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He closed his eyes for a second to savor her sweet flavor and then cradled the back of her head. Holding her steady, he deepened the kiss. He lifted his mouth from hers only to allow her to catch her breath. Staring into her eyes, Darius searched for any sign to tell him the attraction wasn’t mutual. Desire and sensual heat radiated from her gaze. He inhaled sharply, savoring the scent of her arousal.

“My wet panties are going to be uncomfortable,” she whispered.

That eased him back into full control of himself. She wanted him—no one else. “I’ll stash a few pairs in my glove box.”

Amusement crossed her face. “What a great idea.”

He drew her close again to hug her to his heart. She rested against him, snuggling her head on his shoulder. Several minutes passed tranquilly before Bram’s presence registered in his senses. “Bram is coming, Zoí mou.”

After helping her ease back into her seat, the elevator dinged and opened to reveal Bram. The social media and tech expert for the clan waved and headed for his vehicle as Darius exited his car. Darius rounded the hood and assisted Mara out, who smelled so appealing. Focusing on work would take discipline.

Chapter

Six

Darius turned from the screen after detailing the last of the screenshots he’d put together with Mara’s help. Bram, Marcus, Donovan, and Titus looked angrier than he’d ever seen them before. Alaric’s expression had not changed. Their Elder’s calmness set off alarms in Darius’s mind. Alaric didn’t allow slights to go unaddressed.

“I’ll apologize that I didn’t notice this. The clan may wish to replace me as the financial manager,” Darius said, expecting the worst. Granted, the amount involved was less than one eighth of a percent of Nightfall’s profits, but the total was significant.

“How many eyes are on these numbers?” Marcus asked.

“Over two dozen employees work on the accounts. I am unwilling to set the blame on anyone else’s shoulders. This happened on my watch. I am responsible,” Darius said, accepting the fault completely.

“How did Mara figure this out?” Alaric asked.

“She checked on a transaction for a different account and saw the line three above that one was off by seven cents. She reported the error and was told she’d accessed the account incorrectly, causing the numbers to not match,” Darius reported.

“That set off an alarm in her head, and she searched for more,” Donovan guessed.

“Exactly. Only on the accounts she personally oversaw. That would be a fraction of the total banking system’s business,” Darius said. He was extremely proud of his mate. Not many people would have seen the change, and few would risk their jobs by continuing to search for more problems.

“Hell. I didn’t notice for a month that the liquor distributor had substituted one brand of high-end whiskey in bottles holding two ounces less for the same price,” Titus said, glowering at the memory. “I wouldn’t have caught the swap until I started experimenting with a new drink recipe and ran out of whiskey before I had calculated.”

“When I visited our vendor, he hadn’t seen the change either.” Marcus tapped his head, indicating he’d checked the man’s memories to make sure.

“I’m struck that the officials chose not to investigate further. Do we switch to another bank?” Donovan asked.

“Not until we figure out who is orchestrating this. Is our old friend Enzo Costa rebuilding his finances?” Alaric asked.

Everyone bristled at the sound of the local mafia boss’s name. Enzo had retreated quietly after being thoroughly defeated at Titus’s mansion. Stripped of his funds and with most of his men permanently removed from duty, Enzo had learned a painful lesson about messing with the clan.

Alaric turned to Bram. “Can you work your magic to see if something or someone else links the bank and Costa?”

“Already making notes,” Bram assured him.

Darius stood still when Alaric’s focus shifted to him. The next few minutes would foretell his future with the clan. He hadn’t brought Mara to this meeting for this exact reason. Darius muted his worry and concern for his mate. He didn’t want his worry to be mistaken for guilt. The Elder’s power could eliminate him instantly.

Take care of Mara, he messaged Titus and Marcus. They would understand his desire to protect his mate if Alaric chose to end him. Instant agreement echoed back to him.

“You do not need to fear for your mate, Darius. The clan values their safety. I will allow the clan leaders to vote before I do. What do you say? Does Darius stay in his position?” Alaric asked.

“Yes,” Marcus said.

“Yes.” Titus’s voice held no hesitation.

Donovan nodded, “Yes.”

“Yes,” Bram weighed in.