Wild Cards

by Katalina Leon

  “Assuming he didn’t die of hypothermia, what killed him?”

  “Here’s where the freak-fest starts. His liver was ripped out, and I mean torn out like an animal did it. No clean blade marks whatsoever. None of his blood was found anywhere in the kitchen area, which is an astonishing fact all by itself. Our only working theory is crap, but it looks like someone placed him inside the rolling cart that the sushi mountain gets built on, ripped him open inside the steel tub, and covered him with a pickup truck full of shaved ice.”

  Kai groaned. The facts made zero sense. “Then someone came along and added a decorative ice-scape and loaded wasabi-laced tuna on top? That’s sick, man. Viktor didn’t fight during all this? He just lay down inside the cart and kissed his liver good-bye?”

  “There was no bruising on his arms or hands, not even a broken fingernail, and I’m sorry to report the dude had longish fingernails and a glossy black manicure.” Roy tsked. “Disgusting. Also, he was dusted in ashes or something similar. Forensics’ first guess was cremation remains.”

  Both Adara and he said, “Corpse dust,” in unison.

  “Jesus, Roy.” Kai winced. “This case just gets weirder.”

  “What’s corpse dust?” Roy asked innocently. “Or is it one of those things that’s self-explanatory?”

  “It’s pretty much what you think it is.” Kai shook his head, too tired to explain. “We’ll fill you in later.”

  “Also, our mystery cleaning lady has a name. Lupe Castaneda aka Lupe La Araña, from Sonora, Mexico. Her name translates into wolf spider. Interesting, huh?”

  A predatory, marauding spider sucking the life out of the living? The thought made his flesh crawl. Studying the immediate area, he saw no one who looked out of place. “Has Vegas PD spotted Lupe?”

  “No. She disappeared, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the picture. Kai, I want you to take Adara to the penthouse and get some rest. Use the secure express elevator. We’ve got all the cameras in the hotel active. I strongly suspect La Araña is going to surface again soon. I sent a change of clothes to your room. Be prepared, this might turn into a grueling midnight hunt.”

  He rubbed his brow, already exhausted just thinking about it. “Will do.”

  “Take a nap and try to relax. I’ll call when it’s time to go into action.”

  He clicked the phone off. “We’re going back to our room.” Glancing at Adara, he saw she looked tired and scared. Excitement and worry fought for his attention as he pictured them alone in a luxury suite. How the hell was he going to control himself in front of his dream girl?

  With what he hoped was a gallant gesture, he slid his jacket from his shoulders and draped it over her like a cloak. She looked small beneath the broad garment. As a final touch, he turned the collar up to shield her throat. Wrapping his arm around her, he drew her to his side. “That should provide some protection just in case somebody wants to take a second shot at you. They’ll have to shoot me first.”

  She gazed at him with an inscrutable expression.

  “What does that look mean?”

  “Your gesture was so kind. No one ever puts me first. Even at home, when I was a kid, my older brother Blayze got all the fuss and attention. Blayze is a real hell devil, handsome too. Women stare. He uses up all the oxygen in the room and I mean that literally. When he turns the flames on”—she snapped her fingers—“there goes the oxygen.” A nervous laugh bubbled free. “I guess I’m saying, I’m used to being an also-ran. Having you do what you just did was wonderful.”

  He brushed a wayward strand of auburn hair from her cheek. “You should be protected and cherished. Any man who can’t see that you’re amazing is an idiot.”

  A huge smile lit her face. “Thank you, Kai.”

  “Let’s go.” With his arm around her shoulders, he steered her toward the crosswalk. “We shouldn’t be standing out in the open. I’ll feel better when you’re safe in our room.”

  Night had fallen and the action on the Strip was in full swing. The surface of every building shimmered with reflected light. Elegantly dressed couples strolled beside the sweat-stained ones wearing Bermuda shorts and tee shirts. The streets were filled with foot traffic, shuttles, taxis, and noise.

  The vast reflecting pool in front of Poseidon’s Palace was circled by a pod of alabaster dolphins with a hulking marble sculpture of the god of the sea at its center.

  Fountains danced in an ornately choreographed show. An ever-changing display of colored floodlights lit the pool. One moment, the statues glowed serene shades of violet or turquoise denoting the ocean’s calm, and then Poseidon lit fiery crimson with his trident triumphantly held aloft. The horns on his head alluded to his wrathful nature.

  Adara gazed at the pool as they passed and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you ever wish you weren’t what we are?”

  “What are we, really?” He stalled. “It’s hard to answer. I’m thirty and I still don’t know. If you’d asked me what I was at the age of thirteen, I would have flipped you the finger and insisted I was pure human. I sided with my mother and saw no advantage to chasing after a facet of divinity that could so easily walk away from me. But as I grew up, I had to accept that I was different. That incident with Yuri’s mega yacht drove the point home that I’d better start exploring what I am and learn to get it under control.”

  “I haven’t soulscanned a single person all day, and you know what? I don’t miss it. It’s weird. I’m an empath, it’s what I do, and yet I think I could let it go. I might be happier without knowing all the petty things that are floating around in other people’s heads. I feel like I can breathe for the first time. Be myself. Does that sound pathetic or ungrateful for the gift?”

  On impulse, he leaned over and kissed the crown of her head.

  She drew back and gazed at him with sparkling eyes that reflected the colored lights of the fountains. “What was that for?”

  For a moment, he allowed himself to indulge a sweet fantasy of sharing everything he’d ever desired with her. “I’ve never met anyone I could tell this stuff to and know they really got it. It’s such a relief.”

  A faint smile flickered on her lips, as if she didn’t dare permit it to slip into full-blown sunshine.

  His emotions danced all over the place. “What are you thinking?”

  Adara glanced away. “I’m so glad you can’t read my mind.”

  He drew her against his chest and looked into the amber depths of her eyes. “But I can read your smile, and the joy on your face.”

  “This has been the best day of my life. Even all the chaos hasn’t put a damper on things. I’d like to feel this way every day. I’m scared I’ll wake up tomorrow and be back inside other people’s heads, and you and I will go our separate ways.”

  “That doesn’t have to happen.”

  “But it might. The boon will wear off. I’m sure these things don’t last. Skinwalkers could attack again. Anything could happen. I have to keep reminding myself we are strangers and….”

  “And what?”

  “We might be under the thrall of a Fae enchantment.”

  “I don’t feel like I am, but we could be. To be honest, I don’t care.”

  “Me either. I want to live for the moment. If this isn’t real and it doesn’t last, I‘ll hate myself for not completely diving in and just enjoying it for what it is.” Her eyes widened. “No one needs us now. This is our time until Roy calls. Oh, what the hell.”

  She stood on tiptoe, took his face in her hands, and kissed his mouth. The first touch was soft, little more than a whisper of warm breath and the brush of her silky lips that left him wanting more. The second was bolder and bloomed into a luscious wet embrace.

  With pulse racing, he tangled his hands in her hair and held her captive against him. Her breathless excitement was so easy to return. Why had he never suspected another elemental, his opposite to boot, would feel so right? “Adara,” he murmured. “I have no idea what just happened to me but I’m feelin
g it.”

  A shy smile brought her dimple out of hiding. “Wouldn’t it be nice if there were no more murders or drama and we had the night to ourselves?”

  His thigh brushed hers. “We might get lucky.”

  Her gaze met his. “We should check out our room.”

  “Rooms,” he corrected. “You could get lost in the penthouse.”

  “I’ve never seen the penthouse. Let’s get lost together.” Taking hold of his hand, she took the lead. “Come on.”

  As if in a dream, he allowed her to guide him along a walkway stamped with seashell patterns. She looked adorable in his oversized jacket, and he noticed passersby were looking at them. He wondered if the other men in the crowd envied him and suspected they did.

  * * * *

  Entering the hotel had a sobering effect on her senses. The loud colors on the carpet and the faint hum of the air ducts were all too familiar and signaled a return to business. She drank in the high-strung tension in the air. “I hope we don’t run into anyone we know.”

  “We shouldn’t have to.” He steered her toward a discreetly marked bank of private elevators. Removing a card from his pocket, he swiped it through a scanner.

  Sensing his anxiety, she paused. “Are you going to be okay inside a high-speed express elevator?”

  Kai nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

  The elevator door opened, and they stepped inside and pressed P.

  She noticed Kai tense as he stared at the floor, waiting for the metal doors to seal him inside and the steel cable to yank them a thousand feet into the air. “Have you always had a hard time in elevators?”

  He swallowed. “Uh-huh.”

  The ascent was so smooth she barely noticed they were moving. “Bad experience?”

  “I got trapped in one when I was a kid. My mother was cleaning rooms in a sprawling hotel on the big island. I went looking for her and took a service elevator. The power went out and the damn thing got stuck between floors. The lights flickered and went black. I panicked and pushed every button. An emergency light came on and soon after, someone came and got me out, but my God, by then I was already a mess.”

  With a gentle touch, she smoothed his hair away from his face. His cheekbones were broad and imposing. He had a warrior’s face, and it melted her heart to hear him admit he’d ever been a frightened child who desperately needed someone to rescue him. A quiet ping signaled their arrival to the penthouse floor. She kissed his lips. “Guess what? The ride’s over. We’re here.”

  The crease between his brows released. “Good.”

  The doors opened onto a softly lit, elegant foyer lined with pale marble and golden wall sconces shaped like nautilus shells. They stepped onto a polished floor that mirrored the bright lights of Vegas beyond the towering window.

  Kai swiped a card. The door unlocked with a soft thunk. He pushed it open and motioned for her to enter.

  She strolled into the beautiful living room. Everything was subdued shades of sun-bleached driftwood and teal. A crystal chandelier made the floor-to-ceiling windows sparkle. The multilevel space was broken up into private pockets of cushy sofas and love seats where people could gather and socialize. Sensuous music floated from everywhere and nowhere. “Mighty nice. You could entertain a hundred people up here.”

  “They often do.” He walked to a well-appointed bar and snooped in the cabinets. “We’re lucky to have it to ourselves.”

  “No kidding. I hope Roy doesn’t regret offering it. After all, the plan has changed. The convention is a crime scene wrapped in yellow tape. Shouldn’t this suite be making money for the hotel?”

  “It makes plenty. One night won’t break the bank.” He pulled a rustic bottle with a cobalt blue stopper off the shelf. “Holy shit! Don Mágico tequila. This stuff’s the best.”

  She studied a beautiful bronze sculpture of a mermaid set on a coffee table near a pale leather couch. The bare-breasted miniature siren was perched on a rock, blowing kisses into the air. “Look, the high rollers get the fancy art.”

  Kai focused on the sculpture with a frown. “Not my taste in art.” He walked into the guest bathroom and returned clutching a towel and used it like a shroud to cover the mermaid. “Ah. That’s better. We don’t need to be reminded of that mistake.”

  Hiding her amusement, she strolled around the kitchen area. “This place is huge. Do you think our room is down this hallway?” Immediately, she caught herself. “I meant my room. We should probably be resting and waiting for Roy’s call.”

  He grazed his fingertips across her throat. “There’s a faint red mark where the bone bead struck. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

  She touched his hand. It was so wonderful to have a man look at her this way. It would be so easy to get addicted. “I’m fine.”

  “I’m not afraid to say that scared me back there. Goddamned skinwalker. Out of nowhere, something comes along to remind you how quickly life can fall apart.”

  Cupping his hand around her throat, he drew her near. Kai kissed the side of her neck. With lips soft, his moist breath bathed her skin. He slid the jacket from her shoulders and allowed his kisses to travel lower. “You’re a kind person. Compassion shines in your eyes. I don’t ever want to see you get hurt. I would never hurt you.”

  A thrill raced through her. “What are you saying?”

  The edges of his teeth gently nipped the soft slope of her shoulders. “I’m saying, I think we’re well matched. Everything about you makes me want to take care of you.” He caressed her hips. “Would you like to explore that?”

  She wanted to be touched so badly she ached. “Now?”

  “A beautiful night with a lovely view. We may never get the penthouse to ourselves again.”

  In the past, she’d never been spontaneous. Until today, caution had ruled her. Maybe just this once…? “We’re coworkers.”

  “Unless I’m dense as a brick, I’m sensing a hell of an attraction between us. Adara, you’re in charge. Tell me when to stop. I just need to know that what I’m feeling is real.”

  “It may not be.” Her voice shook.

  “Let’s find out. Kiss me.”

  All her insecurities raced to the surface. “You’re not staying in Vegas. You said it yourself. You’re out of here as soon as the Oceanic Council releases you.”

  No empathy skills were necessary to see the passionate storm brewing in his eyes. “If I go, come with me. You’re fire, I’m water; we could live by a volcano in Iceland.” A sly smile crooked his lips. “I think I’m going to indulge in one shot of Don Mágico. Will you join me?”

  Dear God, she nearly blurted yes. “Is that a good idea?”

  He laughed. “It’s not a bad one. Don Mágico is a thousand dollars a bottle. Aren’t you curious?”

  She certainly was. “Okay, but I sip my shots. I don’t knock ’em back.”

  “Live dangerously.” He walked to the bar, opened the hand-blown bottle, and poured the pale gold liquid into two silvery shot glasses. “I’m not trying to get you drunk, and I’m not trying to seduce you.”

  “That’s too bad. You probably could have gotten away with both.” It occurred to her that she really needed someone confident like Kai to sweep the cobwebs out of her life and force her out of her protective shell.

  He handed her a shot, then linked his arm through hers. “I just want a kiss.”

  With her elbow bent, she lifted the shot to her lips. “To the capture of the skinwalker.”

  “To us,” he toasted.

  The first taste of tequila was fiery and strong. A moment later, a slightly smoky, vanilla-like note flooded her tongue. Impulsively, she tipped her head back and gulped. The tequila burned going down, like swallowing a flaming sword. “Oh, my God!” she gasped.

  He finished his, an intense expression smoldering in his eyes. Taking the shot glass from her, he set it on a table. “Come with me.” Grabbing her hand, he led her to the window. They looked out on Vegas sparkling beyond. The view was dizzying, like
gliding over the city on a kite.

  With her head spinning, she turned away from the overwhelming spectacle. “It’s almost too beautiful.”

  “So are you.” Kai caught hold of her wrists, drew her arms above her head, and pinned her against the cool glass. He nuzzled his face in her hair, pressing close, his solid body formidable. An erection that couldn’t be ignored grazed her thigh. Breathless, she looked into his eyes, wanting to believe that she truly was the cause of such passion.

  He released her wrists and brought one hand to her chin. With a slow, teasing touch, he stroked his thumb along her bottom lip. “You have such a pretty mouth.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and kissed her with soft, sweet pressure, followed by the sweep of his tongue.

  The heat of his kiss and the faint hint of tequila on his lips ignited her senses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as if he were a life raft. He took hold of her hips and lifted her against the glass. Her legs locked around his hips. The sensation of twining herself around him sent her heart racing and left her wanting more.

  She tilted her head back, waiting. His kiss became more demanding. With breathtaking tenderness, his kisses slipped from her lips, to her throat, to the ticklish little spot above her collarbone. With eyes closed, she allowed herself to surrender to the splendor of his touch.

  The phone rang.

  They both started.

  She adjusted the top of her dress. “Is that my phone or yours?”

  He tapped his pocket and eased her to the floor. “Mine.” Digging into his pocket, he removed the phone and looked at the screen. “I don’t know the caller. I’ll let the message go to voice mail.”

  A moment later, the phone beeped. He entered his password and listened to the message. “Kai, this is Sam. There’s been a big development. Come to the lobby….”

  When Kai clicked the phone off, he looked alarmed. “It sounds bad. I wonder if there’s been another murder.”

  Disappointed and still reeling from his kiss, she smoothed her hair. “Do what Sam asked. Go to the lobby. Find out what’s going on and call me. I’m going to freshen up.”