“Can I ask you a close, personal question?”
“If you expect a shaven pussy, you better be prepared to pluck between your own ass cheeks. Fair’s fair.” Livvie blinks at me through her glasses. The corner of her lip cocks up into a smile. “What? That wasn’t the question?”
I can’t help but crack a smile, although it’s ragged. “Um…”
“Let me guess, you want to know what I’m doing working for Nero Lucian, notorious crime boss, and trying to get my ass killed saving his animals?”
“Pretty much.”
“Look, Golden Boy. Some of us don’t have the luxury of choices. If Nero sees talent, he snaps you up whether you want to be snapped or not. You’re about to find out that’s a blessing and a curse.”
“I’m not sure I have the luxury of choice, either,” I say.
“Mmmm, wait until he marries your mom and you get given one of these.” Livvie holds up her hand, showing me the ring she wears on her finger. It’s a large piece of jewelry, ugly, with a stamped design of a wolf’s head.
“What’s that?”
“A shackle.” Livvie stares at the ring. “Nero’s my father. I’m Olivia Lucian.”
9
Claudia
Iwait up for Eli to get back from his first evening as Nero’s assistant. Antony’s out at the club, and Noah, Gabriel, and George go to bed early, knowing we’ll have a rough day at school tomorrow. I putThe Conjuringon in the theatre room, and lean back in one of the overstuffed chairs to wait for my Golden Boy. Queen Boudica curls in my lap. She knows when I need her.
Two movies and several exorcisms later, my eyelids droop. I hear the creak of the garage door opening. Queen Boudica’s ears prick up. Instinctively, I reach for my knife, but then I shake myself from sleep and remember who I’m waiting for.
A few moments later, Eli appears in the doorway. I don’t ask him how it went – the hollowness in his eyes and tight corners of his mouth tells me everything. I sit up and pat the chair beside me.
Eli moves like a zombie. He slumps down beside me, the chair swallowing him. Gizmo darts from a hidden corner and sidles up to him, sniffing the hell out of his legs.
He picks her up, crushing her to his chest with such force she yelps and swipes at him to put her down. He does, but his eyes don’t leave her as she stalks around the his legs, sniffing him again.
I wait.
Eli reaches over and scratches Queen Boudica behind the ears. She flattens her ears and stalks away, settling on the chair next to me to eye him warily. This is too much for Eli. He shakes his head angrily and tears his hand away.
“Nero has animals. Lions and tigers and a bear—”
“Oh, my.”
“It’s not funny.”
“I know it’s not.” I press my hand to his. Eli’s fingers curl around me, gripping so tight I have to grit my teeth against the pain. Something’s eating away at him, and he needs to get it out.
“They’re in cages underneath his club, with nothing but concrete floors and rancid food. He’s breeding the babies for his clubs, and god knows what he does with them once they get too big. And Livvie, she wants to save them, but—”
“Wait, who’s Livvie?”
“Olivia Lucian. She’s Nero’s daughter from his second wife. She showed me what she’s been doing behind his back to help the animals.” Eli’s eyes darken when he sees my face. “We can trust her.”
Fat fucking chance. But I don’t say it, because Eli needs this.
“I have to help them, Claws. It might as well be Gizmo and Queen Boudica in those cages. I can’t let them die down there without even seeing the sun.”
As he talks, I hear that same grim determination in his voice. This is who Eli is – he sees it as his god-given duty to speak up for anyone who can’t speak for themselves. He tried so hard to help Mackenzie, to find her when she disappeared, and he protected me even when he hated me. And now he’s going to throw himself in the firing line for these animals, and probably bring Nero’s ire down on all our heads. It should drive me insane. Instead, it makes my body flare with heat.
“We’ll get them out,” I growl.
