don’t know what
Bran is, how can you know he has to be kept chained?”
“Santos told me that it would be unwise to remove his chains
until we know why Harwiche wants him. He said specifically—”
Adin waved his explanation off. “I would prefer it if you didn’t
treat me like an idiot. Santos wants to embroil me in another
game of triangles with Donte.”
Boaz had the grace to look guilty. “You have to admit it has
worked in the past.”
Adin finished his coffee and rose to his feet. He pulled all
the cash from his wallet and dropped it on the table by Bran’s
plate. “Only because I didn’t see it coming.” He pulled the keys
to Bran’s chains from his pocket and handed them to the boy.
“Quick as you can, unchain yourself and go home, wherever
that is. Hide from everyone. Make sure you appear to be nothing
more than a boy on a school trip or something. I’m leaving.”
Boaz leaped to his feet so fast his chair fell over. “Adin, you’re
making a serious mistake. Donte will kill you for this if he realizes
that Harwiche has Auselmo’s papers and you let his leverage go
free. And if he doesn’t, Santos surely will.”
“It’s done. And Bran is a…boy. Whatever he is, he’s not
leverage .” Boaz rushed toward Bran but Adin caught him easily
and held him fast while Bran worked the chains. “I’m sure you
and Santos can figure out a way to turn this to your advantage.
I’m done with your games.”
The last of the chains dropped from Bran’s slight body
and Adin half expected a tornado or a mushroom cloud. He
anticipated being torn limb from bloody limb despite the apparent
unconcern he’d put on for Boaz’s benefit. At the very least he
expected the kid to get the hell out and not look back. Absurdly,
Adin wanted to tell Bran if he was going to do something awful
he should get it over quickly. Instead Bran rushed to him and gave
him a kiss on the cheek that carried more than a little adoration
with it.
52 Z.A. Maxfield
“Thank you, Adin.” Bran’s eyes shone as he poised for flight.
“I won’t forget this.”
Boaz struggled against what Adin realized was a chokehold
he’d been trained to use by Donte’s minions as they’d patiently
tried to teach him to defend himself. “ Run ,” Adin insisted. “Hide.”
Bran fled.
When Adin finally let Boaz go, the smaller man fell to the
floor panting.
“Donte and Santos will have the first common goal in their
long lives when they realize what you’ve done. Both of them will
want to see you flogged.”
“Excellent,” Adin told him. “Time honored. Peace at any
price.”
On his way out of Santos’s house he pulled his cell phone out
and made a call. His heart clenched when Donte answered on
the first ring.
“I’m a shit.” Donte spoke before Adin had a chance to say
anything. “Tell me you forgive me or I will be forced to brood in
the most beautiful city on Earth.”
“I need you,” Adin told him. “I just threw away any chance
for us, and pissed off about half the underworld in the bargain.”
“Did you?” Donte sighed. “Again? You make me laugh to
think I used to worry about things like plague…”
ChAPteR six
Adin walked in the general direction of the Seine. He was
unsurprised when a sedan with dark-tinted windows pulled up to
the curb beside him fifteen minutes later.
The driver’s window rolled down and Boaz leaned over and
spoke. “Get in.”
“No,” Adin said flatly.
“Donte phoned me and told me to help you get home. To him .
I take it you didn’t tell him what you’ve cost him.”
“That will have to come later.”
“I see.”
“Why are you here?” Adin asked, still walking along while
Boaz crept by the curb—not an easy feat in Parisian traffic, even
that early in the day.
“I just gave Santos my notice, and I have not a single doubt
that he will peel me like a grape when next we meet. Get in .”
Adin glanced around the chic
Bran is, how can you know he has to be kept chained?”
“Santos told me that it would be unwise to remove his chains
until we know why Harwiche wants him. He said specifically—”
Adin waved his explanation off. “I would prefer it if you didn’t
treat me like an idiot. Santos wants to embroil me in another
game of triangles with Donte.”
Boaz had the grace to look guilty. “You have to admit it has
worked in the past.”
Adin finished his coffee and rose to his feet. He pulled all
the cash from his wallet and dropped it on the table by Bran’s
plate. “Only because I didn’t see it coming.” He pulled the keys
to Bran’s chains from his pocket and handed them to the boy.
“Quick as you can, unchain yourself and go home, wherever
that is. Hide from everyone. Make sure you appear to be nothing
more than a boy on a school trip or something. I’m leaving.”
Boaz leaped to his feet so fast his chair fell over. “Adin, you’re
making a serious mistake. Donte will kill you for this if he realizes
that Harwiche has Auselmo’s papers and you let his leverage go
free. And if he doesn’t, Santos surely will.”
“It’s done. And Bran is a…boy. Whatever he is, he’s not
leverage .” Boaz rushed toward Bran but Adin caught him easily
and held him fast while Bran worked the chains. “I’m sure you
and Santos can figure out a way to turn this to your advantage.
I’m done with your games.”
The last of the chains dropped from Bran’s slight body
and Adin half expected a tornado or a mushroom cloud. He
anticipated being torn limb from bloody limb despite the apparent
unconcern he’d put on for Boaz’s benefit. At the very least he
expected the kid to get the hell out and not look back. Absurdly,
Adin wanted to tell Bran if he was going to do something awful
he should get it over quickly. Instead Bran rushed to him and gave
him a kiss on the cheek that carried more than a little adoration
with it.
52 Z.A. Maxfield
“Thank you, Adin.” Bran’s eyes shone as he poised for flight.
“I won’t forget this.”
Boaz struggled against what Adin realized was a chokehold
he’d been trained to use by Donte’s minions as they’d patiently
tried to teach him to defend himself. “ Run ,” Adin insisted. “Hide.”
Bran fled.
When Adin finally let Boaz go, the smaller man fell to the
floor panting.
“Donte and Santos will have the first common goal in their
long lives when they realize what you’ve done. Both of them will
want to see you flogged.”
“Excellent,” Adin told him. “Time honored. Peace at any
price.”
On his way out of Santos’s house he pulled his cell phone out
and made a call. His heart clenched when Donte answered on
the first ring.
“I’m a shit.” Donte spoke before Adin had a chance to say
anything. “Tell me you forgive me or I will be forced to brood in
the most beautiful city on Earth.”
“I need you,” Adin told him. “I just threw away any chance
for us, and pissed off about half the underworld in the bargain.”
“Did you?” Donte sighed. “Again? You make me laugh to
think I used to worry about things like plague…”
ChAPteR six
Adin walked in the general direction of the Seine. He was
unsurprised when a sedan with dark-tinted windows pulled up to
the curb beside him fifteen minutes later.
The driver’s window rolled down and Boaz leaned over and
spoke. “Get in.”
“No,” Adin said flatly.
“Donte phoned me and told me to help you get home. To him .
I take it you didn’t tell him what you’ve cost him.”
“That will have to come later.”
“I see.”
“Why are you here?” Adin asked, still walking along while
Boaz crept by the curb—not an easy feat in Parisian traffic, even
that early in the day.
“I just gave Santos my notice, and I have not a single doubt
that he will peel me like a grape when next we meet. Get in .”
Adin glanced around the chic
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