Page 79 of The Devil

I’m about to ask what kind of threat that is when Sev stands. “Councilor. It’s fine. My brother just misses his bride. I’m sure you understand.” Before I can say anything to either of them, my brother turns to Robertson. “If you can have your man show us to our rooms.”

26

JET

“What the fuck, Sev?”

Sev ignores me as Jameson shows us to our rooms while educating us on the castle’s history as if we’re here on some tour. A fucking vacation maybe.

“Your rooms are adjacent,” he says and opens the first door. “Here is⁠—”

“It’s fine,” I bark at him, needing to talk to my brother alone. “My wife?” I ask.

“She’s having lunch in the East Conservatory.”

I’m surprised but glad she’s not cowering to these assholes. “We’ll join her in a few minutes.” I close the door in his face before he can annoy me further and I have no choice but to punch it.

Once we’re alone, Sev walks through the room scanning it. Trust issues. It’s a Blackstone family trait. He’s a man experienced at looking for bugs and hidden cameras. I wait for him to finish and raise my eyebrows.

He shakes his head, signaling he doesn’t see anything obvious. “But you never know,” he says casually, walking over to where his suitcase is laid on a luggage rack, the case itself open. “Someone unpacked for me. How lovely.”

“I’m sure it was all done with the best of intentions,” I say with an eyeroll. “Just being nice and wanting to make us feel welcome.”

“Don’t antagonize Senna, Jet. Or Robertson for that matter. Let’s just get through this night and get home.”

“Why the hell do they want us to stay?”

“You know how official things are with them.”

“I don’t, actually. You handled all of that. Why are you being so cooperative? That bastard knows full well what our grandfather did. Hell, they were grateful once upon a time that we handled the situation for them. We did them a favor. Yeah, I kept the watch when I agreed I wouldn’t keep anything. Make the man disappear like he never existed at all. You know I wanted that more than anyone. But it was me down there in that room, Sev. Me he⁠—”

“I know that, Jet.” Severin walks toward the window. He keeps his back to me. “Believe me, I know. But it doesn’t matter, not to them.”

“I know. I’m sorry you’re in this shit again because of me.” I push a hand into my hair.

“It’s not because of you,” he says.

“Yeah, well, we’re here all the same so.” He just gives a shake of his head as he studies the view from the ironclad window. I dig my phone out of my pocket, at least they didn’t take those. But then I remember Amal doesn’t have one because I took hers. “Shit.” I scan the messages but realize nothing new has come in since about the time we got on the plane. I try sending one to Cassian to test a theory, but it doesn’t send. “They’ve blocked our phones,” I tell Sev.

“Figured they would if they didn’t take them outright.”

“I need to find Amal. I don’t want her alone with these people.”

“Wait, Jet.”

“For what? I’m not going to bend over like you do.” I walk to the door. “I’m going to get my wife and⁠—”

“You should know a few things,” Sev says and the tone of his voice has me stopping with my hand on the doorknob.

I wait for my brother as he turns from the window to face me. Lines furrow his brow and his eyes are narrowed like he’s thinking. Deciding.

“What is it, Sev? What could be more important than me getting to my wife?” I ask, still pissed.

He draws a deep breath in, exhales. “There was a reason they helped us.”

“Yeah, I know. Me killing our grandfather saved them from having to dirty their hands.”

“That’s not all.”