“There are more conventional ways to arrange a meeting with us,” Levi comments, already seeming bored with the conversation.
The oldest-looking brother stands in the center of the four and raises his chin, trying to appear as though he’s not shitting himself, but I see the fear deep in his eyes, even in the darkness that surrounds the mansion. “We were left with no choice,” he says. “Our father was killed three nights ago, and our brother only weeks before that. We are getting desperate.”
Marcus moves just an inch, and it’s enough to put the four brothers on edge, more than aware of just how unhinged their cousin can be. “Desperate men make desperate mistakes.”
The guy who’d chased me snarls at Marcus, his filthy glare looking over him like shit under his shoe. “We don’t make mistakes.”
Marcus scoffs. “Standing outside a closed bathroom door while having a conversation about your plan to meet here after the party isn’t considered a secret? Because it sure fucking sounds like one. You gave yourself away the moment you opened your mouth. Now, what’s this about?”
The older brother glares at the chaser and draws the attention back to himself, the other two silently standing by, too afraid to even open their mouths. “Louis killed our father,” he states, making it clear that they’re not as clever as they think. “He came into our family home, tied him to a fucking chair, and burned the property to the ground. I want his blood.”
A twisted grin pulls at Roman’s lips, and while I see the raw truth of him laughing at these fools for not having figured out what’s really going on here, they see nothing but a deranged, twisted man that’s excited over the idea of spilling blood. “Then take it. What are you waiting for? He was here tonight. You could have ended him at any point, and yet you’re standing here at the bottom of our stairs with your tails between your legs. You’re weak. All of you are.”
The brother presses his lips into a hard line, his jaw clenched as anger swirls through him. “We are not weak,” he spits. “There is a difference between weakness and restraint. We are smart men and know when we are out of our league.”
“Is that what you tell yourselves?” Marcus questions with an amused grin.
All four of the brothers glare at him, and I hold back a grin of my own. He has a point. It’s clear they’re here to ask a favor, but in this world, smart men know that favors don’t get you anywhere. They are nothing but foolish.
Roman watches them through a narrowed, suspicious gaze, and I can practically see the wheels spinning in his head. “What’s in it for us?” he questions, already seeing their request before it’s even been spoken out loud. “If we take out Louis and end this war once and for all, then what do we get in return?”
“Our loyalty,” the main dude spits, clearly not thrilled about it.
Roman laughs. “Your loyalty ain’t worth shit to me,” he says. “Words are nothing but words. Victor was so far up my father’s ass that he would have taken his own sons’ lives at the very thought of them pledging their loyalty to us. You’re telling me that you’re willing to stand against your father’s life work just to see us slit Louis’ throat? I don’t fucking buy it.”
“What fucking choice do we have?” he demands. “We need Louis gone, and you three are the only ones fucked enough in the head to make it happen. Whether we like it or not, you’re here for the long haul, and when it comes to self-preservation, we’ll do whatever the fuck it takes. Too many lives have already been lost, and after our brother’s role in getting you locked in that fucking castle, we owe it to you. We will vow our loyalty under the condition that Louis dies.”
Roman watches them cautiously, studying each and every one of them. “You’ll back us against our enemies? Against your own fucking blood?” he questions. “You know this move has already ruffled feathers. The family is divided, and a war is imminent. It’s knocking on our door just waiting for us to let it in. Are you prepared for what being loyal to us truly means?”
Each of them swallows hard, quickly glancing at one another before finally nodding. “Yes, cousins,” the front and center dude says. “We’re prepared.”
Roman glances to each of his brothers and the blank stare on each of their faces gives absolutely nothing away, yet somehow, they read each other’s minds perfectly. “Okay,” Roman finally says, his expression darkening more by the second. “Consider it a deal. Louis’ head for a lifetime of loyalty,” he says, slowly scanning his gaze over each of his cousins. “I do not need to remind you what happens to men who cross me and my brothers.”
“We swore our loyalty,” the chaser cuts in, not liking being questioned. “We stand by our word.”
“Very well,” Roman says. “We’ll let you know once the job is done.”
“Good,” main dude says. “We look forward to it.”
And just like that, the four cousins slink away into the shadows, and the boys turn to make their way back up the stairs, acting as though they didn’t just get hired to complete a hit that they were responsible for in the first place. “Uhhhhhh,” I say, following them up the stairs and back into the big house. “You guys realize that you’re killing a man, to get payback for the other man that you killed?”
Marcus looks back at me, a wide grin stretching across his handsome face. “Poetic, isn’t it?”
I shake my head and grumble under my breath. “Fucking insane is what it is.”
We all make our way into the informal lounge room and the boys drop down onto the couches, instantly throwing ideas off each other for how they intend to take out yet another uncle. I shake my head as I cross the room and reach up over the fireplace, pulling down a fancy as fuck sword that’s been wasted as decoration. “Aren’t you guys tired?” I complain, striding across the room and laying the sword down on the ground before searching around the room and finding the long fire poker beside the fireplace.
I go to grab it as Marcus leans back in the couch. “Fucking dead tired,” he mutters. “But there’s too much to go over from that party. We need to work out where our enemies lie.”
I drop the fire poker down by the sword and scan the room again. “Shit, where am I going to find three more long pointy things?”
Levi grins. “I’ve got a long pointy thing for ya.”
I choke on my own spit as Roman glares, cutting off whatever bullshit Marcus was going to follow that one up with. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Trying to make a pentagram,” I murmur as I realize that I can use the sheath from the sword. “Figured I’d try and summon the devil so he can take you assholes right back where you belong.”
Marcus laughs and gets up from the couch before grabbing hold of me and dragging me back. “Fucking hell, babe,” he says, dropping back onto the couch and pulling me down with him. “If we’re going to the deepest pits of hell, then you better fucking believe that we’re dragging you right along with us.”
A grin plasters across my face and I turn into him, pressing my lips to his as his fingers lock onto the small zipper on my back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”