Kept by Luna Voss

Chapter Two

Barion

“Where’s Nullion?” I ask, feigning dumb as I sit down beside Sarizor in the coffee shop. Technically, it isn’t a lie that I don’t know where he is: I have no idea exactly how Korva disposed of his body. I do, however, have a very good idea why Nullion isn’t here. It probably has something to do with me putting my claws through his neck and letting him bleed out on my floor.

“Missing,” Sarizor grunts, and I can’t help but notice that his face looks paler than usual.

I try to look confused. “Missing, what the fuck? That’s not like him. What do you think happened?”

Next to Sarizor, his two bodyguards grimace. I recognize both men, although I don’t know them well. They were part of Nullion’s crew, the most ruthless, violent part of our organization. I never saw eye to eye with that group, and I’m pretty sure Sarizor knows it. In fact, on a few occasions I even wondered if he was considering replacing me with Nullion as underboss. It would make a certain degree of sense, considering how much more closely their values seemed to align. I suppose the main thing holding him back was just Nullion being such an obviously sadistic thug, barely tolerable for polite company. Not exactly a good public face for an upwardly-mobile Vostra Family.

Well, it’s too late now. Whatever Korva did with Nullion’s body, he sure is shit isn’t going to work for the Dultaz Family again.

“Missing, as in dead,” Sarizor snarls, a vein popping out of his forehead. “Nobody just goes radio silent like that. They must have gotten to him.”

My eyes widen. “Fuck. Dead? You’re sure? Who did it?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out!” Sarizor screams, spit flying. Around us, the other patrons of the coffee shop go unnaturally still, doing everything they can to act like they’re not paying attention. It isn’t wise to eavesdrop on the Vostra, even if it’s unavoidable.

“I don’t think it would be one of the other Families,” I reply, keeping my voice down. “None of them would stand to gain by starting a conflict right now. Are you sure Nullion didn’t just take his money and run? I know he’s been doing well for himself lately.”

“Nullion didn’t care about the money,” growls Sarizor, shaking his head. “That fucking guy just wanted to hurt people. It’s why I liked him so much. Made him a damn good employee.”

He glares at me, as though implying I would be a better underboss if I were more like Nullion. I stare back, trying to keep my expression hard-to-read.

With a sigh, I break the eye contact. No point getting into a battle of wills with Sarizor. I want him to trust me right now. To feel secure around me while I look for the right moment to stick a knife in his back.

“So what do we do?” I ask. “If Nullion is really gone. Maybe call a meeting with the other Families, try to get to the bottom of this?”

“We move forward,” the boss glowers. “Fuck the other Families. If we want to find out who killed Nullion, who killed my son, we need to use the one piece of the puzzle we do have.”

“And what piece is that?” I ask, afraid that I already know the answer.

“A pretty little Voorian girl named Jenyta Gultior,” he tells me, a furious gleam in his eye. “The one present Nullion left us. Jenyta was her roommate. Melyta Bartryz’s roommate. At the apartment where Gurtion lost his life.”

I shift uncomfortably at the mention of my mate’s name. Or, her old name. She’s Melyta Dultaz now.

“Jenyta Gultior will lead us to Melyta Bartryz,” Sarizor continues, “and Melyta Bartryz will lead us to whoever is behind this. That’s where we go from here.”

“How do we know the same person who killed Gurtion is responsible for Nullion as well?” I ask, trying to get a better idea of how Sarizor is approaching this. “I guess I still don’t fully understand how all these threads connect.”

“Of course you don’t fucking understand,” says the boss, this time with obvious, unrestrained contempt. “You’ve been slow on all of this. I’m starting to wonder if you even have the stomach for this job.”

“I have the fucking stomach,” I state firmly, resisting the urge to extend my claws. “I just want to make sure we go about this smart.”

Sarizor’s beacon flashes red. “Gurtion gets hit by a car outside Melyta Bartryz’s apartment, then gets murdered by some fucking coward while he’s in the hospital. Then Nullion tracks down her roommate, he’s hot on Melyta’s tail, and surprise, he gets murdered, too. Can you really not connect the fucking dots, Barion?”

I bow my head, the only appropriate response to being chastised by my boss in public like this. Internally, I cling to the grim satisfaction of knowing that someday, I’m going to kill this man. Kill him and replace him.

But until that happens, I need to keep playing the role of the dutiful underboss, and not arouse Sarizor’s suspicion any more than I already have. And most immediately, I need to do whatever it takes to make sure Melyta’s friend is safe. I don’t want to think about the pain it would cause my mate if something happened to her.

“Sarizor, I’m sorry if I’ve been… distracted,” I tell him, looking down. “I guess I’ve been busy courting my own Melyta. But our courtship is over now. She’s marked and mated. I promise that from here on, you’ll have my full attention. Tell me how I can help.”

Sarizor gives me a funny look, one that I’m not quite sure how to read. Like he’s appraising me in a way that seems almost paternal. Or maybe he just thinks I’m pathetic.

“We’re going to interrogate Jenyta tomorrow,” he says. “I was planning to have Nullion do that, given his particular skills and proclivities, but we’ll just have to make do. She’ll talk, one way or the other. And then she’ll die.”

I gulp, my mind racing. Tomorrow? Friday is going to be too late. “I’ll be there,” I tell him firmly. “And you bet I’ll make her talk.”

The corners of Sarizor’s mouth curl upward, but he shakes his head. “I appreciate the improvement in attitude. But no. As you said, you’ve been distracted lately. I’m going to handle things myself tomorrow, and I’ll have Nullion’s men to help me. You, on the other hand, are going to take a break from Family business. Spend some time with the new wife, maybe have a vacation. Come back to me in a few weeks, and we’ll talk.”

I blink. His tone is light, but his meaning is unmistakable. It’s a very direct dismissal. A polite, graceful way of telling me that he’s losing confidence. Being asked, as an underboss, to take a vacation, is basically the same as if he’d slapped me in the face. And he did it in public, too, with Nullion’s men watching.

“Understood,” I reply, my lips tight.

“You may go now,” he growls, casually excusing me with a wave of his hand. “And Barion? Say hi to your mate for me. She’s a sweet girl.”

“We have to do it tonight,” I announce the moment I get home. Korva and Melyta are already sitting together in the living room. “They’re going to interrogate her tomorrow.”

Korva raises his eyebrows. “Tonight? Fuck. That’s not good.”

“We were just planning out Friday,” says Melyta, looking crestfallen. “How fucked are we?”

I take a deep breath, gathering my own confidence. “It’s going to be okay. But we have to move quickly.”