Page 27 of Devil's Azalea

“Yes, Viktor,” Jason says, waving an impatient hand. “What does Sergey have to say for himself?”

Behind me, Rafael goes rigid, his playfulness gone. Does he know the Russian?

Viktor tosses a disdainful gaze at the dead body on the floor before stepping around it towards Jason. “Mypakhanwould like you to join him,” he says, pride curling his words. “Leave theNightshadesbehind. They’re about to become a thing of the past.”

I tense immediately.What the hell? This dumbfu–

Jason throws his head back, laughing like he was just told the joke of the century. Viktor clearly hates this reaction; his jaw tightens visibly. “I fail to see what’s so amusing, councilor.”

“I get being ambitious. Trust me, I do,” Jason says, mirth dancing in his tone. “But saying the Nightshades will soon become a thing of the past? That has to be the biggest oxymoron I’ve ever heard. They’re as rooted in this city as the Statue of Liberty. Trying to uproot them is suicide, and I’m not suicidal They’re too powerful to be crossed.”

Viktor folds his arms across his chest. “That was when they had everyone in their pockets. But times are changing. Thereare new powers at play that don’t get along with them, and it’s only a matter of time before she gets them. We’ll help, of course.”

Jason perks up, suddenly intrigued. “She? New powers, you say?”

“I’m not at liberty to say much, but the raid at their establishments a few days ago is not the last of it. They’ve made a powerful enemy, an enemy even more powerful than they are, and this enemy has promised to back mypakhan.” His voice hardens. “So, tell me, Councilor—where will you stand in this? With the soon-to-be-gone Nightshades… or will you rise with the new powers?”

“Hmm, you make compelling points,” Jason hums, weighing it. Then he stands. “Tell yourpakhanif he can give me concrete evidence that he’s able to take the Nightshades down, then I’m willing tothinkabout joining him.”

Viktor nods. “Expect a message from us very soon.”

The two shake hands, then walk out of the office together, stepping over the dead body like it’s yesterday’s trash.

I wait, counting the seconds. One beat. Two. Three.

When I’m sure they’re not coming back, I twist the closet door open and burst out, desperate for air untainted by Rafael’s intoxicating presence.

8

RAFAEL

I stay in the shadows for several heartbeats, watching Emilia pull herself together before slowly unfolding my body out of the closet, my cock throbbing painfully with each movement. The damn thing doesn’t seem to realize the moment is gone—and that Iwon’t, in fact, be burying myself inside of Emilia.

What the actual fuck is wrong with me? How the hell am I this distracted right now? Of all times?

But the way she looked at me back there, moaning around my tongue like she wanted to drown in me… yeah, no wonder I’m struggling.

She stares at the dead body for a long moment, her profile a study in controlled rage and something else—regret? Remorse? Then she kneels next to him, whispering, “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’ll get Jason—for you.” That last part is bitter enough to rot steel, and my hand flexes instinctively around the device concealed in my palm.

I slip it into my pants pocket before she notices. “Not if I can get him first,” I vow, the fury still pulsing through me from that conversation. Jason, that ungrateful fuck, thinks he can turn on me now? After everything?

He’s only councilor because my brothers and I bankrolled his campaign and backed him.

We made you, Jason. We can just as easily unmake you.

But maybe his betrayal is a gift in disguise. A mole in the Russian camp could prove useful—especially if Sergey gets careless and reveals who’s backing him.

Yeah, I can’t kill Jason just yet. Too bad.

Emilia tosses me a glance filled with so much ire it actually throws me for a second. I’ll never fully understand this woman. We were just devouring each other in that closet, for fuck’s sake. And now, we’re apparently back to being enemies. She’s good at compartmentalizing her emotions—I’ll give her that, at least.

You go soft for her.

I straighten my spine.No.Not anymore. Whatever flicker of regret I felt from messing with her plans, it’s gone.Fuck her.“Good luck explaining the death of that innocent man to your supervisor.” I begin to walk away, but her words stop me.

“Tonight didn’t happen,” she declares, voice hardened to steel. “We weren’t in that closet. Nothing happened.”

When I’m still so hard from the taste of you? “Sure,nothinghappened. Except you were moaning around my tongue like a cat in heat, desperate for more.”