Tempting Ballad

by Katherine McIntyre

  The sign for Ratifications stood out at the end of the block, all carved wood and clean lettering. The wide glass windows displayed a bustling interior of dark tables filled with a myriad assortment of students from the local universities and business stiffs escaping for a quick round after work. By the time Renn reached the front door, the sound coming from the building buzzed through the windows. All it took was a quick glance through the wide window to catch the rest of his bandmates clustered around one of the back roundtables.

  The moment he stepped inside, the wall of noise reached him, accompanied by the acoustic strains of whatever crooner they’d hired for the night. Renn’s fingers itched for his drumsticks, but after he’d rerouted the band’s whole agenda, they didn’t have any shows lined up. Until this investigation with the Harrods and business with Kincaid wrapped up, they wouldn’t be rocking out any stadiums.

  Not like they needed the extra attention with the King in town and Darren Andrews, head of the hunters, searching for blood.

  Ky caught his gaze and gestured him over.

  Renn strode in their direction, slowing down as he strolled by the bar. The appreciative gaze of a stunning blonde rolled over him. He winked and blew her a kiss before passing by to reach the rest of his band.

  Liz shook her head. “You’re such a ho. Don’t you have some strapping businessman fucking you senseless already?”

  Renn shrugged. “Variety is the spice of life.” Not like he’d admit to them he had no plans on following through. As much as Kincaid’s bossy demands sparked his temper initially, Leo had left the choice up to him. No matter how many lies he told himself, he’d chosen to lock himself down to one man for the time being, even with all the turbulent emotions that resurrected.

  Besides, though the blonde at the bar delivered some serious bedroom eyes, his cock didn’t stir in the slightest. Not after the scorching makeout session with Leo had his mind revolving solely on the idea of getting pinned down and fucked by the muscular yaksha.

  Jett lifted his glass of whisky in salute. “Hear, hear. No need to get tied down like the rest of these fuckers.” Jett might be quieter about his proclivities, but he knew firsthand the man was as much of a slut as him. On the rare occasion they’d shared women before, and the siren possessed stamina that didn’t quit.

  Renn grinned. The moment the waitress strode over, he placed his order for a porter. Despite the way his bandmates kicked back with their drinks, he didn’t miss the buzz threaded through the air, whether it was how Trev leaned against the wall scanning the room, or the way Liz found an excuse to look to the door every five seconds.

  “As far as we can tell, she hasn’t arrived yet,” Ky cleared the air the way he always did, by slicing through the bullshit.

  “Where’s Danica?” Renn asked, glancing to Trev.

  “Facetiming her employees back in San Francisco. She promised if we end up charred corpses to avenge us,” Trev responded, his tone dry.

  “Never say the leannan sidhe isn’t generous in spirit,” Jett drawled.

  Renn tapped his fingers along the surface of the table as the waitress wound over toward him with a pint of creamy porter. He barely let the glass clink onto the table before he raised it to his lips. The tables were filled all around them, but unlike fae who stood out amid the throngs of humans, the few things differentiating hunters weren’t visible. They couldn’t target someone for their ability to see through glamour or their heightened reflexes unless they just lobbed glasses at every passerby to see if they caught them or not.

  Though Darren Andrews and his cronies had at least done them the favor of all dressing like they’d been kicked off the set of the Crow.

  “We could always knock out the idiot on the acoustic guitar over there and steal his mic,” Renn suggested. “Then we can just scan the crowd and see who’s not part of the bump and grind. Isn’t that how we found this one?” He jerked a thumb in Liz’s direction.

  She flipped him a middle finger. “This one wants to make a decent impression for once if this person might be an ally. Somehow, I don’t think manipulating a whole crowd into collective horniness is going to win us any favors.”

  The door creaked open on the opposite side of Ratifications, drawing Liz and Ky’s gazes again.

  Renn tipped back more of his porter, enjoying the creamy glide of the liquid. When he placed his glass down, he noticed the newcomer Liz focused on at the door. He had to hide a snort.

  “Apparently whether you run with Andrews’ crew or not, the memo is goth as fuck,” Renn murmured. “Better buff up on your black attire, Lizzie.”

  The woman who strode through the door walked with the poise of a fighter, a sanguine slink that any normal day would’ve had him at full attention. The black leggings and tunic she wore with a beaten leather jacket offset her sepia skin and dark, alluring eyes. Her sable waves were pulled into a practical ponytail, and he could bet if they tipped her upside down and shook her, an arsenal of weapons would clatter to the ground.

  Her gaze zeroed in on them once she walked in, making it clear Natalia sussed out what they were, marking her off as a hunter. Renn tipped back more of the porter, watching as the woman approached. She didn’t appear to have brought any allies along with her which either made her genuine, cocky, or hiding some secret weapon they hadn’t figured out yet.

  Chances were high on the third. Renn rarely figured things out unless they smacked him in the face.

  Jett let out a low whistle and nudged him in the side. “I call dibs, since you’re currently locked away in fuck tower with the shadiest businessman of the year.”

  Renn cracked a grin in response. “Doesn’t mean I can’t accept visitors in fuck tower.”

  Natalia wound her way to their table, and Liz pushed out the empty seat beside her.

  “Welcome to Peace Negotiations 101,” Liz said as Natalia took a seat. “Providing you don’t have a swarm of hunters waiting outside to take us out the moment we leave.”

  Natalia settled in her seat and flashed a grin. “I’ve got my backup squad in case the lot of you try to murder me, but apart from that, I arrived alone. Got to take a risk to earn trust, right? I figured if I could take the risk on anyone, it’d be the unaligned fae who travel with a hunter.”

  Ky nodded, because of course their transparent leader would appreciate taking risks.

  Renn hid his grin by sipping on his porter.

  “We’re not the best representations of the fae circles,” Trev drawled. “If you’re searching to make nice with those in power, we’re lowest on the totem pole.”

  Natalia shook her head, pausing when the waitress swung over to order herself a beer. “I’m not looking for power. I’m looking for people who also think what’s going on is ludicrous. Clearly those in power on both sides have their heads up their asses.”

  “Hear, hear,” Liz raised a glass before she took a sip from her beer. “I’m glad there are people sick of this shit on the hunter side of the equation too. My first introduction was a friendly neighborhood attack because I rolled with fae.”

  Natalia tugged on the end of her ponytail. “I understand the frustrations that led to this, believe me. Any attempts of negotiating human rights with the fae in the past was met with a flat no. However, mass slaughter doesn’t help our cause, and far too many innocent lives are getting dragged into this in the process.”

  “Man, have I got the guy for you to meet,” Renn responded, unable to help the amused quirk to his lips. Leo would love this girl.

  “You don’t waste time, do you?” Jett said, the tip of his finger tracing the rim of his glass. His curious gaze focused on Natalia with the intent that meant she’d captured his interest.

  She met his eyes when she responded. “We don’t have time to waste when more wholesale slaughter is imminent.” The waitress placed her pint on the table in front of her, but she didn’t even glance down. The woman blazed with a familiar intensity, a revolutionary in her own right.

  Liz�
�s brow wrinkled. “Are you talking about Darren Andrews swinging into town? He’s just launching more guerilla attacks, right?”

  Natalia shook her head. “I’m still trying to ascertain the details because he’s only divulged the full plan to his closest. However, Darren Andrews isn’t planning a small attack this time. He’s gearing up for a massacre.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ever since Leo stopped off at the lab, he’d been stacking stones to build a fortress around the plan that began forming. He’d stopped for a brief respite back in the hotel room with Renn, however they hadn’t broached the topic of his discovery. His lover continued surprising him in the way he didn’t push, offering the distraction he needed in the moment. Leo tried to remain on the surface, knowing this thing between them was temporary, but the frozen lake he skated on cracked a little more every day. He’d grown far more attached to this man than anticipated.

  Yet Leo would never be able to keep Renn—the man would bolt at a whiff of commitment, and his own trajectory was a downhill mudslide he wouldn’t subject anyone to. Apart from Marisa at least, because his sister was too stubborn and involved in all of this to let go.

  Leo pushed away from his laptop, straightening from his hunch. He stretched his arms overhead and listened to the crack of his back. He’d been sending emails for the past few hours, trying to draw upon the necessary connections. If the drugs led to what he imagined they did, their success revolved around finding a way to sleuth through the Harrod mansion.

  He always found the best avenue for investigation was in plain sight. Lucky for him, even in the middle of a war against the hunters and the dissolution of their Accords, both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts lived for parties and soirees.

  His phone buzzed. He pushed up to stretch his legs as he checked the message.

  One word, from Renn.

  Renn: Incoming.

  Kincaid leapt into motion, popping up the buttons of his shirt, smoothing his slacks, and straightening the stray pieces of clothing littering the floor of the bedroom. By the time he finished tidying those, a knock rapped on his door.

  Who needed a business front when everyone from here to the Otherworld seemed to know his location? At least this time, he’d gotten the heads up, but the lack of explanation with Renn’s text set him on edge. Blindness meant he couldn’t plan, and Leo Kincaid was nothing without his plans.

  Leo had begun to pull his door open when an unfamiliar voice came from out in the hall.

  “If this is a secondary location trap, trust that I’m carrying platinum and know at least seven different ways to incapacitate all of you,” the female said.

  Renn pushed the door open the rest of the way, poking his head through first as he entered. He cast an apologetic glance back. “The gang decided you’d want to be involved in this one.”

  Not for the first time, Leo questioned his decision to let the entire band of unruly fae on board with this. The word indiscretion was apparently foreign to the lot of them.

  Leo heaved out a sigh and cracked the door open as the rest of their clown car tumbled into his room. Kieran, Liz, Trevor, and Jett all entered, followed by an unfamiliar woman with dark hair and cutting eyes. Based on the all-black uniform, the threat she’d made, and the human appearance, he could easily draw the conclusion they’d brought a hunter along with them.

  Like he needed more social disasters to navigate right now.

  “Care to explain why you’re bringing a hunter to my hotel room?” Leo asked, fixing his gaze on Liz who thus far seemed to be the string that kept this batch of kites from flying off.

  “She’s a revolutionary,” Kieran said, louder than he liked. “Thought you might be interested in meeting her.”

  Leo nudged the door shut behind her and bit back his sigh. He’d spent years—years—cultivating an image of a loyal to the Courts fae through careful steps, words, and associations. Meanwhile, Kieran arrived with a bushel of pipe bombs to drop onto his reputation. Leo ran a hand through his hair, resisting the attempt to scrub his eyes and walk away from this headache.

  Renn sat on the edge of the bed, casting an inquisitive glance to him.

  “I’d prefer if you didn’t just trot me around to random fae,” Natalia responded, irritation prickling in her voice. “I thought you said we were heading to a safe place to talk.”

  “Thought a gorgeous girl like you would be used to getting trotted around,” Jett commented. He cast her a charming glance, those dark eyes alight with interest.

  “Die in a fire, siren,” Natalia shot back, spitting venom.

  Liz snorted, and Trevor attempted to hide his amused smile.

  “So, it seems we’re both in the dark here,” Leo said, striding up to her and offering a hand. He’d wrest control of this situation before the guys tossed it further out of reach. “My name’s Leo. What are you searching for a safe place from?”

  Natalia clapped her hand over his, although she glanced around the room with a wariness that buzzed in the air. “Honestly? Fae like yourself. What are you, the upper echelons of the Court? Planning on calling your King to this location to rat the filthy hunter out? I wouldn’t. I’ve got friends on standby who’ll arrive before your men ever do.”

  Leo shook her hand, the pieces clicking into place. Normal hunters wouldn’t have followed fae anywhere, and she seemed to share his same distrust for authority. The hunters had been a missing piece to his plan for far too long, however the only one willing to speak rather than kill on sight had been Liz.

  Renn caught his gaze and tilted his head in the direction of Natalia. A slight grin played on the satyr’s lips. “Found another orphan looking for adoption, Batman.”

  Ah. So she wanted something different than her current regime’s plan of murder-on-sight, which was why the crew of Discord’s Desire dragged her to his door.

  He shook his head, a rueful grin on his face. “I won’t ring up the King if you won’t rat our location out to Darren Andrews.” He met her gaze which burned with a conviction he recognized. “Though I’m guessing he has no idea you’re having this discussion with the enemy in the first place.”

  Natalia squared her shoulders. “What of it? His ‘destruction for all fae’ plan is only going to end with both sides suffering too many casualties.”

  Kincaid crossed his arms over his chest. “Funny, the Courts seem to espouse those same beliefs.”

  The hunter scrutinized him a little harder, and then understanding crystallized in her eyes, her realization almost tangible in the air. “Maybe this is the safe place I’ve been searching for then.”

  “See, I figured you two would get along,” Kieran butted in, striding back and forth across the carpet because the man had an inability to settle.

  “Darren Andrews is planning a widespread attack through this city,” Natalia said, striding over to lean her back against the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest. “All I have are a few whispered locations and a vague timeline, but from the sounds of it, he’s planning something devastating.”

  “Are you sure you can’t lure the King in to one of those spots at the right time?” Renn asked with a glance to him. He lounged back on the bed, clasping his hands behind his head, his elbows jutting forward.

  Leo restrained his grin. “Who’s the revolutionary here, drummer boy?” That earned a smirk from Renn and something smoldering in those eyes that made Leo want to kick everyone out of the room and explore the man’s body more. “We can spare time tomorrow,” he said, “but we’re going to be back on the target after. No time to waste on the hunt for your sister, right?”

  The vulnerability that flashed in Renn’s eyes drove into his heart like a platinum spike. Otherworld be damned, he was falling.

  His voice lowered as he continued, not looking away from the satyr. “When I make a promise, I keep it.”

  Trev snorted. “Listen to your boyfriend, Renn.”

  “Fuck off, Trev,” Renn responded sweetly. “I thought you knew by now I’m al
lergic to commitment.” At that, Renn didn’t look back to him. Leo couldn’t help the way his chest sank at the response. He knew from the start this temporary, mutually beneficial arrangement between him and Renn would end, but he had so few lasting things in his life that his heart couldn’t help hoping for more.

  Natalia tapped the back of her head against the wall. “Lord, the lot of you know how to derail. Do you want these details, or not?”

  “We can talk, Natalia,” Leo said, crossing the room to stand closer to her. “Leave the rest of the circus to their own devices.”

  “I want an escape too,” Liz said, sidling up to them. “I spend enough time with these rowdy fuckers.”

  Natalia glanced between the two of them, not shifting from her spot on the wall. “Right. The first location I heard mentioned is Faneuil Hall.”

  Leo tuned in on the locations, logging them all in his memory. Already, his mind traveled ten steps ahead. Considering the King wandered around town, luring him to the location wouldn’t work, but he branched out into different, better ideas. He’d have to confer with Marisa and Claude at once.

  Though a conversation still remained between him and Renn the moment they were alone. Those unspoken words rested in his chest with a weight that made it harder to breathe.

  ****

  Once their impromptu meeting wrapped up and the chaos rolled out the door, the absence of all those voices and people crowded in here hung in the air like the heaviness of a cemetery.

  Renn hadn’t budged from his spot on the bed, lounging like he belonged there. Leo could only wish on that front. The more he got to know this man, the more he wanted to keep him in his life. The wild capriciousness, the spark of adventure, and the lightheartedness dragged him out of his serious nature, lifting him up every time.