Page 46 of Dark Alliance
With Thal, I felt seen, valued, and enough. He made me feel like I was an essential part of his life.
In that moment, I made a promise.
I would no longer waver or second-guess. My decision was clear. I had chosen Thal, plain and simple.
And from that point forward, I was committed to standing by him, no matter what, ready to face whatever challenges the future might bring.
“I’m not here to cage you, Daphne. Zeno treated you like a ward. I treat you like a partner. Your choices are yours, but remember, every choice you make is made with my hand on your back. You’re the only person in this city I’d ever bow to.”
My heart melted at his words. I was grateful the universe had brought us together. I was proud to have this beautiful man by my side. I smiled up at him, speechless, hoping he could see the love shining in my eyes.
He reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. He pressed his palm against mine.
I was confident that, regardless of what the future held, Thal and I would face it together with our combined strength.
Our bond pulsed between us, constant and unmistakable, similar to my heartbeat and the firm promise of our future together. His eyes locked on mine, bright and electric, full of anticipation for endless possibilities.
I moved closer, my voice trembling as I whispered, “If we’re going to do this, Thal ... no secrets. No games. I’m tired of being a pawn on Zeno’s board.”
His jaw tightened, the muscle jumping in his cheek as the weight of thetransfer pendingfile he was hiding seemed to physically press between us. He didn't blink, but the intensity in his gaze shifted, turning from gold to a guarded, dark obsidian.
“Just us, Daphne,” he promised, the words sounding like a jagged oath. “I’ll make sure you never have to look back.”
He said the words with the conviction of a man willing to die for me, but the shadow of the secret he kept was a cold current beneath the surface. I felt a prickle of intuition, a warning that the foundation of this sanctuary was built on a lie I hadn't uncovered yet.
I shoved it down. I had to. If I couldn't trust my monster, I had no world left to live in. We were walking hand-in-hand into a fire he was still fueling.
Fourteen
THE SYNDICATE’S REACH
THAL
The steady hum of the monitors filled the otherwise silent room. Before me, an array of intelligence reports lay spread out, their pages illuminated by the faint glow of the screen.
My brain was a minefield of what-ifs and ledger entries. The scotch was a blunt instrument meant to numb the jagged edges of thetransfer pendingstamp seared into my retinas.
I rose, shaking my head to clear the fog clouding my mind. I craved clarity and wanted to dull the nagging ache in my nerves. That was why I'd overindulged a little. Still, I was determined not to give in to exhaustion just yet.
Even when I lay in the private suite connected to my operations center, sleep wouldn't come. My mind was already racing, tangled in a web of frustrations and fears. An ominous feeling of impending doom haunted me, with dark clouds gathering overhead and refusing to clear.
And just then, my informants provided unsettling evidence that intensified the weight pressing on my chest.
The reach of the syndicates had extended farther than we initially thought, deeply infiltrating Vegas’s power structures. To make matters worse, we had evidence that they were trying to continue their infiltration by gathering intelligence on some of the key figures in my operation, as well as Zeno’s and Aidon’s.
The three of us had methodically built the foundations of our operations on men we could trust without doubt. If the syndicates managed to reach these men, blackmail them, and turn them against us, it would ruin all the alliances we depended on to survive.
My phone buzzed with a notification, and I checked it. It was a message from one of my main informants. At first, I didn’t grasp its meaning.
The owl collects what the crow signed away. The debt is due at the gala. Don’t let your prize get too comfortable, Thalassios.
My blood turned to liquid lead. Rhea wasn't playing for territory anymore. She was coming for the woman who still carried the scent of my skin in her hair. She knew I’d seen the ledger and that I held the only asset she needed to balance her books. I didn't tremble.
I gripped the scotch glass until my knuckles turned white, the amber liquid as still as a frozen lake.
“Fuck,” I whispered, the word a dark vow. “She’s not striking at my business. She’s striking at what is mine. She’s trying to collect on a soul I’ve already claimed.”
I picked up the phone and called Daphne, feeling grateful when she answered on the first ring.
