Page 256 of Chaos Kills

“Have you drank too much?” she inquires, her palm falling to his forehead, but he’s quick to jerk it away. “Reeve, go grab some water.”

“I’m fine,” he grits out, and Elaine goes right back to speaking like he didn’t say anything.

“Bay should have every opportunity to decide if she’d like to expand her kingdom. It’s a lot of responsibility, dear, but the rewards are astounding.”

“When?”

God, anything to get her the hell out of here.

“Next Friday night, I’m having a party.” She glimpses over at Emilio, waiting for his word or opinion, but he gives her none. “Can you spare her?”

“I’ll be there, so whatever she wants to do,” he emits flatly as I steal a glance at Levi who’s already looking at me.

He bows his head in silent acknowledgment to go ahead and give the bitch what she wants.

“I’ll see you then,” I answer, earning Elaine’s immediate attention and a shitty, red-painted smile.

“Wonderful,” she beams. “Are you bringin’ the boys?”

“No—”

“Yes,” all three of them chime in—Torin, Reeve, and Cairo—and I notice Elaine’s eyes glimmer with something I really don’t like.

It’s somewhere between a plan and a fucking setup.

“Wonderful.” Elaine strolls around her chair and begins to make her way out of the room. “Seven o’clock, darling. Bring your game face. There will be many men there trying to sweep you off your feet and gravitating toward all that power.”

I’m not sure why, but I look to Emilio, who does the same to me.

It’s the first thing we share in common. Neither of us wants that to happen. He might be a class-A douchebag, and I’mobviously not his biggest fan, but any more men in this circle and the testosterone is going to choke me out.

“On that note,” Levi hits the edge of the table and rises, gaining the attention of the whole room, “I’m gettin’ the fuck out of here. C’mon, Astor.”

I don’t even get to move yet before Emilio throws in his two cents. “We’re not done here.”

“We are. I’ll follow her, and if she wants an alliance with Black, I can’t stop that. I obviously couldn’t stop you either from planning whatever it is you’re doing.”

“If you think I’m so stupid as to think you’re not going to try to team up against me, Wallace, you have me mistaken.”

“Oh, you’d be a complete fucking moron if you didn’t. However, that’s what The Void is for, right? In case she turns on you, you’re protected.”

“Amongst other things.”

“Wonderful.” Levi’s green eyes land on me, and he patiently waits.

I rise without a word and remain standing for Ozzy to follow me.

He does, God bless him.

“I’ll see you next week, Haven,” Emilio deadpans, and I quickly make my way out of the dining room with both Ozzy and Levi flanking each of my sides.

When we’re safely outside, I round on Levi, hella confused about what the fuck just happened. “What was that?”

He innocently glances down at me. “Hello to you too, Astor.”

“You just told him we were planning against him.”

“He already knew that.” My eyebrows pinch together because what the hell have we been playing him for then? “Reverse psychology. To him, I obviously don’t have as much of a handle on you as I’d like.”

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