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By the smile on his face I should’ve known this wasn’t going to be a great conversation.

“I gave you three men and didn’t ask for anything in return. All I’m asking for now is an alliance.”

The silence after that stretched for a full five minutes.

“Why the fuck would I form an alliance with you?”

“Because I’m going to go out on a limb and say you want to destroy Centriole as badly as I do. And I don’t want any part of your empire. I just want an alliance with it.”

“Keep going,” Cali said, waving her hand in the air.

“There’s not much to it. They have someone inside the prison I want back.”

Romero laughed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Are you shitting me? Did you think I’d help you out of the kindness of my heart?”

“No, but if you really do consider these lovely people at this table your family, you’ll do it for your niece or nephew.”

I shifted; Grimm reached over and took my hand. Sittin here staring at Vitus smiling fuckin face made me feel as if daddy long legs were all over my skin.

“You’re not making much sense, Vitus. Spit it, out or get the fuck out of my house.” Romero stood up, clearly ready to be done with this.

“See, that’s why I like you, Romero. You’re a take no shit kinda guy. I have a few planters inside that can help us when you accept my alliance.

“We had Beth with us, and came to find out,” he leaned back dramatically, “she was pregnant, by Cobra. And if one of you wants to dispute that, it’s understandable. But she said he was the last man to touch her before we got her. My dad was going to use the kid as leverage himself when the mayor didn’t come through with his end of their deal.

“She ran away, got herself caught up with some people who knew some people and, you can guess why her being back inside Centriole would be relevant to any of you.”

What. The. Fuck?

No one said a word. I thought the bitch was dead, and now here she may be pregnant with my niece or nephew? By fuckin Cobra, of all people? Our Cobra.?

“If any of that is remotely true––that’s a real huge if by the way––then why was he hunting down Arlen?” Cali asked, not missing a beat.

“Well, probably because he doesn’t believe Cobra would care enough about his kid to claim it. And then, he’d still need leverage.”

“We all know he isn’t going to let a little savage from the Badlands knowingly grow up in his precious city, especially if his daddy is a heathen.

“Don’t believe me, tell me go fuck myself. All you need is a simple DNA test. Actually,” Vitus hummed thoughtfully, “that right there is our leverage against him. Keep him happy and out of our hair for a little while. If you think that’s all I know, it isn’t. But I have to have some leverage of my own. Just in case.” He stared dead straight at Romero, and I got the inkling that wasn’t all for show.

What the fuck else could there be outside of that? Goddamn Romero in all his secrecy. I glanced around when no one s

aid anything.

Cobra had a completely unreadable expression on his face, and Grimm looked slightly irritated.

None of them were surprised my sister could be carryin his kid. To be frank, neither was I. I just didn’t want to imagine the conception.

“What do you want?” Romero finally asked.

“I don’t—.”

“What the fuck do you want; only a dumbass would walk out of here without securing a guarantee.”

Vitus waited a beat, then another.

“Give me the girl with the blue hair.”

What?