Page 38 of Dragon's Revenge

“We weren’t attempting to sneak up on you,” Jermon said, his tone a mix of indignant and bored.

“What do you want?”

“Our king would like to offer you a lucrative financial deal,” Jermon said.

Kerry couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. “A deal? What kind of deal?”

“The kind he wants to discuss with whoever is representing your group.” Jermon studied his nails. “I mean, it’s not like you have a king anymore, is it? Nor are you an official clan, for that matter. But we’re still willing to make a deal.”

God, he came across as an asshole, which was the point, but Adar still had to keep a straight face.

Kerry’s face resembled a thunderstorm, his eyes spewing fire. “We don’t agree with the Council’s decision to disband our clan.”

“Wasn’t the Council’s decision, now was it?” Erwan spoke up. “It was your king who decided he valued honor after all.”

“So, really, you should be grateful we’re still willing to make a deal with you,” Jermon said quickly, maybe fearing his brother would get too angry and ruin things.

“I doubt there’s anything you could offer that we’d be interested in,” Alistair snapped.

“Money.” Jermon’s voice was cool. “We offer lots and lots of money, and from what I understand, you should be interested in that, seeing as how you no longer have access to your former clan’s assets…”

It seemed King Ennis had been more prepared than anyone had expected. He’d already moved all their assets to an offshore account only he and Tynan could access before he made his announcement at the Council, so the remaining Murphys were left with only their personal wealth. It was nothing to sneeze at, but it wouldn’t sustain their lavish lifestyle for long.

Alistair and Kerry exchanged a look. “Wait here,” Kerry said, and he and Alistair took off.

They didn’t move a muscle as they stood, all too aware they were being watched. After a few minutes, Alistair came back. “Follow me.”

Adar watched where he put his feet as he followed Alistair up the stairs into the hotel lobby. It looked even worse from the inside. Peeling paint covered the walls, revealing layers of different colors underneath. What little furniture was left in the lobby was worn and torn, with threadbare cushions and scratched surfaces. But the smell was far worse, this musty and stale air, with hints of mildew and rot mingling with the faint scent of cigarettes.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Nadiv said, and Adar bit his lip not to burst out laughing.

Alistair led them to a communal sitting room, the only one that had looked somewhat clean so far. A few couches had been placed around a large coffee table, and the carpets on the hardwood floor looked new-ish. “Take a seat.”

Erwan sat with his three brothers next to him, but everyone else remained standing, flanking the king. They didn’t have to wait long for the other Murphys to arrive. Dempsey stalked in first, and Adar clenched his fists, looking away before he gave in to his deeper urges and killed him on the spot. Hubert and Colin joined as well, plus a few alphas Adar didn’t recognize. He did a quick count. Nine in total. He liked those odds. Little Fallon alone could take four out easily.

“So, who’s in charge now?” Jermon asked when the Murphys had positioned themselves on and behind the couch across from them.

Oh, that was a touchy question, wasn’t it? Lots of tight faces and shared looks, plus a wince or two.

“We have not formally decided yet,” Kerry finally said. “But you can consider Dempsey and me the leaders for now.”

The race was between those two then. That made sense as they’d been two of the most vocal Murphy alphas, though Adar was surprised Alistair hadn’t thrown in his hat as well. But was there a way they could use the friction between Kerry and Dempsey?

“What do you guys want?” Dempsey asked.

To kill you, but he’d better keep that thought to himself.

Jermon leaned forward and addressed Kerry. “We want to buy your omegas.”

Silence.

Then, “You want to what?”

“You still have omegas. We’re willing to pay handsomely for them.”

Kerry looked utterly bewildered. “Why the fuck would you want that? You already have all the omegas you need and then some.”

“We think they would be happier with us.”

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