Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Marcus stopped several feet away from me and stared me down. “How dare you come here?” He spoke quietly, but his voice still echoed off the walls. His anger was conveyed in his restraint, the long sleeves of his robe touching the floor.
“You killed my woman.”
“She lived—”
“After she died. You buried her in a coffin, and she drowned in the rain.” I kept my voice level, but I was about to explode in rage. “The law of the Fifth Republic has been clear since I became the Butcher. You violated the law when you took an innocent woman as collateral. Be grateful that I only hold Oscar accountable for that and not the rest of you.”
He held on to my words with absolute stillness, his anger packed behind his eyes.
“You will receive no apology from me. I would burn Oscar from Notre-Dame again if I could because one death wasn’t enough for what he did to my woman.”
The back doors opened, and more of the Aristocrats joined us, wearing their robes like members of the clergy, when they were just a fanatical group of freaks. They came up behind Marcus and then stood at his side in a line.
Was that supposed to be intimidating?
Marcus spoke. “You’ve declared war upon us—”
“You took my woman, and I retaliated. We’ve been allies for years, and I’d prefer to continue that instead of killing you all. I took my revenge against the man who killed my woman, and I’m prepared to move on if you can do the same. So, can you?”
Marcus didn’t need to confer with his disciples. They seemed to have already made up their minds, something I knew because of the information Godric had provided. But I kept that hand close to my chest and didn’t show my cards.
“Adrien has defied us for too long—and it’s time he’s paid the price.”
“Do what you want. That has nothing to do with me.”
“You intervened once.”
“I saved my girl. That’s all I cared about. Adrien isn’t my problem, so if you want to dump his body somewhere in the Catacombs so the cannibals can feast, then be my guest. I told him to yield to you on multiple occasions, and it’s not my fault he failed to listen.”
Marcus continued to observe me.
“I did not come to plead for that asshole’s life. I came here to resume our allyship. I hold no ill will toward you as a group, but if you give me a reason to, I will burn your church above ground and then demolish the vault that lies beneath.”
“Casting lies isn’t the best negotiation tactic.”
“It’s just a reminder that I will destroy you if you come for me—in case you forgot.”
Marcus turned to the man on his right, and their eyes met for a brief moment. It seemed like they wanted to discuss their next move aloud, but neither of them would speak in my presence. Marcus came back to me. “If you want peace, then you will not intervene when we come for Adrien.”
“I don’t moderate conflicts between the organizations. As long as you abide by the law, you’re free to do whatever you wish. Put his head on a spike on the Eiffel Tower for all I care.”
“And if you want peace, then you will make amends to us.”
“You came for my girl, and I came for Oscar. We’re even as far as I’m concerned.”
Marcus stepped forward. “You humiliated us on the world stage, and you know it. You made an example out of the Aristocrats and spat on our name. You burned one of our own alive—and not in privacy, but at one of our most cherished churches to be shown live on the news. It was barbaric—”
“Burying an innocent woman alive with a camera on her is far more barbaric. I told you I would not apologize for what I did because I’m not sorry, and you bet your ass I would do it again. You speak like I’m the one who started this whole thing when I was the victim.”
“Oscar didn’t know that Fleur was your girlfriend.”
“Well, that was his mistake, and he paid for it. I’m not gonna let any man who touches her go free. Just accept it. So, are we going to make peace, or am I going to kill you all right here, right now? Because you know I’ll fucking do it.” I didn’t need a gun. I could break skulls under my boots and snap necks with my fingertips. There was lots of heavy shit around us. Lots of weapons to use.
Marcus stepped away. “Give us a moment to confer.”
“Sure. Take your fucking time.”
Marcus stepped away with his disciples, and they spoke in quiet voices, the content of their conversation inaudible to me.
Instead of looking at my phone or texting Luca, my eyes remained trained on them in case they tried something. There was obviously a disagreement because the discussion continued for more than a few minutes.