“New plan,” I said. “And if it works, I think I can help you get home.”
Chapter Fourteen
The streets were crowded with commuters as I made my way into downtown New Orleans. Late afternoon sunlight slanted in between high rises and glinted off the signs meant to warn anyone dumb enough to attempt curbside parking. I wasn’t enough of an idiot to even get close to the plaza, much less its drop-off lane guarded by what looked like a very passionate meter maid. The parking garage two blocks away was safer. Milo’s old Jetta blended in just fine, but I also knew every street camera in the city limits would be spelled to identify me. And I wasn’t in the mood for company.
Rested, fed, and baby-free, I had a few short hours before I had to pick up Fergie from her doting godfather. Milo had agreed to watch Fergie for me only if I swore to help find Tony after I was done clearing my name. He also only gave me two hours—just long enough for him to make Fergie a star on TikTok, he’d said.
Two hours wasn’t very long for an infiltration of the highest level of supe government, which meant I had a lot to do in that time. And none of it involved getting caught by the SSF.
My cell buzzed, and I pulled into a space in the garage then checked the screen. The prepaid phone courtesy of Jax had one number programmed. His.
I snorted when I read the name he’d given himself.
Gem’s Baby Daddy: We’re in position. Don’t take unnecessary risks.
I exhaled and braced myself for what I was about to attempt. Fingers crossed I didn’t need them to help provide an emergency exit, but just in case, we were ready.
I tucked the phone into my pocket and jumped as something heavy landed on the car’s hood.
A second later, a pair of boots landed on the ground beside my door. Dark eyes and a brooding face bent low, peering in at me through the window.
Damn.
I got out slowly, trying to pretend I hadn’t been avoiding this exact moment. Still, I was glad to see his wound from the other day had already nearly healed. His movements were sure and showed no sign of weakness or injury. Something inside me relaxed.
“Nice disguise.”
Adrik folded his arms as I adjusted the ball cap I’d borrowed from Milo’s mother, Trish. Apparently, she’d bought it at a flea market in the Bahamas three years ago. We were pretty sure the word they’d printed should have been ANGEL, but it had come out ANGLE. For some reason, the joke was even funnier in this moment.
“How did you find me?” I asked, unsure whether to be impressed or creeped out by his sudden appearance here.
“That’s not important. Want to tell me what the hell you think you’re doing?” he demanded.
His voice was dangerously low. Under normal circumstances, I might have found it sexy. My lady parts sure did, considering the tingling currently happening just below my waist. But the furious glint in his eye had me slowing my movements.
Nothing sudden.
Play it cool.
“Answer my question first,” I said.
A look of impatience replaced his irritation. “I . . . sense your energy,” he said.
Right.
I was going with creeped out.
“You sense my energy?” I repeated.
“You have a knack for finding trouble,” he said dismissively. “I made it my business to keep an eye out for you at the riskiest places.” His mouth twisted wryly. “And I wasn’t disappointed.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Now, I’m only going to ask this one more time. What are you doing here?”
His scowl returned, and the air around him became thick with anger. Clearly, he was not happy, and honestly, the reason could have been a number of things at this point. Either way, I was not prepared to battle a pissy Nephilim. Not this particular one anyway. I had other fish to fry.
“Um. Parking?”
“You’re not walking in there, Gem. They’ll shoot you on sight.”
So busted.
“First of all, Nephilim don’t even carry guns.”
His eyes narrowed and did a weird sort of tic movement that sent warning bells off in my brain. Dude was pissed. “It’s an expression. Besides, a bullet is preferable to what they’ll actually do.”
I decided not to think about that.
“You don’t have to come with me.”
“You’re right. Because you’re not going.”
Okay, enough playing nice.
I had a very small window of time in which to enact my insane plan. Or insane Plan B.
“I don’t have time for this.” I tried sidestepping him, but he blocked me, boxing me in against the Jetta until I was forced to lean against the car to avoid our noses brushing. God, he smelled like power and everything sexy.
My thoughts drifted to that almost-kiss we’d had in Jax’s kitchen. It felt like unfinished business. Despite the fact that he’d lied to me, I wanted to finish it.
Maybe my vagina just wanted to finish at all.
“You’re invading my space,” I said, hoping it hadn’t sounded as excited as I felt.
“You’re being reckless.”
“Someone has to report the greater demons running loose.”
He didn’t even bother to look surprised. Which meant he’d already guessed the basis for my strategy here today. Damn. So much for doing the unexpected.
“You’re talking about waltzing into the headquarters of the Nephilim council, Gem. Even if they give you time to spout your theories, do you really think they’ll give your claims any credence?”
“Obviously, I’ll need proof,” I said, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling I got when he said my name. “And I’ve got it.”
He lifted a brow. “Your stolen demon spawn.”
“First of all, I prefer the term ‘rescued.’ And also the term ‘child.’ And no,” I hissed. “Of course I’m not going to leverage Fergie’s life.”
His brows crinkled in a way that was both sexy and condescending. “You named her Fergie? Like the lead singer of The Black Eyed Peas?”
I did my best to hide my surprise; I hadn’t expected him to know the music.
“Hey. I don’t judge your mom for naming you Adrik.” I frowned. “Wait. Do you have a mom? Is there an Adrik-maker out there with your same brooding scowl and bedroom eyes? Because I’m having a hard enough time resisting you, so I don’t think—”
“By the angel, just stop talking.”
He rubbed his temples.
I tried not to think about how hot Adrik’s parents must have been to create something so perfect.
Somewhere in the parking garage, a thud sounded, echoing around us.
I looked back at Adrik, lowering my voice. “Look, someone’s letting demons into the city, and they’re using old-school black magic to do it. Those demons are killing people including SSF agents. The council needs to know so they can put the word out. So we don’t lose any more good agents over this.”
“The council won’t react the way you think they will. Trust me.”
I scowled. “Trust you?” I repeated. “Because you’ve done so much to earn that trust.” He started to speak, but I kept going. “Like the fact that you knew who I was when you requested me. Like you’ve been lying this entire time about our meeting at The Monster Ball.”
“Gem.”
His tone softened. It wasn’t a slow transformation from fury to gentleness either—but something instant and completely endearing. One second he was all “Hulk-smash,” and the next, he was . . . this. Whatever it was, I’d never seen it on a Nephilim before.
He sighed, his breath warming my face. “Walking in there now won’t bring him back.”
His words startled me out of my fantasy—one where gentle-Adrik dropped to his knees to worship my naked body. Dammit.
“I know that.” My throat grew tight as I thought of my dad. “But I need them to admit what happened to him wasn’t an accident.”
Somewhere in the garage, a car door slammed shut. Adrik’s
head snapped toward the sound.
“Come back to the townhouse,” Adrik said. “We need to talk.”
“Give me ten minutes inside headquarters first.”
He pressed closer, leaning in to whisper against my ear. “We’re not alone here.”
My breath hitched. Not from his words but from his closeness. His chest brushed mine, and his hand came up to grip my elbow, steadying us both.
I looked up at the same moment he leaned in, and our eyes met.
My lips parted, my gaze darting to his mouth hovering an inch from mine. Damn, he looked kissable. Would he taste like Heaven—literally?
I waited, frozen, as he leaned closer and closer. Anticipation and lust pooled in my belly. I tried to do the mental math on whether or not I had time to peel his clothes off slowly or if I should just yank them off all at once.
Just before his lips could brush mine, there was a deafening roar, and a large furry figure dropped from above, sending me ducking for cover. I hit the ground and rolled underneath the Jetta as Adrik swung out at whatever had ambushed us.
I heard a crack as his fist connected.
A growly wail echoed around me.
“Go back to hell, evil creature,” Adrik roared.
I scooted to the edge of the tire and slithered out from under the Jetta, winded. Then I climbed to my feet just as Adrik went in for another punch.
“Hold on!” I wedged myself between them, hoping Adrik could stop an attack as fast as he could launch one. Thankfully, he paused when he saw me standing between him and his target.
“Get back,” Adrik ordered, his fist still suspended mid-air.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “He’s not a threat.”
“How do you know?”
“Because.” I stepped back, offering Adrik a good look at the party crasher still holding his nose, thanks to Adrik’s right hook. “He’s our proof—and he’s my friend.”
Chapter Fifteen
The wolf-demon grunted and wiped gingerly at his flattened snout. Adrik did not look thrilled. I couldn’t blame him. I also didn’t have time for his lectures or orders or whatever else he was prone to do when he looked like that.
“He’s a level six greater demon. You’re insane. You know that? Completely and utterly insane.”
“I’m creative,” I corrected.
He scowled. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Twisting my words until you get a better answer.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m just using more accurate phrasing.”
“You just did it again!”
“For a celestial being, you’re grumpy and oddly pessimistic.”
The lupine demon grunted.
“See, even Wolfrick agrees.”
“Wolfrick?” Adrik echoed, brow arching.
I shrugged. “Seemed to fit. And he needs a name.”
Adrik looked ready to throw punches again. “I’m not doing this with you. Look, you can’t take that thing into headquarters.”
“He’s not a killer, Adrik. Look at him.”
I gestured to the demon, who stood sullenly beside me, his body angled like he was bracing for another attack from Adrik. He eyed the Nephilim warily.
“He isn’t going to hurt you,” I said.
Adrik looked unconvinced and just as wary. “You still can’t take him in there.”
“Well, I admit, he’ll have to duck to clear the front doors, but—”
“They’ll kill him, Gem! And then they’ll kill you.”
“Don’t you think I’ve thought about that?”
“Are you saying you’re using him as bait? How did you even get him to agree to this?”
“I promised to send him home if he helped me.”
Adrik eyed the demon. “Is that what it wants?”
“Apparently, he has a she-wolf-demon mate and a litter of pups in another realm somewhere.”
“You know that realm is Hell, right?”
I shrugged. “Love is love. I don’t judge.”
Adrik went silent, and I considered that in itself a victory.
“Look, I’m not an idiot,” I said.
Adrik gave me a look that said he thought otherwise.
I ignored it.
“I know someone’s summoning these demons on purpose. And I know this strategy is risky, but until we know who to trust, it’s smarter to bypass the lower levels and go straight to the top.”
Except that someone at the top was probably involved. And I still didn’t know exactly who. That’s what I intended to flush out today.
Beside me, Wolfrick growled as a car horn blared from the street. He was getting restless, I could feel it. We couldn’t stay here much longer.
“What makes you think the guilty party isn’t someone already at the top?”
“Of course it is,” I said, and Adrik muttered a string of curses that shouldn’t have been possible for an angel to verbalize.
He looked back at Wolfrick.
“This will either work, or it’ll get us killed,” he said finally.
I raised a brow. “Us?”
He sighed. “Without me, you won’t get past the front desk.”
“And with you?”
His shoulders sagged in resignation. “I’ll get us an audience with the council. After that, it’s up to you.”
“You’d do that for me?”
He stared back at me, his gaze weighted with something I didn’t understand. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said quietly, the words marked with enough conviction that I shivered.
The air between us crackled with a tension that had me revisiting the idea of ripping his clothes from his broad frame.
Wolfrick whined, and the moment ended as Adrik turned away to assess our newest partner in crime.
With a steadying breath, I squared my shoulders and prepared to go shake things up in the world of immortal beings. Adrik was right. This plan would either succeed masterfully—or poor Fergie would end up motherless after all.
“Let’s go, boys.”
We hadn’t made it more than a few steps when another burst of power joined us. I sensed it about three seconds before I saw him, and my heart nearly stopped.
“Well, what do we have here?”
My jaw fell open.
Adrik stilled, and Wolfrick pawed restlessly at the ground.
The Nephilim strode out of the shadows, casual. Relaxed. Like there wasn’t a level six lupine demon hanging peacefully with one of his own.
“Raguel,” Adrik said quietly. “What can I do for you?”
“For me?” Raguel laughed. “From the sky, it looked like you might be in need of backup putting down a demon and a fae fugitive.”
“Gem’s with me,” Adrik said, a deadly quiet lacing his words.
Raguel took a step forward, his wings retracting as he tucked them out of sight.
“Gem is wanted for treason against the celestial accords,” Raguel said. “You’re lucky you aren’t being charged with the same crimes.”
“I told you I don’t want your favor. I will not owe you,” Adrik said.
“Your gratitude is overwhelming.”
Raguel took another step, cocking his head to study the demon beside me. “It doesn’t attack.” He glanced at me. “Does your fae magic hold it at bay?”
“No,” I said, wary of the fact that he was still approaching.
“Interesting. How do you control it?”
“I don’t control it.” I glared. “He’s my friend.”
Raguel paused, and I braced myself for anything. What I wasn’t prepared for was laughter.
“Friends?” he said when he managed to calm down. “How . . . quaint.” His amusement died. “And impossible. The thing is an evil abomination. A threat great enough that I suppose your pardon could be arranged for turning him over.” He glanced at Adrik again. “That is what you’re attempting, isn’t it, brother? So close to our headquarters with two known threats?”
&
nbsp; “The council needs to hear what’s happening,” Adrik said.
Raguel’s aura of power roiled at that. “The council needs a lot of things.”
My gut tightened.
Was it Raguel? Was he the one behind the greater demons?
“You won’t get away with this,” I said.
Raguel’s sharp gaze snapped toward mine. “From where I stand, you’re the one attempting to get away with something.”
“Wolfrick’s a friend, not a killer. And whoever summoned him here is using old-school black magic to do it. I’m going to find out who it is and expose them.”
Raguel’s civil expression vanished.
Okay, this was it.
The part where I died by Nephilim pinky finger.
But Raguel only shared a look with Adrik. “She’s not very good at subtlety, is she?”
Adrik sighed. “She doesn’t know everything.”
Something passed between them, some secret I wasn’t privy to, and my eyes narrowed.
“You’ll need to be more forthright, I think,” Raguel said. “She’s going to get herself killed.”
I looked back and forth between them. Suddenly, I was completely lost as to where this might be going.
“Uh, I don’t mean to talk you into anything,” I said, “but I thought my death was pretty high on the list of things you’re okay with.”
Raguel didn’t answer, but the look he gave Adrik was more proof that this wasn’t what it seemed.
“You’re going to help get her inside.” Raguel’s next words weren’t a question.
“She needs to see what she’s up against,” Adrik said quietly.
Raguel snorted. “What she needs is the truth.”
Adrik scowled.
“Uh, hello? She is right here.”
Raguel’s brow lifted, and he nodded at Adrik as if I’d just proved his point.
“I didn’t ask for your advice,” Adrik growled. “Just do your part, would you?”
What the hell was going on?
“Suit yourself.” Raguel’s wings unfurled, and he started for the edge of the parking structure. “I’ll see you inside. But don’t expect it to be easy.”
“What the hell was all that?” I demanded when Raguel was gone.
Knock Em Dead (Supernatural Security Force Book 2) Page 16
