She didn’t get to leave him.
Not forever.
That wasn’t how they worked.
“Let’s be reasonable,” Cipher said, coaxing as much as he was beckoning. “We’re all friends here.”
“No,” Váli and Bish said simultaneously. “We’re not.”
He did not roll his eyes, but he thought about it. Why had he sought these two out again? Right, Bish had come to him because he was incensed over Karmen taking Dahlia away from him. They bonded in their mutual upset at the little Keeper of Karma with her bewitching smiles, enigmatic violet eyes, and sweet…
“Did you have a point, Cipher?” Bish all but growled like he was one of his dogs.
Yes, this would not do. “Actually, I do have a point,” he said abruptly. “You want a boon from Váli, I want to help you achieve your desire, Váli is our best way to do that. If you want to achieve that same desire, then you will answer his questions.”
Bish’s eyes narrowed, and despite his almost lazy posture, Váli’s whole focus seemed to take on a life of its own. He was very much invested in this conversation.
No doubt what he desired.
“So what will it be, Bish?” Cipher leaned into his grace. “Do you truly desire your vengeance or not?”
“You know I do.” Bish gripped his knees so hard, Cipher thought he was about to fall out of the lounge from sheer tension of it. Just as abruptly, he fell back and tossed one muscled arm over his eyes.
“Perfect.” Váli clapped his hands together. “Then answer my question. Who was it?”
“Dahlia,” Bish mumbled grumpily.
“Dahlia?” The Keeper of Vengeance looked to the sky as he kept repeating the name.
There was no way Váli hadn’t at least heard of the girl. Cipher had heard of her well before he ever blew back into town, being the only human turned Keeper in history. Of course, that could also have something to do with how closely he tracked every aspect of Karmen’s life. And in the last several months, to know Karmen was to know this human.
Dahlia seemed nice enough. At least she’d stopped Judgment’s incessant whining. After a few decades, that had gotten old. Cipher rolled his eyes.
“Problem?” Váli cocked a white blond eyebrow.
“Not at all. I was lost in thought. Carry on.” Cipher lifted his glass in Bish’s direction, smiling to himself at the Keeper’s dour mood.
“Fine. Who is this Dahlia?”
“The new mate of Judgment, Justice, and Punishment.” Now he was just resigned as he answered his questions freely.
“Ah, that makes sense now. Well, sort of.” Váli scratched his head thoughtfully. “How did Karmen take her away from you? I heard she was rescued from a bad situation by Seth.”
Linking his hands over his chest, Bish glared at Váli, his golden eyes gleaming from the flickering pool lights. “She was my friend long before that night. If Seth hadn’t interfered and instead practiced his pathetic negligence, like he and his brothers had perfected over the millennia, then she would have come to me.” With each word, Bish’s tone deepened and a low growl entered his voice.
“I don’t know. It sounds like you just missed your shot. Early bird catches the worm and all that.” Váli shrugged as if Bish’s plight wasn’t nearly as dire as Bish felt it was.
Oh, Cipher would have a good laugh once these two asshats went home for the night. Sin did have to hand it to Bish though, he was keeping his composure much better now. Wait, no, he was struggling, but doing a damn fine job pretending.
“I had a plan, dammit. And Judgment ruined it all,” Bish forced out through gritted teeth.
“Sure, I get that, but then wouldn’t you want to get vengeance on Seth and not Karmen?” Váli asked genuinely.
“I can’t with him, Cipher. You answer him.” Bish sighed and flopped back down, draping his arm over his face again.
“What Bish is trying to so eloquently to describe is that Karmen decided the brothers grim were the perfect mates for Dahlia. She single-handedly steered the girl into their arms and helped keep her there. That is why Bish is so… What’s that human saying, Bish? Oh, butthurt.” Cipher’s lips curled into a wickedly amused smile. Sue him, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“So you’re saying that Bish tried and failed to get her back?” Váli smirked right back at Cipher, while Bish refused to grace them with his participation in the conversation.
“Essentially, yes.”
“Har-har, motherfuckers,” Bish said under his breath. “Say what you want. Karmen must suffer.”
And she would, but under Cipher’s hand, it would be much more enjoyable. The most sinfully decadent torture. Blame it on the lust.
Váli clapped his hands as thunder rolled overhead, and Cipher was ashamed to admit he startled. The one saving grace to his pride was Bish’s more noticeable jump.
“I have all the information I need for now. But I do reserve the right to ask more questions as the vengeance plays out. It will only make the plot that much sweeter by having all the details, wouldn’t you say, Bish?” The Keeper waggled his eyebrows at Death.
If nothing else, Cipher admired his courage in the face of danger. Or in this case, Death.
Bish mumbled a non-agreement.
Then thunder clouds rolled over the sky as Váli’s eyes darkened until they were merely black smoky orbs. “You’ve suffered heartbreak, Keeper of Death. For that, the vengeance exacted as your boon will be heartbreak visited upon the Keeper of Karma.” His voice reverberated around the back enclosure, and Cipher had a pang of envy. He’d forgotten about that little trick of Váli’s.
As suddenly as the change had come over him, it cleared away.
“That’s it? That’s your big plan? To give Karmen a bit of heartbreak to rival mine?” Bish’s brows kissed his hairline as he slowly stood. Váli must not have liked his position of dominance, because he stood up too, with a good inch on the Keeper of Death. “And who is going to do that? She’s not committed to anyone. This was a horrible idea. Thanks, Cipher.” Bish tossed a hand carelessly Cipher’s way.
“Now wait, I didn’t tell you who I had in mind.” Váli straightened his shirt and rolled his shoulders back.
“Who?” The curiosity was too much for Sin.
“Me.”
Wait…what? “You?” Cipher didn’t even try to disguise the scoff in his voice. Thankfully, Death was so damn irritated, he did him one better.
Bish flat out laughed in his face. “She couldn’t give two shits about you.”
Váli’s slow smirk rankled Cipher more than he cared to admit. “That’s the beauty of vengeance—she doesn’t have to care now. Besides, she actually likes me, which is more than I can say for you two fuckers.”
Blistering fury swelled through Cipher, but he took a long swallow of Nectar and choked it back down. Greed and lust were old companions. “Of the three of us, only I’ve ever had her,” he reminded them. “If it would be anyone, it would be me.”
Once he had her, like hell he’d let her go.
Not again.