Page 35 of Broken Souls

My eyes softening, my heart hurting for what he’s going through, I ask, “Can you think of anyone who might need a patsy for any reason?”

I hold my breath, half expecting him to say me.

But he doesn’t.

His eyes flashing with rage, he snarls, “Mother.”

Thirteen

HIM

How many fucking lies has Mother told me? How many fucking truths has she kept from me?

Despite how Micha might have taken my answer last night, I don’t think Mother needs a patsy or wants the ledger. I just think she’s a meddling bitch who wanted to cause a rift between me and my mate. So I don’t fall in love. So I don’t break the curse she wants to keep hidden. Even though she sounded so fucking sure I could never know real love.

My rage burns too hot as I think of all the lies she’s fed me, which is why I haven’t gone to her yet. If I confront her while I’m this angry, I’ll kill her, and we need her healing magic in this war. So I focus on writing up a new alliance with the Blood Fangs and then setting up a meeting with Aleric for tomorrow afternoon.

A couple days ago, I checked the police records and traced the anonymous call I was told of to the soldier we

had on reception at the hotel Khalid visited that night. He ran. Now he’s dead. I thought Micha might have killed him before I could talk to him for no other reason than the fact that I suspected her of trying to play me. But it seems that isn’t the case, and the traitor Aleric was hinting at was just some low-level soldier, most likely looking to give Khalid up to the police in exchange for witness protection.

It isn’t until midnight that I’m able to finalize the pact I’ve drawn up for Aleric to sign between all the other jobs and responsibilities I have.I save the file on my laptop, then print out two copies for tomorrow and give him a call to set a time for the meeting.

“Calling to ask for my email address?”

“What?” I ask.

“For where to send your mother’s –”

“Finish that sentence, and I will take my chances against Antonio alone.”

He laughs. “She rarely lets mefinisheither.”

My fingers tighten around the cell phone as I see red.

“She’s always interrupting me.” A pause. “Thinks I don’t have anything worth hearing.”

“Just fucking shut up and listen.”

He sighs. “Like mother like son.”

But not like father…

I force my hand to relax. As much as I hate the fucker, we do need the alliance. I want to trust Micha’s reasoning last night, but if she’s lied to me, if the Blacks are planning on stealing the ledger or killing me to take over, we need allies. “Meeting. Tomorrow. Four o’clock,” I say.

“Six.”

“Four.”

“Five.”

“Four.”

He gives a drawn-out sigh. “Fiiiine. But I want all your brothers there to sign. You might have caught this traitor, but you seem to attract them like flies to honey. That way if you die, the agreement is still valid.”

“Leno will be enough.” He’s the one who will rule if I die.

“You clearly don’t know Antonio. He isn’t going to stop until you’re all dead. I want to make sure when he takes you out one by one, to hurt your dear ma as much as he can, that I still have the best chance of survival. Really, I don’t even know why he’s targeting me. I sent him a birthday cake this year and everything.” He laughs with utter delight. “Probably shouldn’t have iced it with a placenta and placed three fetuses on top of it though, huh?”