He immediately retreated back into his seat.
“Yeah, you’re right.” As he put his seatbelt on, a thought occurred to him. “What’s the other reason, out of curiosity?”
“This car is too damned tiny,” she declared. “I might have to trade it in after all. So we have space in the future.”
The glance she shot at him was full of heat, and he felt it in all the right places.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said. “Maybe we should rent a variety of vehicles and try them out. We wouldn’t want to choose poorly.”
“I like how you think,” she said in a very serious voice.
“I have priorities. Let’s find that lamp, and then could I take you on a real date?”
His voice sounded pitifully hopeful to his ears, but he found that he didn’t care. Audra didn’t seem to mind that he was a bit on the shy and introverted side, or that he could sometimes be awkward. She certainly hadn’t been ruffled when he’d turned into a giant scorpion. In fact, she’d barely blinked when he’d puked on her shoes, and they’d had open toes.
He didn’t carry any illusions that she was perfect. She seemed to have a history of throwing herself at all of the wrong men. And despite all of her skills, she was really hard on herself. All she saw was her mistakes and not her successes. He didn’t know why that was—what kind of horrible past she’d had that would make her feel so down about herself. But maybe he could be a part of the healing process. If only he could make her see herself the way he did, she’d realize how amazing she was. Not perfect by any means, but maybe perfect for him.
Although if they were going to date, either she needed to replace her car, or he would have to drive them everywhere, because he’d been back in the car for only a few minutes and he already had a crick in his neck.
“A real date?” she asked. Then she tilted her head and looked at him coyly out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll accept on one condition.”
His stomach sank. “What?”
“We make out in the car after we go wherever we’re going.”
Relief overtook him, and he grinned.
“Only if we can take my truck. Funny, I was just thinking about that.”
“It’s like we’re on the same wavelength or something.” She threw the car into gear. “No offense, but I’ve suddenly realized how uncomfortable it is to be having this conversation in my ex-boyfriend’s parking lot. Let’s put it on hold for now and get the lamp? We keep getting distracted.”
But she didn’t seem angry about this. In fact, she seemed delighted. Ever since he’d met her, she’d seemed—tense somehow. Like she was weighing every single thing that came out of her mouth. But now, it felt like all of that tension had dissolved like a deflated balloon. Was that because of him? If so, he couldn’t wait to see what happened on their date, or later on when she realized that he wasn’t like those other guys who were looking for Miss Right Now. He wanted the One. Emphasis on the singular.
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” he said. “But you’re distracting. In a good way, of course,” he added hastily.
“Right,” she teased. “So where am I going? If Rebecca was trying to stay on the down low with a magic lamp, where would she go other than her apartment?”
“I have no clue, but I know how to find out,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking clearly earlier, or I would have suggested it in the first place. We need to go to my office. Head over to Tropicana and take a left, and I’ll give you directions from there.”
“Yes, mawster,” she said, and he laughed as she pulled out of the parking space.
When they pulled up to Carson Contracting a short while later, Darius couldn’t keep from wanting to show off just a bit. He’d built this company himself from the ground up, not taking any help from anyone, and it was a matter of pride for him. His employees were well taken care of, and they liked working for him. His construction designs had even won a few awards. And somehow, that came all spilling out of him in a long and drawn out monologue about the office building.
“We built our own offices,” he said, “Because I think that really speaks to our aesthetic. I wouldn’t hire a contractor who worked in some windowless brick of a building, personally, because that’s not the kind of design I’m attracted to. And when you mostly focus on luxury homes and offices like I do, I think it’s even more important. People come to me because they want something unique and beautiful in their designs, and I want them to feel confident that I can deliver that the minute they look at my office building. That’s why I spared no expense. This courtyard here is Italian marble, and that’s an original sculpture done by a spectacular Native artist I found right here in Vegas. I’m not entirely thrilled with the landscaping, though. It feels…”
“Too minimal,” said Audra. “You know, I used to dabble in landscape design when I lived in Ohio. Beef’s family owned a landscaping business, and I worked for them a bit.”
“If I wasn’t interested in dating you, I’d offer you a job,” he said soberly. “Is that terrible?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “No. Not really. Besides, I think I’ll stick with the shop. If it closed, that would be a pity.”
“Yeah, the closest arcane depository would be in…I don’t know. San Diego or something?”
“I think you’re right. But if you ever want an opinion on a landscape design, maybe I could help with that.”
“I’ll take you up on it. You have a good eye, I think.”
She took that as an invitation and let her eyes roam him. Based on her expression, she liked what she saw. Although he really wanted to get up close and see what happened, this was not the time. He took a deliberate step back and said, “Let’s go inside.”
“Sure thing.”
As late as it was, the office should have been dark and empty, but the light in the reception area was still on. Hex, his new receptionist and a shifterkin, sat typing away at one of the computers with a pair of headphones on. She was bopping her head along to the music, making her spiky pink hair rattle audibly from all of the hair product she’d put into it.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, knowing that her augmented senses—not quite as sensitive as a shifter, but still heightened—would pick up his voice even if he didn’t raise it.
Her eyes flicked up, and she pulled the headphones off her ears, resting them on her neck.
“What are you doing here, boss?” she asked, eyeing Audra with a grin.
“I need to…never mind that. What are you doing here?” he repeated.
She sighed. “I’m taking night classes. Don’t make a big deal over it, because that’s the entire reason I’m keeping it a secret. But I am, and I’m working on a paper, and I didn’t think you’d mind if I used the computer. Do you?”
“Oh. Of course not.”
“Good. By the way, I’m Hex.”
The stocky girl thrust her hand out toward Audra, who shook it firmly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Audra.”
“Hex, can you bring up the phone plan?” asked Darius. “I’m sorry to be rude, but we’re in a hurry.”
“Sure thing.”
Her hands flew over the keyboard, and her fingers clicked the mouse, and soon enough she gestured to the screen like a magician producing an animal with long ears from a hat.
“Voila! The phone plan,” she said.
“And can you track Rebecca’s phone?” asked Darius. “It’s going straight to voice mail, and I can’t find her.”
Curiosity flared in Hex’s eyes, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she typed some more.
“Phone tracking?” murmured Audra. “Why didn’t we do that before?”
“Because I don’t like to invade my friends’ privacy,” he replied. “And also, because I forgot I could do it.”
Audra chuckled as Hex punched the mouse button one final time, and the printer rattled immediately to life. She took the page off the printer without even glancing at it and handed it to Darius.
>
“Here you go,” she said.
“Thanks. Good luck on your paper.”
Darius glanced at the map and let out a sigh of relief. Rebecca was at the M’Bala construction site. Of course she was. The lamp had been kept there safely for years, so it was a logical place to return with it. They’d drive down there and pick up the lamp, and Audra would store it, and then they’d plan their date.
It would be easy.
Chapter 17
Only one thing bothered Audra as she got out of the car at the construction site where Rebecca’s work phone had been tracked. All things considered, she didn’t have much to complain about. She really liked Darius, and he seemed to like her. He was the kind of guy she’d always thought was out of her league—successful, kind, and sexy as hell. When they’d kissed in the car and she’d run her hands over the bulging muscles of his arms, it was all she could do not to squeal out loud. She could barely wait to get him alone, but then again, a man like that was worth waiting for.
Even Beef seemed to like him at first glance, and he’d like Darius even more once he got to know him. She was sure of that. Darius wasn’t the kind of guy who would cheat on her, or make her feel like she had to bend over backwards to keep him. He built her up instead of tearing her down, and although it would take some getting used to, it was really nice so far.
But on the drive there, she’d been thinking a lot, and they were the kind of thoughts that refused to go away no matter how hard she tried to banish them. Something had occurred to her. She didn’t like thinking about it, and she liked the idea of saying it aloud even less, but she felt like she had to. Darius cared enough to be honest with her, and she had to pay him the same courtesy even if it scared her.
Although she really didn’t have the time to look around or light enough to really give things a good look, the new construction looked like it would be beautiful. The newly installed street lights illuminated enough of the area for her to see the basics despite the late hour. The long, low-slung buildings with their terra cotta tiles in shades of deep umber and tan gave the whole structure a southwest feel. Large, high set windows would let in a lot of natural light without compromising privacy. The entryway was topped with a curved, decorative arch that was echoed above the windows and doors. She could just imagine how it would look once the construction was completed and all the tape was off the windows. It would be fun to landscape this place, to find the right mix of desert plants to set off the exotic beauty of the home.
Darius didn’t notice it. He charged out of the car as soon as it rolled to a stop and was halfway around the building before he remembered that he wasn’t alone. He stopped to wait for her with a sheepish expression on his face.
“I’m sorry,” he said, turning toward her. He held out a hand as she approached, and she took it gratefully.
“Thanks,” she said. “It’s really dark. I’m worried I’ll trip.”
“I forget that you don’t see as well as I do in the dim light,” he said. “Silly of me. I’m just not used to having company when I’m barging around in the middle of the night. Let me help.”
“So you’re saying you do this often?” she teased. “Take women to your construction sites at eleven at night?”
He led her toward the back of the building, the light from the street growing dimmer. True to his word, he didn’t seem to have any trouble navigating the winding walkway. Of course, not only could he see a bit better in the dark thanks to his shifter blood, but he also knew where everything was. He’d designed this whole set up, after all.
Just up ahead, the path curved around the main building. She could barely make out the outline of another building—a guest house or pool house or something like that? And she could see the hulking outlines of a variety of construction vehicles. Beyond was the deep, empty blackness of the desert. This lot bordered on the edge of nothingness, and it felt like anything could be back there.
Rebecca probably was, and before they saw her, Audra had to tell him what she was thinking, even if it bothered him. Especially if it bothered him.
She tugged him to a stop, and he immediately stepped closer to her. It was an intimate distance, one that made her all too aware of his body. One that would have felt threatening with a lesser man. But with Darius, all it did was make her feel safe. Safe, and extremely aroused.
She pushed those feelings away and said what was on her mind.
“Darius, I thought of something,” she said.
“What’s that?” he rumbled, releasing her hand and rubbing her arms gently.
“It’s about Rebecca.”
Now she was stalling, and she knew it but couldn’t make herself stop. What if he was angry at what she had to say? He’d been so remarkably patient with her mistakes and silly neuroses, so probably all of this worry was for nothing. But what if it wasn’t? And what if she was wrong, and she pushed him away because she was being paranoid?
She took a deep breath. Darius wouldn’t do that to her. And if he would, he wasn’t worth her time. She was done with changing herself to suit men who weren’t worth all that effort. But Darius was. And if he did flip out on her for being honest, then it would be better to know that she was wrong about him now than later, after her emotions had really gotten involved. They already had, of course, but she’d be able to recover.
The mention of Rebecca’s name brought Darius to instant attention. He stared at her as if willing her to speak faster. When that didn’t work, he prompted her.
“What about Rebecca?” he asked. “What did you think of?”
“It’s probably nothing. I mean, I honestly think our current theory is right, and Rebecca just took the lamp from Chad to keep it safe, and she came out here to make sure that it didn’t hurt someone else. After all, you know her way better than I do, so it’s probably silly of me to say this at all. Maybe I should just shut up.”
She felt stupid now. Babbling like an idiot and going nowhere. But she just couldn’t bring herself to speak plainly, knowing it would hurt him.
He wasn’t having any of it, though. He gripped her arms a bit more firmly—not hard, but not the gentle caress he’d used earlier.
“Just say what you want to say,” he urged.
She took a deep breath.
“Honestly, it’s probably nothing.” He made a noise then, a kind of exasperated growl, and she forced herself to go on. “I just wanted to make sure that you’d thought of the other explanation to what we know.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, so probably not.”
“What if Rebecca had the lamp all along?” She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see his reaction as she forged on, all the worries that had started accumulating in her brain while Darius was in the shower tumbling out of her mouth. “She knew it was at my place. Chad didn’t. So if he broke into my storage unit, why would he take that particular thing and nothing else? If he wanted revenge, he could have taken all kinds of stuff from upstairs and really ruined me. He could have taken that necklace that he let Lara borrow, and it would have gutted me. He didn’t need to risk coming downstairs and having me see him.”
“Rebecca wouldn’t hurt anyone,” he said harshly.
“I’m not saying she would! Maybe something happened, completely on accident, and she panicked. She took the lamp for safe-keeping and erased my memory of it. I’m not saying she’s a bad person. I mean, if anyone can understand good people making stupid decisions, it’s me.”
She snuck a glance up at him, and she didn’t like what she saw. His whole face was closed in. Angry. His hands tightened on her arms even further, and just before it became painful, he seemed to realize what he was doing and released her. Then he took a deliberate step back, as if he couldn’t stand to be close.
She rushed to try and defend her position, but what else could she say? But she tried anyway:
“I’m not trying to accuse her of being a bad person, Darius. Really, I’m not. But there’s a chance that she could
have made some wishes, and Chad was present for one of them. He was really freaked out.”
“So that’s it?” he snapped. “One look at Chad and you get all bleeding heart and accuse the person I trust most in this world? If either of them was making wishes, it was Chad. He’s shallow enough for the djinn to get to him fast.”
“But maybe that’s the point! She thought she could resist it. And I bet she could better than most people. But you can’t tell me she wouldn’t wish for anything.”
“Like what? She’s got a great job. A best friend who thinks the world of her. She’s friendly and popular. It’s not like she’s going to go off the deep end and wish for boyfriends. She’s not that desperate.”
It didn’t seem like he meant the statement personally, but it sure felt like that to Audra. She’d been desperate with Chad, and the boyfriends before him. She could admit that now, and she was working through it. But that didn’t mean that the implication escaped her.
“So what you’re saying is that someone desperate like me would fall to a djinn quite easily?” she asked archly.
He blinked. “Wait. What?”
“That’s what you said. I was desperate. You said it yourself. Why else would I be with someone like Chad? I set the bar too low, and I paid the price. But I learned from it. And the reality is that I’m not perfect, and expecting me to be isn’t doing me any favors. And it isn’t doing Rebecca any either.”
Her heated words drove all the argument out of him. He stood there with wide eyes as she continued.
“You’re a loyal friend, and that’s great. But if she used the lamp, she’s in trouble. By refusing to even contemplate it, you’re putting her in even more danger. Because you won’t see it until it’s too late. Let’s say that the worst happens, and we find out that she had the lamp all along. She used a wish to wipe my memory, and it opened the door for the djinn. She tried and tried to keep it closed, but it’s been wearing at her. And then she makes another wish, only she’s not thinking straight, and she doesn’t word it well. Djinn are rules lawyers, Darius. They’ll twist your wishes.
The Supernaturals of Las Vegas Books 1-4 Page 45
