“I appreciate many more aspects, it seems, than you do,” he ground out, frowning at me all the while as if my comment rubbed him the wrong way.
“Regardless, the only way this rocky … relationship can work is by both of us maintaining trust,” I said. I walked around the couch and gripped the back of it, stretching my arms out as I pulled against it. Just dealing with Bram had put a kink between my shoulders.
“Do we have a relationship, Sweet?” The source of my neck pain asked, his serpentine smile especially flirtatious and, as such, especially irritating. “I admit, I appreciate hearing you refer to it as such.”
“Relationship, friendship, alliance or a hostage situation … call it what you will,” I replied with a shrug. Standing up straight, I didn’t miss the jolt of tension still cramping my neck and shoulders. “But whatever you decide to term it is irrelevant, the only way we can continue working together is if you’re honest and straight with me,” I insisted. “That’s how I am with you. We both have certain expectations and obligations for each other that we must continue to meet. Otherwise, whatever connection we share will fall apart. We’re skating on extremely thin ice as it is.”
“I have cast away all of my expectations of you. You constantly disappoint me,” he replied. Arching his eyebrows dramatically, he walked closer until he was only a few paces from me. He clasped his hands in front of him, as though he were preparing to take a casual stroll. With the backdrop of his drawing room, and the way he was dressed, he looked like some brooding, romantic hero. I had half a mind to start calling him as Heathcliff. Bramcliff …
“That conversation has nothing to do with this one,” I replied. The last thing I wanted to do was open up another discussion on his unrequited feelings for me. I doubted I could survive it.
Bram nodded after gazing at me for a few seconds. He thrust his hands into his pants pockets and took a few steps closer, but paused when he was less than three feet away. “I need your help, Sweet,” he said in a soft voice, one that seemed more natural in a way, less guarded and more candid. Or maybe it was his expression … Whatever it was lacked the artifice I was so accustomed to hearing from him.
“You need my help?” I repeated, eyeing him skeptically. “That’s why you ordered Jax to kidnap me?”
“Yes,” he admitted with a single nod before cocking his head to the side. He added, almost as an afterthought, “And I was worried about your safety.”
“Why?” I asked while shaking my head. I wanted him to know I wasn’t following him. I still wasn’t sure I even bought the whole “keeping me safe” thing. It seemed a little too convenient, especially if he wanted something from me. “If you’re the one behind the takeover of Splendor Headquarters, why be worried about me at all? There’s no reason since you’re the one calling the shots.”
“Ah … that it were so easy,” he admitted, dropping his attention to the dark wood floors, which were mostly covered by expensive rugs. Sighing theatrically, his shoulders sagged slightly, like he had to support the weight of the world.
“What’s going on, Bram?” I asked, not accustomed to seeing him like this. What was worse, I didn’t like it. I was used to the self-centered, egomaniac who was self-assured to the point of cockiness. Then the thought occurred to me that maybe his woe-is-me act was just that, an act. Maybe Bram was just trying to manipulate me into feeling sorry for him just so I’d agree to help him. Yep, that was probably closer to the truth.
Rat bastard …
“Bram, you need to explain everything to me—all of it in detail,” I said after another few seconds, during which time he continued to stare, as if he were zoned out on the floor.
He brought his attention back to my face and nodded as though he realized the truth had to come out sooner rather than later. “It is not my preference that Caressa be outed as Head of the Netherworld,” he started. “I believe the ANC must maintain a foothold in the Netherworld government in order to secure and enforce the natural balance of things.”
“Then why are you doing this?” I demanded angrily. It didn’t add up. I also sincerely wished he’d stop feeding me information piece by piece and just spit all of it out at once. But, of course, that wasn’t Bram’s way.
“Because I was backed into a corner, I had no other alternative,” he said, sounding strangely tired, as if this nasty business was really putting him through the wringer.
“Explain.”
“Those in the potions rings are very nervous about Caressa replacing your father,” he finally divulged. “As you may recall, your father had a name and a particular affinity for running illegal organizations.”
“My father was a backhanded, double-faced, son of a bitch,” I interjected. My hands began fisting at my sides and my lips tightened whenever I thought about my father. My physical reaction was always the same. I hated the man when he lived, and I hated his memory now. “He was probably as crooked as they come.”
“We both agree your father was what he was,” Bram concurred, “and we both saw the reasons he had to be removed from office. Let us, for the moment, abandon our perspectives, my dear, and try to adopt those of the leaders of the potions rings.”
“They probably loved my father,” I admitted with a scowl before walking over to the couch and taking a seat. I folded one of my legs underneath me and focused on Bram, hoping this conversation would pick up its pace.
“Love, perhaps, is not the right word,” Bram corrected me, as he nodded all the same. “Your father was very much feared, and I can say without any equivocation, he was a most respected man.”
“Anyone who respected my father was a complete fool.”
“The point, my dear, beautiful fairy, is this: your father was a man in their court. His own personal interests were well aligned and tied to theirs.”
“Right, because he was profiting from the illegal potions market!” I railed angrily. My knee started to hurt so I stood up, only to sit down again, planting both of my feet firmly on the floor. “Yes, he was a hypocrite and a traitor since he also sat behind an ANC desk.”
“Caressa, as you are well aware, is not one of them,” Bram said, nodding his agreement. “To the exporters, as I affectionately refer to them,” he started before I interrupted him.
“You mean as you affectionately refer to yourself?” I crossed my arms over my chest because I was growing even angrier when I reminded myself of how deep Bram’s betrayal really ran.
“I am not them,” he replied curtly with a simple smile that suggested he really believed his words.
“You’re the head of the largest street potions organization,” I argued, my eyebrows furrowed in irritation. There was no way he could ever convince me he was innocent in all of this. “How can you deny being one of them? You’re their freaking ring leader!”
“That may be true,” he admitted while shaking his head. “But I am not cut from the same cloth. As I told you earlier, I am the puppeteer; and they are all mere puppets. None of them see the larger picture. They only see the things I allow them to view.”
“You’re one and the same, Bram,” I interrupted and considered him with a frown that said his overinflated ego wasn’t exactly charming. “You say ta-may-to and I say tah-mah-to,” I quipped.
“I do not view it the same way you do,” he argued.
“Regardless, I’d rather you got back to the point.”
“As you wish,” he answered with another frown. As he approached the far end of the room, I suddenly noticed a white statue. I wasn’t sure how I’d missed it before, considering how tall it was—probably the same height as I was. Romanesque in style, it was in the shape of a naked woman. Her hair was done in a chignon, piled on top of her head, although quite a few tendrils framed her face. Carrying a jug over one of her shapely shoulders, she didn’t wear any clothes and her feet were bare.
Bram just stood there as if transfixed by the sight of her, his eyes following the contours of her body.
“Bram!” I yelled, c
lapping my hands a few times to get his attention. “What is it with you and naked artifacts?”
“I cannot deny my appreciation for the human female body,” he answered, but then thought better of it when he added: “or the female fae body,” and offered me a wink. “The female is the essence of pure beauty,” he remarked. Shifting his head, he followed the curvaceous lines of the exquisite statue. “Every curve, every junction, every valley and every peak are the epitome of pristine perfection.”
“Well, excuse me, but we were having a conversation, you know?” I was becoming increasingly convinced that Bram must be suffering from ADHD.
Sparing a glance over his shoulder at me, and showing little interest, he curtly nodded with a sigh. “As I was saying, the exporters do not consider Caressa their friend,” he said, turning to fully face me and looking slightly despondent over that fact.
“Because she will insist that the laws be upheld,” I deduced. Jutting my chin into the air, like I usually did when I felt self-righteous, I added, “Just like I would.”
“Yes, my little warrior, just like you would,” he iterated with a hearty chuckle. He studied me for a few more seconds before returning his attention exclusively to the statue beside him. “I must say, her body quite resembles yours,” he said as he glanced from me to the statue and back again.
“Not interested.”
“Unfortunate. The only conversation you seem intent on pursuing is the one we were just having,” he replied with deliberate ennui as he shook his head.
Nodding, I launched right back into it. “I’m not stupid, Bram. Of course, I understand the reasons why the potions rings don’t want Caressa replacing my father,” I began, shaking my head. “But I still don’t understand why you don’t.”
He nodded and said nothing for a few seconds as he apparently considered my question. Or maybe he was just buying more time to ogle the bare nipples of the statue. Actually, the latter scenario was probably closer to the truth … I often wondered if maybe Bram had sexual problems, or could have been a sex addict. Shrugging, I figured I’d probably never know the answer, although the thought of it was a bit comical.
So this vampire who’s also a sex addict, walks into a bar …
“I support Caressa’s right to replace your father because I believe there needs to exist a balance in all things, a yin to the yang,” he announced as he lifted his index finger and ran it down the statue’s cheek. “The Romans certainly had a talent for capturing magnificence in a piece of stone.”
“But Caressa being in charge would only hurt your bottom line,” I argued. I shook my head and watched his index finger, hoping it wouldn’t travel any lower than the statue’s face. “It certainly couldn’t help it.”
He shrugged and didn’t seem overly concerned. “Be that as it may, I care not,” he said while glancing over his shoulder at me again. His attention fell onto the statue once more, and he withdrew his finger from her cheek before holding it in the air. His gaze dropped to her large breasts. “Yes, it will be more challenging to ensure that our … products are distributed, but where there is a will, I trust we will find a way.”
“You still haven’t told me why you’re taking over the portals,” I announced, albeit solemnly because his previous comment didn’t exactly thrill me. But then again, most of what came out of Bram’s mouth didn’t exactly thrill me. And I also couldn’t say I was ecstatic with the way he was staring at the statue’s breasts, as if he were hoping they would magically morph into warm flesh right in front of him.
He faced me with his straight-lipped expression. “First, you must understand the panic that my and other organizations are suffering from at this most recent change of hands. All of the exporters consider Caressa an imminent threat. None of them can comprehend their futures, or the potential difficulties in exportation, once the ANC has complete control of the government.”
“So what does this have to do with you?”
“May I quote someone we both know? ‘Stop interrupting me’!” he emphasized with a wide grin. That only irritated me further.
“Ugh,” I grumbled as I ate a generous slice of humble pie and waited for him to continue.
“Due to this perceived threat …” He paused as if he were baiting me and expecting me to interject. Frowning, I made a point of grinding my teeth together, which only made him laugh. “The other organizations have been discussing the notion of joining our forces, and uniting together, thereby actually threatening the power and administration of the ANC. Perhaps Jax already informed you that we must rely on strength in numbers?”
“He did,” I answered with a brief nod.
“Bloody blabbermouth,” Bram muttered underneath his breath.
“The point, Bram,” I reminded him. “Could we please get back to it?”
“Yes,” he said with another theatrical sigh. Returning his gaze to the statue, he apparently remembered where his train of thought derailed. “Many of the progressive leaders claimed if ever there was a time to see one of their own in power, now would be it.” He took a deep breath as if he needed one and then continued, his eyes still glued to the statue’s very alert nipples. “Upon my discovery that these organizations were hedging their bets, and soon planned to see one of their own in power, I realized it had to be nipped in the bud.”
“And you expect to accomplish that by taking control of our portals?” I spat out, now nearly unable to restrain myself. “How does that make any freaking sense at all?!” I demanded.
He shook his head, looking at me as if I were a lost cause because I wasn’t following him, but the smile on his lips revealed his unbridled amusement. “No, that is not why, Sweet. Please try to control your Tourette Syndrome so I may continue.”
“Ha-ha, Bram, that’s really funny,” I grumbled. “Go on.”
“I refused to allow myself to be relegated to the mercy of another leader, or another Melchior O’Neil,” he explained, although his eyes never left the statue. Despite my most earnest wishes to the contrary, Bram started tracing the statue’s breast with one finger. He drew an imaginary line down to her nipple. Once he reached the erect nub, his finger began circling it.
“As if you could ever be at anyone’s mercy,” I replied sarcastically before turning away. I definitely didn’t want to witness him molesting the statue.
“Yes, you are quite right,” he agreed, and his tone of voice sounded like he was literally beaming. “The king of the jungle is the apex predator, and subjugated to nobody!”
“I have no words,” I said with a frown as I faced him again, pleased to see he was no longer fondling the statue. Now, his hands hung at his sides and his attention, ostensibly, was mine once again.
“You have no words … for once!” Bram’s quip made him smile wider, like he was proud of himself. Taking a few steps toward me, he put his hands back inside his pockets. “The point, my dear, little Regulator, is that I prefer to avoid any situation that is out of my control. I did the only thing I could do. I took matters into my own hands.”
“Which means what, exactly?” I prodded. Trying to keep him on topic at the same time I wanted him to hurry the hell up and spit it out was a tricky trail to follow.
“I had to prove where my loyalty lay,” he answered. One of his eyebrows arched up in visible frustration. The whole situation seemed to aggravate Bram to no end, but I still didn’t know exactly why. “I had to prove to the exporters that I was willing to work with them, and become the leader they so desperately needed.” He was quiet for a few seconds and we just stared at one another. “I had to hoodwink them. I persuaded them to believe I wanted only the best for them.”
“But you don’t want what is best for them?” I asked, eyeing him narrowly as I tried to fully understand his meaning and once understanding it, decide if he was telling me the truth or not.
“I only want what is best for you, my dear,” he replied. Walking right up to me, he jabbed me with his index finger straight in the center of my chest. “
At the same time, I also want what is best for me.”
“Uh-huh … So your idea was to seize control of the portals just to prove to those organizations that you were assuming the role as their worthy leader?” I finished before taking a step back. I crossed my arms over my chest, just in case he got any other ideas about touching me at breast level.
As far as our conversation was concerned, I was pleased to find that I was starting to piece the puzzle together.
“Yes,” he answered immediately. “I had to prove my loyalty to their cause, and it was a way to firmly cement my superiority at the top of the pecking order.”
“So where and why do I come into this?”
“I now require your assistance, Sweet,” he answered plainly.
I couldn’t respond right away because I was so taken aback. I didn’t know what to say. I had no idea what kind of assistance I could offer him. Especially when he was well aware how I wanted nothing to do with the illegal potions trade at all. It was just as abhorrent in my eyes as my dead father. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, though, I realized exactly what Bram really wanted.
“You want me to help you take control of every ANC portal, don’t you?” I asked before my jaw dropped in disbelief.
He merely nodded like it wasn’t a big deal.
I immediately shot to my feet and shook my head vehemently. When I finally met his eyes, my anger nearly blinded me. “You’ve completely lost your fucking mind!”
“Stand down, my pet,” he crooned with a laugh. Raising his hand, he attempted to get me to calm down, but it didn’t work.
“Why do you think I would ever help you to take control of the portals?” I asked, continuing to shake my head all the while because his gall amazed me.
“Because it will be one step in the right direction to repress this rebellion,” he answered, straight-lipped.
“You want to repress their rebellion?” I repeated, my tone of voice revealing my doubt. “After earning their trust? After becoming their leader? After facing a position in which you’ll be more powerful than you ever have been before? You’re going to just throw that all away?”