“Norse, I’m smiling. That alone should terrify you.”
Týr smirked, pulling out his M&M’s. “One on one, pool, tomorrow? I win, it proves I’m right.” He tossed a few reds into his mouth, brow cocking in challenge.
Blaéz’s grin became feral. “You’re on.”
“And this is why,” Ely deadpanned, “after the Creator shaped males, he decided he could do sooo much better. And here we are.”
Startled silence swept through the room.
Nik snorted. The female had integrated well and held her own with this lot of hardheads.
Guffaws of laughter erupted.
“Well played, Ely,” Týr said, chuckling. “I’ll admit, I’m nothing without my mate.”
She gave a little bow and leaned back in her chair. “It’s good you recognize female power.”
“Nik,” Michael said, cutting into their levity. “You’re more suitable.”
Nik remained silent and rubbed his inked biceps, the urge to ignore all this shit and just hoof it back to Romania taking hold. But his damn hands were tied when the Arc had his ass nailed to this place. “Very well.”
“Nik, hold on,” Týr called out, all signs of needling gone. “Kira has a friend who lives underground. The female would probably know more. She also hauls the homeless kids to The Shelter and probably hangs out there, too. Goes by Shadow. Black hair, purple streaks, height around five-seven, or so. I’ll check with my mate for more info.”
Nik slid his hands into his pants pocket. No, he didn’t need a description. He knew exactly who Týr meant.
The little machitís had kneed him in the balls.
Hell, he could have saved himself a shitload of trouble hunting for her if he’d asked Kira straight out. But he’d been too busy isolating himself from the household and the females.
“There’s something else,” Blaéz said, sending a quick look at Aethan. “We have a tear in the veils again.”
The Empyrean’s expression appeared molded in granite. Yeah, he already knew. His mate, Echo, was the Curantii—the Healer of the mystical rift—a gift from her angelic ancestors, The Watchers. Nik had heard, it knocked her into a deep, healing sleep for several days afterward.
Aethan’s mouth thinned, but he nodded. “I’ll see to it.”
Yeah, no matter his feelings—or the adverse effect it had on his mate after healing the veils—his fellow warrior understood it had to be done.
The meeting adjourned, Nik walked outside.
Shadow.
Finally, he knew where to find her. And he’d have his answers.
He doubted she hung around The Shelter at night, not when she was playing Wonder Woman. But it would be dusk soon, and he didn’t have anything pressing.
“Nik, wait—” Blaéz stepped out on the terrace. No sign of his usually provoking expression, his blue eyes almost navy and unreadable. “This path you take…a dark haze hovers. Be careful.”
Nik respected the guy like hell. Blaéz’s precognition was paralleled to none. But seriously, he didn’t want to know what he’d seen or whatever the hell awaited him. He merely nodded and dematerialized to the Lower East Side.
Shadow leaned against a shopfront, sweat beading her brow. She plucked the overlong sleeves of her denim jacket as she studied the busy sidewalk, sucking on her cherry lollypop.
Ugh. People. Everywhere.
She’d rather be searching for Joyce or enclosed in her gloomy, rat-infested basement at this part of the night, but she had to pay her dues. Fuckin’ Rough.
She glanced up the street then down again, her gaze sweeping past a well-dressed, stocky man in a suit, puffing his way in her direction, to a skinny hood in leathers strolling behind him. Time to get on with the job.
The candy stuck between her lips, she pulled off her denim jacket and sighed in relief as her damp skin aired. At least the heat rising off the street had lost some of its intensity. She strolled toward them, licking her lolly, when the stiletto heel of one of her knee-high boots caught in a crack on the sidewalk. “Eeek—!” She tripped and went flying forward, arms whirling, grabbing onto someone.
“Sorry.” She quickly pulled away.
The thickset man blinked at her, then a smile started. His lust-filled gaze wandered down to her black mini and up again, fixing on her tank-top covered breasts.
“No problem at all, toots,” he told her boobs.
Asshole. She strode off. Nope, no guilt at all for relieving him of what she wanted. She had planned on the hood as a target because she had standards, but whatever.
Shadow stashed his wallet into her jacket pocket, and as she retied the denim around her waist, she stumbled again. Dammit. She needed to be more careful before she truly broke her heel. These boots were all she had.
Someone grasped her by the arm, hauling her to the edge of the busy sidewalk.
“Jeez—” she growled around her lollipop. “One minute ago, I nearly twisted my ankle. Your chivalry is a tad too late.” She tugged her arm and glared up. “You can let go—” Oh, shit. Horror stole her breath at the tall guy looming over her.
The pale-eyed Guardian.
“Thieving?” His low, endless voice, one she could never forget, stroked her mind and had prickles coasting up her arms and down her body to curl in her belly. Darn it, she shut off the annoying sensation, focusing on her precarious situation.
Deny, deny, deny. Then run like hell.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She yanked at his fingers with her other hand, trying to free herself, but they were like damn steel manacles.
“Don’t make this any more difficult on yourself. We need to talk.”
She flung her lollipop away. “I don’t think so.”
Those ice-green eyes swept over her face and seemed to devour her…in the same way she’d licked her candy moments ago. Oh, man. Her tummy tangled into a rope of knots. No, no, no, this wasn’t good.
His stare shifted down the street. “That’s a beat cop coming our way. I’m sure he’ll be quite interested in what you have hidden in your pocket.”
Shadow quickly tracked his gaze. Ugh. He wasn’t lying. The jerk.
“What’s it to you what I do, huh? This street’s filled with hardened criminals, and you come and hassle me.” Panic cramped her stomach as the burly cop drew closer. She hissed, “Don’t make me do something you’ll regret.”
“Like knee me in the balls again?” The pain-in-her-ass cocked an eyebrow. “I believe I owe you for that.” Then he deliberately glanced back at the cop.
Shit. She needed an out option. Fast.
“Helllp!” she yelled. “He’s harassing m—” The last word stuck in her throat, hands seized her, and the world around her dissolved in a dizzying speed. She grabbed onto the nearest thing for safety, which unfortunately was him.
Seconds later, they reappeared in a gloomy alley. Shadow found herself plastered against him like a bear to honey, every hard inch of his tough body pressing against hers, making her breath catch. And that annoying awareness sneaked back to life. Furious at herself, she shoved at his chest and stumbled free. Damn caveman. “What the hell did you do to me?”
The unyielding cold stare he settled on her made her feel like she’d cracked through ice and fell into a freezing lake.
“Stopped you from going to prison. Believe me, I would have handed your delightful thieving ass over without hesitation.” Yeah, he would, the limp dick. “But, I need something from you.”
Of course, he did—whoa! Did he think her a whore?
Dark anger stole through her. So, she occasionally stole, but only to put food in her stomach and pay fucking Rough. She never sold herself. It took everything in her not to punch him and cause more problems.
“Yeah, you and every other dickhead who crosses my path. Sorry, you got the wrong girl, pal. Go find yourself someone else to fuck.”
He tossed something to her. In reflex, she grabbed it. Argh. The stolen wallet.
Ugh. He was
even better at picking pockets than she was, but embarrassment scorched her face that he thought her a thief. Fine, she was, but working topside wasn’t in the cards for her, not when she had to remain under the radar if she wanted to continue breathing.
She tipped her chin. “A girl’s gotta eat.”
He crossed those heavily muscled, tattooed arms over his wide chest. More ink peeked from the crewneck of his black t-shirt, and a horrid looking snakehead smirked at her. He stood there, feet apart, eyes drilling her like lasers. “You kill demoniis like a hunter. Why don’t you join some organization and earn your money?”
“Like yours?” she taunted.
“You won’t make the cut.”
Oh, he thought himself so superior. “I know what you are.”
Not a muscle moved on his annoyingly handsome face. “Do you now?”
“If I know about demons, you honestly think I’m not gonna know about those assholes who hunt them, too.”
“Assholes?”
“Believe me, Guardian, I don’t want to be in any radius with a wet dick like you around. Now get outta my way.” She whirled away.
“Not so fast.” He grasped her wrist.
Damn irritating man. She was seconds from putting her blade between his ribs—shit. If he was immortal, they couldn’t die, could they? She’d have to ask Eddi about that one.
“Let’s get a few things straight. One, you can’t escape me. Two…” His stare lowered to her lips. “If my dick’s wet, then you’ll know why.”
Her jaw dropped, her traitorous body tightening at his words, despite the veiled threat.
Damn. She just had to spew out shit.
“Let me go, you weasel,” she snapped, more in anger at herself. It struck her then how ridiculous this was, fighting an immortal with a stolen wallet in her hand. She couldn’t win. She shoved the thing in her jacket pocket.
He arched that infuriating brow again. “My name’s Nik—”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re God himself, let me go!”
“—and I need your help.”
She froze.
Well. That blindsided her.
For a second.
“You?” she scoffed. “Who can just flash in front of hordes of humans, and no one’s the wiser, needs my help? Yeah, right.” Then to rattle him, “If you want something stolen, I’m your girl.” She smirked. “But I get eighty percent.”
“No.” His jaw hardened further, if that was possible. “I need to get close to the underground gang or their leaders, and I know you live in one of their territories. Hade’s Disciples or Tolvi’s Vipers. Which one?”
Nothing much shocked Shadow, but her jaw hit her chest. The two assholes she was actively avoiding. Rough and Tolvi. The latter had already sent his demon thugs after her a few times.
“Nuh-uh, no way. Do you want to draw attention to me, get me killed?”
“I’ll keep you safe.”
“Yeah, while you’re there. And when you’re gone, then what? Make me fair game as to which gang brutalizes me first before killing me?”
His expression grew colder. An icy blast of air hit her, as if she’d walked into an icebox.
Frowning, she shuddered and cast a quick look around, rubbing the goosebumps from her arms. The sensation suddenly disappeared. How odd.
“I’ll take you somewhere safe, where you can’t be found. Or…” His gaze drifted over her face, causing her heart to trip—stupid organ. “I can wipe out whoever’s memories you want gone. They won’t remember you. If you prefer, I could make them disappear, too. Permanently.”
She stared at him, sooo tempted to be free of the danger continually stalking her. But more of the jerks would simply replace the current ones. “No.”
He slipped his hands into his pants pockets—so that he wouldn’t shake her? Did he think she was being difficult? Too bad. This was her life he was putting on the line.
“Look, you don’t have to do anything, just point the leader or his thugs out to me.”
“Why?”
A shrug rolled off one thick shoulder. “Maybe I want a different life.”
Her laughter spilled free. “Yeah, right.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth, and that odd, trembly sensation twisted her tummy again.
Jeez, the guy was funny. With his hot body, buzzed hair, ice-green eyes, and perfectly chiseled features, he was the poster for prosperous living. Yeah, he couldn’t blow smoke up anyone’s ass. The people there were homeless, not blind.
Man, how did she end up with these weirdos?
“I can’t show you around the underground,” she snapped. “You’re a goddamn stranger. Rough’s thugs are suspicious of anyone new. Hell, you don’t have to look for them, they’ll sniff you out soon enough. And his demon thugs would probably know who you are straight off. There’ll be bloodshed. The innocent will pay.”
“I’ll try to prevent it. But every war has its casualties.”
Really? The heartless oaf!
Shadow prepared to bolt. His cool expression dared her to try, and she knew she was beat. The infuriating man moved like lightning. Dammit. His presence would definitely get Rough on her ass faster than a switchblade to her throat, which she really, really didn’t want, but what choice did she have?
“How long for this damn charade?” she demanded.
“As long as it takes. A week.”
Her teeth ground down. “No freakin’ way. You get a day.”
“Two, and make them count,” he shot back.
She scowled. “Fine. Meet me here later.”
“No. Now.”
Her fingers clenched, the urge to do him bodily harm growing. Except, she’d probably come out the worst for it.
Frustrated to her eyebrows, Shadow spun around and headed back into the alley to her escape route into the underground. She entered an inexcusably narrow thoroughfare. If she kept her elbows tucked to her waist and stretched out her hands, she’d still be able to touch both buildings on either side. She cut a quick look back. Yup, right behind her, not wedged as she’d hoped. He fixed her with a cool, steady stare.
Grrr. Too bad the walls couldn’t move an inch inward and trap him.
She shoved aside the wooden crate blocking the manhole. As she grasped the lid, he reached out. “Let me.”
“Please. As if.” With a grunt, she heaved the heavy iron cover away, and it fell with a resonating clang. She spun and went feet first through the hole, landing on the first rung of the ladder leading down into the gloomy tunnel and stagnant air. This entrance was some distance from her basement, but since she had to do a tour, it worked. A bald light hung by a cord on the graffitied wall, barely illuminating the damp place.
Shadow descended then stomped through the labyrinth deep in the city’s underbelly, Mister Pain-in-her-Ass close on her heels. Heck, she didn’t have time for this, playing guide. She had to find Joyce and convince her to leave this hellhole.
“Guess it’s nothing like your fancy castle, huh?” she taunted. He remained silent. “Nobody gives a shit about these people,” she plowed on. “They have nowhere else to go, no support. Down here, in the forgotten, they all congregate.”
“Why are you here?”
Like she would spill. “‘Cause I love the smell of poverty and watching people starve. You know, the usual fun stuff girls like me enjoy.”
His deadly pale stare nailed her like blades. She rolled her eyes and dropped her acerbic attitude. “This Refuge borders on Rough’s territory. He’s one of the gang leaders you want. And do me a fave, don’t draw his notice—Christ! The way you look is definite to get me in a shitload of trouble,” she muttered, irritation resurging.
Raised voices had her stilling. Shit, she grabbed his powerful forearm and yanked him behind a pillar and into the shadows as several of Rough’s thugs sauntered past.
A mind-churning scent of pure male, stormy nights, and cedar enfolded her, causing her heart to thud harder. Man…she inhaled sharply, h
is closeness making her too edgy—
“He wants her, the new one with the wild hair,” a low growly voice dragged Shadow back. “Make sure it happens.”
Joyce?
The poor woman. She’d escaped her abusive ex, only to have these assholes after her.
Blood pounding in her skull, Shadow peeped out from their hiding place behind a square pillar. Three of them. She would kill the jerks. Teeth gritted, she moved, but Nik hauled her back, keeping a tight hold on her upper arm.
“Let go,” she hissed. “They’re after another woman for their horny, freakin’ leader, the buzzards!”
“You think you can handle those humans?” He held her flaying arms easily like they were some pesky insect’s wings, which irritated her more when she could usually break free of anyone.
“If I can kill demoniis, I sure as hell can deal with them.”
“Not on my watch.”
She scowled. Good thing she would be rid of him by tomorrow. “FYI? I don’t need a man’s help in staying safe. I do fine by myself.”
Ugh, she must have lost her ever-loving mind agreeing to this farce.
No, wait, he threatened to hand her over to the cop. The jerk.
Besides, she didn’t want a fight here where the inhabitants could get caught in the crossfire, especially the children.
She shot him a frustrated look, taking in the threadbare, faded gray t-shirt delineating every muscle on his big, hard body. Faded black jeans covered his heavily muscled thighs, sporting a partly ripped back pocket, hanging halfway down his tight ass, and a couple of holes in the knee area.
If he thought dressing this way would make him blend amidst the homeless, yeah, Mr. Big, Tough Guardian was very much mistaken. But then Rough never let size matter, not when he had guns to do his talking and thugs to make a point.
Moments later, they left the stinky sewers behind and headed out into an open section of the old subway. A line of bare bulbs flickered above, casting a dim light over the open space.
“This is The Refuge.” She waved her hand around the reality of life for those shunned by society. The odor of boiling meat masked the usually fetid, damp smells of the underground. Her stomach rebelled, and she kept breathing shallow. Noise drifted to her, but everything appeared subdued as usual, even the kids playing with a punctured soccer ball.
Shattered Dawn (Fallen Guardians Book 5) Page 4
