The Rogues would see that changed. They believed they were the superior species and were out to prove their point in any way necessary. That made them the public enemy number one to Rome and the stateside shifters.
Tonight, however, Rome thought he might have another enemy closing in.
As he moved into the large marble-floored foyer, his entire body tensed. Thick muscles bunched beneath the material of his clothes, causing the fabric to itch against his skin. High ceilings with large shimmering gold chandeliers opened to a huge space complete with ornate gold and cream furniture that looked as if it were inspired by the eighteenth-century decor. To the left was a large marble countertop where guests could check in to one of the five hundred rooms on the premises. To the right, where Rome and Nick were now headed, was another foyer. Men dressed in tuxedos, women in evening gowns and diamonds galore headed in that direction.
They were all going to the same function, one of the biggest political rallies of the year.
It had been rumored that Kensington was going to run for the Senate seat Baines’s death left vacant, but most thought it was just rumor. Rome had been one of them. Ralph Kensington was a loudmouthed lobbyist. He’d gotten his break after heading up the IT department of Slakeman Enterprises. The story was that Kensington found Bob Slakeman a buyer for his latest military-strength rifles, even though military officials had already declared the guns unsafe. The buyer had been foreign, and few details were given about the sale. Kensington suddenly became a richer man with aspirations in the direction of politics. Nothing had been proven and as far as Rome knew there was no ongoing investigation. That was a shame because he was sure there was more to the story.
Rome’s second closest friend, Xavier “X” Santos-Markland, worked with the FBI. As a shifter himself, X kept an eye on the government’s activities, especially in the area of suspicious beings. He reported directly to the Assembly, giving reports also to the Faction Leaders anytime there was activity or special investigations in their regions. He lived here in DC, but he traveled constantly in his role as special director at the Bureau. So far, X hadn’t reported anything on the Kensington–Slakeman connection, although Rome had given him a heads-up about the situation almost a year ago. That just meant the government, as usual, would be the last to know when something went down in their own backyard.
Eli and Ezra were behind them, inconspicuously close, just as Rome suspected other bodyguards were to their employers throughout the massive ballroom they’d just entered. There would be some pretty powerful people in attendance tonight, powerful people with money. That seemed to be the name of the game lately. But Rome was here for a different reason. He was here to see Josef Bingham, his parents’ attorney.
“How long do you figure this’ll take?” Nick asked, flicking his wrist to look at his watch.
“Got another hot date?” Rome asked, looking around the room. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he had to. The sooner he found Bingham and got what he needed from him, the sooner they could leave.
“Nah, not tonight. I just don’t like the company we’re in.” Nick frowned as he looked around. “Too many bullshitters in one room for me.”
Rome nodded. “I’m with you on that one. But it’s a means to an end. Kensington wanted us here, sent a special invite, remember.” One that Rome would have respectfully ignored had it not been for Bingham’s follow-up message asking for this meeting.
“I remember. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. Doesn’t feel right.” Nick was rubbing his chin, his fingers moving over the thin goatee he’d let grow in. Tension radiated from his body as his cat strained at the surface, ready for battle.
Rome had felt that, too, the edgy need to fight, to protect. Stateside shifters didn’t fight often. They weren’t in the jungle and strived to act more humane than their counterparts in the Gungi. But tonight, something was setting them off, irritating the beasts within until they were on edge.
“I know how it feels. Keep your eyes open. There’s someone I have to see.” Rome started to move away when Nick took his arm.
“Take Eli with you.”
Rome nodded, turned to give a barely there signal to Eli, and walked away. Nick knew Rome was searching for his parents’ killers. He knew that Rome wanted to search alone, so that if he found any information that might be sensitive to his parents’ memory, he could keep it quiet. So both he and X tried to give Rome the space to deal with this situation. But by no means was Rome in this alone. He and X had Rome’s back just as they knew he would have theirs if the tables were turned.
Nick knew there was a battle brewing, just as he knew that they would be right in the middle of it through no fault of their own. Reasons didn’t matter to Nick; that sort of understanding-and-cooperation bull was for Rome. For him, it was what it was. If their parents had botched up something in their lifetime and it was now time for their children to deal with the repercussions, so be it. It was past time they dealt with this situation anyway.
As for Rome and his crusade, Nick supported him and would do whatever he could to protect Rome when the time came. Sometimes blood didn’t have to be thicker than water.
Josef Bingham’s law firm had been started forty years ago by old money and today was still thriving, making even more money. By normal standards Bingham should have retired about ten years back, but Rome had to admit that at seventy-six years old the man was still as feisty as ever.
Next to Baxter and Henrique Delgado, Nick’s father, Bingham was the closest thing his father had to a friend. At least, that’s what Baxter had told him. Trust didn’t come easy for shifters, and came even harder when a shifter gave his trust to a human, but Bingham must have won his father over for the man to have some personal effect of Vance Reynolds’s.
Rome found Bingham near the bar, exactly where he suspected he’d find him, drink already in hand.
“Mr. Bingham?” he said, clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder before giving the bartender a nod to bring him a drink.
“Ah, Roman, my boy. Wasn’t sure you’d show up tonight,” he said, giving way to a cough that seemed to rattle the extra skin at his neck and probably most of his insides.
“I was invited,” Rome replied. “And I rarely turn down invitations like this.”
“Yes, I believe tonight promises to be a special night.”
Over Bingham’s shoulder Rome saw a young blonde with breasts that seemed hard-pressed to stay inside the bodice of her dress rubbing long-nailed fingers over the old man’s shoulder. She could easily be Bingham’s daughter, but Rome wasn’t naive enough to believe that for a minute. “Really? Why is that?”
“Ralph’s making his announcement, you know. People on the Hill might not like it. Gonna stir things up on the political scene, that one is.”
Rome couldn’t deny the truth of those words. But the kind of stirring-up he suspected Kensington was going to do wasn’t what Bingham was referring to.
“I agree.” Rome took a sip of his drink, let the warmth of the alcohol slide down his throat. What was Kensington up to really, and how did it involve the Rogues? Numerous questions mingled in his mind but it wasn’t a problem. Rome knew how to multitask. “Did you bring it?”
“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Bingham chuckled then gulped down the remaining contents of his glass. Lifting a blue-veined hand, he wiggled his fingers to signal for another drink.
Rome caught the bartender’s eye just in time to mouth the word no. With a shrug the bartender moved on, and Rome looked at Bingham.