Pride (Living In Sin #1)

Chapter 5

Pry

I loved our little club. We'd spent a long time making it perfect, and I was proud of our work. We'd built it from the ground up over the last two centuries. Colonization of Australia had been a fun place to be, but when the cities had risen, we decided there was a need for our presence.

What started as a brothel where your wildest dreams could come true became so much more. Oh, your wildest dreams could still come true, but we also brought order to most of the city. So much so that it was difficult for others to get any sort of foothold here. Not that it stopped them from trying, but those sorts of challenges just kept things interesting.

And stopped my siblings from getting in my hair.

"What has you so perky?"

Chef rarely came out of the kitchen. My younger brother's human body did not show off his true form. I think he liked the juxtaposition. Where his true form was a full barrel of a creature that would enjoy rolling through the streets; his human form was a little pudgy, with some 'love handles' at his hips. And dimples. I think he liked those the best. Nothing could tempt mortals more than a charming smile and a healthy appetite.

The devil knew the personification of gluttony had both those things in spades.

"Am I perky?" I was, but I wouldn't be myself if I didn't piss my brother off. Just a little. I would probably need him in my court for the conversations with the others. Thankfully, Chef just rolled his eyes and gave me the 'look'. He probably got enough sass from Envy that he didn't need it from me as well. At least he handled it better than some of the others. "Someone finally applied for the admin position."

Chef's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "That is good! I was thinking Ace had lost those flyers somewhere, and we'd have to get another warlock involved."

Magic users were funny creatures that got all up in arms about the silliest things when it came to their magical items. I could appreciate the pride usually. It was just annoying when it got in our way. If our sibling had lost those fliers, we would have had to employ a whole different person and hoped they didn't know the last warlock well enough to know what had happened.

It would have been one big mess that I was insanely glad hadn't happened.

"Me too," I grinned, "but no. The little turd did a good job and we have an applicant."

"Do you want me to get everyone else here?"

"Hell no." I shuddered. "Could you imagine all of us in one room? Let alone with the new guy? The fewer of us that are here, the better."

The Seven Sins, by our very nature, rubbed each other the wrong way. More so than most, as we all came from the same place and had the same energy. We had grown together and battled in the human world as one team.

But we fought like absolute demons against one another. Even the easy truce between Chef and myself was born from centuries of not interacting directly with each other rather than any camaraderie. He stayed in his kitchen. I had my throne.

Still, Chef's eyes narrowed, and he watched me closely. "There's something you're not telling me. Spill or I'll contact Fury and Crave and you can deal with their shit."

I sighed, glaring at him. He knew me too well, and it was definitely to my detriment. "I think the applicant is a young man."

For a few moments, Chef blinked at me before he exploded. "Like a human? A human boy?"

"He didn't sound like a boy," I defended quickly. "But yes. He knew of the club, but mentioned nothing about our kind. Someone in the know would have at least mentioned it." Chef nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. I couldn't blame him. It all sounded a little crazy. "Having the rest of us here will just complicate things even more."

"If you say so, older brother," Chef teased. "I don't think you'll get rid of Envy, though. He's always hanging around."

"I trust you to help me run interference; I don't need Envy messing around with a human before I get him to sign the contract."

Chef chuckled, his golden eyes seeing way too much. "And if I didn't know you better; I'd say it sounds like you have a vested interest in this. All from one phone conversation? Are you losing your touch?"

I didn't bother answering, instead focusing on the paperwork on the low table. Chef could think what he liked. A human was just the same as anyone else who might have answered the flyer. This Alec was not anyone special.

Right?