"I wonder why?" I said sarcastically. "Maybe it's the whole third degree thing, and not letting people out the door."
He scratched his head. "That could be it."
"Or it could be the presence of Detective Nott." Johnny spoke behind me before I knew he was there. His ink must include some element of stealth, because people rarely snuck up on me.
"Ah." Rob nodded. "Yes, that would put a dampener on the evening's fun." He gave me a smile. "Still, we could just take this party somewhere else."
My mouth went dry. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him aside so I could step past.
"I don't think she likes you," Johnny remarked.
"I'm getting that impression myself," Rob agreed. "Strange, I'm usually so loveable."
I turned back to see him looking at me speculatively. I could all but see the gears in his brain turn, trying to figure out how he knew me. He shook his head slightly.
Johnny looked amused. He also looked as though he intended to follow me.
"Oh, are you two together?" Rob asked. He pointed toward Johnny, then me.
I snorted. "No, of course not." I gave them both a scowl before I started toward my motorbike. I hadn't taken more than a handful of steps when I heard Detective Nott's voice.
"Well, well, it looks as though proceedings moved out here." Although smooth, his tone was laced with suspicion.
"Don't mind us," Johnny said, "we're just seeing the lady to her vehicle."
"Yeah, what he said," Rob agreed.
Before I could respond further, a hand took my elbow.
"For love of paranormals, play along," Johnny hissed in my ear.
"Why should—" I caught the look on his face. Eyes wide, mouth set in a firm line. He was scared, but not for himself. I swallowed.
"I thought you guys were going to let me walk alone in the dark," I said. My voice was a sickeningly sweet simper. I almost disgusted myself.
"That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of us, would it now?" Rob asked as he appeared on the other side of me.
"Not at all." I smiled at him. He probably saw it in my eyes that I'd prefer to punch him in the dick. Although, why was he helping me if he set this trap in the first place?
"Perhaps she'd prefer a police escort?" the detective suggested.
We all froze, then slowly turned around.
I smiled, another sickeningly sweet expression. "Thank you, that's lovely of you, but I think my two friends here might just be adequate.
Rob snorted softly. "I'm much more than adequate," he said softly.
I didn't think he was referring to protecting women who didn't need or want protecting.
"Same," Johnny replied. He gave Nott a shallow bow from his waist and an ironic smile. "If you'll excuse us, Detective, we'll just be on our way."
A flash of annoyance crossed Nott's features. For a moment I could have sworn his eyes burned with a greenish flame.
I resisted the urge to shudder and said, "It's very sweet of you to be concerned, but I'm fine, really."
He looked me up and down. I cursed myself for not being dressed from head to toe in black, like I usually was. Blue jeans, red t-shirt, boots. I would more easily pass for a damsel in distress.
I hated that.
It didn't matter, we backed him into a corner. All he could do now was step aside graciously, but with obvious reluctance.
"Very well then, but a word of warning." He held up a finger. "Watch yourself. Dangerous folk wander the streets of the city. It would be terrible if you… came to any harm."
"Thank you, Detective," I said. I had just about done with this act. "I'll be sure to be careful."
He gave a curt nod and headed off down the street in the opposite direction.
"All right, what was that about?" I demanded, once he was out of hearing.
"What was what?" Johnny gave me a look of pure innocence.
I rolled my eyes. "You know perfectly well what."
"I'd love to know too," Rob said. "Why was Nott sniffing around you?" He regarded me as though I did something wrong.
"As if you don't know," I retorted. To hells with this, I was out of there. I started back toward my bike. I was done with these crazy guys and their equally delightful detective.
"Wait," Rob called out.
I didn't stop.
"Cat burglar."
The words stopped me in my tracks. I turned around slowly.
"I beg your pardon?" If Nott had heard him say that…
"You heard me," Rob said. "I knew I saw you somewhere before."
I shrugged with one shoulder. "You have me confused with someone else. For one thing, they say the cat burglar is a man."
"So they do," he agreed.
Johnny eyed him doubtfully.
"Maybe I was saying I am he," Rob added.
"Are you?" Johnny asked.
Rob grinned. "Of course I'm not." He pointed at me. "But she is."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "You can't prove anything. You shouldn't go around throwing accusations at people. You never know who you might offend."
He stepped closer to me, his voice low now. "Is that a threat?" he asked teasingly.
"Oh no, I never threaten," I told him. My eyes locked on his. A jolt of electricity passed between us. I pushed it down and focused. "Let's say for a moment you're right. Then what? Would you call your friend back to arrest me?" As if I'd let that happen. I'd scurry away in my cat form before he even got close.
Rob's lip curled in distaste. "He's no friend of mine. I'm not saying I condone theft, but I abhor the hoarding of wealth while others go without. The rich can afford to give a little so those who aren't well off can have a bit more."
"That's a noble idea," I said. Which I agreed with fully. "Maybe you should become a politician?"
He gave a bark of laughter. "I'd like to actually help people without having to bother with red tape."
"And you think I can help you with that?" I asked. "Even if I was who you seem to think I am, what makes you think I would need, or want, to involve anyone else."
"Because the nights are long and dark and lonely," he replied.
"It sounds like you should get a dog." I lowered my arms to my sides. "Look, I get it. You think it'll give you a rush. Breaking, entering, sneaking about, then playing the hero afterward when people see the money appear."
"Is that why you do it?" he asked challengingly.
I opened my mouth to retort, but closed it again. "Someone needed to do something. The city is rife with corruption. The rich hoard money like it'll save them when the world ends." I couldn't understand the thinking behind it. What good was wealth if it sat in the bank year after year? Well, apart from peace of mind that you could afford that basics for the next few hundred years.
"So, it is you?" Rob asked.
"Wait, really?" Johnny looked impressed.
"I'm admitting nothing—" I froze at the sound of an engine revving. "My bike!" I streaked away from the bar, to the street where I'd parked.
A young man sat astride my bike, one foot still on the ground, eyes intent on something directly in front of him.
"Hey, you!" I shouted. "Get the hells off my—"
My motorbike exploded in a ball of flame.
Five
I twisted my body away from the blast and threw my arm up over my face to shield my eyes.
After a moment, the heat started to abate. I lowered my arm to see a burning wreck by the side of the road.
"Fucking hells on a godsdammed motherfucking cookie!" I growled.
"Well shit," Rob agreed.
Johnny stood with his elbow pointing toward the bike. One of his tattoos glowed for a moment. The fire hissed and died down. It didn't much matter now. The man was incinerated; my beloved bike was a mess of twisted metal and melted leather.
I sagged a little and held up a hand before Rob could take more than a step toward me. I didn't need to be held right now. All right, maybe I did, but I didn't want it. I wanted
answers.
"Who did you piss off?" Rob asked.
"Who didn't I piss off?" I replied. "The question is, why here?" I looked at him accusingly. "Who else knew I was here? I know you told Nott—"
He looked surprised. Shocked even. "I did not. Why would I?"
"You tell me," I replied. "You're the one who told me to come to Merry's. What was that if it wasn't a set up?"
"A coincidence," he shot back. "I didn't expect you to come any more than I expected him to show up."
"He's right," Johnny said. "He would never do something like that."
"Says you," I muttered. "None of that changes the fact someone tried to kill me." As for the poor, dead man on my bike…
"Did they?" Rob asked thoughtfully. "Maybe that was aimed at this poor chap." He gestured toward the charred corpse.
"The guy who just happened to be on my bike?" I asked. "I suppose it could be the biggest coincidence in history."
"When you put it that way." Rob grimaced. The look deepened at the sound of sirens. "Oh good, just what we need."
I tended to agree. If someone was trying to kill me, I still didn't need the cops sniffing around. The gods knew it was too late for an ambulance.
"Maybe you should go," I told them. "If you really had nothing to do with this," and I was almost sure they didn't, "there's no point in getting dragged in further."
"We're already in this," Johnny said. "The moment you walked through the door of Merry's."
"Maybe you shouldn't have let me push in ahead of the line," I said dryly.
Rob gave me a funny look, but Johnny just grinned.
"I regret nothing," the big wizard declared.
"You might change your mind soon," Rob said. "Here comes Nott."
Johnny groaned, but turned to face the cop with a smile on his face. "Ah, here they are. The long arm of the law."
"You three again," Nott said. He looked us all up and down as if we might have a bomb stashed under our clothes. "Who's on the bike?" He jerked his head toward it.
"No idea," I replied. "He was trying to steal my bike and this happened." I shrugged.
Nott's eyes narrowed. "This is your bike?"
"She just said that, didn't she?" Rob asked.
"Did I address the question to you?" Nott asked.
"Nope." Rob put up his hands, palms forward. "Just trying to assist with the investigation."
Nott glared at him, then let his eyes slide off Rob. He looked directly at me, but more like someone who faced a tasty meal than a detective.
"This is your bike?" he asked.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Yes it is. Or it was at least." I told him what I heard and saw. "I've never seen the victim before."
Somewhat after the fact, a patrol car drew to a stop a few metres from the bike. The police put crime scene tape around my bike and a crime scene investigator took photos. No doubt an ambulance would be along later to remove the victim. Preferably before the neighbourhood turned out to take their own pictures for social media.
"I need you to come down town to answer more questions." Nott nodded toward the cop car.
"I've told you everything I saw," I told him.
"I'm sure," he drawled. "But there's still more we need to ascertain. The insurance on the vehicle, for one thing."
"You think she'd destroy her own bike and commit murder, just for the insurance?" Rob asked, aghast.
I thought Nott might ignore him, but he turned slowly. "It wouldn't be the first time. Unless you'd like to join her, then you can be on your way."
Rob opened his mouth to argue.
"I'll be fine," I said before he could say anything which might get him into trouble. "I'll need a ride home anyway."
"Right. Well, if you need anything," Rob pulled out his phone and gestured for me to do the same. He tapped his against mine. "You have my number in there now. Don't hesitate to call. Any time, night or day."
I nodded and tucked my phone away. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll be okay." It wasn't as though I was being arrested. Even if I was, I never left any fingerprints behind.
"After you, miss—" Nott waved toward the car and looked expectant.
"May," I replied. "Marion May."
"Ahhh," he said as if he knew who I was somehow. I was starting to suspect he got off on making people feel guilty, even if they weren't. He must be a ton of fun at parties.
I gave him a smirk and slid into the back seat of the patrol car. I wrinkled my nose. It stank of sweat and fear. My inner cat wanted to flee from it.
The urge rose when Nott slipped into the driver's seat and started the car. Every centimetre of my body was screaming at me to get out and run. I couldn't do that for two reasons. Firstly, because I would look very guilty if I did and second because he'd already pulled away from the curb. As a cat, I could leap out of the window. As a normal human, I couldn't and I didn't risk showing him what I truly was.
He turned his face slightly to talk to me over the seat. "Just sit back and relax. I know you've been through something traumatic, seeing someone die and all. I'll have someone drop you off at the hospital after I'm done with you."
His words sounded nice enough, but I was certain they were laced with double meaning.
"Thanks," I said uncertainly. "How far is the station from here?"
He hesitated, then said, "Oh, we're not going to the station."
What the fuck?
"In that case, take me home." I tried to keep my voice even, but my body trembled.
"I can't do that," he replied. "Not yet anyway." He leaned forward and pressed a button.
A glass screen rose between us, slowly at first, until it reached the roof.
I tried the door.
Locked.
The window.
It wouldn't go down.
I banged on the window, waved at a person in the car beside us. I guessed the window was tinted, or he thought I was some ordinary felon.
I heard a puff and smelled something sickly sweet.
"What are you—" I put a hand over my nose, but I must have already inhaled some of the gas he released in the back seat. My vision blurred.
Very real fear rose inside me. I had to cling to consciousness. I didn't know what he planned, but a few scenarios flashed through my head and none were nice.
With my spare hand, I reached for my phone. The screen was a blur. I felt for the “on” button and pushed it.
The screen lit up, but I couldn't make out the numbers to put in my passcode. I pressed down on the "on" button again to bring up the thumbprint pad—my backup method for unlocking my phone.
I fumbled to place my thumb on the pad. I thought I had it several times, but nothing happened.
My eyes started to close.
I pressed my thumb to the screen. It turned white as it unlocked.
"Call…" I said weakly. "Call Tuck…"
The phone slipped out of my fingers and everything went black.
Six
I woke with a bitter taste in my dry mouth. I tried to shift, but I couldn't move more than a few centimetres. My stomach protested and threatened to throw up my last meal.
I swallowed it back down and opened my eyes. A hint of sunlight peeked through the slit in the middle of the curtains on the window. Through the cloth I saw the silhouette of bars. Too narrow to fit through in cat form. Fine, I would find another way out.
I lay on a bed, my legs tied to the end and my hands were cuffed at my sides. With some effort, I slid the cuffs along the side of the bed so I could sit up.
"Definitely not a cell," I muttered out loud.
The door clicked and opened just then.
Nott.
I would scratch his eyes out when I got the chance.
"Don't try to shift," he warned me. "Those aren't ordinary cuffs."
I had no reason not to believe him, but I needed to find out for myself. I almost did, but caught myself at the last moment. Maybe he wanted me to shift. If that was the case, I wasn't
going to fall for it.
Instead, I raised my chin. "I don't know what you're talking about. You've got me confused with someone else. I'm the victim here. It was my bike that blew up, remember?"
He sat down on a small stool beside me. "I seem to recall that, but what I don't know is why." He gave me a slow smile and a piercing look.
I suppressed a shudder. "Here's an idea, why don't you go and investigate? When you find out, let me know. I'll be at my place, reporting your ass for kidnapping."
He laughed softly, but the humour fled his face as fast as it arrived. "What are you?" he asked. "Fox? Rabbit? Something spiky perhaps?"
I shrugged. "Just a normal old human. Why, what are you?"
His eyes did that creepy, glowy thing again and I sucked back a breath. For the first time since I woke, I was scared.
I hated being scared.
"My guess is demon from the bottom of the darkest hells," I said, much more lightly than I felt.
"Only to the wrong kind of people," he said. "Now, let's try this again. What are you?"
"I am…" I said slowly, "not interested in playing games. I like being tied up as much as the next girl, but buy me dinner first. Also, you might want to skip the sleeping gas in the back of the car. It's a big turn off."
His eyes flashed with anger. For a moment I thought he might hit me. Instead, he rose.
"I can do this for days," he said, his voice menacing. "No one knows you're here. No one is going to come and help you."
I sighed. "It might help if you told me what the fuck you want. Last time I looked, cops weren't allowed to kidnap women and drag them off to—" I gestured around with a flick of my wrist. "Wherever the hells we are. I assume there's a reason for this."
So far, he showed no sign of any intention to force himself on me, or murder me. That was a good start. No, this was about something else. His dislike of paranormals maybe. Gods, for all I knew, he just needed a hug.
I'd give him a hug all right. In the balls. With my boot.
He sat back down and steepled his fingers.
Did evil dudes learn that in evil dude school?
"I want to help you," he said.
I laughed. "Of course you do. Nothing says helpful like tying someone up." I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. Could I got through the vent above my head? I would have to get free first.
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