by James Tate
There had to be hundreds of people on the heaving dance floor, all in some degree of costume, and with the flashing strobe lights, it created a hell of an image.
"I hate costume parties," I muttered, flinching as a macabre clown brushed past us. "Especially ones with clowns." I shuddered and Kody laughed.
"Let's find somewhere less intense." He took my hand, linking our fingers together and leading the way as we wove through the costumed party-goers once more. He glanced back at me a couple of times as we crossed the room, the flashing strobes catching on his devil mask and sending spikes of irrational fear shooting through me.
It was like I was seeing his real face. Like all the time I'd known him—all six weeks—he was really a demon in disguise. I'd believe it, silver-tongued devil that he was.
Kody shoved a rusty old door open with his shoulder, then released my hand so he could hold it open for me. He kicked an old brick into the opening so it wouldn't shut and lock us out, then reclaimed my hand again.
I kinda loved that.
"Oh, I know where we are," I commented, peering into the moonlit darkness. I'd known we were in the abandoned industrial area, but that was a huge area. "Isn't the old East-West boundary just past that tree line?" I pointed to the hill in the near distance, and Kody nodded.
What I really meant was that the East-West boundary was just past that tree line where the Laughing Clown amusement park was located. Not that the boundary line was a thing anymore, not in the new, "gang-free" Shadow Grove. Yeah, right.
Kody and I sat on the hood of an old car—all its tires long gone and the interior totally gutted. Still, it made a good enough seat, even if the metal was freezing against my bare legs.
"I know you won't tell me anything important," I started to say, and Kody shot me a suspicious look. I think. It was hard to read facial expressions when someone wore a mask that covered half their face. "But can you tell me anything?"
He didn't immediately deny my request, which was a step in the right direction. "I shouldn't," he said slowly, "but..."
When he didn't immediately complete his statement, I took a sip of my drink. The alcohol warmed my stomach, but I had no intention of getting drunk. So, I'd take it slow.
"But what?"
"I could play you for answers," he suggested, sipping his own drink, then setting it down on the hood beside him. "Truth or Dare? Seems like the perfect night for it." He leaned back on the rusty car, looking up at the full moon.
I snickered a short laugh. "Truth or Dare? What are we, thirteen? No."
He tucked his arms behind his head, drawing way too much attention to those impressive biceps of his. He'd put on a black long sleeved T-shirt, but it was tight enough around the arms that it wasn't hiding shit.
"You scared, MK?"
"Not even close," I replied, lying my ass off. "I've just read enough romance novels to know how this scenario goes. You give me some half-assed, cryptic answers to my questions, then dare me to do something sexual in return. Talk about predictable."
He pouted, and I laughed.
"Well shit, babe, give me a better idea. Arch could be a while yet, and you don't really look like you want to go dance with the creepy clowns in there." He nodded back to the party, and I cringed.
"Can you at least tell me why we're here tonight?" I'd run a bunch of possibilities through my head, but it was like trying to do a jigsaw puzzle with only a quarter of the pieces. And no fucking corners.
Kody seemed to consider this for a moment before replying, probably vetting his response to remove any real information.
"How much do you know about Archer's old man?" he asked me eventually. It wasn't at all the change of subject I'd expected, and I blinked in confusion.
"Um, not much. Just that he was the founder of the Shadow Grove Reapers and must have been one hell of a scary bastard to create such a brutal gang." And really, a huge amount of what I knew of the Reapers was just what rumors had told me. The Reapers and the Wraiths were the boogeymen that privileged children of Shadow Grove were terrified of, but most never actually crossed paths with.
Kody ruffled a hand through his hair, then rested his arm across his stomach. His fingers were close enough that I could have shifted an inch and touched him. "Right, so now what do you know about Ferryman?"
I frowned behind my oppressive mask. "The leader of the Wraiths? Nothing, really. I only know what I do about Damien D'Ath because of Zane." Because when Zane D'Ath killed my mother, I’d developed a small obsession… until he was released from charges a few weeks later, that was. And then I was too scared to pursue my vendetta against him. I didn't want to become his next victim when he so clearly had the cops on his payroll.
Kody sighed, looking back up at the sky. "This is going to take too long to explain, I think. So, to answer your question, we're here to meet with a business contact."
"What? No way. That's not... you can't just backtrack like that." I parked my drink on the car hood so I could shift around and glare down at him. Hopefully my devil mask intensified that glare and didn't make me look ridiculous as fuck.
"Your turn," he said, ignoring my protest at his shitty answer. "Are you and Steele a thing now?"
My mouth went dry. "A thing?" I repeated, like some kind of pink parrot. "Why would you think that?"
Kody gave a dry laugh. "Maybe because you guys fucked after Bree's party and you've been totally ignoring all of my attempts to flirt with you ever since."
My face heated, and I was suddenly thankful for the mask. "I haven't..." My words trailed off, so I tried again. "I was sick. I've barely even spoken to Steele since that night."
"You had a fucking cold, MK, not exactly the black plague. You were also probably a bit shell-shocked after your stalker's last gift, which is totally understandable. I just wasn't sure if you wanted me to back off." There was an edge of uncertainty in his tone that surprised me. In a good way, I think.
"Would you?" I challenged him, unable to help myself. Not for the first time, I wondered why I insisted on playing with fire. "If I told you to back off, would you actually do it?"
Kody sat up, putting him suddenly face-to-face with me. "No," he admitted, his hand sliding into the back of my hair and pulling my face closer. "Because I'd know you didn't really want me to."
His lips brushed mine, and I slid out of his grip—and off the hood. Taking two steps back toward the party, I gave him a teasing smile. "Maybe I do feel like dancing with the clowns after all. You coming?"
He tipped his head up to the sky, like he was praying for patience or cursing the fates—both equally amusing options—then followed after me.
Back inside the warehouse, there were even more people in both elaborate costumes—like the alien DJ—and half-assed efforts like our own masks with normal clothes. Kody and I bypassed the bar, making our way right into the heaving dance floor. Our fingers tangled together as we wove between dancing people, making sure we didn't get separated, until we found a slightly clear section near the enormous nightclub-quality speakers.
The heavy, thudding dance music was so loud there was no possible way to speak. No way for Kody to ask me questions I didn't know the answers to, like how I felt about Steele now or whether I was still fantasizing about Kody in my bed or... what the hell was going on between me and Archer. I had no idea if Kody or Steele had seen him kiss me that night—the night they’d beat the shit out of Skunk—but it was a conversation I wasn't ready to have.
My curiosity could wait. Eventually, I'd find out about what "business" the three of them had and what agreement Archer had with both the Reapers and the Wraiths.
Right now, I just wanted to dance with a drop-dead gorgeous guy and forget the facts that I had a stalker, that I was insanely attracted to three different guys, and that my father was a total piece of shit.
The heat from the crowd was intense, so I shed my jacket and tossed it into the shadows under the speaker. That left me in just a thin, tight tank top, but even that w
as too much for the temperature on the dance floor.
I swayed and moved to the music, letting the pounding bass pull me in as I lost myself to the noise. Kody's body seemed to find mine like Velcro, molding to me and moving in perfect harmony with the way I danced and writhed against him.
When the song blended and shifted into something new, hot sweat dripped down the center of my back and my mask felt like it'd been glued to my cheeks. I turned in Kody's arms until I faced him. My hips were still swaying as I pushed my mask up to my hair and swiped a bead of sweat from the bridge of my nose.
His hands were on my waist, his own body moving with mine, but there was a hungry, predatory gleam in his eyes that made my whole body tight with excitement. I reached up, pushing his mask off his face to rest on his blond hair, then grinned.
"You're not a bad dancer," I told him, having to yell to be heard over the deafening music. My arms looped around his neck, and he pulled me in closer still until every inch of my front touched some part of him.
He didn't reply, or not anything I could hear at any rate, instead pressing his lips to the bend of my neck as we danced. I groaned. Maybe dancing had been a bad idea.
Kody's lips trailed up my neck, then in the blink of an eye, his lips found mine.
On second thought, dancing had been a fucking excellent idea.
He kissed me, hard and demanding, forcing my lips to part so he could devour my mouth like a starving man with his favorite meal. Our bodies still writhed together, grinding in sync to the music, even as I desperately wished our clothes would disappear. Judging by the hard length crushed against my stomach, I figured it was a safe bet to think Kody was on the same wavelength there.
"Fuck," he groaned in my ear as our kiss broke off, and his hands roamed my body. "Can we get out of here? I need to touch you."
My belly fluttered, and I grinned into his sweaty neck. "Where?" We still needed to wait for Archer and Steele to do whatever the fuck they were doing, and I was pretty sure I'd seen porta potties set up in place of actual bathrooms.
Kody released me long enough to reach into his back pocket, then showed me an electronic car-key fob marked with the Mercedes logo. "Car?"
"Sold," I replied with a wide, excited grin.
Kody linked our fingers together and quickly led the way out of the warehouse. Once we emerged into the frigid night air, we all but ran back to the parking lot. The G-Wagen unlocked on proximity, its indicators flashing, but we didn't make it inside. Instead, I found my back pressed against the passenger door while Kody and I damn near mauled one another. His hands were inside my tank top, cupping my breasts and teasing my already hard nipples through my bra. My arms were around his neck, my fingers clawing at the back of his hair as I kissed him with raw hunger.
I needed more. I really, badly, desperately needed Kody to scratch the itch deep inside me. Preferably with his cock. So I skated my hands down his hard front and frantically unbuckled his belt.
Kody released my breasts, instead sliding a hand up my bare thigh and under my short skirt. The cool air pebbled my skin, but it only made me so much more aware of how scorching hot my core had grown.
Then all of a sudden, his mouth was wrenched away from mine. His hands left my body, and a cool blast of air took his place.
"What the fuck?" Archer bellowed, and I needed to blink about sixteen times to catch the fuck up on what’d just happened. Kody was on his ass in the gravel, a murderous scowl on his face and his belt undone. Archer must have just ripped him off me and tossed him on the ground.
But why?
Steele was still some distance away, only just emerging from the party warehouse as I looked for him, but he was running to catch up with us.
Surely Archer wasn't reacting like this because he was jealous.
Then again, he did have that extreme alpha-male bullshit going on. So maybe he was.
Pity I wouldn't stand for being treated like a piece of meat for dogs to chew over.
I'd teach him.
He'd learn.
36
"What's your fucking damage, D'Ath?" I spat at him, furious as I tugged my bra back into place and tried to calm my raging hormones. Apparently I wasn't getting any D in my V just yet. Fucking cunt-blocker.
"My damage?" he roared, his face a scary shade of red that suggested he really might blow his top any second now. His own mask was pushed up to his hair, like mine, but it still gave him a demonic sort of appearance with the full moon behind him. "You want to know what my fucking damage is, Danvers?"
He was next-level pissed, and I was growing more suspicious that this wasn't about me making out with Kody.
"Arch," Steele called out, reaching us. "Calm down. We can discuss this at home."
"Discuss what?" Kody demanded, picking himself up and buckling his belt, a move that Steele took in with a scowl. "What the hell is going on?"
"No!" Archer barked. His enraged glare didn't shift from me for even a second. "No, I've had enough, we're dealing with this now."
"Dealing with what?" I shouted back, sick of his intimidation routine. It was hot when it was likely to turn into sex, but I was getting clear vibes that this was not heading in that direction.
The vein in his temple throbbed, and his eye twitched slightly. "Did you fucking drug me, Madison Kate?"
I froze.
Oh shit.
That.
"My manager just called me," Archer continued, his voice threaded with pure violence, and a shiver of fear passed through me. "As a courtesy, to let me know that tomorrow I'd be getting disqualified from my fucking debut UFC fight. You want to take a wild stab at why that might be happening, Madison Kate?"
A flicker of guilt lit up inside me, but I smothered it quickly. He deserved it.
Own your choices, MK. Back yourself.
Folding my arms, I tilted my chin up defiantly.
"If I were a betting woman, I'd say you tested positive for anabolic steroid use. Sure does explain your short temper and bulging muscles. Not to mention those shriveled balls I'm sure you're hiding." I gave him an unkind, sarcastic smile. "Sucks to see your goals get flushed down the toilet, doesn't it, D'Ath?"
Rage built within him until he was fucking shaking, his muscles so tense I worried he might tear out of his shirt like the Hulk. His fists were clenched, but I wasn't afraid of him. Not really. Okay, maybe a tiny bit.
"You fucking bitch!" he shouted, then slammed his fist through the passenger-side window of the G-Wagen, shattering the safety glass and sending rock-salt-sized chunks scattering everywhere. My skin stung where the exploding pieces had hit me, but I knew from experience those scratches would be light. Archer's knuckles would be another matter.
Still, I hadn't moved. I hadn't run screaming in fear, and I sure as shit hadn't groveled for forgiveness. Fuck that shit.
I stayed motionless and impassive while Archer howled and cursed and generally threw a rage tantrum. Both Kody and Steele stayed out of it, too, which I noted. It wasn't until Archer looked like he might hit the car again that Kody intercepted him and grabbed his fist.
"One punch we can fix before the fight with ice, bandages, and bruise balm. Not two." His tone was low and even, not betraying any emotion, and I couldn't help making the whole situation worse.
"What fight?" I asked, snarky as all hell. "He's getting disqualified tomorrow."
Kody's glare in my direction was a crystal clear "shut the actual fuck up, MK" but I just grinned back at him. Yeah, I was smug as hell. Archer deserved this.
Archer's ice glare swung back around to me, and I bit my cheek to keep from flinching. But damn he was one scary fuck. "You little—"
"Stop it," Kody snapped, his voice cracking down like a whip, "You're being fucking dramatic, Arch. You know perfectly well that Jase called you tonight so we could fix it by morning. You'll still fight next week."
My jaw dropped in outrage. "So why the hell is he throwing a goddamn toddler tantrum?" I demanded. Now I was pissed. He was
n't actually getting disqualified? How?
"He's angry because you almost ruined his whole fight career before it even got started," Steele told me. His arms were folded over his chest and his glare accusing. "Not to mention what it would’ve done to Kody’s future as a trainer. You had no way to know that we could fix the drug test results. You wanted Arch disqualified from the fight."
I tipped my chin up once more, defiant to the end despite the stab of guilt I felt for dragging Kody down too. "You're damn right, I did. Now that I know it hasn't worked, I'll just try harder next time."
Archer's scowl turned venomous. "Why? Why would you do this when I've done nothing but protect you since you arrived back into Shadow Grove?" He was furious, no doubt. But there was a thread of something else that tugged uncomfortably at my heart.
"You must be joking," I scoffed, ignoring the twinge of guilt at that other emotion in his voice. "You had some random chick dump juice on me because you didn't like my outfit."
His glare darkened. "How is this remotely on the same scale of seriousness? Juice on your slutty outfit, versus the attempted destruction of my entire future?"
My own stare turned acidic. "Oh, you mean like when you framed me a year ago? How I was arrested for a crime I had nothing to do with, then charged and sent to goddamn, fucking court to prove my own innocence? Like that? How about how you three came forward to corroborate my story and provide the evidence I needed to get out in maybe three days instead of three months? Oh wait. You didn't. You left me there to fucking rot and didn't look back twice."
I was screaming this at him. At all of them. My chest heaved and the familiar burn of hatred seared through my veins. It was about damn time.
"How about the way you deliberately handed me over to the police that night? How about the way every fucking Ivy League university I had early acceptance to withdrew their offers the same day my arrest was aired on the news? Or how my job prospects are fucking shot now because all anyone sees when they look at Madison Kate Danvers is a criminal? An acquittal doesn't count for shit when you've been publicly branded as guilty."
