Page 23 of Poison Ivy
Tate shrugs, his eyes still following the direction the blonde disappeared in. “She said she’s been here three years. Maybe we just never noticed her before.”
I raise an eyebrow. “How the fuck did we miss a spitfire like that for three years?”
“Who knows,” Bram grumbles. “But now that she’s on my radar, I’m going to make her life hell.”
“Leave her alone,” Tate says sharply.
I eye him suspiciously. “What’s your deal? You’ve been acting weird ever since she showed up.”
Tate’s jaw clenches. “Nothing. I just think we’ve got more important shit to worry about than harassing some random student.”
“She’s not random anymore,” Bram says with a wicked grin. “She’s made herself a target now.”
I shake my head. “As entertaining as it would be to watch you try to take on that little firecracker, Tate’s right. We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Like finding my arsehole dad.”
“Still nothing?” Bram asks, and I shake my head.
“No, so I’ve gotta go to this stupid Brasch Coven meeting now before my mother tears me a new one. And before either of you decide to chuckle about that, need I remind you of what she did to that little punk who thought he could sell drugs on our strip last year?”
I see them both reconsider their taunts and pale slightly. As gory as I like it, there was literally nothing left of that guy to sweep up.
“So, fuck you both, I’m out of here.”
“Catch you later,” Tate mutters as I head off in the direction of my car parked near the curb. Ditching the rest of this day was a mild annoyance at best. Now, after this showdown with the mysterious blonde, I’m pissed off. I want to find out more about her. Why hasshe suddenly sprung up out of practically nowhere? Who is she, and what does she want? Opening the car, I slide into the driver’s seat of my sleek black Audi, slamming the door harder than necessary. As I start the engine and peel away from the curb, my mind keeps drifting back to Poison. Maybe Bram is right. Maybe we don’t let her go next time we come across her. She is a hard bitch to track down. It was only luck and a bartender on my payroll that got us in her vicinity last night. He texted with news of a pink-haired vixen in the hotel across the road from his pub. We knew it would be her, so we waited for her, and we got lucky.
“Fuck,” I groan as my cock goes hard thinking about last night. She plays the game we want her to. She pretends she doesn’t want it when, in reality, she can’t wait to come all over our dicks. She is playing us as much as we are playing her, if not more. It’s why we are so invested. Well, me, anyway. Those other two have their own shit. But I’m all about trying to figure out what she is up to with us. Why does she let us do her that way, and why did she save me from biting her last night?
Shaking my head, I try to push it aside for now. This Brasch Coven meeting is going to be a pain in my arse, but it’s necessary. As much as I hate playing nice with these conceited idiots, I don’t have a choice right now. I need more time, more power. Last night’s digging around came up as a waste of time, but it won’t deter me. I know Bram will have my back, it’shis plan to stay here and not return to the Fae Kingdom, and Tate is practically my brother. Orphaned early on, he lived on the streets until he tried to rob me one day eight years ago, and I decided he was worth keeping around. He’s tough. Broken but loyal. He will stand against the Ainsley Coven with me when the time is right.
As I speed down the winding country roads towards the meeting location my mother texted me, I smile. If they only knew what I was really up to, they’d shit themselves. This isn’t me going gentle into the good night. Nah. This is me going blazing into the darkness and taking as many of those boring fucks out while I do it.
Pulling up to the sprawling manor house that serves as the Ainsley Coven’s headquarters, I take a deep breath. Time to put on the dutiful son act.
As I enter the grand foyer, my mother materialises before me, looking as cold and regal as ever in her sleek black dress.
“You’re close to being late,” she says, her voice dripping with disapproval.
I plaster on a charming smile. “But I’m not late, so shut up.”
She narrows her eyes, clearly wanting to push me, but she knows she needs me here. “Go in there and work out this deal with the Brasch Coven. It should take less than half an hour if you can focus for that long, but it’s important, so don’t fuck it up.”
I grimace at my mother’s condescending tone. “Relax, I’ve got this. Just a simple trade agreement, right?”
She nods curtly. “Yes, but it’s crucial we maintain good relations with the Brasch Coven. They control key territory we need access to.”
“I know, I know,” I say dismissively. “I’ll play nice with the pompous arseholes. Don’t worry about it.”
My mother’s eyes flash dangerously, but she holds her tongue. She knows better than to start a fight with me right before an important meeting. Instead, she turns on her heel and leads me to the ornate double doors of the main conference room.
As we enter, I survey the room. A long mahogany table dominates the space, with high-backed chairs lining each side. At the far end is Elias Brasch, the coven’s leader, flanked by his top advisors. Their eyes lock onto me as I saunter in, exuding casual confidence.
“Ah, Torin,” Elias says, his voice dripping with fake warmth. “So good of you to join us.”
I flash him my most charming smile as I take my seat. “Always a pleasure, Elias.”
The negotiations begin, and I force myself to focus. As mind-numbingly boring as this shit is, I know it’s important to play my part. I listen attentively, nodding at the right moments and offering smooth replies when needed. All the while, my mind is racing, thinking of ways I can use this deal to my advantage later.
After about twenty-five minutes, we reach anagreement. Elias looks pleased, which means I can fuck off and not have my mother bitching at me for the rest of the day. As we all stand to shake hands, I catch my mother’s approving nod from across the room.
