We land just after midnight, but the line of luxury European cars parked on the runway is a dead giveaway that someone (or someones) important has just touched down.
Killian leans over my shoulder from behind. “You good?”
“Fuck you.”
“What’d I do?” Kill asks, his tone high-pitched while walking around my chair and taking the spot Cartier was in just a couple of hours ago.
“You do know Lilith is your cousin, right? Since her dad and yours were brothers.”
“Yeah, asshole, pretty sure I know how that works.” He tilts his head. “That’s another reason why Sass and I are looking out for her. Why?” I don’t even bother to elaborate, because the fucker knows exactly where I’m going with this.
“Bro…” His hand is on my arm. “It has to be done. You know that, right?”
I shake his grip off me and pick up my duffel bag. “I know that.”
Ignoring Eli and Lilith, I make my way down the steps and onto the tarmac, the loud screaming of jets still hot in the air. One of the men dressed in a black suit is holding a card with my last name on it and I make my way to his car, pulling open the door and tossing my bag inside. I get into the back seat and toss my hoodie over my head.
“To the hotel, Mr. Nero?” he asks, and I squeeze my eyes closed to try to swallow everything I’ve had to come to learn.
“Yeah. Turn on some music, please. Heavy metal.”
He does, and a few seconds later, Five Finger Death Punch is ringing through my ears, only it’s still not quite loud enough to drown out my thoughts. Twenty minutes later, we’re pulling into the hotel as I activate global roaming on my phone. The hotel is an elaborate white building with a circular drive near the concierge and valet, where a giant gold chandelier hangs from the ceiling, above a statue with water squirting out the top. Much like my rage.
I push open the door and grab my duffel, waving off the driver when he tells me that he’ll have my luggage sent up to my room and I have contact to him at all times while I’m here. All of this is obviously said in Romanian. I check in at the front desk, ignoring the lingering looks from the young receptionist.
“Nero? That’s a different name,” she purrs, and I briefly flick my eyes up to hers, just in time for her to be following my body up and down. She has to be around twenty years old, with glossy brown hair and brown eyes the color of honey. She is hot. If I weren’t in such a shit mood, she would probably do for the nights while I’m here.
“The room ready?” I ask, brushing off her comment. I don’t have time for women who are this thirsty. Before I fuck someone, I have to know they’re not going to turn into a stage-five clinger and ruin my fucking life. I’d have to kill her otherwise, and I’m pretty sure that’s frowned upon—even for us.
“It is.” She slides over a key card, her French-manicured fingers immaculate. When I notice she’s not going to let go of the key card, I take it from her with a tight smile.
“Thanks.” Leaving my hoodie on, I make my way to the elevators and push PH1. According to this card, there are four PH levels. I scoff. Would it kill them to have fucking built extra penthouse rooms for other people, not just The Four Fathers? Yes. Yes, it would.
The doors spread open and I instantly drop my bag onto the dark marble floor just as the motion-sensor lights illuminate wherever I walk. There’s a large sliding door that looks to open out onto an equally large patio, with a glistening pool that swims over the edge. It’s nice, opulent, but that’s something I’m used to, and it’s not my first time in this fucking hotel.
Hopefully my last.
I fall onto the leather sofa, breathing out a sigh of relief just as my phone starts ringing in my pocket.
“What?” I snap without looking to see who it is.
“You’re being obvious.” King’s voice on the other end only ignites me further. So much so that I ignore the door opening and closing in the background.
“Shut the fuck up. You know, you telling Perse our business really was a whole new level. Even for you. Tell me, do you still have a cock, or do we need to find a replacement brother because the leash Perse has tied on yours has clearly cut off the circulation of it.”
“Fuck you. She overheard us all that night before they went to the boathouse. Whether you want to believe it or not, she was ready to actually be nice to Lilith. Said that she may have been unreasonable. Until she heard—you know, that Lilith is still in contact.”