“Twenty–four hours,” I say.
Dave nods, casting another look over his shoulder. God. The lack ofrespect. Rune and his minions really believe they are above everyone.
I stand, adjusting my slacks, pinning Dave with a glare. He shrinks back. “Tell Rune if he wants to do business with us, I expect someone other than his lawyer.” I lean in, towering over him. “And some respect.”
Dave glances at Breaker, like he’s expecting him to say something, to be polite, but he stands, giving a flash of a smile, and Dave takes another step back. If Rune sent his lawyer to give us a message, it means he isn’t taking us, our deal, or the weapons we provided him with, seriously. That means he may not follow through with the invitation.
We still have to prove we are who we say we are.
We still have to pass his initiation.
Failure isn’t an option.
Looks like Vince will have to put on a show.
Chapter 26
Viper
Longredstrandsfloatin the air like streamers. The sun overhead glistens on each strand until each one looks wet, coated in scarlet.
The wind stops, and the hair now hangs loose.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Red pools below the strands. But instead of damp earth, it’s a stone floor.
My eyes travel up the long hair but stop halfway because I know what I’ll see if I let my eyes drift higher.
And I don’t want to see her face.
There’s a distant snap of fingers.
A bird chirps.
I rip my eyes from the red hair and look around.
I’m there.
I spin in the center of the clearing, my heart hammering. I’m surrounded yet again by buildings that seem out of place in the middle of the dark, dense woods. Like this massive opening was cut right into the center, forcing itself to exist here.
This evil place, soaked in blood.
“Come,” a voice behind me says.
Confusion makes my heart pound and my hands fist, because it’shervoice, but she’s dead. Then I see I’m no longer in the woods.
