Raul calmly explained the entire story of Cedric harassing Ji-Su and his concerns that Cedric might try a deep drain on a human.
“That means he was an even worse choice than I’d originally thought,” LaMonte said, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Raul appreciated that LaMonte didn’t make excuses for Cedric’s actions. He’d made a bad decision, but it was made out of love for his nephew. And now he was handling the consequences of that decision with grace. Raul closed the story by taking full responsibility for Cedric’s death. “I made the decision to go after him for that final harassment and I was the one who ended his life. My people have cleaned and repaired the damage to the townhome, which I understand is one of your properties.”
“It is. And I thank you for that courtesy. I’d also like to apologize to you, Mr. Raul. A member of my family harassed your blood pet and that is unacceptable. Leaving Cedric to his own devices was a mistake.”
John leaned forward, rejoining the conversation.
“Up until now we’ve had no issue with the LaMontes. And now that Cedric has been disposed of there is no reason for any further conflict. If there is anything else that we can do to ensure our relationship remains a positive one, please let me know.”
John was polite but the message was clear. He didn’t want this to escalate, so if LaMonte had any concerns regarding Cedric’s death, he needed to air them now.
LaMonte waved a dismissive hand. “Cedric was already written off so it’s not like we lost a valuable and contributing member of the family. And I have no desire to hurt an innocent human like your Ji-Su in revenge. However, I don’t want other families or organizations to get the idea that the LaMontes are weak for allowing one of our members to be killed without retaliation. Perhaps at an upcoming social event, we could go together, to show that there is respect and friendship between us.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” John said. “I’ll have my second contact your staff to set something up.”
Raul silently admitted to himself that LaMonte’s request was smart. If anyone did think he was weak for not avenging Cedric, an appearance with the Syndicate all but shouted that he was aligned with them. Other groups would think twice about attempting a takeover of his business assets knowing that he was friendly with the leader of the Syndicate. As for their side, it was always better to have more people standing with them than against them.
A few minutes later, the meeting ended with everyone satisfied. After LaMonte left, John turned to Raul with a pleased smile.
“That problem is taken care of. LaMonte is a smart vampire. I knew he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and start shit with us over a vampire as worthless as Cedric.”
Raul nodded. “And Ji-Su is safe. Now I can focus on winning him back.”
John’s smile turned sympathetic. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you there. Best of luck, my friend.”
Chapter 45
Ji-Su’s current hotel room was even nicer than the last one he’d gone to. The sage green walls and water color paintings of misty forests created a soothing atmosphere that he appreciated. There was even a small lounge area separate from the bedroom, with big, comfortable armchairs, and a small wet bar. The view was nice too, with large windows overlooking the city of Dear Lake.
There were a few recent additions to the lounge. The evening after his arrival, a knock on the door had interrupted his comfort TV binge watching. He’d opened the door to an entire team of people from Whitman’s Electronics, including Myles, the salesman he’d worked with before. Before Ji-Su could ask what they were doing there, the guard stationed at the door had handed him a sealed envelope. Ji-Su had opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper to read a short note written in Raul’s bold handwriting.
In case you need to work or want to play for yourself.
—Raul
The Whitman staff had come in and got to work building a small desk and gaming chair. Then, they’d set up all the electronics he needed to game and stream. From computer to controller—everything was there.
Ji-Su was stunned that Raul had arranged for him to continue working even while he was away from his gaming room. He wouldn’t have to miss any scheduled streams if he didn’t want to. “Please tell Raul thank you,” he said to the guard.
“I will, Mr. Ji-Su. Have a good evening.”
After the Whitman team left, he’d streamed once. He’d checked in with his followers to let them know that he was okay after the fake nudes incident while playing a couple hours of a cozy farming game. The game occupied his mind without requiring heavy focus.
Now he was in the bedroom, sitting in the middle of a king-sized bed that felt too big and lonely to sleep in by himself. He sat against the headboard, his knees raised and arms tightly wrapped around them.
He felt tricked by Raul. And he was angry that Raul wasn’t the kind, gentle man he’d thought him to be. Yes, Raul had explained that he was a part of a criminal organization. But Ji-Su hadn’t considered that those crimes extended to murder. Maybe that had been naive of him. But Raul was always so calm and warm, that he’d had no reason to think that he had a violent side too.
The same went for his partners. When he’d met them, they were all elegant, friendly, and charming. Of course, they wouldn’t walk around with signs on their chests that readKiller. Still, nothing about the way any of them presented themselves gave a clue to the fact that they were capable of murder.
Ji-Su dropped his head to his knees. Maybe he was stupid for not asking what Raul meant when he’d said he was a part of a criminal organization. Now that he knew the whole truth, he didn’t know what he should do. Did he leave Raul for good? If he stayed, did that make him complicit in Raul’s crimes? In Cedric’s murder?
He needed to talk to someone about this. Except, who could give him advice that came from experience? As far as he knew, he didn’t know anyone who hung out with murderers. He was about to curse with frustration when he realized that he actuallydid know someone who hung out with Raul’s people. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand next to him and called Solan.
SOLAN ARRIVED TWENTYminutes later. When Ji-Su opened the door, Solan smiled, unfazed by the burly, stern-faced guard standing in the hall behind him. He was dressed casually in a gray long-sleeved Henley and faded, relaxed fit blue jeans with his bright red hair in a loose bun at his nape. Solan gave Ji-Su a hug when he came in and Ji-Su gratefully returned it. He needed a bit of comfort.
“How are you?” Solan asked as he followed Ji-Su into the lounge.