Tor had told me a little about the man. He even said he considered Roam a friend, or as much of a friend as a man like Roam could abide. The Disciples were relatively new blood. All of them had been a part of the notorious firm, The Forty Nine, ruled by a man named Artem Kozak. He gave the boys free reign over the city and they very nearly destroyed it.

Artem gained the upper hand by having his boys recruit without standards and he gained notoriety by creating an army of thieves. Nobody wanted a war with Artem because nobody had the manpower to fight back. So, when Artem began to buy up territory all over New York, all the others could do was sit back and watch his empire grow.

He was an exceptional businessman and his sudden death rocked the underworld. Tor told me a story he’d heard about the boys revering their mentor so much that on the first anniversary of his death, they dug him up and brought him home. Of course, that was so farfetched and bizarre that I simply refused to believe anyone would do such a thing. Just thinking about it gave me the creeps.

Now, Artem’s boys rebranded as The Disciples. They had taken the place he left for them and although it would seem that Roam was head of the table, my eyes were drawn to the chair beside him.

Once upon a time, there was a king, but now the unclaimed throne sat empty.

When I asked why, Tor simply explained that once a year each seat gets a vote and, like those who want power, they each vote for themselves. Nobody wanted one to have power over the many, especially not if that person was Roam.

My husband relayed rumors about the men sitting at the head of the table. That people said they were crazy. That they’d all met in an institution. And when I chuckled at the notion, I quickly sobered because Tor wasn’t laughing with me.

Now, as I glanced at them all together, I wasn’t laughing anymore either.

“New business,” was all my husband responded with to the man they called The Demon King.

Roam considered that and when he leant back in his chair, it creaked. He was a large man. The tallest I’d ever seen. “Fine.” He appeared unimpressed when he checked his wristwatch. “This bullshit costs me half my day and a single minute of my time is worth more than all of you combined. So, get a fucking move on.”