Venom (Page 58)

I knew the signs and could read the rage in Xavier’s eyes like a pirate scanning a treasure map. X marked the spot. This was a man who wanted to rip into something, or rather someone-Elliot Slater-and slowly tear the skin from his bones, pound it back on, and start again. Couldn’t blame Xavier for that. Not after what the bastard had done to Roslyn. But it was my job to keep him in line, so I could take care of Slater once and for all. And so we could all walk away clean after the fact.

"Your job is going to be the most difficult," I said. "You need to go to Northern Aggression tomorrow and open the nightclub as usual. Work the door, keep an eye on the crowd, everything you usually do."

"Why is that going to be difficult?" Xavier growled.

I stared at him. "Because sooner or later, Slater’s going to come by the club looking for Roslyn-and you’re going to have to deal with him."

Xavier’s hands curled into two massive fists. "I’ll deal with the bastard, all right."

"No," I said in a sharp tone. "You will not f**king touch him, unless you want to get dead. Slater’s sure to have backup with him. Even if you took him out, one of his buddies would get you in the end."

Xavier’s face hardened, and his eyes glinted with rage. At Slater, mostly, but I wasn’t in the giant’s good graces right now, either.

"Look," I said. "I’m not questioning your skills or your strength or how much you care about Roslyn. We all know that you wish you could kill Slater yourself. And we all know that you can’t do that without dying, either there at the scene or later on, when Mab Monroe gets involved. We all want the same thing-Elliot Slater cold and rotting in the ground for what he’s done to Roslyn. But more importantly, we want everyone to be able to walk away after the fact. What’s it going to be, Xavier? You want to play the hero and die for your woman? Or you want to do things my way and live long enough to go spit on Elliot Slater’s grave? Decide. Right now."

Xavier looked to the others for support. First, his eyes cut to Finn, who took another slug of coffee and moved to stand behind me. Xavier turned to Sophia. The dwarf grunted, gave him a flat stare, and also walked over to my side of the table. Finally, the giant stared at me. Rage still glinted in his eyes, but another emotion shimmered in his dark gaze. Resignation. Despite his feelings for Roslyn, Xavier was smart enough to realize that I knew what I was talking about-and that I’d do everything in my power to keep my promise to him and especially to Roslyn.

"Fine," Xavier said in a low voice. "We’ll do it your way. But if Elliot Slater’s not dead in two days-"

"Then you can go after him and damn the consequences," I said.

Xavier stared at me a moment longer, then nodded. "All right. What do you want me to do?"

"When Slater comes to the club looking for Roslyn, you tell him you don’t know where she is and that you don’t care anymore. That you hate her, and he’s welcome to her."

Xavier flinched at my harsh words, but he nodded. "All right. I can do that."

"You have to do more than just do it," I snapped. "You have to sell it. Make Slater think that you’re done with Roslyn. For good. I’m not going to lie to you, Xavier. Slater’s probably not going to believe you. Things will get ugly. He’ll probably get his goons to beat you or do it himself. He could hurt you real bad. Maybe even kill you just for the fun of it."

Xavier stared at me, his black eyes as hard as granite. "I don’t care how bad he hurts me as long as Roslyn is safe. That’s all that matters to me."

I nodded. "Good. Is there anyone at the club you can trust? Anyone there who will back you up?"

Xavier thought a moment. "Vinnie. The Ice elemental who works the bar. He’s a stand-up guy. And he owes me."

"You tell Vinnie to watch the door and to call the cops as soon as Slater shows up. Specifically, your partner, Detective Bria Coolidge."

Finn and Sophia both stared at me, surprised by my order. I didn’t want Bria anywhere close to Elliot Slater, but she was the only cop I knew who’d take on the giant and his men. Who would do something besides stand there and let Slater beat Xavier to death. Like it or not, I had to get my sister involved in this. Bria could keep Xavier alive long enough for Jo-Jo Deveraux to get to the giant and heal him. After that, Sophia would be there to watch over everyone.

Xavier nodded. "All right. I’ll tell Vinnie. One question, though. What will you be doing during all of this?"

"Following the bastard," I replied in a cold voice. "Tomorrow night, the second he’s alone, I go after him with everything I have."

Everyone knew their part in the drama that was about to unfold, and there wasn’t anything else to say. So we stayed in the kitchen, drinking tea, sipping coffee, and eating muffins in silence.

A few minutes later, Jo-Jo came down the stairs. The middle-aged dwarf looked at Xavier. "Roslyn’s asking for you," she said. "Second door on your left."

The giant nodded, put down his tea cup, and headed up the stairs. Finn wandered in that direction and waited until the heavy tread of Xavier’s footsteps stopped and the upstairs door creaked closed before he turned back to me.

"Correct me if I’m wrong, Gin," Finn said. "But you didn’t explain exactly how we’re all going to get free and clear of this after you make a pincushion out of Elliot Slater."

I nodded. "I didn’t want to say anything in front of Xavier, but we’re going to make Mab Monroe forget all about Roslyn."

"How?" Sophia rasped.

"We’re going to give her someone else to worry about."

I told Finn, Sophia, and Jo-Jo exactly what I was planning on doing after I killed Slater. The crazy, dangerous way that I was going to take the heat of Mab’s fury off Roslyn and direct it squarely on me. I laid it all out for them. Everything I was going to do-now and when I finally made my move against the Fire elemental.

When I finished, the three of them looked at me. Finn’s eyes a bright green. Sophia’s face flat and expressionless as usual. Jo-Jo’s head cocked to one side, a thoughtful light in her pale gaze.

Finally, Finn let out a low whistle. "You’re serious, aren’t you?"

I shrugged. "If you can think of a better plan, please, enlighten me."

"Don’t get me wrong," Finn said. "I think it’s brilliant. Stupid and dangerous and cocky, but brilliant too. Even though it goes against everything that Dad taught us about drawing attention to ourselves, everything that he taught you."

I blew out a breath. "I know. Which is why I need to know if you’re all on board with me or not. Because it’s not just me who’s going to be on the line this time. You guys will all be on the hook too. If Mab figures it out before I’m ready to deal with her, she’ll come after us-all of us. And she won’t stop until we’re all dead. If you don’t want to be a part of it, I understand. This thing with Mab, it’s my fight, my problem, not yours. It always has been."