Page 35 of Silk and Sirens

“I think we’re missing a vital part of that equation, and unless I somehow develop certain organs, spontaneous conception is off the cards too.” I tilted my head, straining to hear the shower still running from down the hall. “Lang’s been burning things again.”

“I asked about you, not Lang,” Bas muttered, letting out a sigh when I just continued to stare at him. “You worry yourself so much about us, but what about you?”

I laughed. “I sleep a full eight hours every night and don’t have the urge to burn people alive. I think I’m good.”

Besides, they were mine to look after. Ever since I helped drag them out of that burning building, Sebastian drenched in blood and Lang barely recognisable amongst the soot and burns. I’d made that decision.

Unwrapping the fabric from my knuckles I flexed my hands, studying the pale scars along the skin from getting into too many fights as a kid.

“Shouldn’t you be with your wife?” I asked, slipping a cigarette between my lips. “She’s much prettier than me, and also willing to spend time with your ugly mug.”

“She’s asleep.”

“Hmm.” I took a slow drag, then exhaled the smoke in his direction. “What do you want, Bas?”

“Something’s bothering you.” He plucked the cigarette from my fingers and claimed it for himself. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just Aeris.” I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head. “Something doesn’t add up.”

“You want to take her out?” he asked with a raised brow.

“I’m concerned she’s going to become a bigger problem, and you know how far her influence stretches.”

“Maybe, but killing Grant doesn’t affect us, only Alexander.”

I wonder if your father knew about Kent’s extracurricular activities.

“I looked into Grant … If he was doing something that upset her, he was hiding it well,” I said, frustration bleeding into my voice. On paper, Kent Grant was a model citizen, if you were willing to overlook the small detail of laundering money for some very unpleasant people.

Sebastian drew deeply from my cigarette, smoke curling from his lips as he exhaled. “It could be a coincidence. Two paths crossing that don’t go any further. Aeris is in the business of information, so it could be as simple as a data grab.”

I huffed a quiet laugh. “Since when are you the rational one?”

“Since my level-headed cousin started obsessing.”

“Obsessing?” I grunted. “Fuck off.”

I don’t obsess. Ever. Especially over a woman who thinks she holds the world between her thighs. Kissing her hadn’t been a mistake, because I enjoyed seeing her so unsettled once I shifted the balance. She honestly believed she had leverage and that she could control me with sex. The problem was that I couldn’t stop replaying the look in her eyes when I proved her wrong.

A sharp whistle preceded Langdon’s arrival, who appeared beside Sebastian in just a towel. I didn’t even glance at the scars carved across his chest anymore, the sweeping burns stretching from his throat down his torso, as though some monstrous beast had raked him with flaming claws.

It took him almost a decade to step out from behind long sleeves and shadows, to claim the scars as his own. And only with us.

“What’s the plan with Aeris then?” he signed, leaning against the wall.

I took a moment to reply, unable to relax until I figured out her angle. Because with Aeris, there was always one.

“I’m dealing with it.”

Chapter 16

Caden

I couldn’t fucking sleep.

Not with Aeris on my mind, which was exactly why I was in this shithole, trying to pick a certain redhead out of the mass of sweaty dancers at two in the morning. Club Hex was a riot of colour and shadows, UV lights casting everything in an unnatural glow. Graffiti scrawled across the walls in chaotic layers, tags, and murals all seeming to shift with every pulse of neon. The club’s waitresses moved through the crowd like living art, butterfly wings catching the light as they shimmered with every step, wearing strands of beads that clinked softly against bare skin.

The whole place felt like a fever dream, which made sense given its reputation. A place to drink, dance, and get high on the venue’s so-called ‘potions.’ Spiked drinks seemed to be all the rage, with clubs across the city adding something extra to their signature cocktails. It was a phase we were watching closely, considering we were in the business of euphoric highs.