The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6) by Hailey Edwards

Author:Hailey Edwards [Edwards, Hailey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC.
Published: 2021-05-19T22:00:00+00:00

Nine

Bishop met me at the door with a café mocha in one hand and a chocolate croissant in the other.

“Hello, best friend in the whole wide world.” I snatched them from him. “You’re too good to me.”

“Yes,” he grumped. “I am.”

“What’s with the mood?” I bit into my breakfast. “I thought you’d be flying high on success.”

The mystery of Sue had been solved and her family found. Now if we could say as much for Neely.

“The bubble sprung a leak.” He leaned against the doorway. “We plugged it, but it could have been bad.”

“Goddess,” I breathed. “Anything I can do?”

No snark in sight, he nodded to Midas, who exited the bedroom dressed for the night.

“Yeah.” He held up his phone and mashed play. “You can listen.”

“I have been notified of a threat against our future potentate,” a cultured voice poured into the room. “I must request to remain anonymous for the safety of my clan and our commerce.” He paused as if to give us time to erase the message or keep listening. “Clan Jefferies has availed themselves of my services unbeknownst to me.”

The temptation to roll my eyes twitched in my lids. “I bet.”

“You arrested Dean Richards and Wesley Proctor, both clan members of mine, as I’m sure you’re aware by now. As well as three others. The job they took was a standard no-contact contract, and it was accepted without any knowledge of the politics involved.”

“As in,” I interpreted, “they didn’t think twice about targeting humans but now regret their life choices.”

“That is a point in their favor.” Bishop shrugged. “They, at least, had the sense to realize they kicked a hornets’ nest. Whether it was intentional or not, we haven’t determined yet.”

With a lead-in like that, I had to ask, “As opposed to…?”

“There’s that call, from Van de Berg’s ambassador—I mean, some random and totally anonymous vampire whose voice I would never recognize after countless meetings with him and the others at the AA—and then there’s this one.”

Bishop mashed another button, and a smoky voice rasped over the line at a volume I strained to hear.

It struck me as familiar. The caller from the Lockdown board? Maybe. Maybe not. I couldn’t tell.

“Van de Berg’s people took Neely Torres and assaulted Cruz Torres.” Somehow, he managed to get even quieter. “They also trashed the POA’s obstacle course.”

There was no mention of Sue or her family, so that was interesting.

Curious what else he might say, I waited a second or two, but that was it. “Short and sweet.”

“That’s Clan Jefferies for you.” Bishop thumbed the screen. “But wait! There’s more.”

I groaned as he queued yet another voicemail.

“This is Franco Morton, Master of Clan Morton.” His title was spoken without hubris, which interested me. I hadn’t met Morton himself, only his ambassador. “I am aware of the disadvantage our people face, given your relationship with shifters in the city, and I do not wish to see my clan punished for the petty actions of a zealous few.” He gave us a moment to absorb that.

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