Page 124 of King Alejandro

“Over a hundred and fifty. Would you be able to find anything about that company?”

“Already did. There’s nothing in the public domain, but if you dig further and get past some security systems, you will find that it was an arms company that was actually funding the Italian Mafia or some shit. Then, enter the Escarra Enterprise; apparently, there was a ‘dealing’, and the Escarras bought out the Lupo XII Rossi. Then, listen to this, this all happened around one hundred and forty years back.”

Around the time the Rossis moved to England… the fucker was smart, got to give him that. I scanned the documents, frowning.

“So something had gone down between our ancestors and the Escarras…”

“Something that made the Rossis leave Italy and set up here. I don’t get why they’re saying there’s a debt… unless…” Leo ran his fingers through his hair, sitting forward and picking up a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “Want one?”

“Sure. Ain’t you a tad fucking young for this shit?” I asked allowing him to light my cigarette.

“Ain’t you a few years fucking late to comment on this shit?” he countered, copying my tone but sounding ten fucking times worse. Fucker.

“Bastard.” He smirked, and I narrowed my eyes. He sure fucking knew what I was thinking. He lit his own cigarette while staring at the screen. “Unless what?” I asked, glancing back at the screen.

“Unless the Rossis did something to the Escarras regarding that takeover…” He had a point. Why else would they run?

“You may be onto something. Well, your dad and Maria are going, we’ll see if they find anything from there. If this is the case, then the Rossis must have done something to have made the family remember it forever, but what exactly? Pay the debt… by the blood of the beast…”

“What else is new? The Rossis just take whatever the fuck they want, right?” His voice was cold and bitter. I sighed.

“Look, kid. I know the Rossis have done shit. The past is gone, but we can pave the future.” He shook his head.

“Nothing can change because no matter how much time passes, there’s still discrimination in every fucking aspect of life. We say we want to be open-minded, but isn’t it the same? Racism, homophobia, and prejudice still exist. We are no different. We are still ranked, not only by blood but by packs. We have the elite packs at the top, such as the Black Storm, the Night Walkers, and the Blood Moon, then we have the influential packs, the standard packs, the weak packs, and then right at the bottom, we have the Sangue Pack. Rogues. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“That’s not true, Leo. The Sangue Pack is not at-”

“It is, not because we haven’t progressed, or the fact that we aren’t strong enough, but because we are rogues.”

“Were rogues,” I corrected.

“We still are. A rogue pack, a pack of outcasts among regular packs.” He stood up and looked me in theeye. “We won’t ever fucking agree on this, and I don’t give a shit. Whilst you were enjoying your long night…” He glanced at my neck pointedly, before smirking humourlessly. “I pulled up anything I could on the Escarra and Rossi interactions. It’s all there, plus some addresses Dad can use in Puerto Rico. So, whether the King loves it or not, I’m fucking out.”

He tossed the memory stick he removed from his laptop at me and, snapping the laptop shut, walked out the door, smoking his cigarette. I sighed heavily. He was a smart kid… I just hated seeing the resentment within him. My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

“Yeah?” I answered, seeing whose number it was. “I hope you have a fucking answer.”

“Oh, I do. I don’t think you will like it.”

“Try me.” Janaina sighed heavily.

“Well, to kill a djinn… you need the blood of six hundred and sixty-six virgins coating a blade made of pure iron.” I scoffed. Was she for fucking real?

“Virgins?”

“Yes, if even one isn’t a virgin, it can ruin the entire thing. We just need about a syringe worth from each, combine them, and then dip the iron blade into it.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s not so easy.”

“Sounds pretty easy to me. Now we just find virgins willing to give fucking blood.”

“They must all have hit puberty. It won’t be easy.”

“No shit, Sherlock. Finding ten virgins is fucking hard, and you’re asking me to find over six hundred.”

“You wanted answers, I found you the answers. Now listen carefully. There’s more. The price.”