Kylo looked into the eyes of a young man who’d asked the last question. Like so many others in the room, he was holding his phone up as he video recorded Kylo’s speech. With that in mind, Kylo grinned. “Let’s just say, I’ve had my own dance with Devil, and I know for absolute certainty, he will not be back. The organization, everything he’d built up over the years, has been destroyed—there is nothing for him to come back to. It’s over.”
Looking around the rest of the room, Kylo smiled—a professional one this time. “I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming here today. As you can imagine, this is an enormous achievement for our precinct, and I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. If you don’t mind, my mate and I have early dinner reservations, and my inbox is full. Stay safe out there.”
Kylo turned and, putting his hand on Conrad’s lower back, he went to guide him off the stage, when the same young man who’d asked the questions before stopped him. “Have you actually seen Devil’s dead body? Can you confirm for my viewers once and for all that the man is dead?”
Aren’t you a persistent little shit!“I said he was gone, not dead.” Kylo refused to lie, even for a news conference. “All you need to know is that he won’t come back.”
“There’s been rumors he has family here in the area. Aren’t you concerned that someone from his family might try to take over his criminal activities?”
“No.” Kylo shook his head. Conrad tense beside him. Making a point of looking directly into the camera lens of the young man’s phone, Kylo said clearly, “Devil had three sons who all perished in the death house scene outlined in the early part of my briefing. There is no one else connected with any family the man might have had that we are concerned about.”
“It is rumored he has a daughter…”
Kylo cut him off quickly. “As I said, there isno one elseconnected to Devil that is ofany importance to me, or to anyone else in this precinct. I have identified no other family member as having the skills, network and contacts, or the reputation necessary to continue Devil’s criminal activities. Most of the gang are dead, and those who managed to escape with their lives have fled. There is nothing left here to organize or take over. When I said it was over, I meant it, and I’m sure we’re all glad of it. Have a nice afternoon.”
“If she doesn’t take the bait now, she never will,” Conrad muttered as they walked away.
“She’ll take it.” Kylo knew she would like he knew his own name. He stopped by Pete’s desk. “Good work on the press conference organization, Pete, thank you.” He accepted the pile of messages his assistant held out for him. “Conrad and I will be out for the afternoon, showing our faces to some of the rural areas, talking to people, and soothing any concerns they might have.”Being visible so she can find us.
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate that.” Pete was typing madly, his long fingers flying across the keyboard. He stopped long enough to flick back his hair. “There will be a bunch of reports ready for you by the end of the day, which will need your signature before I can send them off.”
Kylo turned to Conrad. “We could have an early dinner?” Conrad nodded. “All right then, if there’s anything that absolutely needs signing, leave it on my desk for me, and I’ll do it this evening, after dinner, before we head home.”
“Thank you.” Pete mock sighed with relief. “You just know the pile of papers is going to be twice as high tomorrow if this stuff’s not cleared off today.”
“That’s why I have you, Pete,” Kylo chuckled as he grabbed the keys to the jeep. They could grab some lunch before they headed out for their drive.
~/~/~/~
It was late by the time they made it back to the precinct, and Kylo was more than ready to get his mate home and into bed. Conrad had been friendly and polite, showing respect to the few people who’d come out to talk to them as they traveled around. Kylo knew they were generally good people, just Devil’s activities in the area had left a generational scar that would take time to heal. He made a note to be more visible, and more contactable to the more rural areas, to help with that recovery.
There were a couple of times Kylo thought he sensed the shield Selina had used the day before. When he turned to look in a specific direction, it was gone. Conrad had tensed, too. The first time, it was because a natural snake had slithered out onto the road in front of them. The second time it was a large rat, peering from under some bushes, which had set Conrad’s senses tingling. Kylo had a good laugh about that one.
His mate was a fun companion at dinner. They shared food off their respective plates, chatting about inconsequential things. For Kylo, it was a glimpse into a future he was looking forward to. Conrad was funny, charming, and got more than a few appreciative glances from the people they came across. Kylo was proud to know he had the man’s sole focus, or he would when they got to bed.
“It’s quiet here tonight,” Kylo noticed as they went through reception. There was no one at the front desk, which was unusual, then Kylo guessed the rostered officer had probably gone to get coffee.
“Can you smell that?” Conrad quickened his steps as they got closer to their office. Pete wasn’t there and would’ve gone home two hours before. Kylo inhaled and then growled as the scent of blood hit his nose.
The smell was stronger in the office. Kylo closed his eyes, just for a moment, only nothing would take away the image of Pete’s hand arranged in the classic ‘fuck you’ symbol on Kylo’s desk, middle finger extended with the others curled. None of Pete’s other body parts were attached to that hand, and that broke Kylo’s heart and filled him with anger all at the same time.
It was Conrad who growled as something shimmered and then appeared on the other side of Kylo’s desk.
“You can’t ignore me now,” Selina hissed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Conrad
They’d expected some form of attack, only not such a blatant display using Pete. Up to now she’d hidden behind others, it seemed their plan to piss her off had worked. Conrad regretted Pete had become her target. The man had not deserved that.
The words rang in the room as Selina disappeared, not before Conrad had caught sight of where she’d projected from. “The death house, she’s there.”
Kylo’s grief-stricken eyes turned murderous as he swung towards the door. “Let’s fucking end her,” he snarled as he marched out past empty desks.
“Tonight, this ends.” Conrad rolled his shoulders like a boxer in the ring. His animals were all in agreement. They were ready. They made him for this very purpose, and Selina was about to find out just how far the scientists had come since her inception!
The guy on the main desk, coffee cup in hand, gave them a salute. Kylo didn’t so much as flick a glance in his direction as he carried on out of the building with Conrad right there behind him.
