Page 18 of Graveyards & Greed

They were all aware of my interest in Sylvie by now. But they didn’t know how we’d met or the depth of our involvement. Things were coming to a head, I could feel it.

“We’ve run into each other a few times,” I evaded.

Ivan looked down at the strange package. “She may be a Spade, but I like her. She beats the hell out of those shallow, plastic women you like to tie up, fuck, and discard.”

Roman turned to stare at Ivan. “She cut off someone’s hand and then delivered it to Drakos. At our office.”

Ivan shrugged. “She probably bought it online. Can’t you smell the formaldehyde?”

“You can buy body parts online?” Roman seemed both appalled and intrigued, his disgust slowly giving way to morbid curiosity. “On the black market?”

“On the regular market because it’s perfectly legal,” Ivan replied.

Roman studied me. “Let’s hope she doesn’t escalate and send a head next time—or something worse.”

Frowning, I pointed a finger and glared up at him. “You don’t like Sylvie because she’s protective of Luna, and she knows you’re a cold bastard who has nefarious designs on her sweet roommate. You need to re-think your plan, for all our sakes.”

Roman and I stared at each other until Ivan broke the silence. “I wonder how she got the package into your office.”

That was a good question. Swiveling, I opened my laptop, pulled up our security app, and navigated to the footage of our outer office door from last night. We watched as Sylvie, dressed in a brown delivery uniform, approached the outer office door. Setting the package down, she removed her hat, looked up at the camera, and kissed and winked at us. Then she flipped us off and casually strolled away.

Ivan laughed, and I growled under my breath.

Roman just shook his head. “She’s a damn lunatic. Are you planning to start something with her?”

“Fuck yes, especially if she keeps fighting me.”

Chapter 9

Sylvie

When I unblocked my phone, I wasn’t surprised to see Drakos’s text waiting for me the next day.

Drakos:Your latest gift is quite something

I grinned and shot back a reply.

Sylvie: So glad you like it. I was afraid its subtle nuance would be lost on you

Usually there was some time between our responses, but he texted back right away.

Drakos: So you finally unblocked me. Are you done pouting?

Irritation rippled through me as I shot back a reply.

Sylvie: It’s a wonder no one has taken a shovel to your face yet

Drakos: So violent. I can think of other ways to relieve your stress. Roman thinks you suffer from insanity

Sylvie: I don’t suffer from it—I enjoy every single second. Tell him to leave my roommate alone

We were getting sloppy keeping our strange relationship a secret, and when my cousins found out, I worried they were going to put the puzzle pieces together about the missing bikers. I resolved to stay away from Drakos this time, andmean it. But I didn’t block him again.

Later that week, as I worked through a pile of dreaded paperwork, my caller ID flashedCampus Police. Both Alexa and Luna were at school, and a spike of anxiety twisted in my gut as I answered the call.

“Ms. Spade, this is Officer Jennings. I'm calling about Luna Cross. She was attacked on campus and is being taken to the hospital now. She asked us to contact you.”

The words hit me like a sucker punch. Luna had been attacked? Who would do that? Was she hurt? My mind instantly and irrationally blamed Roman. They were taking her to the hospital, so of course she’d been hurt. Fear clawed its way up my throat.

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