Ryota cast a glance at Grover and sighed in disappointment, something he’d been doing a lot of lately. He knew it was a mistake to get involved with the man in both a personal and business aspect. He’d originally thought the young witch would be strong enough to staff his cravings, however, he was far too weak and left Ryota searching for more. He knew he’d made the mistake of taking the man as a customer before they ventured into business together. But at the time he needed a family who had backing to do the things he needed.

It was a ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ kind of deal. They’d give him the money he needed to renovate Ruby’s, and he’d help the father and son become the mayor and deputy of the town. Ryota knew that Grover was harboring feelings of love for him when he didn’t feel the same. He’d expressed those very words to the man staying he was not someone to fall in love with, yet Grover refused to heed his words. Against his wishes the man continued to refer to them as lovers when Ryota treated him as just a customer after business hours.

Don’t blame me when you get your heart broken. 

Grover did not know that Ryota was a demon nor the things they did in bed was all an illusion. Although it was consensual, Ryota had never had sex with his customers, he only made them believe they did. He had the ability to create illusions by using the desires of others. Unless the person had a strong mind and will, they wouldn’t be able to break any illusion he created.

Ryota had always said if he found a partner who could break or see through his illusions, he’d devote his heart to them. At one point he thought Grover would be the one, only to realize he wasn’t. However, Ryota couldn’t deny the man was handsome and was a genius when it came to business. The town was a gold mining town with men and women rushing to Fort Lake to find gold. It was profitable, and it led to increased business for the brothel and surrounding businesses. A town of two thousand plus residents wasn’t enough to supplement the deficit.

When Ryota arrived six years prior, the town was desolate and in badly need of a makeover. Outlaws ran wild, killing whoever they wished especially the lawmen who wanted to bring civility to the town. As powerful as he was, Ryota wasn’t a saint or a hero, although he’d taken over the brothel changing it for the better, he wasn’t above pushing someone in front of him to take a bullet heading his way.

He was a demon and had no care for no other life but his own.

Ryota was also not above using tricks to get others to do as he wanted, which was how Grover and his father became the mayor and deputy mayor of the town. The oldest son of the mayor had just returned to town and was appointed as the sheriff, which worked out even better when they opened Fort Lake up to accepting visitors. Some newcomers stayed, investing into the town and some left after collecting all the gold they could mine.

As partners, Grover and Ryota split the profits thirty-seventy. Thirty for the town and the rest for him. Business boomed with more visitors, more money, until two years ago when Ryota noticed slight changes in the town and its visitors. He didn’t know how to explain it, Ryota simply knew something wasn’t right. He’d put things in the back of his mind until the deaths of his former employees happened.

Ryota thought back to Baker, the stranger he’d met a few minutes earlier. He wasn’t the first person who wanted to invest in Ruby’s, so he threw the man’s words away. But he couldn’t deny there wasn’t a suspicious air about the man. Ryota looked at Grover who raised his head to meet his eyes and felt something was off as if the man was hiding something from him. Not only that, but he’d been acting a bit weird for the past year. One minute he was afraid of his own shadow and the next he was like a barking dog.

Turning to Margret who was standing beside him, he said. “Send the deputy mayor to my special room.”

“As you wish.” Margret bowed and went off to do his bidding.

Ryota walked away and went to his office to finish up a few things before seeing to Grover.