The color drained from Gavriel's face. "Fuck. Call her. Now."
I was already dialing, my heart pounding as the phone rang once, twice, three times. On the fourth ring, Rhea's voice came through, breathless and low.
"Elin? Is Gav with you?"
"He's right here. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine—”
Gavriel took the phone. "Rhea, listen carefully. Grab the go-bag in the wine cellar and use that tunnel out. There's a car in the garage at the end, right where the blind spot is in the security cameras. Take it and go to the penthouse.”
"Understood. Love you, Gav."
"Love you too, sis."
As he hung up, our eyes met, a silent understanding passing between us. The game had changed; the stakes raised. Don Azzaro had made his choice, aligning with Juarez against his own children.
Now we would make ours.
"Go." I opened the coat closet door, pushing the clothes to the side, and pushing on the back wall right at the corner. The secret door opened, I reached in and grabbed the two duffle bags that were there and always ready for me to go.
Harley’s muffled chuckle reached my ears as he said to Gavriel, “Damn. She’s got secrets all over the place, doesn’t she?”
If he only knew that there were three ways to leave this house without ever going for the kitchen or front doors. Only one of which was for me to crawl into this cubby and push a button to send me down a shoot to where a motorcycle and more awaited me.
I crawled back to where they were, hauling the bags over my shoulders and moving toward the door. "And Gavriel?" I paused, looking back at him with a smile. "You have a filet set in the car? We might need them."
His smile was as cold and sharp as the blades he carried as he said, "Yes, Goddess."
Chapter 37
ThebasementofParadiseClub was soundproofed for entirely different purposes, but tonight it served my darker talents perfectly. Juarez's man hung from the ceiling hooks we normally used for suspension play, his feet barely touching the ground. His face was a mess. There was one eye swollen shut, a split lip oozing blood down his stubbled chin, and a purpling bruise spreading across his cheekbone, where Elin had introduced his face to the wall. That didn’t include the broken fingers, arm, and his dislocated shoulder. Fuck, my Goddess could fight. It was making me hard just thinking about it.
I circled him slowly, letting the anticipation build as his eyes followed my movements.
"You know who I am?" I kept my voice conversational, almost friendly.
He spat blood onto the concrete floor. "The Owl’s Talon," he muttered, his accent thickening with pain. "Azzaro's attack dog."
I smiled, selecting a thin blade from the array I'd laid out on the steel table. "That's right. And you're in my house now."
Behind me, before we had gotten started, Harley had taken to leaning against the wall, arms crossed, expression bored. Only those who knew him well would recognize the dangerous glint in his eyes. We'd worked together long enough that he knew when to speak and when to let me handle the questioning.
"Your boss sent you here for a reason," I continued, testing the knife's edge against my thumb. "I want to know why."
The man's eyes followed the blade, but his face remained defiant. "Fuck you."
I nodded as if considering his response. Then, with practiced precision, I drove the knife into his thigh, twisting slightly as I withdrew it. His scream echoed off the walls, ending in a choked groan.
"Let's try again." I wiped the blade clean, ruby red essence spreading onto the pristine white cloth sending a thrill through my veins. "Why is Juarez targeting Elin Perkins?"
He panted, sweat mingling with the blood on his face. "She's leverage," he admitted finally. "Against you."
"Elaborate." I selected a different knife, this one serrated.
"Juarez . . . knows she matters . . . to you." His words came in pained bursts. A door opened behind me, and I tilted my head, listening before recognizing Elin’s footsteps.
Why is she down here?
