by Kat Bellamy
“At least let me drive you there.”
“You’re sweet,” Jason said, leaning in to kiss him. “But the office is like a five-minute walk from here and I could really use the fresh air.”
“I could pick you up after work. We could order in and watch a movie.” He wasn’t eager to let Jason out of his sight after what had happened.
“That sounds great, actually. What time do you get off?”
“Six,” Colt replied. Assuming he still had a job.
After seeing Jason off, Colt got ready for work and downed enough coffee and “bacon” to get through the day. It didn’t take much, since the taste of ghoul flesh had never quite left his mouth.
When Colt arrived on site, his crew didn’t bat an eye other than his second-in-command saying he was glad he felt better. He’d never called out a day in his life, but it remained to be seen whether using up all his sick days within the first few months of his job would get him canned. He made it back to his office and worked through lunch in an attempt to get caught up on as much as possible before he had to pick up Jason.
“Mr. Jager, there’s someone here from the city to see you,” the secretary announced, peeking in through his door.
“The city?” Colt muttered, eyeing the monumental stack of forms he still had to fill out. Sometimes he hated being the boss. Especially when it meant getting harassed by paper pushers about permits he’d already filled out. “Alright, send him in.”
“I’ll go get her,” Nina said pointedly. A moment later, Evelyn strode into the small office like she owned it. Colt wasn’t sure what she was playing at, but she’d certainly dressed for the part in a sleek black skirt suit and stilettos that would need a skyscraper permit if they were an inch higher.
“Amazing what they can fit in these little trailers. Very...quaint,” she said, clinging to her designer bag.
Colt flew out of his chair. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Nina blinked. “I’ll give you two some privacy,” she said, pulling the door shut behind her.
“Your secretary is scrumptious,” Evelyn said, licking her red lips. “Have you introduced Jay-Jay to her yet?”
“Leave him out of this,” Colt growled. “First, you ditch me and now you show up at my office?”
“This is what you call an office?” Evelyn asked, looking around with a grimace. “Honey, we’ve gotta get you set up better than this. I can’t have my champion fighter living in blue collar drudgery.”
“You have five seconds to give me a reason why you’re here or you’re next on the menu.”
“I know you’re on the outskirts of the Kinship, darling, but threatening me really isn’t the best idea.”
“Maybe it wasn’t,” Colt said, taking a menacing step toward her. “But I just spend five days holed up in my apartment because I’m more of a monster than usual, and something tells me if the Moreaus are scared shitless of that, you are, too.”
Her apathy faltered for a split second and she shifted her bag onto her other shoulder. “Be that as it may, if anything happens to me, I have ways of making sure that the Moreaus know it was you. We need each other, Colt,” she purred, stepping closer to run a hand up his chest. “Like it or not, we’re in this together now. Mutually assured destruction doesn’t have to be all bad.”
Colt brushed her hand away. “What do you want, Evelyn?”
Evelyn turned away with a dramatic huff, running her hand along the edge of Colt’s desk. “Fine. If you want to talk business, let’s talk. First of all, I brought you something,” she said, pulling a plain white paper bag from her purse. She dropped the bag on the table and Colt could smell the noxious flesh from across the room. “No need to refrigerate it.”
“Let me guess, you found a way to turn your friends’ flesh into an MRE?”
She smirked. “Jerky.”
“Of course.”
“It’s more practical. We can’t go killing ghouls left and right without being noticed,” she said, hopping up onto the edge of his desk. She crossed one leg over the other and Colt found out more about her taste in undergarments than he’d ever wanted to know.
He looked away in irritation. “And the one you killed isn’t gonna draw attention?”
“Vincent already had a hit out on him. I just eliminated the middleman,” she replied. “Speaking of which, how’s your lover? I heard he was there when Carver was killed.”
“Don’t pretend like you didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“Okay, I won’t.” She shrugged. “But I didn’t. Neither did Vincent.”
Colt frowned. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Believe what you want, but Vincent didn’t kill Carver. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to spend the last twenty-four hours listening to him bitch about the idiot who went behind his back.”
“Seriously? If it wasn’t Vincent, who else wanted him dead?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. There are always brown-nosers trying to get in Vincent’s good graces, but this time, whoever it is barked up the wrong tree.”
“I don’t get it. Why would Vincent be pissed at someone for doing his dirty work?”
“Respect is currency in our world. There’s a reason the Moreaus demand that their loyal worker bees ask permission before taking a piss. Let the rules slide, even a little --”
“And you have another Cleveland. Yeah, I get it.”
“Someone’s been reading up on his history.”
“Enough to know you completely fucked me over if this goes sideways.”
Evelyn smiled, hopping down from his desk. “But imagine if we succeed.”
“Not too clear on how that works out in my favor, either,” Colt admitted.
“Well, for one thing, you and everyone you love won’t die,” Evelyn said, blinking innocently. “For another, you’ll be king. At least in these parts.”
“Yeah, king except I have to be the Assembly’s shadow puppet with your hand up my ass the whole time.”
“Kinky boy,” Evelyn drawled. “As long as you know your place, you’re going to lead a very comfortable life. Once the transition is over, that is.”
“You don’t seriously expect me to take out the entire Moreau family. I’m just one Alpha, they’re what, five?”
“Twelve,” she replied. “Then there’s Danny, but the family prefers not to talk about him.”
“Great.”
“You won’t be doing it all on your own. When the time is right, we’ll pick off a few key players one by one. By the time the Moreaus realize what’s happening, you’ll have enough of a grassroots following that it won’t matter.”
“Ghoul politics. Perfect. You know I’m not even registered to vote, right?”
“Your lack of conviction is exactly what makes you useful. But it’s going to take a bit of work to make you into the hero the people need,” she mused. “Good thing we have time.”
“You might, but I don’t. If we’re done here, I have to make a phone call for blowing off a meeting for the contract of the decade because you decided to make me your ‘champion.’”
“What contract?” Evelyn asked, already on her phone. Colt decided he should be flattered she was paying attention to anything he said, even if she clearly didn’t give a shit.
“New Plaza Condominiums.”
“Oh, I’ve seen the sketches for those. Very swanky. Well, enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Wait,” Colt called after her. “How am I supposed to contact you if I need you again?”
“You’re not,” she said flatly. “That bag should last you a couple of weeks. I’ll reach out to you then.”
With that, she left him in the same state of chaos she’d caused. Colt was starting to fear there wouldn’t be an end to it.
Chapter 27
In the three days since Carver’s death, Colt had failed to convince the project manager for the New Plaza Condominiums to reschedule their meeting. Somehow, he hadn’t been fired yet, but Car
ver’s impending funeral gave him something else to think about. He had agreed to go with Jason for moral support, but he would have found a way to get in even if he hadn’t been invited, since there was probably no shortage of ghouls who would be eager for the chance to spit on the grave of their greatest threat.
The funeral was a simple, somber affair, but the guests who stuck around afterward formed a veritable after party of the city’s movers and shakers. Colt was surprised at how bold some of the guests were in their apathy toward the murder, but it was hard to tell who was a ghoul and who was just a rich jerk.
Andrew was there, of course, and Colt wasn’t sure whether the fact that he had spent most of the night ignoring them should be a relief. When he heard the name “Moreau” uttered in passing, his attention was drawn to the group staring right at Andrew and the two men he was speaking with. One was a portly older gentleman who certainly didn’t meet Colt’s expectations of the current Moreau patriarch, but the other was an unassuming businessman with a laugh that was just a bit too loud for the formal affair. Andrew’s smile grew stiffer by the moment.
“Who’s the blowhard?” Colt asked, afraid he knew the answer.
Jason followed his gaze and rolled his eyes hard. “That’s Vincent Moreau, and ‘blowhard’ is the understatement of the year.”
Colt watched the man more intently, assessing the competition. Judging from the fact that Vincent had looked past him a dozen times that night without batting an eye, he was none the wiser that Colt was a ghoul, never mind the one his girlfriend had chosen to replace him. “What’s he do?”
“Nothing meaningful, as far as I can tell, but his family owns half the city,” Jason said, tilting his head. “Since when are you interested in people?”
“You’re the one who told me I should start networking.”
“True enough. I could introduce you, if you want.”
“No,” Colt said quickly. “Just stay away from him. Guy puts off a bad vibe.”
“Now you’re starting to sound like your mother,” Jason teased. “Are you ready to get out of here?”
“Yeah, sure. I --” He paused, glancing down at the message on his phone from Nina. “Shit, that’s my secretary. I’ve gotta take this. You say your endless goodbyes, I’m gonna step outside for a minute.”
Once he was alone on the veranda, Colt dialed Nina’s number. When she answered, she was breathless. “Colt, you need to get down to the main office as soon as you can.”
“What? Why, did someone get hurt?” he asked worriedly.
“No, but a lawyer from New Plaza is here and he’s waiting for you to sign the contract for the condo project,” she said in an excited whisper. “We got it!”
“What? I’ve been trying to schedule a meeting with the project manager all week and he won’t even return my calls.”
“Look, I don’t know how it happened, but we got the project. How soon can you be here?”
Colt looked back into the room where he could see Jason had already been drawn into another conversation. “I don’t know, but I’ll try for twenty. Just stall him as long as you can,” he said, hanging up. When he turned to go back inside, he found himself face-to-face with Andrew.
“Leaving so soon?” the man asked. “And here I was hoping we’d have the chance to chat.”
“Guess you’ll have to call me down to the station,” Colt said stiffly.
“No need for that. Being suspicious doesn’t make you a suspect. Unless of course you have something you’d like to confess.”
The door opened and Jason appeared before Colt could ‘confess’ to exactly where he wanted to put his new loafers. “Sorry, I got Judge Gavin-ed,” Jason said with a weary sigh. He stopped short when he saw Andrew. “Oh. I didn’t even see you there,” he said with a nervous laugh.
“Don’t worry, the man’s so full of hot air he could run his own wind farm,” Andrew said with a grin. “If Colt’s in a hurry and you’re not done talking, why don’t you stick around and I’ll give you a ride home?”
“In a hurry?” Jason asked, looking at Colt. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, there’s just something I have to take care of down at the site, but it can wait,” he lied.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Andrew. “Jason’s dorm is on my way home. Besides, I wanted to talk to him about a briefing in the morning, anyway.”
“How convenient,” Colt said through gritted teeth.
“Well, if you’re sure it’s not any trouble,” said Jason.
“Not at all.”
Screw the condominiums. Jason alone in a car with Andrew talking about his briefs was the last damn thing Colt wanted, but he knew Jason would kill him if he embarrassed him in front of his boss. At least he got the petty satisfaction of seeing the irritation in the Assistant District Attorney’s eyes when Jason leaned in to kiss him.
“Thank you so much for coming with me. Good luck at work.”
“Thanks,” Colt said, holding back a growl when Andrew put a hand on Jason’s back to lead him inside. He had a bad feeling the rumors about Andrew Wilbur’s sexuality were not unfounded.
When Colt arrived at the site, a black Mercedes was parked in his spot. He found Nina charming a well-dressed man in the lobby.
“There he is,” Nina said, smiling wide. The contract with New Plaza Condominiums wasn’t just a big deal, it was the deal that would put Bracher on the map and it was good news for everyone who worked for the company. “Mr. Jager, meet Rich Shaw. He’s the on-staff attorney for the Founders Investment Fund.”
“Nice to meet you,” Colt said, shaking the man’s hand.
“The pleasure’s all mine. You must have made quite the impression with Ms. Leiton. She was adamant that we give the contract to Bracher.”
“Leiton?” Colt asked in confusion. Rich must have been mistaken. A clerical error would certainly explain why the project was suddenly giving him the time of day.
“I’ll go see if we have something in the fridge to celebrate with,” Nina said excitedly, disappearing down the hall.
“Evelyn Leiton. She’s the head of the Fund,” Rich replied, frowning. “She said she met with you personally and your presentation blew all the others out of the water.”
“Right,” Colt said stiffly. “Sorry. Long day.”
Rich smiled, offering him a thick stack of papers. “Just some formalities to get out of the way. Your crew will still be able to start on the third, won’t it?”
“Of course. Hell, we can start tomorrow, if you want.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Rich said, sitting back down at the front desk. He busied himself with his phone while Colt signed the documents, still reeling from the realization that he’d been vying for a contract from the woman who was quickly outranking Vincent Moreau as his least favorite ghoul.
He felt like he was signing away his soul, but the contract affected a hell of a lot more than his livelihood. Half the men on his crew were there on a probationary basis, pending the company’s ability to get another major project. New Plaza would keep their kids in diapers and the rent paid for a full year, maybe more if it led to other successful bids.
Besides, Evelyn had a hell of a lot more on him than this, even if Colt did have a feeling she was only acting as his benefactor to show him how things really worked in the Kinship. Play by the rules and he’d have the keys to the kingdom. Break them and he’d be out in the cold.
At least bribery was an improvement upon threatening his loved ones. He finished signing the contract and decided to call the evening a victory. He’d take all of them he could get.
Chapter 28
Colt finally had an excuse to work outside that morning, but he knew those opportunities would be few and far between once the project started. He had arrived in his office to a gift basket courtesy of the higher ups at Bracher and the CEO had invited him to play golf later that week. He didn’t own a pair of khakis and his idea of a slice was covered in frosting, but he figured he�
�d better get used to it if he was going to be Evelyn’s bitch.
“Hey, Colt!” Edgar bellowed from across the lot. “Your boyfriend’s on TV!”
Colt looked up to find half his crew gathered around, staring at their phones. He walked over and realized they were watching the press conference. Sure enough, Jason was standing off to Andrew’s side as the Assistant DA addressed the press.
Former Assistant DA, according to the text that scrolled past the image on the screen. It looked like Colt wasn’t the only one who’d gotten a promotion. “So he is,” he muttered. “Alright, let’s get back to work. We’ve still gotta finish this tin can before we move on to the New Plaza.”
The group grudgingly dispersed and went back to their individual tasks. All Colt could think about for the next few hours was how screwed they all were if Andrew was now the one leading the charge. As soon as he got off work, he went over to the Browns’. Miles answered the door with the corgi yapping fiercely at his feet, because it was just that kind of day.
“Hey there, Colt,” the other ghoul said, patting him on the back like they were old friends. “If you’re looking for Stan, he’s not home yet but I’ll warn you, the lady of the house is in a real mood.”
Colt rolled his eyes. Luckily, Miles didn’t seem to have the self-awareness to realize that he was the object of Colt’s scorn. He walked into the kitchen, where Susan was downing a glass of what Colt could only assume was blood. She nearly choked when she saw him, pressing a hand to her mouth. “Colt!”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have barged in. Miles let me in, so…”
“Don’t be silly, you know you’re always welcome,” she said, wiping off the blood on her lips. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, I figured you guys were still pissed that I disappeared, so…”
“Oh, that,” she said dismissively. “Stan was the one fretting. I just assume when a twenty-something disappears, it’s for the usual reasons.”
“It wasn’t.” Colt winced. He was bad at the whole keeping secrets thing. If only Evelyn knew what a poor subject she’d chosen. “It’s...complicated.”