“That’s what he says,” she responded darkly. “But competitions can be fixed. He and Raphael are thick as thieves, and they have big plans that they’re not sharing with anyone.”

Or perhaps they’re simply not sharing them with you, Aden thought to himself, dismissing the female vampire’s fears of a grand conspiracy.

“Raphael’s involved in this?” the other vamp who’d posed the earlier question protested. “No one said anything about taking on Raphael.”

“Scared?” Magda mocked. “Fuck Raphael. He can be killed like any other vampire. Klemens almost got him a few months back. If the fool had hired a competent assassin, Lord Fucking Raphael would already be dead.”

“I heard there’d been an attempt, but not who did it,” Aden commented. “It was Klemens?”

She nodded. “Hired a human sniper who missed. Should have hired a vampire instead.”

“And yet, Klemens is dead, while Raphael lives on,” Aden said dryly, tired of her hissing commentary. “I doubt that’s a coincidence.”

“Yeah, so Klemens is dead. Doesn’t matter why.” She gave Aden a dirty look. He’d interrupted her moment in the limelight, and she was a woman who liked the light. “We’re here because Klemens is gone, and Lucas is vulnerable,” she continued. “Look at him. I could take him out from here if I had a decent rifle.”

Aden doubted that, but he kept the thought to himself.

“So what’s the plan?” one of Magda’s pets asked.

“We take out Donlon and split the Midwest territory,” Magda asserted boldly. “Just remember, Donlon’s Plains territory is mine.”

“If you can hold it,” Aden commented softly. He pushed away from the wall and stood to his full height. “I don’t know about you lads, but I’ve no intention of taking on Donlon. I want the Midwest, and I’ve no need to skulk in the shadows with angry women in order to do it.”

Magda spun around to face him, bristling, fangs bared. Aden gave her a dismissive glance. She was full of bitterness, this one, and set on revenge. But she had no power to back it up, and he had no desire to get caught up in her schemes.

“We’ll see how tough you are when the shit hits the fan,” she sneered.

Aden brushed dirt from his sleeve. “Yes, we will,” he said calmly. “See you in Chicago, lads. Should be interesting.”

To be continued . . .