our business.”
He pauses, letting the silence tick out, letting me know exactly who holds the position of power in this place. Him. Not me. It shouldn’t irritate me so fucking much, but here we are. He sighs. “War is everyone’s business.”
Gaeton goes stiff next to me, but I don’t look at him. “Say what you mean to say, Hades. You’re wasting our time.”
“As you wish.” Hades, leans forward, bringing himself into the light. “You are living in my territory out of the grace of my goodwill. I highly suggest you do nothing to that woman that will antagonize Cordelia Belmonte. She will go to extreme lengths to protect her youngest sister, and that includes doing the equivalent of cutting off her nose to spite her face. If you both are removed from the equation, it’s entirely likely she will lose part—or all—of her territory to Ursa. You know what that means.”
It means the carefully balanced ecosystem of Carver City will potentially collapse. War between two territories is the kind of conflict that will send waves through the rest of the city, affecting everyone. I’ve seen it happen before. It’s why I ended up here in the first place, fleeing a losing war in Sabine Valley. Regardless of what happens with Isabelle, I refuse to repeat history. We’ll ensure she’s safe and the territory is stabilized. It’s held this long. It will hold for two more weeks.
I exchange a look with Gaeton. He nods, letting me lead this conversation. A fucking first, though I suppose that’s not strictly true any longer. Since our respective relationships with Isabelle detonated, some of the animosity between us collapsed with it. Not all, not by a long shot, but I can stand next to him without wanting to cut his fucking throat. An improvement.
I meet Hades’s gaze. “Two weeks won’t make a difference one way or another. Beyond that, I wouldn’t worry too much about Cordelia seeking revenge since she’s the one who sent her baby sister here tonight in the first place.”
Hades doesn’t blink. “I highly doubt she envisioned the terms of the bargain you struck with Isabelle Belmonte.”
Heat courses through my body, but I muscle back my physical response. All in good time. Because we do have time now. Two weeks is more than long enough to play out every filthy fantasy I never let myself contemplate with Isabelle. The fact that Gaeton will be doing the same concurrently feels strangely right. We began this journey at the same time, and we’ll finish at the same time as well. “That’s our business.”
“See that it doesn’t become my business.” He glances at Isabelle, gaze cold. “She’s playing in deep waters. Don’t let her drown and bring ruin upon us all.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “If you’re done …”
“I am. For now.”
I turn and lead the way out of Hades’s office. Aurora is nowhere in sight, which is just as well. We don’t need an escort to the exit. I nod at Adem at the front desk and step into the elevator. We don’t speak again until the doors slide open and the cool air of the parking garage seeps into the elevator. “Your place, your transport.” I know where Gaeton lives, of course. It pays to keep track of these things, especially since we’ve both found ourselves in something of a precarious position leaving our old territory, but he’s hardly sent out engraved invites to his place.
He nods and leads the way down the ramp to a sleek black SUV. I glance around for a driver, and he catches the look. Gaeton gives a shit-eating grin. “Not all of us are fancy bitches who need to be carted around.”
I narrow my eyes. “I prefer to keep my hands free for other purposes.”
He snorts. “Whatever you have to tell yourself, asshole.”
Isabelle stirs as I open the back door and Gaeton sets her carefully on the seat. She blinks those big brown eyes at us. “Did I fall asleep?” Her hands flutter to her hair, seeming to register how tangled it is, and then to Gaeton’s coat. “You ruined my dress.”
“Won’t be needing it where we’re going.” I nudge her across the back seat and follow her in, leaving Gaeton to walk around to the driver’s door.
Isabelle slaps my hands away when I reach to fasten her seatbelt. “You can’t be suggesting I’m not wearing clothes for the next two weeks. Don’t be absurd.”
Gaeton backs out of the parking spot and heads for the