so the humans didn’t give him a second look. There was no reason for him to stay cooped up with me. There was no reason he needed to live apart from the supernatural world.
“A seedy little bar with criminals?” He narrowed his eyes on me. “I’m not surprised that’s your suggestion.”
“Maybe it’ll be good for you. There are all sorts of supernaturals who go there on a regular basis. On top of that, the seedy shit really only happens downstairs. We don’t have to go down there if you don’t want to.” I grinned. I was starting to like the idea.
Raphael gave me a curious look, then turned away, his expression unreadable.
“I’ll check it out,” he said enigmatically.
I jumped up to go take a shower and get ready. Before I left the kitchen, I looked back and smiled.
“Call Cassius and Sorcha. Maybe they’ll slum with us for the evening.”
I didn’t tell him the only reason I wanted to invite them was for his protection. Only a few short months ago, the bar had been full of people looking to capture him for ten million dollars.
2
Chapter Two
We used my new BMW X5 M to get through the city, a luxury SUV worth more than Raphael probably ever made in a year. Thanks to him, I invested in something bigger, knowing I would need the extra space and security. It could still go fast, though not as fast as my destroyed Aston. Instead, I decked it out with every security option I could find, including bulletproof glass and millions in magical protection, mostly by friends of Cassius and Sorcha. I had the entire thing reinforced and even had a roll cage on the inside added by someone smart enough to know how to hide it. The windows were tinted dark enough, not even someone with good night vision could see through them.
I couldn’t take chances anymore and was already planning what my toy sports car was going to be. The BMW was a good work vehicle, and I knew it would be safer than what I had been using.
“I hate this thing,” Raphael muttered as I drove. We were nearly halfway there, so I wasn’t sure what had brought on the sudden comment.
“Why?” I demanded, confused by his opinion of my new ride.
“It’s so expensive when a car half its price could do everything you need. Just seems like a waste of money. I know you’re rich, you don’t need to explain that to me again, but this is just…It’s wasteful.”
I sighed heavily, not sure how to respond, thinking about it while he stared at me.
“No response?” He seemed surprised I didn’t have a quick comeback.
“Wealth is easy come, easy go in our world,” I said, trying to put my thoughts into words. “The Tribunal pays me about a million a year, which is chump change to many, but I can support my lifestyle with it most of the time. I supplement with bounties that are legal and easy. I work hard for it, so why shouldn’t I use it?”
“So, everyone like you lives like this?” He seemed impressed, and I almost considered telling him he could get the job if he reached out to the Tribunal. They loved the strange ones, like me, as their Executioners.
Then I remembered his Catholic guilt complex.
“No,” I answered honestly, going back to his question. “I have a large inheritance that lets me live a bit better than most. The nagas have always had a considerable amount of wealth to our species, and over the centuries, as families have died out, it’s been pooled to those who remain. I’m the last of my family. If I die, it’ll all go to one of the surviving nagas to help them further their own protection.”
Or to you.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, looking away again.
I pulled into The Jackalope’s parking lot, parked, then turned to him fully.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. At some point, the nagas have made enemies who have committed to seeing our kind become extinct. We’re also one of the biggest victims of supernatural black market trading. It’s just a fact of life, and none of it is your fault.” I didn’t want his pity or sympathy. If anything, focusing on his problems was giving me a chance to hide from my own and gave me much needed space from the whole ‘nagas are going extinct’ issue.
“What do you mean, black market trading?” He was frowning as I got out of the car.