Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Elnora paced the conference room, her nerves fraying as she counted the minutes until Mason and Elias would arrive. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to steady her breathing, and cursed when her fingers tangled in her hair. She pried her fingers loose and adjusted the lapels of her navy blazer.

As she crossed to the window, Elnora took a moment to reflect. Even with Mason’s reassurances about Marcy’s intentions, resentment still festered within her. The choices Marcy had made had put them all at risk, and while Elnora sympathized with her friend, she couldn’t easily forgive her betrayal. But Marcy had always been her protector, a role that Elnora’s actual older sister had never bothered to fill—wherever she was now. She valued Marcy as a friend. If she was the one who needed help, Marcy would do whatever it took.

When she heard footsteps, she turned, and her heart clenched as Mason and Elias approached. Her rage flared as she stared at Elias. Almost everything in her wanted to tear him apart, to make him pay for what he’d done to Marcy and countless others. It was hard to keep her fury in check. Ultimately, this was about Marcy’s freedom, and she would play nice with the devil if that was what it took. For now.

The thought crossed her mind-maybe Marcy kept her secrets because she believed Elnora couldn’t do anything about it. It’s no secret that the authorities were in Elias’ pocket, and only someone with Mason’s influence could manipulate someone as powerful as Elias. Still, the thought didn’t make her feel better.

A sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. Elias entered the room, his oily smile making her skin crawl.

“Elnora, always a pleasure,” Elias said in an insincere tone.

She trembled with barely restrained hatred. Looking at him, she felt disgust curling in her stomach. This man had beaten women to death for pleasure and swindled little girls to satisfy his twisted desires. Now he stood there talking to her as if they were friends. She glanced at Mason, and for a minute, she wished he’d pull out his gun and shoot Elias.

“Mr. Elias,” Elnora said, forcing a sweet smile onto her face. A little loathing seeped into her voice.

Mason motioned for Elias to take a seat, then went to Elnora. Holding her face, his eyes locking onto hers.

“Calming breaths, amore,” he whispered, and the sound of his voice calmed her. It was the word “amore” that made her heart flutter.

She smiled, her hands covering his. That was the first time he’d called her that, and it calmed her just enough to keep her from lunging across the table at Elias

“M,” Elias began, looking between them, “I now understand your hesitation about having Elnora join us.”

Elnora’s smile turned into a sneer as she slowly pulled away from Mason, stepping toward the table. “And what exactly do you think you understand, Elias?” she asked.

Niceties were over. This man would learn just how much trouble he’d stepped into.

Mason sat her gently on the right side of the table and kissed the top of her head. After that, he took the front seat at the table, commanding the room with his presence.

“He understands you’re mine,” Mason answered instead, surprising her. Elnora felt a big smile creep onto her face and when he caught it, he couldn’t help but smile back. She never got tired of hearing him claim her like that.

Mason continued, “She will not be involved in any deal unless she chooses to be, and only if her expertise is required.”

He paused to study her before looking at Mason. “I’m curious, M. Could this be about the genetic mutation project Elnora mentioned to me?” he asked.

“This is about Marcy,” Mason replied calmly. “I understand it’s none of my business—”

“And it isn’t,” Elias cut in. “I don’t suspect you’re about to intrude on my private affairs, which, I might add, are known to the collective. You gave me full reign to continue, so long as I didn’t overstep into the territories of the five families.”

“Of course not,” Mason replied, crossing his legs with an air of casual authority. “As with any business, the collective’s deals are open to renegotiation at my discretion. We’re here to make a deal for Marcy.”

Elias arched his brow. “And what are you offering?”

Seeing the two men lock eyes in silence, Elnora shifted in her seat. She leaned forward, clearing her throat to break the stalemate. Their attentions turned to her.

“Is this a telepathic negotiation, or what?” she asked matter-of-factly.

Mason’s face lit up with a smile, and he chuckled along with Elias, but she did not see the humour in it.

“Elnora, usually in negotiations—”

“I know how negotiations work, Mr. Elias,” she interrupted. “In fact, I do them for a living. Part of my job is strong-arming people into doing what I want. But we’re not going to do that here, are we?”

She smiled at him, but it was a cold one. She was too impatient with the usual slow tactics and had no intention of stepping on Mason’s toes.

“Do what?” Elias leaned forward.

“Pretend this is some game of wits,” Elnora said coolly. “You know what we’re here for, so let’s cut to the chase. Marcy’s freedom. Name your price, and let’s see if you can afford to play this game with us.”

Elias leaned back in his chair, a thin smile curling on his lips as he considered her words. The man was a predator, calculating, always sizing up the competition. Elnora could see it in his eyes, the way he measured her and Mason, wondering just how far he could push before they snapped.

“Marcy’s freedom is priceless. I mean, getting me in league with Icarus, she’s quite an asset and that would come at a steep price.”

“Cut the theatrics, Elias. What do you want?” Mason growled at him.

Then, after looking between Mason and her for a moment, he turned his full attention to her.

“All I want is access to your latest project. Rafael Sequence. The one you’ve been developing at Neon Security. Give me the schematics, the algorithms, and Marcy is free,” he demanded.

Elnora gritted at his audacity. It didn’t matter if she had a gun to her head, she couldn’t give him what he wanted.

“Is that all?” Mason asked.

“I’d like to meet with Anton as well, and I’ll be the final authority in our partnership, including inclusion in the augmentation project the lovely Elnora mentioned.” Elias insisted. “Then I will overlook the fact that you’ve completely neglected to invite the Germain representative to this meeting to protect my interests.”

A chuckle escaped Mason. “I take it your information is a bit outdated because you’re under the naive impression that I, the godfather of the collective, operate within the same bounds as the rest of you.” Then he sat up, and Elnora watched her man with a small smile. “I am the law and whatever I decide for the collection is not subject to anyone. Think of me as god and learn your place, Luis.”

Finally, he was done playing the underboss. Elias nodded, and his eyes crinkled a bit in worry before they slid over to El.

“You are funny,” Elnora said, smiling. “You think the gorgeous M here can’t touch you because you’re part of the Germain syndicate?” Mason looked at her, and she winked. “It’s a stupid stance to take, or did you not already know he was godfather?”

“Shall we get back to our negotiations–“

“I am not giving you my program. You’ve taken enough things that do not belong to you, Elias,” Elnora told him.

“Then this meeting is over.” Elias stood and buttoned his suit.

“Luis, you’re not a very competent businessman, are you? Or is this retired tactic your Ace?” Elnora frowned, and Elias snorted angrily. That’s why he used those poor girls to gather information and build his fortune.

“Careful, Elnora.” Elias warned.

“Let me make this simple for you,” she continued, leaning forward. “You give release Marcy, and I won’t destroy everything you’ve built with a single keystroke. You know the full extent of what I am capable of, so I don’t have to toot my horn. So ask yourself, Elias, is this really worth it?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand. “Think carefully, and don’t get it twisted—I don’t need Mason to protect me from you. It would take me less than five minutes to turn your car into a smoking crater and erase you from existence. But I could take it a step further by tipping off the Germans about how you’ve planted your girls in their homes and businesses to spy on them. I’m sure they’d be more inventive in how they’d make you pay.”

She hated it when despicable men like him believed they were untouchable. It’s what inspired her to start Neon and become Icarus.

He looked over at Mason, who was staring at her.

“I am not even as angry as I should be. In addition to forcing my friend to steal my work, you sit there and demand more of it! You’re lucky you are not leaving this meeting with your balls hanging from your neck!” Elnora snarled.

To Elias, Mason said, “Sit.”

Elias glared back, indignation flaring. “You can’t let her talk to me like that, M! This is supposed to be a peace–”

“Sit your fucking ass down!” Mason’s voice thundered through the room.

Elias slumped back into his chair, the stubbornness draining from his face as Mason stood and walked toward her.

“Let me make something clear,” Mason said, his tone deadly calm. “Elnora is the godmother of the Berkton collective—my number two. She’ll speak to you however she damn well pleases. And whatever she wants, she gets, and you should be grateful. Were it not for her, you’d already be dead!”

Mason reached her and gently stroked her chin, his eyes gleaming with desire. “You’re irresistible when you’re angry,” he whispered.

When she swallowed, his eyes fell to her lips for a minute before coming back to hold her gaze with a hunger that made her hot.

In a soft, teasing kiss, she whispered, “Mason, focus.”

“Fine,” he said with a smirk, pulling back. “We’ll finish this later.” Then he turned his attention back to Elias. “Now, you. You had a chance to make a deal, but you got greedy. So now, you get nothing. You will release Marcy today—completely. As a reward, we’ll keep the details of your affairs quiet with the Germans. A friend for your life.”

“This isn’t how–”

“This is exactly how business is done, Elias. Don’t bullshit me.” Mason’s voice was a low growl. “You have until the end of the day to remove the chip, sign the release papers, and get your handler off her back. My lieutenant Antonio and his men will escort you to ensure you don’t try anything stupid. And don’t even think about crossing Grey. You won’t live to regret it.”

Mason circled the table, towering over Elias with menace. “Get up.”

Elias rose slowly, his eyes flashing with a venomous glare that promised revenge. The look he gave Elnora was a silent vow—she had just made a powerful enemy.

“This isn’t a total loss,” Mason said. “The Castelli family will still do business with you. When we pursue the mutation project, you might be involved. But all of that vanishes if you decide to turn this into a vendetta. This is just a business deal that didn’t favour you as much as you’d hoped. Understand this, Elias—Elnora and I are not your enemies, but we can be if you push us. Do you get that?”

She watched Mason in action with a smile tugging at her lips as she tried to hold back a laugh at Elias’ glare. The way he said it almost sounded like an apology, but there was an implicit threat in everything he said.

Elias took a deep breath, nodding reluctantly before extending his hand. Mason gripped it in a firm handshake, holding Elias’s gaze with an unspoken warning. After a tense grunt, Elias turned and left the room, escorted by Benny and Antonio, who had been waiting outside like sentinels.

As the door closed behind them, Mason turned to Elnora. “How long were you planning to sit on that information about him spying on his own people with his girls?”

“Not long,” Elnora replied, a sly grin on her face. “I was saving it for when Elias got difficult. I’ve got more dirt on him… and on the entire underground, for that matter.”

Mason chuckled, pulling her into a tight embrace. “You’re my strong-arming angel.”

Elnora laughed softly as she leaned into him. “But what if he doesn’t release Marcy?”

“Oh, he will,” Mason assured her. “Elias knows when he’s beaten. He’s a sore loser, but he’s not stupid. He won’t risk making an enemy out of me and by extension the collective. Releasing one girl isn’t worth the fallout. Besides, Antonio has his way of making people see things his way.”

Having Mason on her side gave Elnora a sense of invincibility that made her nod in agreement.

“Let’s finish what you started,” he murmured before kissing her deeply, his lips claiming hers with a hunger that sent a shiver down her spine.

When he nibbled on her lips, she felt herself slipping into that familiar haze of desire. “Here?” she whispered as he lifted her onto the table, her breath hitching. “It’s a glass room.”

Mason shook his head with a dark grin, walking over to the control box near the door. With a flick of the switch, the blinds descended, cloaking them in privacy. The soft click of the door locking echoed in the room, sealing them away from the world. He returned to her, shrugging off his jacket with deliberate slowness, his gaze never leaving hers.

“Now?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that sent heat coursing through her veins.

A laugh bubbled up from her throat, half nervous, half eager. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close, their lips meeting in a fierce kiss that promised everything and more.