offhandedly, “You’re going to have your hands full with that woman.”
“She has a name.”
Hart lifted his hands. “All right. Pardon my tone. I’m just saying, you know how the others talk. You have a reputation to protect—my advice would be to rein her in before that shrewish tongue gets you in trouble.”
David didn’t bat an eye. “The only person in this building about to be in trouble is you. And if you think I don’t notice that you’re dissembling, you’re a fool.” He took a sip of his whiskey, then asked, “Are you after Kentucky again, James? Because you’re not going to get it.”
The Prime made a noise something like a snort of derision. “I have more important things to worry about than a state full of vampires swilling home brew and fucking their sisters, David.”
“Then what do you want?”
His pale eyes narrowed and he said, “You’re telling me you don’t know?”
“If I did, trust me, you would be on the first plane back to New York.”
Hart’s gaze turned speculative, and for just a moment David saw something in his face—not quite fear, but very close, and equally astonishing. Then, even more surprisingly, Hart was perfectly honest.
“You and I aren’t friends,” Hart said, his tone almost becoming amiable; it wasn’t as if how he felt about David—or vice versa—were any big secret. “I’ve opposed you at every turn, and frankly I think you’re a limp-wristed, bleeding-heart child with no business playing at the grownups’ table.”
“And I think you’re a relic of an age best left behind,” David replied, “and also an arrogant, raping, pretentious swine. Your point being?”
“Call off your dogs,” Hart said. “Whatever you want from me, name it. I’m done with this game.”
David felt his eyebrows shoot up. “My dogs?”
“The Red Shadow, David. Whatever reason you sent them after me—a vendetta, to prove something, I don’t give a damn—name your price. I’ve lost five of my Elite in the last four months and my Court is scattering to the winds. There’s unrest in every state. You know damn well what happens then—some little deviant upstart like you slips in and has my head.”
“Deviant,” David said, rubbing his chin. “I haven’t heard that one in a while.”
“I’m serious. Everyone knows it’s the Shadow. You’re the only Signet with ties to the Shadow. What little intel we’ve gathered points toward you or someone here in Austin as the Alpha. Insult my belief in our supremacy, insult my virility, but don’t insult my intelligence.”
David leaned forward, frowning. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know any more about the Shadow than you do. How do I have ties?”
“That girl, the one who trained your Queen. My sources say she was one of them. She had to have been working for you.”
Finally something made at least a little sense. “Sophia Castellano? I didn’t even know she knew Miranda until later. She was acquainted with my Second, and she told Faith she had left the Shadow.”
“No one leaves the Shadow. How do you think they’ve maintained their secrecy for so long? Either they die on assignment or the Alpha kills them. There’s no retirement plan. This Castellano woman was either trying to get inside your Haven for something or lying about ever being an agent.”
“But I thought they only worked alone,” David said. “How could more than one be in your territory causing problems? That doesn’t sound like their tactics.”
“Oh, it’s them all right. Elite disappearing, not even a second’s static in the line, no witnesses, and their bodies reappear after obvious torture—but there’s no evidence whatsoever on the bodies or anywhere else. No mere gang is capable of that kind of ghost operation. Then there’s this . . .”
Hart reached into his coat pocket and tossed a small object to David, who caught it and held it up to the light. “The hell?”
“You’re the
“She has a name.”
Hart lifted his hands. “All right. Pardon my tone. I’m just saying, you know how the others talk. You have a reputation to protect—my advice would be to rein her in before that shrewish tongue gets you in trouble.”
David didn’t bat an eye. “The only person in this building about to be in trouble is you. And if you think I don’t notice that you’re dissembling, you’re a fool.” He took a sip of his whiskey, then asked, “Are you after Kentucky again, James? Because you’re not going to get it.”
The Prime made a noise something like a snort of derision. “I have more important things to worry about than a state full of vampires swilling home brew and fucking their sisters, David.”
“Then what do you want?”
His pale eyes narrowed and he said, “You’re telling me you don’t know?”
“If I did, trust me, you would be on the first plane back to New York.”
Hart’s gaze turned speculative, and for just a moment David saw something in his face—not quite fear, but very close, and equally astonishing. Then, even more surprisingly, Hart was perfectly honest.
“You and I aren’t friends,” Hart said, his tone almost becoming amiable; it wasn’t as if how he felt about David—or vice versa—were any big secret. “I’ve opposed you at every turn, and frankly I think you’re a limp-wristed, bleeding-heart child with no business playing at the grownups’ table.”
“And I think you’re a relic of an age best left behind,” David replied, “and also an arrogant, raping, pretentious swine. Your point being?”
“Call off your dogs,” Hart said. “Whatever you want from me, name it. I’m done with this game.”
David felt his eyebrows shoot up. “My dogs?”
“The Red Shadow, David. Whatever reason you sent them after me—a vendetta, to prove something, I don’t give a damn—name your price. I’ve lost five of my Elite in the last four months and my Court is scattering to the winds. There’s unrest in every state. You know damn well what happens then—some little deviant upstart like you slips in and has my head.”
“Deviant,” David said, rubbing his chin. “I haven’t heard that one in a while.”
“I’m serious. Everyone knows it’s the Shadow. You’re the only Signet with ties to the Shadow. What little intel we’ve gathered points toward you or someone here in Austin as the Alpha. Insult my belief in our supremacy, insult my virility, but don’t insult my intelligence.”
David leaned forward, frowning. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know any more about the Shadow than you do. How do I have ties?”
“That girl, the one who trained your Queen. My sources say she was one of them. She had to have been working for you.”
Finally something made at least a little sense. “Sophia Castellano? I didn’t even know she knew Miranda until later. She was acquainted with my Second, and she told Faith she had left the Shadow.”
“No one leaves the Shadow. How do you think they’ve maintained their secrecy for so long? Either they die on assignment or the Alpha kills them. There’s no retirement plan. This Castellano woman was either trying to get inside your Haven for something or lying about ever being an agent.”
“But I thought they only worked alone,” David said. “How could more than one be in your territory causing problems? That doesn’t sound like their tactics.”
“Oh, it’s them all right. Elite disappearing, not even a second’s static in the line, no witnesses, and their bodies reappear after obvious torture—but there’s no evidence whatsoever on the bodies or anywhere else. No mere gang is capable of that kind of ghost operation. Then there’s this . . .”
Hart reached into his coat pocket and tossed a small object to David, who caught it and held it up to the light. “The hell?”
“You’re the
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