Chapter 9

The next night I settled into a chair at the head of the table, tapping my nails on the surface, hating what I had to do. Mica had been awesome the night before, she’d caught on quick and been a great partner in crime when we’d stolen Charlie’s car. But the Fallen Angels were walking a fine line here, and I needed to be a little more firm about how I ran things if we were ever going to regain the strength we’d once held. Mica’s downcast eyes and bottom lips held between her small teeth made me hesitate as she came into the kitchen, but I clenched my fist at my side, forcing my resolve.

“Mica I need to know what the deal you had with Sean was…and why the hell you decided it was okay not to tell me?” I said seriously. I could see the girls peeking out from their rooms but I didn’t say a word to them. I wanted them to hear this, it would negate the necessity of a repeat.

“Nicky I’m sorry…I wanted to make us some easy money. Sean caught me in one of his clubs and made me give him all my money. He told me I could keep dancing if I gave him half my profit…I kinda forgot to the night the rent was due.” She explained. I closed my eyes,

“How long did you promise to do this for?” I asked, my voice barely audible, even to me.

“As long as you stayed in Montreal.” Mica answered just as low. I looked down at the table and nodded slowly.

“Then there’s no choice Mica…you’ll have to keep working for him, at least until I can build back our power and buy the contract off him…”

“Unless it’s too late for that and the contract’s been bought.” A voice cut in. The voice belonging to Charlie would have been predictable…almost welcome at this point. This voice was the last voice I wanted to be hearing in my little five and a half, my girls trapped and vulnerable. I stood and looked past Mica, feeling foolish in my ripped jeans and black tank top, even though my outfit went better with the surroundings then the three guys in suits.

“Caleb.” I said. Polite. Calm. This was not a guy you wanted to piss off.

Caleb was the youngest immortal of an Irish family that had established themselves in Montreal over two hundred years ago. They had their hands in everything and there was no vampire in this city that didn’t bow down to them in some way. Either it was paying them a cut to do deals in ’Their’ city, owing them favours for help getting set up or in a few lesser known and oddly archaic instances giving blood ‘daughters’ to the captains of the family to ensure a truce with the more powerful gangs. Montreal had an over abundance of gangs, and since it was in no way a sanctuary for youth the younger gangs were few and far between. They escaped the elders notice as long as they were prudent. Caleb we did fear though, because it was his own special hobby to keep well informed about what we were up to.

“Nicky you’ve been remiss in letting me know you’d come back. I tried being patient…certain you were just waiting till you got settled in but after the little fiasco last night I’m starting to think you weren’t planning on coming to see me at all.”

I shook my head.

“Caleb it’s not that…I just.” I sighed. God this was getting to be too much. Caleb watched me, nodding slowly, his index and thumb tracing the precise cut of his trim goatee.

“I’d like to invite you out for an…informal meeting Nicky. You aren’t obliged to come of course, but we could discuss making your position in Montreal a little more…” He pause looked around him with no little amusement. “Comfortable.”

I looked at Mica, then back at Caleb and nodded. Mica frowned but as I passed her following him out I patted her shoulder.

“Chin up Mica, you got out of this one…just try and stay out of trouble till I get back.”