Jacob wore a gray pin-striped vest, white shirt, and tie—Adam had called him The Banker long before any of this happened. Jacob threw a pen onto the papers spread about on the desk and relaxed into Dad’s leather chair.
“I’m just going over Thorne finances. By my rough accounting, you’ve spent nearly fifty million in six years.” Jacob mimicked Dad’s tone, the one he’d used whenever Adam had exceeded his allowance and drew on his company account for whatever lark he was up to that week.
“Closer to a hundred, I should think. I tapped the overseas accounts,” Adam said. His current pursuit was far from a lark.
Jacob sneered with distaste. “What a waste. And now you want to play house with that little whore?”
A cold wave of rage rolled over Adam. His voice was rough, almost broken when he spoke. “Talia is not a whore.”
“Well she spread her legs for you, and her mother spread her legs for Death.” Jacob smirked at having finally hit a nerve. He laced his fingers across his stomach and rested his elbows on the armrests of Dad’s chair.
Adam’s tongue touched the little pill in his mouth. A bite, a grind, and Death himself could answer Jacob’s taunt. But his brother was no longer his responsibility. Talia was.
With effort, Adam let the insult to her go. It’d be unwise to let the argument escalate. There was a good chance Jacob would lose his grip on whatever vestiges of civility lurked in his monster mind and turn wraith. Much better to keep him on track.
“Will the demon be joining us here?”
Jacob stood and pulled down his vest as he walked around Dad’s desk.
A flicker of movement and Adam reeled backward, his body slamming against the built-in bookshelf to the right of the door. Pain knifed through his jaw. He blinked hard against the spots swimming in his vision and focused again on his brother.
Jacob seemingly remained stationary, adjusting a cuff link on his sleeve with too-nimble fingers. The cuff was dotted with red. “You’ve stained my shirt. Now I’ll have to change.”
So fast. Too fast. Must have just fed.
The pill was still hard in Adam’s mouth. He shoved it aside with his tongue and spat blood. Straightening, he said, “The demon—”
Another flicker of movement and pain exploded behind his eyes. The room swam. Adam’s back connected with the edge of a piece of furniture, which broke with a resounding crack. Thick, wet heat trailed out of his nose and smeared across his cheek as he landed facedown on the rug.
“Disgusting, Adam. Bleeding like an animal.” Jacob planted a foot on the center of Adam’s back, along his spine, bearing down so that Adam’s nerves radiated SOS signals in hot electrical currents outward from the point of contact.
“How I’d love to break you in half,” Jacob said, voice on edge.
“You’re the animal. You’ve just fed and you’re still out of control,” Adam gasped.
The pressure intensified.
“Sitting behind my father’s desk as if you were still a human being,” Adam continued, the rug rough on his jaw. Muscles contracted over his scalp as his spine bowed.
“My father, too.” Jacob dug in and pain roared through the long muscles of Adam’s back.
“No, the demon’s your father. Your keeper. You answer to him.”
“And why not? He gave me immortality. What is Thorne money to the power of time?”
“My father gave you immortality, too. It’s called a soul.”
“Dad was weak. The demon is not.” The pressure abruptly disappeared.
Adam fought the gorge in his throat as he pushed himself up to his knees. “Is there a meeting or not?”
Jacob shrugged. “Yes. Yes. He wants to see you. But he permits no death near him, so you’ll have to lose the little pill you’ve got in your mouth.”
Adam flushed, then chilled. He touched the pill with his tongue again.
“Did I mention that the demon can see the future?” Jacob laughed.
The Sight.
“He saw this coming.” Jacob nudged Adam’s shoulder with the toe of his shoe. “Even had me come here to wait for you. You’re that predictable.”
Adam was certain that Zoe knew full well what he intended to do. If he were destined to fail, why didn’t they stop him? He might have made a different decision.
“I’m going to need that little pill, and then we can go meet with the Death Collector,” Jacob said.
Crush it now and end Jacob? A week ago, Adam wouldn’t have thought twice. Even now, the temptation was sticky sweet, muting the pain that throbbed in his face and back. Oh, how he’d love to see Jacob’s expression when Death struck him down.
Jacob’s mouth tricked up. “I know you won’t use it on me, Brother. Not even for Mom and Dad.”
Abigail had to have seen a chance. Crazy old bat had to have seen this eventuality.
Adam spat the pill onto the rug and raised his face to Jacob. Voice thick with sarcasm, he said, “Okay, then. Take me to your master.”
Jacob rolled his eyes, then lashed out an arm. Connected.
The world shuddered dark.