“I’ve got to say, when Max said Raphael bought a hotel chain, Marriott wasn’t what I’d envision.” I looked up at the tall pastel-colored walls. I should have brought Zee, this could have cheered him up.
“What did you imagine?” Martin ask.
“Hyatt. It’s Raphael, so I figured he’d go for top of the line.”
“It’s likely Raphael wasn’t who picked the chain. I don’t know whose financial firm he’s with since leaving dad’s, but they have too much money to try and handle it themselves.”
I looked at the cougar. “Are you sure you want to be here? Raphael isn’t happy with your dad. He might take it out on you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. Tom’s been seeing to it.”
“In exchange for his cock,” the badger said at my raised eyebrow. “You going to stand here all day, or are you going to get over your fear of talking with the rat and actually go into his den?” He turned and motioned in the air. Fourteen men formed around me.
I didn’t bother to reply, I just glared at him. I was not afraid of Raphael. His tilted ear said how little he was impressed. I tightened my grip on the briefcase’s handle and headed for the entrance. Martin fell in on my right, Tom on my left. I could feel Colby’s eyes on my ass. He’d found out about my official status as champion, and the armadillo just couldn’t leave my ass alone anymore.
I’d kick the ass of whoever told him, but after the video conference with all the elders [should make sure to have the Rowling elder in that] so many people knew there was no way to find out who it was.
The lobby was busy with a large proportion of rats. Very few of which registered as security. Did Raphael cater to rats as a way to hide that his family resided here?
Me and my entourage gathered a lot of stares as I headed for the counter, and in that moment I found a few more security mixed in the crowd as they went on high alert.
An older rat in an expensive suit met us halfway. “Mister Rasia, if you’ll come with me, I’ll check you in.” He tag made him the manager, and called Juran.
“I’s Brislow, actually, and I’m just here for a meeting with—” I hesitated, a rat didn’t mean a family member.
“The elder has made arrangements for you and your party to have rooms during your stay.” He motioned for an unoccupied section of the counter. I followed him.
That he hadn’t surprised at my name meant that in spite of Raphael’s determination to annoy me, this man had done his research. The rooms meant Raphael planned on stretching this for as long as he could. Probably planned on making me beg too.
“Three suites have been assigned to your party, will that be enough?”
“There are they?” Tom asked before I could.
“Rooms 4387, 4231 and 4265.”
Tom snorted. “Not happening. We’re getting three adjacent rooms.”
“I’m afraid, that’s not going to be possible. We are—”
“You’re going to make it happen, or we walk,” Tom said.
I kept a straight face as the rat looked at me.
“Don’t look at him,” the badger said. “He’s just the boss. I’m in charge of keeping him safe and he knows better than to contradict me.”
I nodded and Juran did some typing. “Then I can have you on 4134, 36 and 38.”
Tom smiled. “See, that was easy, wasn’t?”
“Tom, stand down. You did your job, no need to antagonize him any further.”
The badger shrugged, but he’d been right. Those rooms were already set aside for us, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole floor was empty. Would these games still have happened if Max had come, or some of the other elders who were In Denver? Would it have been worse? Raphael had made allies since I kicked him out, families who didn’t like mine, or simply felt I was the bad guy for taking Denver from the Lewistons. Were any of them here?
The manager handed me three keycards. “These will unlock the doors. You can set the locks to your phones from the rooms. If you need any kind of service, the male staff is completely at your disposal.”
“We’re good,” Tom said.
The rat nodded. “In that case, if you’ll give your bags to Vincent, he’ll take them to your room.”
“That won’t be needed,” I replied. Everyone had a day-pack, and the bellboy offer was just to separate me from my briefcase. Tom took the cards out of my hand and passed them to Colby, Chimbo, and Jackson, how headed for the elevators ahead of us.
By the time we reached the room, the doors were open and Colby exited the middle one. “Clear,” he said and grinned at me.
“Good,” Tom said. “Okay, is there anyone here who hasn’t passed his power along to your boss?” Everyone here except for Tom was Society. He’d seen to it.
Shakes of the heads all around, for which I was grateful, it was amazing the number of men who could fuck me during a two-hour flight. I wanted to rest until Raphael decided I’d cooled my heels long enough.
“Alright, then settle in the rooms as you want. This one’s the boss’ he gets rotating security so the lot of you can catch your breath. Colby, you’re first up.”
“Wait a minute. Haven’t I been fucked enough?” I ask as the armadillo undressed.
“No such thing,” Tom said. “We’re in enemy territory. I want you as charged up as you get.” He pointed to the bed. “Get to it.”
I almost whine. I haven’t gotten any rest since taking off. But I was an adult, an elder even; we didn’t whine, right?
Resigned, I had my shirt off when there was a knock at the door. A rat in a suit looked Tom over and dismissed him.
“Elder Rasia, Elder Lewiston is ready for you.”
I put my shirt back on. I had mixed feelings about this. Making me wait should be how Raphael played this. He knew how urgently I needed this resolved. Maybe, just maybe, he’d come to his senses.
Somehow Colby went from naked to fully dressed before I had my jacket on. He and Tom were behind me as I stood before the rat.
He looked them over. “It’s a meeting between you and him, they aren’t welcome.”
“Story of my life,” Tom replied. “Never let that stop me, though. Not going to do it now.”
“Raphael knows better than to expect me to move about his home without protection,” I said.
“That’s why I’m here.” The rat opened his jacket to show the holstered gun. Colby snickered.
“I appreciated the sentiment,” I said, “but I’m still going to move about with my own security.”
“Fine. He said to remind you to bring it.”
I took the briefcase, and we stepped out of the room and the rest of my men were in the hall.
“Don’t you think this is excessive?” the rat asked.
“Not after Raphael kidnapped my family and put then in the middle of a shootout.”
With clear annoyance, he led us to the elevator, and we took it down to the thirtieth floor, where I had him wait for the others to catch up.
He stopped by a door. “This is as far as they go,” the rat said.
Tom opened his mouth, but I silenced with. “I’ll be fine. I can handle Raphael on my own.”
“Dent, we both know he isn’t going to be—”
“Tom, this is elder business.”
“I’m so chaining you to in your basement after this.” He motioned, and the men took position along the wall.
“You missed your chance on that one,” I replied. The rat opened the door, and I stepped in a large conference room with beige walls, a mahogany conference table capable of seating twenty, with Raphael at the opposite end from me. Behind him was a screen wall, and on the right another door. The door closed behind me and I peeked out of my body. The walls were covered in phrases; a lot of shielding and obfuscation. We were cut off from the rest of the world. This was as private as it got short of using Jeroen’s privacy. It smelled fresh too.
“I’m surprised you don’t have anyone else here,” I said.
“I’m not scared of you, Rasia.”
“I’m glad, because that’s never been my intention.”
“Of course. You bring an army with you and it’s not to intimidate me.”
“You kidnapped my family, Raph. You had your men shoot at me with intent to kill. You’re the one who can’t be trusted if you’re willing to kill an elder.”
He scoffed. “It’s not because you call yourself elder that you’re one. You’re just a kid.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re only four years older than I am, Raph, don’t try to pass yourself as old and wise. You’re neither.”
He was up, leaning on the table. “It’s Elder Lewiston to you. I was born and raise within our beliefs. You just stumble into them and fool everyone into thinking you’re somehow our hero. Well, I see you for the fraud you are, Rasia. You should have died with the rest of your line. We would have all been better served.”
“Well, we don’t all get what we want. Are you done ranting? We have better things to do.”
He snorted. “Right, the artifact. Is it supposed to be in there?” he indicated the briefcase.
“Yes.”
He gave me a mocking smile. “Prove it.”
I stepped to the table, at the other end from him. I dipped a finger in the vial of my cum I had in my pocket and ran it along the edge of the briefcase before opening it. I wiped it off with a sleeve as I opened the cover.
Raphael gasped as the power radiated out. He gripped the edges of the table, panting and looking at me hungrily. As much as I hated him, I wanted him too right now, but the feelings were a surprise to me this time; like Fred said, you got used to it. I turned the case and his eyes went wide as he looked at the content.
“You actually brought it,” Raphael whispered around his panting. My phone rang. How was a signal getting in here? “He said you would.” It was the office. “I didn’t believe—”
“Stephan? What is it?” I kept my eyes on Raphael who was mumbling something.
“Denton?” Zee said, sounding panicked. “What are you doing in Kansas City?”
“Zee? I’m in a conference with Raphael.” The rat glared at me, his eyes hard. “Can this wait?”
“Are you insane?”
“Zee.” I hardened my voice. I understood Zee’s fear. He’s lost Marcus, I was all he had left, but I really didn’t have the— “what?” Marcus’ name had registered and hotel.
“Marcus was murdered in that hotel!” Zee yelled as the door in the right wall opened and a tiger in an expensive suit stepped into the grinning with satisfaction.
“I have the best timing, don’t I?” Damian said.
