Page 59 of A Bond Beyond Blood (The Butcher’s Daughter Trilogy #1)

E lias

Lieutenant Sam strode into the foyer without a word, that sharp gaze flicking around in swift assessment before landing on the boy. He stood with his hands behind his back, always in perfect military form. I’d yet to see the vampire relax.

“Hello, Lieutenant Brighton,” Gannon said with an exaggerated wave.

“Hello, Gannon. See? Easy.” He rolled his eyes, then returned to his work.

We’d been at this all day, but the House of Lords would take weeks to recover.

The garish decorations and macabre design covered every inch of this poor old estate.

I met Sam’s pointed stare and raised my eyebrows.

His gaze flicked to Gannon, then back to me.

With a huff, I waved toward the boy. “Gannon, excuse us for a moment, would you?”

He dropped the painting he’d been carrying out, glaring at the new head of the king’s Guard. When Sam only stared back at him, stone-faced and unreadable, he huffed.

“I need some fresh air,” He grumbled, stepping out onto the front steps and closing the door behind him. “I was friends with him first,” he mumbled on the other side of the thick wooden doors.

My lips kicked up on one side.

“The kid’s clean,” the lieutenant said, and I turned toward him.

“Well, I do believe he probably could have been privy to that little bit of information.” I chuckled, then motioned for Sam to continue. There had to be more if he wanted privacy.

He brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.

In a moment, the foyer filled with the remaining guard, and a few new additions Sam had recruited.

“Clear out,” he barked.

When every member of his team, both new and old, had cleared the home and we were alone once again, he jerked his head toward the sitting room and I led the way.

“Spotless record, but there are a handful of human deaths unaccounted for around the time he was turned.”

I inclined my head. The poor lad had been wild and untethered, without anyone to guide him. Gannon had told me as much, moved to tears by his guilt over the lives lost at his hands, to his insatiable and, at the time, uncontrollable hunger.

“There’s more.”

“I figured as much.”

“Carmine Donati covered the kid’s tracks.”

I tilted my head, spinning slowly to look at the head of my guard. “Interesting.”

He gave the slightest nod.

“But no connection you could find?”

“None, sir.”

I hummed thoughtfully as I considered this.

Carmine Donati would be a problem. I knew that, of course I did, from the moment I laid eyes on him—and long before that.

His rise to the head of the Donati crime family had been messy.

Brutal. I didn’t have to be present to know the worst of it. Bad news travels.

What connection did he have to Gannon? Why sweep the boy’s indiscretions under the rug?

“And Vincenzo? The suspense is killing me.” With my sights set on Jack—and, more importantly, my blood running through her veins—it was imperative that she remain safe.

And until I could convince her to seek solace in my bed and my home, I had to know that the men she allowed to warm her bed each night would keep her safe.

A human with vampire blood was unheard of. I was quite tempted to kidnap the girl and place her in the highest tower I could build.

The front door opened slowly, a quiet displacement of air the only sound. I tilted my head, listening to the soft footprints until I realized who they belonged to.

Gannon and I would have a talk about what being ‘friends’ with a king meant.

Lieutenant Sam lifted his chin, just the slightest bit.

I motioned for him to continue. If the information gathering mission was successful, proving that both of Jack’s suitors were worthy, we had nothing to hide. And I doubted Gannon would run back to Vincenzo to tattle on me. No, his loyalty was to the girl.

Of course, should the news reflect poorly on Vincenzo, I had no doubt that the boy might use that to up his advantage, moving him forward in their delicate little game.

Entertaining to watch, no doubt.

“Ricci is connected.”

My eyebrows crept up my forehead. “Is he now?”

Sam nodded. “Donati family. His father and Carmine were...” He paused, eyes narrowing, as Gannon cursed softly in the foyer. A muscle in his jaw ticked.

I rolled my eyes and waved a dismissive hand.

“Ricci pays his dues every week. Saturday mornings to be exact.”

I nodded.

“It could be a debt, something Donati holds over Ricci’s head. I’ll continue to look into it.”

“Of course. We don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

Hands clenched into fists at his sides, the lieutenant jerked his head toward the foyer. “May I?”

I waved him on. “By all means.”

He was gone in a blink, just a flash of black fatigues as he surprised Gannon, followed by a startled yelp.

“I’m sorry!” Gannon shrieked. “Come on, man—” His words were cut off by a slap of flesh against flesh.

“Eavesdropping will get you killed,” Lieutenant Sam growled.

“That’s quite enough,” I called. “The girl enjoys that face you’re bloodying.”

Lieutenant Sam grunted, then Gannon stumbled into the room, fangs bared and blood dripping from multiple cuts in his face.

“You’re going to let him do that to me?” he snapped.

I raised my eyebrows. “Dear boy, people have been killed for far less.” With a sigh, I motioned to Gannon.

“Jack is fond of you, but my patience only goes so far. Let this be the single warning I give you. Eavesdropping, on a king no less, is grounds for far more than a few punches. When your king asks you to do something, you do it without whining, and you do it immediately. I say jump, you don’t even bother looking before you leap. Understand?”

“I just—”

I raised my hand and the lieutenant grabbed Gannon by the collar, slamming him against the wall and resting his forearm against the boy’s throat.

“Your king asked you a question.” Gannon’s mouth moved but no sound escaped his lips. “Blink twice if you understand.”

Gannon blinked twice, then focused on me, eyes imploring.

I rolled my own, shaking my head. “You know you don’t need to breathe anymore, correct?”

His eyes widened, but then he blinked twice.

“That’s enough, Lieutenant.”

Sam stepped back, returning to his usual stance. Feet shoulders’ width apart, hands behind his back. Chin tilted proudly.

The hard lines of his face gave nothing away.

“Gannon,” I said on a sigh. “What did you hear?”

His teeth clenched, nostrils flaring as his anger returned tenfold. “Ricci.”

“You’re surprised by the news that he’s connected to Carmine Donati?”

He puffed up his chest. “No, I...I—” He growled as his hands fisted at his sides. “I knew he was bad news. He’s a Staten Island Ricci. Our parents warned us about them. Fuck!” His hands dug into his hair. “Franco would kill me for letting her near a Ricci!”

I chuckled. “I think we both know you have no power to let Jack do anything.”

His nostrils flared on angry breaths. “Still. I should have never left her.”

“We agree on that, but beating yourself up over it is pointless.” I settled onto one of the few remaining items I’d decided to keep from the former manor, dragging my fingertips over the lush red velvet upholstery.

“We have to get rid of him,” Gannon growled, and my eyes flicked to Sam’s as his eyebrows lifted a fraction.

“Let’s not be hasty. I have no desire to see the girl’s heart broken.” Shaking my head, I rubbed my chin. “No, I think we need to sit on this information. Lieutenant?”

“Agreed, sir.”

Gannon’s mouth dropped open on a scoff. “Bu-but—”

“The King has spoken.”

Gannon turned those furious eyes on Sam. “He’s connected. You said so yourself. Jackie’s in danger!” Looking back at me, his eyes turned pleading. “Eli—”

“King Bristol,” Lieutenant Sam snapped.

“What we’ve learned about Vincenzo is troubling, yes, but I don’t believe the girl is in danger—at least, not by his hand anyway.”

“Okay,” Gannon said on a huff. “And what about his friends? The fucking criminals of the Donati family? What about when they come for her?”

I inclined my head, in agreement on this point. “This does create a problem.”

Rising to my feet, I draped my arm over Gannon’s shoulders. “Come, let’s see if we can come up with a solution.”

“Easy. Get rid of Ricci.”

I tsked . “First, let’s get rid of some of your anger.” I motioned toward the hideous statues lining the circular foyer. “Get the door, Sam,” I said, then pointed at one particular monstrosity. “Get rid of that one.”

Gannon’s eyes flicked toward the statue, then back at me, brows furrowing.

“Pretend it’s Vincenzo.” I shrugged, and his eyes lit up. Stepping back, I leaned against the wall, scowling at the velvet-flocked wallpaper.

With a roar, Gannon grabbed a bust with both hands and curled it back over his head, then hurled it out onto the stone steps. It crashed and splintered into a thousand pieces, crumbling onto the growing pile of garbage below.

The guards milling about while they waited for the go ahead to return to their tasks tensed, assessing the situation, but I waved a dismissive hand. Where was this rapt attention when Gannon was sneaking back into the manor to spy?

“Return to your duties,” the lieutenant called.

Turning to Gannon, I lifted a brow. “Feel better?”

He spun toward me, panting as he grinned wildly. “Actually, yeah.”

“Well, then, don’t let me get in your way. I want all of this out.” Motioning toward, well, everything , I strode from the foyer, heading deeper into my new home sweet home, smiling at the sharp scent of fresh paint.

Out with the old, and all that.