by Dora Blume
“No, our mother was killed by Shikari who betrayed their own. What if Bryant has been going after those who have betrayed the Shikari order? What if we just sent the defector to the one place he could do the most damage? I mean think about it. Mom was the one who knew about the ability to possess Shikari, and potions that could destroy us all. Maybe she told him after all. Mom told me she never did, but who knows, they were married. After she was killed, he lost it. He plotted his revenge against those who had betrayed the Shikari. I wouldn’t doubt if he was behind this whole thing.” The words flew from Sloane’s lips so fast, her eyes widened as she put the pieces together.
“He did have a vendetta about finding all the people who were involved in mom’s death. But I helped him track them all down. I was privy to all the information we had about the people who’d betrayed them. I think I would have known if he had other plans.” Erik looked between the two women.
“Would you?” Jessie asked. “When we were together before, you weren’t always the first person your father called. I remember you being glad he found someone else to help, so we could at least spend some time together. What if that’s when he began excluding you from his real plans?” Jessie went back to sit next to him. She rested her hand on his knee. “We were so happy we got to spend more time together, we wouldn’t have thought much beyond that.”
“Shit, you’re right. It was only about a year after that we split up, and I started helping again. Bryant had been guilt-tripping me about my loyalty to the Shikari. He said he needed me to help him with the people who killed Mom. I felt like I had to choose, although now, I’m not so sure I did.” His eyes narrowed as he stared off into the distance.
“The one thing I don’t get is why he made it a point to get me. Why was I so integral to this plan if he was doing it all to avenge Mom? He could have left me out of it completely, but he acted like he needed me. Then, he went and had my friend possessed. I don’t get it,” Sloane chewed her lip.
“Yeah, for some reason it was imperative that we got you to join us. Bryant insisted on it. Said nothing could go forward until we found you. He knows how you feel about him. He also knows how inherently suspicious you are of everything. Bringing you in guaranteed you’d figure out he was involved. Plus, he’s been mysteriously gone during the fights. Then, he pops up out of nowhere after all the fighting is over.” Erik sat back again.
“Looks like we have a lot more questions than answers. We have to leave for the airport in a few hours. Any idea how we’re going to figure out if Bryant is a traitor in that time?” Jessie asked.
“I have no idea, but we better figure something out before we get there. I’m not sure what he’s capable of at this point, but I think we need to be prepared for anything.”
CHAPTER 10
Sloane closed the sliding door behind her. Breathing in the fresh citrus scent, she took a seat next to Ely. His eyes were trained on the horizon and the city below. “Any luck getting in touch with your friends in Sante Fe?” she asked Ely.
“I talked to my contacts. They are on the lookout for the car. I also gave my friend a description of the two. Hopefully, we can stop them before they get to Kansas City.” Ely took a step toward her, resting his hand on her bent elbow. “How are you holding up? Amy was a good friend of yours, it can’t be easy knowing she’s a demon.” His thumb brushed the inside of her arm.
“I’m fine. I know what’s important. As long as we stop this bomb from going off, I’ll be able to save my friend. I have to focus on that right now.” Her eyes met his. There was something there beyond just concern. Could his feelings for her be deeper already? She wasn’t sure what was between them, but she looked forward to finding out. The world seemed filled with possibilities considering what they’d already shared.
Mike cleared his throat across the room. “Hey, did you talk to your guy in Albuquerque?” he asked, moving to stand by Sloane’s side. His hand rested on her shoulder and his finger stroked absently up her neck. His dark hair looked disheveled like he’d been raking his hands through it. The shadows under his eyes gave away the stress he was so good at hiding from the world. Sloane knew better, he was putting everything else before himself.
“Yeah, I was just telling Sloane I’d given him the description of the car and the two. He will call me right away if anything turns up. How about you?” Ely’s eyes flicked to Mike’s hand on Sloane’s neck.
“I made some calls. No one’s seen them yet. I have a group who are on the lookout for them. They’re going to drive the way they’d be going to Kansas. I figured we could use more help either way. I want to call Ethan, but I also don’t want him to alert the others. Do you think we could talk to him, and he won’t tell Bryant? We could use the element of surprise. I’m not so sure Bryant is in our corner.” Mike took a seat next to Sloane and wrapped an arm around her pulling her against his side. Sloane wondered for a minute if he was making his claim on her in front of Ely. Would he still be jealous, even after what they shared?
Sloane peered at him through her lashes. “Did you hear us talking about it?”
“Yeah, I caught some of it. I agree with you. He was the one in charge of clean-up. It’s too big of a coincidence that Amy was the one possessed. I’m going to call some friends in Minneapolis to see what I can find out. Something is going on, and we need some answers. Ren’s running the bar while I’m gone. I’m going to talk to him, see if he can get a team together to investigate. There has to be more than just Bryant in on the betrayal. This seems a little too big for just one man. How would he have pulled off taking over the order, distracting everyone in the cities, and getting the device together? No, if he’s the one behind it, he’s got help. My bet, it’s someone he knows from home.” Mike scratched the whiskers on his chin. Sloane watched as he thought through everything. He really was an insightful man and the brains behind the operation, he just had a subtle way of showing it. He didn’t need the affirmation like Erik did. He was happy to be behind the scenes helping out. It was one of the things she loved about him. He was never an arrogant or boastful man. It wasn’t in his nature.
“Are you sure you can trust Ren or anyone in Minneapolis? If Bryant is the one calling the shots, I’m leery of calling on anyone outside our inner circle.” Sloane could feel the energy of the guys between her. There was a slight twinge in her core as she thought about what they’d been doing just before the vision. A dark curl fell just above Ely’s eye, and he flicked it away. A shiver ran through her that had nothing to do with the danger they were facing, and everything to do with the heat radiating from her men.
Mike’s eyes focused on her, noticing the shiver. “You okay, love?”
“Ah, yeah,” her voice came out breathy, and she knew he could sense the change in her.
Mike’s hand slid lower, wrapping around her hip. He bent his head next to her ear. “Having trouble staying focused, love?” She felt his breath hot against her neck. He dropped his lips to kiss the crook of her neck. Ely smirked at her knowingly. Mike’s hand squeezed her hip, and she gasped and flew out of the seat.
“Mike, you should make those calls. If you trust them, I trust you. I’m going to call some mutual friends to see if I can pinpoint when Amy was taken. If it was immediately after the battle, maybe it was a stray demon. We need to figure out how one slipped through us. I believe we also have to get our bags together since we’re leaving in a little over an hour.” Sloane stepped away from the two men and headed swiftly to her room.
Mike was right, they needed to stay focused. She was having a hard time focusing with those two in the room. Her friend was in danger. The only thing she could think about was the feeling of the two men’s hands on her body, their mouths, worshiping her. She shook her head and sat on the bed. The room still smelled of musk and sex. It was even harder to focus as she looked at the rumpled sheets. She ran her hand over the soft fabric. Would she get a repeat performance? How far would their relationship go? Was this a temporary thing or would Ely
join them? Their time together was amazing. Thinking it was only temporary sent a twinge through her heart. She didn’t know Ely all that well, but she already knew she wanted him around. For how long, she wasn’t quite sure.
Picking up her phone, she began scrolling to see who she could call to ask about Amy. She should have been the one to know what was going on. A thought struck her. Amy had called her several times while she was in Colorado. Both Mike and Erik had told her to answer the phone. She was so wrapped up in her own guilt and bullshit, she didn’t answer. Was Amy a demon when she called? Did she call to get information, or was she trying to tell her she was in trouble? A knot formed in her gut. What if she’d been in trouble and Sloane could have done something about it? Damn, her and her selfishness. She should have been there for her friend no matter what. Amy had always been there for her. The least she could have done was to repay the favor. She scrolled to see when Amy had called. She made a note of the dates and times before calling her friends in Minneapolis. She tapped her finger against her lips as she thought. Who should she call first? They didn’t have a ton of other friends. Only a few of them she would have considered close. Jen was probably her best best.
Dialing the number, she thought back to the last time they’d all been together. Amy had insisted on Monday Margaritas. There was a happy hour special near their place. Amy insisted we call Jen because she’d had a bad breakup recently. That was who Amy was. She was always thinking about others. She would go out of her way to cheer someone up. Sloane missed that about her. Whenever she was having a down day or was getting too much into her own head, Amy would come up with something they just had to go do, like happy hour margaritas. She loved her for it. Somehow, since joining the fight against demons, she lost sight of her friendship. She planned to remedy that as soon as she could find Amy and get that damn demon out of her. There was no way she was going to lose her friend to the demons she was trying to keep her safe from. She wouldn’t lose this fight.
Jen finally picked up on the third ring, “Hey, girl where the hell have you been?” she asked immediately upon answering.
“I’ve been a little busy with a family thing. Can I ask a quick question about Amy?”
“Girl, you disappear for months, no one’s heard from you, and you want to jump right in? What did you both disappear on this family emergency?” Jen’s tone was flippant and Sloane had to restrain any retort. She needed to keep her cool for Amy’s sake.
“No, I think she’s missing. When was the last time you talked to her?” she asked.
“Missing? Seriously? Um...I think it’s been about a month since I’ve seen either of you. Uh, the night at the Mexican place. Why do you think someone took her? Should we be calling the police or something?” Her worry spilled out in her rushed words.
“No, I don’t think someone took her. I think she may be on a romantic getaway with my brother. I was just curious when you spoke to her last. Erik and Amy hit it off pretty hot and heavy. He’s totally the type to whisk her away if he got the chance.” Sloane tried to cover so her friend wouldn’t be suspicious enough to call the police.
“Oh, I knew you had a brother, but I thought you hadn’t talked to him in years. Would Amy really just take off with him like that?” she asked. Sloane knew she was still suspicious. They both knew that wasn’t something Amy would do without talking to others.
“Yeah, we met up with him at that Prince thing. Amy was pretty head over heels for Erik. I didn’t think he’d talk her into leaving, but he must have. He has a place on the beach. Maybe, they decided to get away for a little while. You have to admit, out of everyone, Amy deserves a good romance.” Sloane hoped she wasn’t laying it on too thick.
“Well, that’s true. So why don’t you just call your brother?” she asked.
“His phone has been going to voicemail. Maybe they’re just having a little too much fun. I’ll keep trying. I’ll talk to you later.” Sloane needed to get off the phone. Jen obviously didn’t know anything about Amy disappearing.
“Okay, let me know when you hear from her, okay.” There was still a subtle disturbance in Jen’s tone and Sloane would have to make a note to call her after this was all over. Jen would be the one to call the cops and file a report if she didn’t.
“Will do, talk to ya later.” Sloane hung up. A hand rubbed up her back and skated over her shoulder. The bed shifted as Mike sat behind her.
“Find out anything?” he asked. His thumbs rubbed in circles, working out the knots in her back.
“No, Jen would have been the one she’d talk to after everything that happened. She hasn’t heard from her in about a month or so. I don’t really have anyone else to ask. She was probably taken right after the fight. But, she called me. Do you think she called me as a demon or before she was possessed?” Sloane turned to look at Mike. He dropped his hands into his lap and gave her a sympathetic smile
“I don’t know. These demons are strategic. She could have called as a demon to find out what you were doing. You wouldn’t have suspected anything over the phone. It’s probably good you didn’t answer when we were in Colorado.” Mike brushed his hand over her cheek.
“Are you sure? What if she was calling because she was in trouble? I could have helped her. Also if she was a demon, I would have known. There’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed.” Sloane looked down to her lap, running her finger over the crooked edge of one of her nails.
“You can’t know that. You can’t beat yourself up over it. I know you feel responsible for Amy, but you’re not. There’s nothing you could have done if they’d already spotted her when we went to the college. You were doing what you thought was right. You have to forgive yourself, so you can move forward and find her.” Mike lifted her chin to meet his eyes. The love she saw reflected in them, swelled her heart. He brought his lips to hers. The kiss was filled with such love and understanding. There was no place she felt safer than in Mike’s embrace. She opened her mouth to welcome him. Her hands wandered up his chiseled chest. She loved what they’d just done, but she also liked the close bond she shared with Mike. They’d been so close when they were younger. Rekindling that flame now, felt more right than anything else in Sloane’s life.
“I love your distraction method. Although, I think forgetting about my guilt is going to be easier said than done.” She heaved out a breath. Her hands stayed entwined around his neck, and she stroked the long hairs at the base. “You’re right though, we need to focus on the matter at hand. How do we find out when Amy was possessed?”
“I’m not sure when is that important. I think we need to focus on anyone else who may be involved with the insider group. I contacted Ren. He’s calling in a few trusted people to begin figuring out who may be working against the Shikari and with the demons. They’re looking into the higher-ups in Minneapolis. I suggested looking into anyone who’s worked closely with Bryant.” Mike kept his hands on Sloane’s thighs.
“Okay, that’s good. It’d be nice to confirm Bryant’s betrayal. Right now, we have too much circumstantial evidence. We need something concrete to actually bring to the elders. They’ve trusted Bryant for years. They think of him as a trusted and loyal friend. It’s going to be hard to convince them of his betrayal without some kind of proof.” Sloane scraped her teeth over her bottom lip as she thought.
“Okay, so we need to make a plan for Kansas City. We can’t go in there as we are right now. Bryant will read our emotions and call us out or speed up his plan. We need to talk to the others about masking our emotions from him.” Mike stood, pulling Sloane up with him.
“I have years of practice, so does Erik. Come to think of it, we’ve all gotten good at it over the years. The only one who may be unable to is Ely.” Sloane met Mike’s eyes. She wanted to ask him questions about what earlier meant for them. He took a step toward the door and Sloane pulled him back.
Mike hesitated and his eyes narrowed. “Sloane, love? I thought we were going to talk to the others.” He shifted his wei
ght and continued to look at her through those obsidian eyes. She swore most days he could see right through to her soul if he stared at her long enough.
“We are, but I need to talk to you first. Not about the demons, about us.” She looked up at him through her lashes, biting her lip. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she tried to figure out exactly how to say this.
“What about us? I thought we were good? Is there something I don’t know?” His head cocked to the side and his bottom lip jutted out just a little. It was something he only did when he was nervous. She took his hand and guided him back to the bed to sit down. “Oh, you think I need to sit down for this? Sloane, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing big, well, not that big really.” She bit the side of her lip letting it go slowly.
“Babe, what is it?” his eyes were intent on hers.
“Well, I was thinking about you and me and uh, Ely. Was that a one-time thing or is there something more? You two seem like you have a history. I just don’t know what our time together will mean for us.” Sloane looked down to Mike’s lap, noticing the silver buckle of his belt peeking out below his shirt. She imagined for a moment him slowly taking it off and blinked. Damn, she was too distracted.
“I’m not sure what you’re asking. Yeah, Ely and I are friends. Do you think it’s something more?” He pursed his lips as he looked at her.
“I don’t know. I just want to know what’s going to happen between the three of us.” She blinked up at him. Butterflies swam in her stomach as she thought about their future.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen. What do you want to happen?” He bent his head to the side to study her. She bit her lip again feeling even more nervous. This was Mike she was talking to, she shouldn’t be this nervous. Yet, she’d never had to have a discussion like this before. He had been the one to bring up their relationship status before when she had tried to flee. Now, she found herself in the position to ask. What were they? What was going to happen next? Anticipation and nervousness filled her as she waited with bated breath for her thoughts to come together in some coherence. How could she say this without hurting him, or making him jealous or something?
