Chapter 183: Candy’s Here

"Scarlet," Luca snorted, "What kind of name is that?"

"Shut up," Dante murmured at him.

"What’s she doing here?" I asked, darting a look at Zade.

"Seems like you haven’t quite introduced me, Don Salvero," Candy said slyly.

"It’s not too late for that, is it?" Zade amused. "Darling, this is Candy."

"I’m aware; we have crossed paths, remember?"

"She’s part of my network."

Candy waved her fingers at me, and I rolled my eyes. I had figured she was working for Zade ever since the gentlemen’s club when she asked me to give her regards to the Serpent.

However, I didn’t think she was part of his network. She must be the one whom Zade called to dig about the information Julius told me.

"So what did you find?" I didn’t hide the annoyance in my tone as I kept a tight smile.

She looked at Zade, who nodded for a go-ahead.

"That there is, in fact, a ball happening. I had to put my neck on the line to get this solid info."

"Isn’t that like your job?" I retorted.

"I know our last meeting wasn’t in pleasant circumstances, but I work for Don Salvero so you have nothing to worry about."

"Funny."

"I wasn’t trying to be funny."

"Do you two know each other?" Luca asked, getting more confused.

"As I mentioned earlier, your source was legit, and I also found out the location of the ball. But the host remains anonymous; my clients don’t know anything."

The Syndicate... it has to be them.

"Anything else?" Zade questioned.

Candy smiled at him, and there was something flirtatious about it that I didn’t like.

"Nothing else, Don."

"You may leave."

I kept my eyes on her until she left the office.

"She mentioned the hosts are anonymous," Elliot said, walking closer to Zade’s table. "Could it be the Syndicate Julius told Ana about?"

"Yes," I replied. "It’s them."

"What are we gonna do about them?" Dante asked. "They have been right under our noses the whole time. That’s a problem."

"Do they really exist? It all sounds like a fairy tale to me," Luca intoned.

"Nevertheless, we can’t turn a blind eye to this. As Dante said, this is a problem." Elliot glanced at Zade as though waiting for his input.

"The rest of you, leave. I’d like to talk with my wife alone."

I heard them leave, and the whole time my focus remained on Zade.

"You have to contact Julius and tell him about your decision."

"What decision have I made?"

Zade pushed to his feet and dipped his hand in his pockets. "That you’re gonna be his plus one, but under a condition that you gain something from it."

"Condition?"

"You always play the card to take."

I figured as much.

"Is this lesson 101?"

"Consider it as part of that. Nothing goes for free. Hit him with that, then he would know you’re not a vulnerable prey he can feed on as he pleases. The idea isn’t to just gain his trust... it’s the other way around. Show him you’re not easy to deal with."

Woah.

I cleared my throat. "Is there anything else I should be aware of, Don Salvero?"

His eyes darkened, and I knew I pressed his buttons, hard enough to see that subtle rise in his pants.

"The condition is to make him swear fealty to you."

I arched my brow. "That’s a thing?"

"Yes, it is. When he does, then there’s nothing stopping us from finding out everything about him. He’d want to be more transparent and prove himself useful."

"Still nothing on Julius?"

"Candy did bring in something useful."

"Of course she did..." I grumbled.

It was Zade’s turn to arch an eyebrow, but I didn’t say a word, so he rounded the table and leaned against the edge with his arms crossed.

I swallowed tightly when his biceps bulged beneath that dress shirt of his. Why did he have to look so delicious?

"Do you have a problem with Candy?"

"Not that I can think of... Oh wait, she got paid in full by Andy so that he could fuck me. Ring a bell?"

"A situation that called for her to show Shane that she was on his side. It was never gonna end that way, and you know that."

"I still don’t like her."

"And you don’t have to. She has her ways, the right source and an establishment that can get me what I want. Her club is where every man comes to satisfy their desire and taste the desirable. Men talk when they’re drunk, especially when their guard is down."

As much as I despise it, Zade’s explanation detailed how useful she was. Still, I couldn’t get over the fact of how he talked about her, like they had known each other for a long time.

Have they?

That question was on the tip of my tongue, but I settled with being annoying.

"So! What did your favorite Candy say?"

Amusement danced in those orbs, and for a minute there, I thought he was gonna further that discussion, but he stuck to business.

"She mentioned Julius has been in Hightower since last year."

I blinked. "I thought he came back to the city because of my father’s funeral."

"Doesn’t seem like it." He rose to his full height and stood in front of me. "And you, my little kitten..."

He grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss on my knuckles.

"You’re gonna have him right where you want. Isn’t that what you want?"

"What I want is to uncover this Syndicate."

And find Annabeth.

"We will..." He leaned closer, his breath to my ear. "Welcome to the undercity, kitten."

He pulled away, and I found my breath. He eyed me closely like he wanted to devour me, but instead he walked back to his table.

Is he still punishing me for going behind his back? I thought we were way past that.

Scoffing, I walked out but not without mumbling under my breath. "Asshole."

That was gonna bite me in the ass later, and I hope it does.