by Fatima Fayez
I was home.
A chill went through me as I realized there was only one way I could have returned here. Diego was the last person I had seen before I had passed out. This was the strongest message he could have left me. We were both aware that he could have killed me at any moment, but this was worse still — he knew where I lived.
I struggled to my feet and unlocked the door. I made my way to my bathroom and stared at my face in the mirror. It looked bad, but it felt way worse than it looked. In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face and then walked over to my bed and dropped onto it. A small rectangle lay on my bedside table. Curious, I reached for it. It was Rafael's business card. I had forgotten all about it.
"Noor," I called out in a strangled voice.
"Yes?" Noor walked into my room. She ogled my face. "Fire and brimstone! What happened to your face? You look awful."
I ignored her concerned insult and held out Rafael's business card, waving it back and forth at her. "Did you know?"
She sat on my bed and reached out for the card. "Know what? What is this? What's going on? Why haven't you started a healing spell yet?" She placed the card back on the nightstand and looked at what I was sure was a mosaic of bruises and lacerations on my face.
"He's an Alliance agent." My mind was turning over every single detail of the previous night. An Alliance agent had been in my apartment. An Alliance agent had been in my bed.
Fire and brimstone. Zap it all to hell!
"Who?" She grabbed the card from table and squinted at it.
"Rafael."
"What? No!" She gaped at me, dropping the card as if it was poisonous. "Oh, zap! No zapping way. I'm sorry."
I threw my head back on my bed and grabbed a pillow to cover my face. I had invited an Alliance agent into my apartment, into my bed, into the most personal corners of my body. He worked for the organization that was actively hunting me. He knew where I lived. This was bad. This was really bad. After all the precautions I had taken over the years, how could I be so careless? Diego was right. I was an idiot.
"How could you not know?" I couldn't help the notes of blame and anger that trickled into my voice.
"I just asked Leroy to bring a friend. I had no idea." Noor was apologetic. She reached out and removed the pillow before it smothered me.
"If you hadn't prevented us from talking about work, I would have known that night." I glared at her.
"Yes..." Noor paused. She raised both her eyebrows. "But then you wouldn't have gotten laid."
"I would have avoided sleeping with an Alliance agent!"
"But you like him," Noor protested.
"Aren't you listening to me? Obviously I can't see him again."
"Why not?" Noor raised her hands. "Don't look at me like that. I know the obvious reason, but he doesn't know what it is you do."
"He's an Alliance agent. It's too risky." I put his card on my bedside table. "Besides, I saw him with another woman."
"What? When? Where?" Noor was offended on my behalf. "Does he have a girlfriend too? Is that why he and Leroy are friends?"
"I saw him earlier tonight at the vampire lounge. She was a vampire."
Noor bit her lip. The topic of vampires was always a touchy one. I could see her wanting to say something, but before she could speak, a knock sounded on the front door. We looked at each other.
"Are you expecting anyone?" I asked her.
She frowned and shook her head. "At this hour? No."
"I'll get it. You keep an ear out in case it's trouble." I unsheathed my dagger and covered it with a sight shield. I reached the door just as another knock sounded. I put my eye against the peephole to see who it was.
I tucked the dagger into the back of my pants. On second thought, I removed it and held it lightly in my left hand. Noor waited in the hall. I turned to her and shook my head, waving an all-clear.
I took a deep breath and swung the door open, revealing Rafael on my doorstep.
He stared at me, a range of emotions crossing his face. Surprise. Shock. Anger. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing." I gripped the door tighter and didn't invite him in.
"That's not nothing." He gestured at my face. He reached up as if to touch me, but he reconsidered, his hand dropping to his side and forming into a fist. "Who attacked you? Was it a vampire from the lounge? Who was it?"
"It's none of your concern." The last thing I needed was an Alliance agent digging into the incident. I was making thoughtless mistakes. I should have used an illusion spell to hide my bruises before I opened the door.
"Can I come in? We need to talk." Rafael glanced over my shoulder into the apartment.
"You don't need to explain anything." I kept my hand on the door, preventing him from entering.
"Yes, I do." He ran his hand through his hair. "I was on the job when you saw me, and I couldn't explain at the lounge."
"I told you, there’s no need to explain." I paused. There was no reason to drag this out any further. "Listen, we had fun last night, and we left on good terms. Let's leave it at that." Despite the rational part of my mind screaming at me that he was an Alliance agent and that the whole thing was a terrible idea, that simple motion of running his fingers through his hair had set my heart racing. I wanted to jump him, sore body be damned.
"I want to see you again." His mouth was set in a stubborn line.
I wanted to lean in and kiss those lips, soften that hard line. But it was too risky. He was Alliance. I licked my lips. His eyes followed the motion. I cleared my throat. Focus. "Remember when Noor said I was a workaholic? Well, she was telling the truth. I don't have room for someone in my life."
"I don't take up much space," Rafael said quickly before I could shut the door.
I paused. He didn't believe my excuse. He probably thought I was upset about seeing him with the woman. He didn't know it was more than that.
My throat was dry. I wondered if there was a way to make it work, but I knew it was insanity. I couldn't allow myself to think that way.
He broke the awkward silence. "I have first-aid training. Can I take care of you? Let me help. Please?"
That "please" nearly destroyed my resolve. I shook my head, clearing away thoughts of us playing doctor. "Thank you, but no, I'll be fine."
His eyes searched my face. He waited a beat, then said, "I'm not the type of guy who chases after a woman and harasses her. I'll respect your wishes, but I really hope you'll change your mind and call me. You have my number. I'll be waiting." With reluctance, he turned away and left.
I shut the door softly and leaned against it. I closed my eyes. That had been harder than I’d expected.
"You're crazy," Noor said from the hallway.
My eyes snapped open. I glared at her. "No, what's crazy is dating an Alliance agent and running around assassinating people at the same time."
"He came all the way from the lounge to clear up a misunderstanding." Noor was a sucker for sensitive guys. "He didn't even wait for the next day. He's cute. Why can't you give him a chance?"
"Do you want me locked away for life?" I asked her.
"Of course not." She was indignant.
"Then you better make sure he doesn't come back here again." I wouldn't put it past her to try to make it work, despite my threats.
"Fine," Noor sighed. "And here I thought you broke your one-night-stand curse. I thought this would turn into a relationship."
"I don't think I'm cut out for relationships," I confessed.
"Well, at least you had fun while it lasted." She padded back to her room. "Start a healing spell. Your face looks awful," she called out over her shoulder.
As she walked away, I realized I hadn't told her about Diego. I sighed. It would keep until tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty
I managed to get a few hours of sleep that night. The healing spells helped remove traces of the fight, but the magic made me feel sluggish as it drained what little energy I had left. I spent a little longer at
the apartment, vegging out on the couch and watching anime until I felt more like myself.
There wasn't much I could do about my vampire target during the day. It was true that they could emerge in daylight, but vampires were still nocturnal creatures and kept those hours. I decided to go to the bounty office to see if anyone had sent a hit out on my target. It was helpful to know if I had a competitor working the same job.
The weather reflected my mood: clouds roiled on the horizon and threatened rain. I pulled my jacket closer around my body to block out the chilly wind. It was brisk for a September day. As I walked, I thought back on all the events from last night and was forced to think about how I had returned home the previous night. I wondered if Diego had personally carried me back to my apartment or if he had ordered one of his shifters to do it. Regardless of who did it, it bothered me more than I could admit. And I'd never be able to ask him for the answer. It was too humiliating.
By the time I entered the bounty office, I was in a foul mood. It took a tremendous effort not to take it out on Sandra. "Hi, Sandra. Is Javier in?"
"He always is." Her eyes expressed her concern. I knew I probably didn't look too great, despite my healing spells.
"So are you." I tried to keep the same light tone I usually had.
"He holds us to his standards. It's a tough life." Sandra pretended to complain. She loved her job. Her two sons had left home years ago and hadn't given her any grandchildren yet. Sandra gave me a gentle smile. "What's got you so down? You're alive and you're not on the boards. Cheer up."
I attempted a weak smile for her, but it felt more like a grimace.
"That's better," she chirped.
I gave her a wave and continued down the hall toward Javier's office.
He looked up in surprise when he saw me. "Back so soon? I thought you were going on vacation. I hadn't found another job that suits your talents. Everything I have is small-fry."
"What can I say? I get bored." I sat in the empty seat and stretched my legs.
The dwarf scratched his chin. "Do you want the small jobs? Are you saying I don't give you enough work?"
"No." I shook my head. "I just passed by to see if there was anything interesting."
He studied me. "What are you after?"
"Do you have any shifter or vampire bounties?"
Javier narrowed his eyes. "Looking for trouble? You know those are rare, and no, none of them have made their way across my desk since your last visit. You know the shifters and vampires settle their disputes privately — for the most part. I'm still looking into the one you did the other night. What made you think there would be another one here?"
"There's always hope." I shrugged.
"Who pissed you off?" Javier grinned at me. "The shifter or the vampire? Or both?"
A sharp pain caused me to reach up and press my fingers lightly against my face where Ethan had punched me the night before. The healing spells had removed all traces of the beating, but the pain was still there. I shook my head, trying to clear it. "Have you ever had vampires put out bounties? With your knowledge, I mean…" My voice trailed off.
"No, it's incredibly rare for them to outsource. They have all their own people, and with their bloodlines nonsense they don't need to pay money to get someone to do their work for them. I still can't work out the story with that demon. It doesn't make sense. I’ve been looking at their history of jobs and trying to figure out if they’ve killed them all." Javier shook his head and looked down at the several files sprawled across his desk.
"What if they used you to cover their tracks? Do you ever worry about getting involved in their politics?"
"What's going on, Aisha?" Javier stared at me. "What do you know that you're not telling me? Is this to do with the demon?"
"Nothing, I'm just restless." I got to my feet. "I guess I should go bother someone else. Could you do me a favor and let me know if any interesting work comes your way? Don't give it to Luke or Tahani. I need to keep busy."
I could tell that Javier wasn't convinced, but he nodded slowly. "Sure, you'll be at the top of my list."
With a wave, I strolled back out of his office, deep in thought. The vampires were using a front. There had to be a reason behind it. Vampires wouldn't involve outsiders unless there was a good reason. I had researched Donnie the demon, but it appeared there was more to the story. Did I want to find out more?
I glanced at the Alliance's most-wanted posters, unpinned the Supernatural Shadow notice, and rolled it up.
I said goodbye to Sandra as I left the bounty office. She gave me a cheery wave goodbye, but didn't say anything about the large poster I carried away with me.
Chapter Twenty-One
The music blaring from the multiple speakers around the place was so loud I could barely hear myself think. Reconnaissance work had taken up most of my time in the past two days. I had identified which vampire lounges Sloan Nicholi had invested in and found his real estate holdings. I had kept myself so busy I hadn't even had time to see Noor. She'd be upset that I was at another vampire lounge without her.
There was no need for an escort this time. This vampire lounge, Shades, accepted all supernaturals. Despite that open-door policy, the place was still dominated by vampires. There was a dance floor at the center of the lounge and tables lining both side walls. On the far end of the building was the bar. The other end housed the DJ booth.
I made my way across the dance floor, squeezing through the writhing bodies, heading toward the bar. It would be quieter there. I identified supernaturals by reflex as I passed: demons, goblins, vampires, korrigans, pixies, and veela. There were even a couple angels.
I recognized the succubus that had been on Javier's roster. I wondered how much the job paid to turn her in, but decided against it and shook my head. I had to focus on my primary target. I pulled out my phone and texted Javier. Just because I couldn't take the job didn't mean I couldn't let someone else make some easy money.
Almost at the bar, I cursed my luck. I wondered when my life had turned into one cosmic joke. Rafael was sitting a few tables down with a group of people. I studied his profile before turning my gaze to the people he was with. They were about half a dozen elite vampires I recognized from the society pages.
One of them was my target. Sloan Nicholi.
Zap it all to hell.
I went up to the bar, ignoring Rafael, and ordered a drink from the bartender. I wondered how I could make the best of this situation. I had to be careful and recalibrate my approach. Based on my knowledge of vampires and their twisted thinking, I knew what made them tick. They were competitive, and they liked to win.
It would be a risky proposition, but I could use Rafael as bait to lure my target in. If it worked, I wouldn't have to wait all night and follow my target later. The faster I finished the job the sooner I got paid, but it was high risk.
I debated the merits of doing the job with an Alliance agent not even ten feet away. It was almost as if I was asking for trouble. But if I could do it right, I'd kill the vampire and dispose of the body and Rafael wouldn't know it was me.
There was a chance I wouldn't find my target again if I was scared off by Rafael. I took a sip of my drink and turned to stare at the vampire. What had brought him to Rafael's circle? After a couple of minutes, my target felt my gaze and turned to me. I allowed a small smile to grow on my face, then moved my head to face the bar and took sip of my drink. The action elongated my neck, exposing it to the vampire. It was a classic flirting move that worked better than flashing cleavage. Show a vampire your neck and they would know you were interested. I brushed back my long hair, showcasing a lot of neck. Come to me.
I remained at the bar and made small talk with the bartender. From time to time, I picked up my drink and repeated the motion, making sure my neck was in full view of the vampire. Sure enough, within minutes someone stood at my shoulder. I prepared a smile and looked up from beneath my lashes. My smile melted away instantly.
"You loo
k better," Rafael said. His eyes roamed over my features.
"I heal fast." The magical spells helped. That was why I needed a couple days of downtime before getting back to it.
"I thought you were busy with work," he said. It wasn't quite an accusation, but almost. His gaze traveled down to take in my crop top and tight leggings.
I didn't answer him. I didn't need to.
He sighed when I didn't respond. "I promised you I wouldn't bother you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay." The intensity of his gaze made me flush. It also reminded me that I was working.
"You're still at work?" I eyed the group at his table.
My target was watching us. I couldn't let Rafael ruin my plan. I gave the vampire a slow smile. I knew he was trying to figure out my relationship with Rafael. I intentionally turned my body away from Rafael. Most communication was non-verbal, and I needed to make sure that the vampire would read that I was not interested in Rafael.
Rafael picked up on the cue first. He gave me a sad smile. "I'm glad you're better. You have my number. Or I'll see you around." He left and walked back to the table.
I took a sip of my drink and started a count in my head. Before I could get to ten, someone else had approached me.
"Do I know you?" a raspy voice asked me.
I swiveled on my stool. I tilted my head and shook it. "I don't think so."
"Are you sure?" He stared at my neck.
Bingo. I allowed a small smile to spread across my face and lowered my lids. "Do you want to get to know me?"
"I would love to." He settled on the stool next to me and glanced at my half-empty glass. "Can I get you a drink?"
"I wouldn't let the last man do that." I ran my fingers through my wavy hair.
"I'm not like him."
He was right, he wasn't. Where Rafael was charismatic, this vampire was repulsive. I raised my glass to my lips to cover my distaste. I emptied the glass and pouted. "Will you look at that? It seems I’ve finished my drink."
