The Crossroads Brotherhood by Robert Fabbri Read Free Book Online

the double doors of the storeroom at the very rear of the tavern.
    Within moments the doors were shut and a pile of twenty Urban Cohort uniforms, minus the armour and shields, lay in a heap on the floor.
    ‘Right lads, sort it all out into twenty sets,’ Magnus said, putting his arm around Aelianus’ shoulders. ‘You, my friend, are coming with me to fuck the best-looking girl we have working here, and all for free.’
    ‘What’s the catch, mate?’
    ‘No catch, I just want you to tell her what the Cohort are planning to do in three nights’ time.’
    ‘I don’t know what we’re planning in three nights’ time.’
    ‘Of course you don’t, quite rightly you take no interest in the doings of your unit, but I shall enlighten you as we walk.’
    ‘A QUILINA , COME AND meet my very good friend and one-time comrade, Aelianus,’ Magnus shouted as he led the quartermaster through the door into the fug of the tavern.
    Aquilina disengaged herself from a disgruntled old man and walked through the crowded room. A plumper colleague took her place.
    ‘Aelianus has just done me a huge favour,’ Magnus informed her as she came up to them, smiling sweetly, ‘and I want you to be very, very nice to him. I’m paying so anything he wants, if you take my meaning?’
    ‘Oh I do Magnus,’ Aquilina ran her hand up the inside of Aelianus’ thigh. ‘Anything he likes, for as long as he likes.’ Aelinaus’ mouth fell open as he gawped at her with undisguised lust. ‘But there’s no need to pay me Magnus – any friend of yours is a friend of mine.’
    ‘If you insist.’
    ‘It’ll be a pleasure.’
    ‘In that case you can use my room.’
    ‘Thank you Magnus,’ Aquilina purred leading Aelianus off and flashing Magnus a sweet smile over her shoulder.
    As they disappeared through the door, his eyes hardened. It was almost a shame that she was going to have to lose that pretty smile.
    A LMOST AN HOUR later, Magnus was sitting in the back room when he heard footsteps on the bare wooden stairs coming down from the first floor. He put down the knife that he had been sharpening and looked at Servius. ‘Seems like Aelianus has had his fill of Aquilina.’
    ‘I would say that it is probably the other way around, Brother.’
    ‘Yeah, too true,’ Magnus laughed, getting up. ‘Let’s hope that he’s still got the energy for a bit of fire-starting.’ He opened the door and, stepping out into the dingy corridor, saw Aquilina appear at the bottom of the stairs.
    ‘Your friend has quite worn me out, Magnus,’ she said with a touch of exaggeration, ‘I’m going to call it a night, if that’s alright with you?’
    ‘Nothing to do with me, my girl – you work as and when you want to, so long as you pay your percentage.’
    Aquilina smiled brightly. ‘Of course. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.’ She disappeared into the tavern with a little wave.
    Servius joined Magnus. ‘Do you want me to have her followed?’
    ‘No, she might notice, and it wouldn’t do for her to become suspicious. Anyway, we know where she’s going.’
    Aelianus lumbered down the stairs looking conspicuously florid. What was left of his ginger hair stuck out at odd angles.
    ‘How did it go?’ Magnus asked.
    ‘Very well,’ Aelianus replied with a grin, ‘I surprised myself and, I like to think, the lovely Aquilina too. You heard her – she said that she wouldn’t be able to have another customer for the rest of the night after my performance.’
    ‘Yeah? Well don’t take it too hard but that was just her excuse to get out of here and go and tell a few tales to her real master. I meant how was the pillow-talk?’
    Aelianus looked slightly downcast. ‘It was fine. I told her that I’d come to warn you, as an old mate from the Cohort, that the Urban Prefect was planning a raid on one of your clients’ establishments in a few days time, someone called Terentius. That’s why you wanted me to have her as a reward.’
    ‘What