The Ripple Effect (Rhiannon's Law #3)(13)

“Don’t worry about that; they know what we’re dealing with.” His tone changed, becoming somber. He cleared his throat—the way he did when he was about to deliver bad news. I braced myself, waiting for his impending prophecy of doom. “It’s not Marius they’re really concerned about.”

I crossed the street, almost halfway to The Black Panther. “Care to enlighten me?”

“Marius is dangerous, but he’ll listen to Gabriel. They have a strong connection, one Marius doesn’t want broken. Even if he doesn’t believe the three of you, he’ll let it slide.”

I didn’t see the harm in that. “So what’s the problem?”

“Revenald.”


My pace slowed considerably. “What does Revenald have to do with any of this?”


Revenald was Marius’s sire—a half-demon—and someone I never wanted to meet. If I learned anything from my trip into the future—when I met Victoria Delcroix, a half-demon bitch I’d been forced to destroy—it was half-demons had zero regard for human life. They had no remorse, no regret. They took what they wanted and lived how they pleased. Humans meant nothing to them aside from a source of food and entertainment, easily replaced.

“Marius returned to visit the family once, when Sienna got into trouble.” Sienna. Disco’s former lover turned demon conjurer. “Within a couple of days, when Marius couldn’t resolve the problem on his own, Revenald arrived. The two share a mental link that can’t be broken, one so powerful I don’t even fully understand it. If Marius thinks you’re a threat, Revenald will know and he’ll come here. I don’t think that would end well.”

I’ll take under-f*cking-statement of the year for five-hundred, Alex.

“Marius wants Sucker.”

“Give it to him.” Goose didn’t pause or take a breath as he snapped at me, something he rarely did. “Don’t risk your life over something as petty as slaying a half-demon. Let it go and move on. You’re not responsible for the fate of man.”

Wasn’t I? I had changed so much by returning to the present. Disco was alive and not dead. His family remained the most powerful in New York. I had killed a half-demon, erased the existence of a daughter Goose would never have, and I was getting deeper and deeper in the shit. Without Sucker, I was a dead necromancer walking. It was the only weapon in my arsenal that would kill a half-demon, the only thing capable of saving my ass if I found myself face to face with one.

“I’m not giving the blade up. That’s not open for discussion.”

“Rhiannon...” There was an underlying warning in his tone, an anger that didn’t normally come from Goose.

“I’ve already taken it to a safe place. Marius can get as pissed as he wants, but he can’t have it.”

“You could regret your actions more than you know. Revenald will hurt you. You have no idea how far he’ll go.”

“Then it’s a good thing he doesn’t know how far I’ll go.” I saw The Black Panther sign just as I strolled past Ruby’s Diner. I hoped it would be an easy afternoon doing inventory. I really needed a distraction from all things angel, half-demon, and vampire.

“Since you’re in one of your...moods,” Goose said and I just knew he wanted to add bitchy, “I’m going to redirect the conversation.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Are you moving your things to Gabriel’s tonight? The sooner you get situated, the better.”

“More than likely I’ll be there this afternoon. I have to stock the bar, go to my apartment and run some errands. When I finish, I’ll pack some things and go. Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m coming for a visit. There’s plenty of space.”

Ah, Ethan McDaniel. God love him. Ever the friend and protector. “What do you plan to do if the shit hits the fan?”

“I’m not sure. Hopefully I’ll be able to think of something. Why don’t I call a cab and pick you up around five o’clock? If we get there early we can talk to the family and sort things out before Marius arrives. We have a lot to discuss.”

That would give me several hours, which was more than enough time to take care of the bar and get all my eggs in a basket before I stepped willingly into a death trap.

“Five o’clock works. I’ll see you then.”


I snapped the phone closed and hurried to the club. It looked so normal during the day, like any other building aside from the sign with the silhouette of a naked woman in a martini glass. When I opened the door and stepped inside, the cleaning crew was hard at work. There was vacuuming to be done, tables and chairs to be sanitized, and a dancing stage to be polished to a glossy shine.

Strolling behind the bar, I took a look around. Deena dealt with the big stuff, like ordering and stocking the bar. It was my job to sort through the inventory and make sure everything was where it needed to be before we opened for business.

I’d just gotten started when my cell buzzed against my ass again. I rolled my eyes and pulled the phone out of my pocket. Once upon a time I didn’t own a cellular device. I preferred the old method of communication—the landline. It was nice when people couldn’t track me down with a push of a button. This time, there was no smile when I saw the screen.