Cain turned up his nose. “You get no argument from me there.”

He’d jump in the shower just as soon as he’d healed Blake with his blood.

28

Abel pulled into the alley and unlocked the car doors of his red Ferrari. He watched impatiently as the door opened and Baltimore slid into the passenger seat. Clenching his jaw, he waited until his guard slammed the door shut and turned his face.

“You fucking idiot!” Abel greeted him.

Baltimore lowered his head in a show of submission, but not even that gesture did anything to quench Abel’s urge to hurt somebody.

“Do you have any idea what your stupid behavior led to?”

“I’m sorry, Abel!”

“Sorry doesn’t fucking cut it! Imbecile!” He bent closer to his underling. “Did you have to go against her wishes? Was it necessary to attack her?”

Baltimore thrust his chin up. “I didn’t attack her!”

Abel flashed his fangs. “I don’t care what you call it! It doesn’t change anything about the outcome! Now Cain has banned you from the palace grounds. You’re no good to me out here! I needed you inside the palace walls.”

“I couldn’t know he was going to show up.”

The flimsy excuse gnawed on Abel’s nerves. “That’s not the point! Besides, the way those two are right now, Faye would have gone to him anyway and told him what you did, even if he hadn’t shown up. He’s taken her back again, and with your stupid move you’ve probably made things worse and brought them even closer together. That wasn’t my plan!”

“I understand.”

“You understand nothing, you idiot! Or you wouldn’t have done it. Now Cain trusts her again, or why did my spies report to me that he spent the entire day in her chambers, shacked up with her?” Abel slapped Baltimore across the face. “I wanted to isolate him, and what do you do? You drive him into her arms so he has an ally in the palace.”

“But we’ve still got John.”

“Just as well! We’ll need him now more than ever, seeing that I can’t rely on you doing your part. I’ll have to rethink our approach.” He leaned back in his seat and stared out the windshield. In a few hours the sun would rise again and bring him ever closer to the day of Cain’s welcome home celebration. And if Abel hadn’t set up a solid plan by then, the opportunity of ripping the throne right out from under him would slip through his fingers.

“Fuck! I’m not going to wait any longer to get what’s rightfully mine. Do you understand me?” He didn’t even look at Baltimore, because he didn’t want an answer from him.

After a moment the idiot spoke anyway. “Maybe now is the time to call in some favors.”

Abel turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about now?”

“There are several people still in the palace who will do whatever you ask of them, for fear that you’ll make good on your prior threats if they don’t.”

Taking a few breaths, he contemplated Baltimore’s words and had to admit that occasionally his personal guard did come up with possible solutions, though he wouldn’t praise him for it right now. In his eyes Baltimore didn’t deserve any praise for having screwed up part of his plan by getting himself banned from the palace.

“I’ll think about it,” Abel said instead and turned the key in the ignition. “Make yourself useful and relieve your men from their watch over John’s lover. Stay with her until I contact you, and send the two guards back to the palace. I may need them.”

Baltimore nodded dutifully and reached for the door handle.

“And another thing.”

“Yes, Abel?”

“Have you spoken to the Mississippi clan?”

Baltimore’s mouth twisted into a grin. “They were surprised to get your invitation, but they’re happy to come and talk peace.”

Abel chuckled. “Excellent. Have one of your men contact them anonymously to tell them that Cain is harboring two of their traitors.”

Baltimore’s forehead furrowed. “To what purpose?”

“I hired you for your muscles, not your brain, so leave the thinking to me. Now go. Don’t contact me unless something goes wrong. I can’t have Cain find out that I’m still communicating with you. Is that clear?”

Baltimore grunted his acquiescence and got out of the car. When the door shut, Abel jammed the car into reverse and raced out of the alley, then sped away as he hit the main road.

Only a few more days, and everything would fall into place.