by Karen Lynch
One of the women, a twenty-something brunette in a shimmering gold dress, had a too-bright quality about her, like an overexposed photo. When I squinted, her form blurred, and it was like looking at two overlapping shapes.
“Found her!” I whispered. I passed the glasses to Violet, who oohed and aahed when she spotted the nymph.
“You ready to do this?” I asked when she handed the glasses back to me.
She tossed her hair. “I was born ready.”
I returned the glasses to my clutch. “How do I look?”
“Irresistible.” She linked her arm with mine, and we walked toward the couches like we owned the place. Purposely ignoring the nymph and her companions, we flounced down on the nearest couch and dived right into our rehearsed performance.
“Daddy’s being so unfair,” I whined. “It’s my trust fund, and I can do what I want with it.”
Violet rubbed my arm in a consoling manner. “What did he say?”
“He said I have to enroll at Columbia this fall, or he’ll have the money frozen until I’m twenty-five.”
Her shocked expression was Oscar-worthy. “He wouldn’t!”
I did a practiced pout. “He’s so unreasonable. Is it so wrong to want to have a little fun before I spend years with my face buried in books?”
“How about we get a little wild tonight? I heard someone say Prince Rhys is upstairs in the VIP section.”
I put a hand over my heart. “I’d give anything to meet him.”
Violet tipped her head slightly so the nymph couldn’t see her smirk. “You and your obsession with Fae royalty.”
“We all have our weaknesses,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.
The couch dipped as someone sat on my other side, and I knew it was the nymph before she spoke. My stomach did a little flip, and I wasn’t sure if it was the thrill of what I was about to do or a natural reaction to the nymph. I’d removed my leather bracelet talisman in favor of a delicate silver one, but that would only protect against glamours. It couldn’t block the nymph’s ability to heighten sexual attraction.
“You wish to go to the VIP area?” asked a voice like warm honey that made my breath hitch.
Violet’s pupils dilated as her gaze fixed on the nymph, and I steeled myself before I swiveled to face my quarry. Up close, the nymph was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She wore no makeup because nothing could enhance her perfect features, and her eyes were a deep azure blue that seemed to have an inner glow. I got lost in those eyes, and it took me a few seconds to break free from her hypnotic stare.
“Yes,” I answered, surprised by how breathless I sounded.
“The bouncer up there is a friend of mine, and he will let us through.” Her eyes roved over my face, and she reached up to twirl a tendril of my hair around her finger. She seemed as mesmerized as I’d been a moment ago. “You are so lovely.”
“Thank you.” I leaned into her touch as if I couldn’t help myself and whispered, “Can my friend come, too?”
Her gaze flicked to Violet and darkened with lust. “Absolutely.”
I smiled. “I’m Jesse, and this is Violet.”
“I’m Laila.” She stood gracefully and motioned for us to follow her.
As soon as her back was to us, I glanced at Violet and mouthed, “Showtime.”
Violet nodded, looking both scared and excited. I was too full of adrenaline to be afraid, and Laila was far from the scariest faerie I’d faced in my short bounty hunter career. I was more nervous about not completing the job.
Laila drew many appreciative stares, but she appeared to be oblivious to them as she led us out of the seating area and past the bar. She smiled back at us several times to make sure we were still with her, and each time, a pulse of energy from her sent a pleasant tingle across my skin. I’d read that humans couldn’t tell when a nymph used her magic on them. I made a mental note to ask Violet later if she’d felt the same thing.
We neared the stairs to the VIP section. Time to spring the trap.
“Laila,” I said when she approached the bouncer standing at the bottom of the stairs. “I need to run to the restroom before we go up.”
The nymph hesitated for a few seconds. “I should go, too,” she said, as I’d known she would. Her magic only worked as long as she stayed with me, and she wasn’t going to risk me getting out of range of it.
“I’ll wait for you out here,” Violet said as planned. She hadn’t been happy about leaving me alone with the nymph, but I refused to put her in danger.
Between the bar and the stairs was a short hallway that led to the women’s restrooms. As expected, there was a line, but it wasn’t too long. It took us ten minutes to reach one of the private restrooms, and the two of us went in together. My gaze swept the room, and I turned to lock the door.
A hand trailed down my back, followed by another surge of magic that was stronger than the others. I swallowed as a tiny shiver went through me. Apparently, Laila didn’t want to waste any time.
I leaned into her, relieved she couldn’t see my face. Instinct had me wanting to push her away. When I’d told Violet about my plan to catch the nymph, she’d argued that she should be the bait for this very reason. But she had already served as bait for the banti job, so it was my turn to be the uncomfortable one.
More magic pulsed from Laila, but it didn’t have any real effect on me, probably because I was aware of what she was doing.
“Are you sure you want to go upstairs? I know a place where we could have our own party,” she whispered against my ear.
“What about Violet?” I asked as my hand inched toward my clutch.
Laila laughed softly. “She looks like a girl who can find her own party.”
“She can.” I smiled as I slipped my hand inside the purse, and my fingers found cold metal. “But I promised we’d stay together tonight.”
The nymph’s voice held a note of frustration. “Then a party of three it is.”
“Great!” My voice sounded breathy and excited but for a completely different reason. The thrill of the hunt was thrumming in my veins as I turned to face her.
The glow in her eyes had intensified, and her smile was victorious as she placed her hands on either side of my face. She was taller than I was by at least five inches, and she lowered her head, her intention clear.
The clutch fell from my hands. She jerked her head back the second she sensed the iron, but I had the shackle locked around her left wrist before she could pull away.
She screamed and stumbled back from me. Her form blurred, and a short, plain woman with dull brown hair stood in her place. Shock filled her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with rage. She lunged at me, her fingers curled into claws. “You deceitful bitch!”
I ducked easily out of her path and kicked out, sending her into the door. “Takes one to know one.”
She whirled on me. “Take this off me, or I will rip you apart until I find the key.”
“Give it your best shot,” I taunted.
She came at me again, but her movements seemed slow and drunken. Nymphs were strong in their true form, but the iron shackle had to be sapping her strength. She wasn’t much stronger than a human now.
I grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back, pinning her to the wall. She managed to elbow me in the chest before I subdued her.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she wailed. “I only wanted to give you a night of pleasure.”
I shackled her other wrist. “I’m sure you would have done that before you stole my money, like you did with those men you robbed.”
“You’re an agent?” Fear crept into her voice, and she shrank away from me.
“Better. I’m a bounty hunter.” Pushing her down to sit on the toilet seat, I went to retrieve my clutch. I closed it so she couldn’t see the gray mesh sewn into the lining. Lead weighed a ton, but it made iron undetectable to faeries.
“What are you going to do with me?” she asked fearfully when I motioned for he
r to stand.
“I’m taking you to my bond agent where you’ll be processed and sent back to Faerie.”
She shook her head frantically. “But I don’t want to go back.”
“Sorry, not my call.” I took her by the arm and led her to the door.
“I have money,” she blurted when I reached for the door handle. “I can pay you whatever you want if you let me go.”
I unlocked the door. “That’s not your money to give. It belongs to the people you robbed.”
Violet was waiting for us outside the door, holding off a line of impatient women waiting for the restroom. They stared at Laila, who looked nothing like the gorgeous woman that had entered the restroom with me.
“You’re done?” Violet’s eyes were wide. “That didn’t take long.”
“Long enough.” I thought about the nymph pressing against my back and grimaced.
Violet followed us down the hallway. “So, we’re leaving now?”
I stopped walking to look at her. She’d been so excited when I’d asked her to come here with me tonight, and I hated to ruin her fun. “Why don’t you stay? I bet Lorelle is still here.”
She flushed but shook her head. “We came together, and we’ll leave together. I can always come back some other night.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
We drew curious stares from humans and faeries alike as I led the shackled nymph through the club. I got the impression bounty hunters were a rare sight at Va’sha, especially a hunter in a dress and heels.
We were passing the cluster of couches when a male voice called, “Jesse?”
I swore under my breath and turned to Iian, who gaped at me. Beside him, Kerr swung his head in my direction and did a double take.
“Damn.” Kerr’s eyes swept over me. “You can hunt me any day in that dress.”
I forgot the retort on the tip of my tongue when Lukas appeared behind him like a dark thundercloud. His presence didn’t bother Kerr, who smiled mischievously at me.
“Conlan told us you were here, but he left out a few details,” Iian said. His eyes went to the nymph. “I see your hunt was successful.”
“Very.”
Laila shifted nervously under their stares, and I remembered how I’d felt the first time I’d endured their scrutiny. They had the whole intimidation thing down.
I was about to lead her away from them when I spotted a female faerie with long, black hair sidle up next to Lukas. She laid a possessive hand on his arm and said something to him. He turned his head toward her, and I couldn’t help but notice how perfect they looked together. They also appeared to be well-acquainted. I quickly averted my gaze from them.
My arms wrenched painfully as Laila broke away from me. She raced toward the stairs that led to the exit, and I took off in pursuit. Adrenaline pulsed through me, and I tackled the nymph before she’d gone ten steps. I pinned her to the floor with my knee on her back.
Cheers and catcalls broke out around me, and my face heated when I realized the show I’d given everyone in my too-short dress. Scowling, I stood and pulled the nymph to her feet, marching her toward the stairs without looking back.
The only thing that made this worthwhile was the ten-thousand-dollar bounty waiting for me when I brought her in. I’d remind myself of that when I thought back on how I’d probably flashed an Unseelie prince, his date, and his royal guard.
I reached the top of the stairs when the heel of my right shoe snapped off. Grimacing, I began my undignified descent with one hand tight around the nymph’s arm. Most days, this job wasn’t too bad. Right now, it kind of sucked.
“Jesse!” Violet grabbed my arm while we waited for our coats. “That was amazing.”
I made a face. “You know I like to make an exit.”
“No kidding. Where did you learn to run that fast – and in heels?”
“I’ve always been a good runner.” I accepted my coat from the coat check girl and put it on while maintaining my hold on the sullen nymph.
Violet snorted. “You weren’t that good. Poor Laila never had a chance.”
“Ten grand is a great motivator.” I led Laila to the exit, bracing myself for the cold.
The bouncer eyed my lopsided gait and the shackled nymph with raised eyebrows. I shrugged and walked past him.
“Oh, and cute undies, by the way,” Violet said with a giggle as we walked to the Jeep. “Victoria’s Secret?”
Chapter 11
“FINCH, STOP PLAYING with your food,” I said when a blueberry bounced off my cheek and landed on the kitchen floor. I straightened from my task of cleaning the refrigerator to frown over the top of the breakfast bar. “Aisla, stop encouraging him.”
He whistled, and I looked up to find the fool balanced on the back of a chair with three more blueberries in his arms. Aisla stood on the table, watching him with a delighted smile. As soon as he saw he had our attention, he juggled the blueberries while trying to stay on his perch.
Aisla squeaked and clapped her hands, and Finch puffed out his chest. I shook my head. I suspected my brother had a crush on the nixie, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. I’d started adoption proceedings for Aisla, so wouldn’t that make her his sister? I rubbed my face. I needed to talk to Mom and Dad about it when I visited them tomorrow.
I’d told my parents about Aisla the last time I was there, and unsurprisingly, they were okay with the nixie joining our family. They were less happy about Gus, but I knew they’d accept him, too. We’d always wanted a pet growing up, but Mom was severely allergic to pet dander. Drakkans had no fur, so allergies wouldn’t be a problem.
A second blueberry hit the top of my head, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked up as Finch’s arms flailed, and he fell backward off the chair. I went to check on him, already knowing he was okay. Sprites were like cats, and they always landed on their feet.
I planted my hands on my hips. “You going to stop showing off now?”
He gave me a sheepish smile as he scampered up the chair to the table.
I went back to scouring the refrigerator, scrubbing furiously at a tiny ketchup stain like it had offended me. I’d been in a cleaning frenzy all day ever since I woke up tired and cranky. I should be happy. Last night, I’d brought in my first nymph, and Levi had said I reminded him of my mother when she was starting out. High praise from him. On top of that, I’d come home with a ten-thousand-dollar bounty check.
I was starting on the freezer when a horrible barking sound came from the living room. Not again.
I ran to the other room where Gus was retching and looking like he was about to puke up an organ. There was a baseball-sized lump in his throat, and I wondered what the heck he’d tried to eat this time.
I had quickly learned you didn’t leave any shiny object smaller than a softball lying around when you lived with a young drakkan. After Gus had swallowed Mom’s favorite crystal candle holders, I’d locked everything he could eat in Mom and Dad’s bedroom. When a drakkan ate something, it was digested like food. I had no idea how I was going to tell Mom the candle holders she’d gotten as a wedding gift from her grandmother were gone.
Gus gave one last disgusting retch, and something shot from his mouth to roll heavily across the floor toward me. I bent to pick up the Paris snow globe Maurice had given me a few years ago. Saliva dripped off it, and I scrunched up my nose at the slimy surface of the globe.
“Ew.” I carried it to the kitchen sink to rinse it off. As I passed the table, I saw Finch trying to balance a stack of blackberries on one hand. This place was turning into a mad house.
I was drying the snow globe with a paper towel when the doorbell rang. What now?
I went to the door. “Who is it?” I called without thinking. I peered through the peephole as a familiar voice said, “Lukas.”
My heart gave a little nervous flutter. What was he doing here?
“Jesse?” he called.
“Yes.”
“Are you going to open the door?” he
asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. I realized I’d been standing there staring at the door for at least a minute.
I unlocked the door and opened it. “Why are you here?”
He was unfazed by my cool greeting. “I need to talk to you.”
“You couldn’t use the phone?”
“You blocked my number.” He gave me a wry smile that made my stomach do that weird somersault thing. I hated that he could still do that to me, and it only made me more irritable.
I raised my eyebrows. “That wasn’t a big enough hint that I don’t want to talk?”
“I’ve never been good with taking hints.”
“So it would seem.” I rested my hip against the door. “What’s so important that you had to come over here?”
He inclined his head. “May I come in? This is not something to discuss in the hallway.”
I almost said no because he was the last person I wanted in my home. I wasn’t sure why I had even opened the door to him. I had meant it when I’d said that me giving him information about the ke’tain had changed nothing between us.
“Come in.” I stepped back and opened the door wider. He entered the apartment, and my pulse jumped when he closed the door behind him. His presence filled every corner of the room, making me feel small and unsure of myself. I hated him for affecting me this way, and I was angry at myself for allowing him to do it.
I wasn’t the only one who felt it. Finch and Aisla stopped playing around on the table, and even Gus went quiet.
“Okay, go ahead,” I said without preamble.
He got straight to the point. “How well do you know Prince Rhys?”
The question surprised me, and I could only stare at him for a few seconds. “I don’t.”
“He seemed familiar with you at the club last night. What happened at his hotel?”
“What are you insinuating?” I crossed my arms. “And how is it your business?”
