Clearly, this person has no idea who I am or that ‘The Reaper,’ my father’s code name, is dead.
“Unfortunately, The Reaper passed away six months ago. But what can I do for you?”
I hear a couple of voices curse on the other end. I hadn’t realized this was a boys’ club conference call.
“Who might you be, then, if he’s no longer with us?” The man drawls, and I try to ignore how his deep, sultry voice sends goosebumps down my skin.
“As I said, my name is Selene. I’m now in charge of Onyx. Is this an interview, or do you have business you’d like to discuss?”
I hear a bark of laughter from the phone, and I can’t help but suppress a smile at putting him in his place.
“Sassy one, aren’t you, princess? But yes, we need Onyx’s approval to conduct some business in your city.”
Of course, they do. Onyx controls the unethical dealings around Vegas. If we don’t approve their time in Vegas, they’re fair game for other criminal organizations in the city.
“I see. And what is the business you have here?” As long as it doesn’t cause trouble, I don’t mind approving.
“We’ve been trying to dismantle a group that slid under the radar in your city about eight months ago. They’re involved in the skin trade and move quickly between major cities, so we haven’t been able to track them down.”
Even his drawl with a slight Irish accent sounds sexy talking business. I shake my head at the thought as Max walks in.
“So, there’s been a skin trade happening in the city for eight months, and you think you can come in and handle it?”
Max’s eyes widen as I repeat the information for his sake.
“Yes, princess, that’s exactly it. What do you say? Can we come play with you?”
My mouth pops open at his words, and I feel heat rise to my face. Clearing my throat, I look up at Max, and he nods.
“You have my approval. We can set up a meeting to see if you could use any of my resources or others in the city.”
Max gives me a thumbs up, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Sounds good, princess. We’ll be in Vegas tonight. I’ll give you a call when we land.”
He hangs up, and I look at Max to see if he’s thinking the same thing I am. There are no coincidences in this life—especially when a snaky wench is involved.
Chapter 3
Selene
Lily arrived shortly after my phone call with the mystery men. I filled her in on the conversation, watching as her mouth nearly hit the floor. She was just as displeased as Max and me—maybe even more so.
“I’ll look into it after the extraction tonight,” she assured me, her fingers already twitching for her keyboard. “You really think Barbra is involved with this group?”
“The timing lines up too well.” I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. “She showed up out of nowhere and sank her claws into my father. You saw how fast he changed—how he became a shell of himself in just a month. It only got worse from there.”
Lily hummed in agreement, her expression tightening as she processed the information.
“It would explain how… out of it he always seemed,” she murmured.
Max and I nodded solemnly. That woman would get what was coming to her, along with whoever is pulling the strings.
“Lily, I also want you to run a full background check on Barbra—one we can actually trust. I don’t believe the file in my father’s records anymore.”
“Absolutely.” She stood up, nearly colliding with Max. Her cheeks flushed as she stepped around him, and I had to bite back a laugh.
I cleared my throat. “I’m going to get ready. Max, give Lily a little time, then check the feeds and see how everything is looking.”
