by Meg Xuemei X
Indira leaned forward and narrowed her eyes on me again. “You didn’t!”
I stepped back. “I only pinched its nose. I couldn’t resist. It’s cute. Oh, K checked its sex and confirmed that the gargoyle is a he.”
K glared at me.
A commotion rose on the east part of the floor. K growled and made a beeline toward the direction after another tough-looking bouncer.
“Hey.” I jerked my thumb in K’s direction and asked. “Early on, I punched a dude who had a hard time handling rejection. I saw his fangs on the pulse of a human girl’s neck. I think he’s a vampire.”
“Yup, he’s a cheap bloodsucker,” Indira said. “He didn’t tip well.”
“Fuck, vampires do exist,” I said. “That’s not good. Okay, so both vampires and Fae have fangs, but Fae have pointed ears too.”
Indira gave me an exasperated look. “That isn’t how you tell Fae apart from vampires. I’m a demifae—half-wolf and half-low Fae. I don’t have pointed ears.”
I stared at her diamond-studded ears. “So half-Fae don’t have pointed ears?”
“It depends.” She squinted at me. “But I can’t tell what you are, Evelina. Why’s that?”
“I’m one hundred percent human with great human parents.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of your heritage. You might be adopted. You smelled like a human when you first came in, but your scent keeps shifting. I think someone must have put a strong glamour on you.”
I laughed drily. “Yeah, like my parents could afford it.”
Then I remembered the expensive fancy rifle Dad got. He’d said it was a gift. Who gave Dad such an expensive weapon? I’d never met any of his associates or friends, which was why it was so hard for me to find a clue to track down my parents.
Only after they were gone did I realize how little I really knew about them. I didn’t even know who our grandparents were, and if they were alive. I might have asked about them when I was little. And I’d assumed that my parents were both the only child of their families, so I’d never asked about extended relatives. Self-absorbed me took everything for granted—when I cried, they’d be there to hold me. When I fell, they’d be there to pick me up. And all those years, I’d been consumed with getting them to stay in one place for my siblings and me to have a root. I’d wanted us to stay in Spain or Australia where we’d visited briefly.
Now I was paying the price for my selfishness.
Wait. A vague memory popped into my head. Mom had once taken me to a shop when I was six years old. She told Dad the spell and runes were wearing out and needed to be renewed. The shop smelled of myrrh, scented soaps and candles, and an ocean of blossoms. An attractive, mature woman who looked like Adele had given me a sweet drink. When I woke up, I was in my own bed. I’d thought the shop and the lady had been a dream.
And then there was that one time a string of runes had glowed on my stomach at thirteen, and something like a tiny storm had moved under my skin. Dad had chanted and Mom had calmed me. The runes or marks never appeared again after that.
Unconsciously, I moved my hand to press against my belly, not sure if I’d imagined both events. Perhaps I was a mystery, too? But I didn’t like the idea.
Just then, Drake, the Fae guard who had escorted me through the back door yesterday, strutted toward us, his dark hair flapping around his chin like an underwear model on the runway.
I turned to rearrange glasses and napkins on the back counter, pretending to work diligently. Indira scrambled to the sidebar to take orders from three newcomers who looked like mages thanks to the robes they wore.
“Boss wants you in his office now, Evelina,” Drake said flatly. “He said even when the bar isn’t that busy, he doesn’t pay you to come here for gossip.”
Damn, Rydstrom was going to fire me on my first day.
Indira tossed me a pitiful, regretful look over her tattooed shoulder.
I bit my bottom lip. I should have kept my big mouth shut.
Chapter 15
I was nowhere near as bold as yesterday. I had much to lose now. I’d gotten a six-figure job that I wouldn’t get anywhere else, and I needed to keep it at all costs.
So when I sauntered into the Fae mob boss’s office in my new barmaid outfit, I didn’t whistle, even though I wanted to since I was still impressed with the lush office of glass and steel. I warned myself to appear meek, very meek, but the attire that Drake made me wear before he allowed me to follow him here was getting in the way with my every pace.
It was three ridiculous pieces woven together: a purple off-the-shoulder blouse layered with a lace-up bond corset and a pompous pink mini-skirt with golden patterns. A corset! Who wore corsets these days? It looked like a Roma Bavarian maiden dress in a Shakespearean play.
Rydstrom raised his head from the spotless, shiny screen of his smart phone behind his expansive desk. His dark, bedroom eyes gave my shapely legs an appraising, unreadable glance. I blushed right away, the image of me thrusting my crotch in his face on the edge of his desk flashed by my eyelids.
“Hello, Mr. Rydstrom,” I offered him a sparkling smile. “You look refreshing and formidable today.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that why you hissed at me when I came in this morning?”
My eyes widened, and I immediately put on an innocent look as I dropped onto the more comfortable chair in front of the desk.
“I was scowling at a guy behind you,” I said.
“There wasn’t any guy behind me.”
I rubbed my eyes and offered him a wounded puppy look. “I saw it wrong, then. Sorry about that. I slept only two hours last night.”
“What happened?” Concern lit up his piercing sapphire eyes, and my heart fluttered.
Suddenly, I wanted to drag him close, lean my head on his broad shoulder that could be a good, solid pillow, and cry my eyes out. And if he had a silk handkerchief with an embroidered R on it, I’d probably use it to blow my nose.
I’d been trying so hard to be strong, and lack of sleep mixed with anxiety and fear started to take a toll on me and made me short-fused and more vulnerable than ever.
“I was nervous.”
He arched an eyebrow again, which was damn sexy. Must he do that in front of me while I could barely trust myself? “You don’t seem the nervous type.”
“Oh, I’m that type. I was nervous about my first day at work. I was super worried you’d fire me before giving me a chance.”
“Because you gave me a fake last name and a wrong address on your resume?”
I nearly jumped out of the chair. How could he know that? I stared at him, my heart pounding painfully. “You know where I live?”
“And I know which schools your six siblings attend,” he said, leaning back in his high dragon chair, which looked fancy, shiny, and expensive.
He wore a dark designer shirt, the material top quality. His sleeves rolled up to his muscled mid-forearms, and his hands were large, manly, and beautiful. How would it feel to have those hands all over my warm, needy body—
I ripped my heated gaze from his toned torso and fixed above his lips as I registered I was ogling him while fantasizing him doing some wicked, dirty things to me. Then I realized that I made another mistake by peering deep into his eyes that held the dark, dangerous mystery of another world. Those eyes brimming with power and sensual fantasy drew me in until I was lost in their depth, and I kept falling.
I cleared my throat. “Hey, listen. Uh, sorry, where were we?”
“We were talking about your six siblings, Evelina Greene,” he said. “Do you have something else to tell me without feeding me more elaborate lies?”
He now knew about my siblings and where we lived. Would he become a threat to my family? Should we move again? Rowan and Baron both claimed I was their fated mate, though it was obviously a delusion on their part. But they would protect me from Rydstrom if things turned sour for me in the Claws, Fangs, and Fiends. Right?
And since Rydstrom had done a backgr
ound check on me, he must know about the disappearance of my parents, too. And that must be what he wanted me to tell him.
I gripped the chair, considering my options. Rydstrom was a powerful man. He was way more experienced and resourceful than a college dropout like me. My parents’ disappearance had turned darker, and the Fae boss might have a connection to the dark world.
He might be more connected and efficient than the LAPD. I had called the detective who handled my parents’ case every day, and Detective Dallas was now screening and avoiding my calls. I would visit his station soon, yet I knew it’d be a waste of time. For one thing, the cops in the city were already overwhelmed with numerous unsolved cases, and a truckload of new cases dropped on their laps every day.
They wouldn’t prioritize my parents’ case since I wasn’t a rich, influential person. I was just a case to them, one they might never solve. After a while, they’d add my parents’ case to many others at the bottom of the drawer, forget it, and eventually label it as a cold, dead case.
I looked at the Fae in front of me. For a second, I had such an urge to tell him everything and ask him to help me, but then I shut my mouth. I should only trust and rely on myself. I wouldn’t lead more danger to my parents. And Rydstrom was the ultimate predator. Even Indira didn’t know much about him, and he’d come to the scene right before my parents had vanished.
He had checked out my background and discovered my siblings. Who would go to such lengths to get intel on an insignificant employee unless he wanted something from me?
“Yes, I have something to tell you, and it isn’t an elaborate lie,” I said as I glanced down at my outfit with a frown and shuffled the fluffy hem of the skirt. Indira was going to laugh her ass off, and some dudes might get grabby seeing me in this type of dress, not that I’d ever let them get a handful of my butt cheek. “I’m truly not a fan of the dress code. You sure I have to wear this behind the bar?”
He leaned forward, studying me, his face merciless and beautiful, and his scent of male, midnight fire, and faint citrus drifted to my nostrils. I inhaled, then held my breath as I didn’t want to be influenced by him again.
Damn these Fae males. They smelled unbelievably good, and whenever I took in their scent, I thought nothing else except for sex.
“Yes, Evelina,” he said. “That’s your uniform. If you don’t fancy this one, there are a few others for you to choose from.”
I’ve seen the others. Drake had rushed me to pick one. The other ensembles were even more outrageous. I’d never wear the sexy warrior corset with a few strips of studded trim they called a skirt, or the red long gown with a waist cincher, or the horrifically tacky gypsy garb of riot colors—the top had exaggerated shoulder bang and coin trim, the very mini-skirt started below the waistline and I wasn’t kidding, and the yellow headband might make me look a dumb pirate.
“But Indira is wearing a vest and pants.”
“Indira is a seasoned barmaid,” he said. “She’s earned the right to wear whatever she pleases.”
“But—”
“Is this your habit—bitch about everything?”
I looked at him with a shocked expression. “No, I don’t bitch about anything! I’m not a difficult person. I’m just—I want to make sure this isn’t a punishment.”
“Why did you think it was a punishment, Evelina?” he asked curiously.
And my stomach did a stupid flap at how my name rolled off his tongue—it was nearly a purr.
“Well, you thought I lied to you,” I said defensively.
“You did.” His voice turned hard.
So, this was a punishment, then.
“You aren’t going to fire me, right?” I asked, looking as friendly and meek as I could. “If you went to such trouble putting me in this monkey suit.”
“I won’t if you make it up to me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “For what? I didn’t do anything…wrong, not really. I only lied to protect my family.”
“You didn’t finish the dance yesterday.”
“I’m not going to do it again!” I exploded. “It wasn’t my fault. You kicked me out unfairly for some mean chick who called herself whatever queen. And don’t tell me that you’re also a king, or I’ll start calling myself the Queen of Scotland.” I pulled my teeth back in a jealous half-snarl. “I bet you entertained her well yesterday.”
He laughed. “I thought you enjoyed it when you danced like that. You’re a natural, a wild wind. But I didn’t call you here to talk about your sparkling personality or hurricane temper. I called you here to sign the contract.”
His laughter was darkly sensual, like a wet dream. Heat twirled from my belly and went all the way down. I tried not to squeeze my thighs. He’d see it.
Rydstrom pulled out a load of paper from a drawer and laid them out on the desk in front of me. “It is magically binding,” he said. “And there’s only one rule for you to work in my club.”
My heart pounded. That one rule might be lethal and bad for me in every sense. But I’d come so far and overcome many obstacles. I wouldn’t flip him the finger and walk out unless I had absolutely no choice.
I licked my lip. “What is it?”
“No flirting with anyone except me.”
I sat back in the chair, stunned. “And if I do?”
“I kill them,” he said flatly, yet his sapphire eyes glittered with vicious heat.
- -
Chapter 16
Before I could reply, an explosion blasted in the club.
“Stay here,” Rydstrom ordered, already rising from his chair. He strode to the balcony door, pulled it open, and stepped out.
I followed him gingerly into the balcony. It was spacious, but instead of standing by his side, I remained behind him, peeking down and using him as a shield.
A plume of purple smoke and fire erupted from the center of the dance floor. Patrons fled the hall in all directions, shoving each other to get out of harm’s way. The dancing girls hurried through the backstage. A bouncer directed them to safety.
A second later, the smoke thinned, revealing a girl who looked like my age or slightly younger encaged inside a dark purple orb. Frantically, she slammed into the wall of the orb, trying to break out. Tears streamed down her pretty face and fear darkened her hazel eyes.
I couldn’t tell if she was a human or not, even though her ears were a bit more pointed than round. And some asshole must have cut the other half of her hair short just to see the shape of her ear.
I didn’t care what her race was. No one should be treated and attacked like that.
“Help her!” I called, then turned, about to bolt downstairs to release that girl.
An arm grabbed my waist, pulling me against Rydstrom’s side. “You stay with me, Evelina,” he said, his powerful voice daring me to disobey him.
Yet I struggled. “We must help her,” I cried. “They’re going to hurt her.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he growled.
A dozen armed males emerged from the dispersed smoke and stalked toward the trapped girl. Three of them had white hair sprinkled with gold. I could tell from their lanky build and pointed ears that they were Fae. The rest of the mob appeared to be a mixed bunch, though I couldn’t tell them apart. The girl stared at them in horror.
Then, Drake, K, and six dark-haired, warrior-looking males crashed into the white-haired Fae and their henchmen. The dance floor instantly became a warzone.
Steel crossed steel, the piercing sounds echoing in the club. Fists and feet flew in a flurry of punches and kicks. Both groups were skilled fighters. The outsider team outnumbered the club team, but the club team was more ferocious and brutal.
All of them moved faster than any human could. A blade buried into someone’s stomach. A blood mace smashed into another’s skull.
My eyes went round as blood splattered everywhere on the floor and tainted the orb, where the girl screamed inside. Many patrons who hadn’t fled watched the fight from a distance. Some of t
hem made excited comments as if this was a normal sport to them.
A dark wind blasted out of Rydstrom, hitting the floor and separating the fighting men. The air vibrated with his power. I shuddered, just like the others on the ground, and he held me closer to him.
Rydstrom’s men lined up on one side, protecting the girl in the orb, and the white-haired Fae and their gang stayed on the other side, facing off Rydstrom’s warriors. Both parties gripped their swords, which still dripped blood.
Three men were down, and they belonged to the other team. The tension in the club was like a burning knife cutting frozen butter.
“Why did you trespass my club and challenge my men, Devyn?” Rydstrom asked, his voice soft yet deadly.
A white-haired Fae, who carried an air of self-importance, looked up. He was the tallest among his group. Engraved on his leather armor was a symbol of a sun rising on a crown of golden blades. I stared hard at it. The symbol looked familiar. But I couldn’t have seen it before. I’d only just learned about supernatural races.
The cocky Fae was as handsome as any other Fae, even with a long scar slashing across his lips at a forty-five-degree angle. Those cruel lips cracked into a sardonic smirk.
“King Rydstrom,” Devyn said. “I didn’t expect you to play house in the mortal realm. I thought it was merely a rumor.” His blue eyes traced to me for a second, then swiftly returned to Rydstrom. “I came to do what all pureblood Fae should do—hunt the dark ones until we wipe them out.”
My heart skipped a beat. Baron had initially thought I was a dark one. Last time I saw him, he’d claimed that I was his fated mate. I wondered when he would change his mind again.
I might need to ask for the definition of a dark one in the supernatural world, just in case the Fae psychopaths mistook me as one again and came hunting me. An incident of mistaking me as someone else had already happened once in my house, and I wouldn’t want the bad history to repeat itself and jeopardize my siblings.
