Page 9

“Mai, so good to see you again. You look amazing, like always, my friend.” Severin didn’t stop walking until he was a few feet from the table.

Thana didn’t so much as shift the air, even though she wanted to strangle...she cut her thoughts off. Who cares that he complimented the bitch?

Severin glanced around, his gaze sweeping from corner to corner and up to the rafters, as if checking for his men. She drifted lower, using dust particles to mask her movement, following their natural flow as they landed near a stack of crates. The sharp chemical tang of synthetic lubricants and thinners drifted up to her from below. She drifted to another crate, smelling the difference. The crate’s scent reminded her of freshly fired weapons, with a biting, sulfurous note mixed with the metallic, chemical odor from leftover gunpowder and propellant.

The warehouse belonged to the Gambino crime family, a rival to Savage’s. Shit, if Scepter or Savage found out Severin made deals with the Jao Syndicate and the rival family under their noses, there would be no reconciliation.

“On time as expected, Severin. And you actually came alone?” Mai leaned to the right, then straightened. The female made a show of looking for Severin’s backup, knowing full well none were behind him.

From what she’d read, Mai was only five foot five. In her stiletto boots, she gained four more inches. Thana wouldn’t tower over the female much, but she also liked stiletto shoes customized into weapons. Her shoes could kill vampires, shifters, and more. Mai’s might be considered weapons on the right feet, too.

“I’m always a man of my word, Jao. How about you?” Severin rocked back on his heels.

Thana strained her ears, wondering if the others noticed he made no sound when he moved. Well, she heard him, but the others wouldn’t. Goddess, she was obsessed. If she were in human form, she’d roll her damn eyes so hard she’d see her brains.

Mai scoffed. “Of course. Have a seat.” She settled into the chair facing the door he’d come in through.

He walked around to the same side as her, leaning his ass next to her where she sat instead of sitting down. “So, let’s hear what you have to say. I have another meeting tonight.”

Irritation stirred in the female’s eyes, but Severin didn’t change his expression. If Thana were Mai Jao, she’d have been sad, pissed, and maybe a little embarrassed. Of course, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to meet with a male deadly enough to kill her with the snap of his fingers without having a backup plan. She shivered for an entirely different reason—one she didn’t want to admit out loud.

She didn’t know when the female would make her move or which of her team would shoot first. Humans died and didn’t come back to life. Unlike their kind, who were a lot harder to end. Thana hated dealing with humans. They didn’t follow any real plans. Their emotions tended to fluctuate with their moods, the time of the month, or, heaven forbid, if they got out of bed on the wrong side. When she’d been a human, times were much different. She and Thane knew how lucky they’d been to get up to a warm house and food on the table without a lashing.

Her attention returned to the table and the admittedly attractive Asian woman, who was talking flirtatiously to Severin. If she’d been in human form, Thana’s claws would’ve been digging into her palms. She snorted silently.

Severin schooled his features, wanting to rip Mai’s hand off his thigh. He let her think he didn’t mind her touch, even though he could read her intent as she ran one red-tipped finger up and down his leg.

“The night grows old, Jao. What do you want from me? New York isn’t my territory, as you know.” He dug through her mind, trying to find out how she’d found out he and his Clan were there in the first place.

The chair screeched as she pushed back from the table. Her face twisted in annoyance, which she quickly masked as she smoothed her palms down her sides. No doubt it was a move Mai used to draw attention to her figure. Severin flicked his gaze to her eyes, ignoring the provocation, and waited.

“Fine. I knew you were here because one of my envoys saw you at your brother Scepter’s club. I assumed you two were close and hoped that through our friendship, I could secure a one-time release for a delivery to come through his port.” Mai paced away from him, her back to him as if she didn’t fear him.

“I hate to break it to you, but my brother and I haven’t been close in years. Scepter would be more likely to give you access if you approached him yourself. You’re in Gambino territory. Why not ask him?”

“Boss, there’s movement near the perimeter. I sense several vehicles with three to five heat signatures inside. Not sure if they’re Jao or Gambino. Either option isn’t good if it comes to a firefight.” Castle’s voice entered his mind, sounding calm.

“Can you get closer and see which they are?” he asked.

“I don’t want to leave my post, Boss. Eliana is on it,” Castle huffed.

A grin split his lips. “Ah, she is surely going to wreck them if they get too close, friend or foe.”

“Absolutely,” Castle agreed.

“Gambino said I could use his warehouse, but I need to use a shipping channel, and well, he isn’t willing to allow me to use his access unless Scepter approves. It seems your brother has a lot of pull in New York. Are you telling me he’s more powerful than you?” She turned to face him, pity in her eyes.

“Gambino has the right to do as he wishes. If he told you that, he has reasons I can only imagine that aren’t in your best interest. Mai, I think you’ve been played,” he mocked.

Her hands clenched. If he couldn’t see multiple things at once, he’d have missed her left pointer finger twirling. It was obviously the sign her team gave before he arrived.

Three shots rang out simultaneously. Jao men fell as Mai’s eyes went wide. Severin grabbed the female, slamming her to the ground with his hand around her throat. “You dared to try to kill me, Bitch?” he growled.

“How did you...you know?” Mai choked out.

He rolled them under the table as shots pelted the concrete. In his mind, Enzo, Castle, and Uriel were calm as they took out the Jao Syndicate inside the warehouse. The silence from Eliana worried him. She usually liked to chatter when she took out enemies.

“Because I’m not a fucking idiot.” Severin waited until the last shot died.