An Oath In Blood (Book #3)

Chapter 01: A Phone Swap

CORVINA HAWKE

The television droned on in the background, a kind of white noise to drown out the voices in my head and those currently talking on the phone. I knew I should focus on the conversation, be a part of it, but I was busy with the dagger in my hand.

I polished it with a concentration that was a part of me by now. I was blessed with a focus that pissed off everyone in my group. On my team. In the circle. Whatever you wanted to call it. My friends or colleagues or teammates hated me for it, calling me a suck-up behind my back.

It wasn't my fault that the Big Guy favored me over the others, that he chose me for his most dangerous and important cases. I didn't care what the others thought of me as long as I could do my job and be good at it.

As the last spot of red faded from the shiny blade, I smiled. It was a small smile, a satisfied one. Today had been a long day and after days like this one, I liked to clean my weapons, prepare them for the next day because I was alive and I had succeeded.

"Corvina?" My name broke through my train of thoughts, making me turn to my phone which lay on the couch beside me. The screen was brightly lit with the interface of a call, a conference call to be more precise. "Are you still there?" My mother asked, her voice tinged with the slightest bit of annoyance.

"I am here." I answered dryly as I dropped the dagger and my cleaning supplies on the small coffee table in front of me. Folding my arms behind my head, I leaned back on the couch, looking around the penthouse.

"It won't kill you to give your input in family meetings from time to time." Lilith Hawke answered, her voice scolding.

I heard a deep voice clear his throat, immediately sensing my brother's discomfort even through the phone. He didn't speak, choosing not to intervene between mother and daughter. But my father did. "Had a long day at work, sweetie?" He asked and I tensed.

My teeth gritted together until I was scared I would turn them to fine powder. "Yes." I forced the word out. Nope. I wasn't looking for drama tonight. I wanted to be done with this call and then not have to hear from either of my parents for another two weeks.

"We have all had a long day but you don't see us grumpy, Julian." My mother snapped at my father. I wanted to point out that she was being grumpy right this very moment but there was no use fighting with her, arguing with her.

"Mom, it's quite late and I am sure we all have to be up bright and early tomorrow morning." Sebastian, my little brother and always my savior, butted in. "We should call it a night." He added.

I could almost hear my mother sizzling with anger but she said nothing. "Alright," Came her quiet response after a few moments. "We will talk soon then."

Everyone said their goodbyes–except me, of course–and then the lines went dead. I heaved a sigh of relief as I watched the screen of my phone go blank. The penthouse grew silent once more as I switched off the television as well, the way it was most days, the way I liked it.

I didn't like a lot about my life but the luxuries that I was blessed with were one of the few things I was immensely grateful for. If I was going to be miserable, I'd rather be miserable in a million-dollar penthouse in the city of New York.

It took five minutes for my phone to light up with a phone call. But this time, the sight of it didn't make me want to hurl. I accepted the call and putting it on speaker, picked up my dagger again.

"What's up, Seb?" I asked as I went back to polishing my weapon of choice. My dagger was my poison. But I didn't punish myself with it. I killed others. I tortured them until they begged for death to claim them.