by Lexi Blake
Marcus’s palm came up to cup my face. “If you feel it’s important, then I’m willing to trust you. We’ll consider it a field test. I, personally, do not believe the king needs to be involved.”
“Not at all,” Hugo agreed. “This is a matter for academics. We need only call the king in if things go terribly awry.”
“I doubt that will happen,” Henri said. “We have handled many dangerous situations without the aid of a king. It raises the question, however, of how our Hunter is going to get out of the complex. Regardless of what he said tonight, I believe the king will attempt to monitor her. If he finds out she’s left, he’ll sic that wolf on her.” He said something in Dutch, his lips curling up.
Marcus frowned and replied in Italian.
“What?” I asked.
Hugo chuckled. “Don’t mind them. Henri is simply teasing your trainer. You’ll find after a few hundred years of friendship, it’s easy to poke at each other. We know all our soft spots.”
And that was all I was going to get. It was easy for them to tease each other privately since they seemed to know each other’s languages. “I’ll find a way out without informing the king.”
Marcus stood up and helped me off the couch. He went to the front closet and pulled out a jacket. I let him wrap it around me. He reached back into the closet and came out with a Browning automatic and two extra magazines. It seemed we had our own mini armory. “Knives?”
“Just the small one.” It was only surveillance after all. It might have been hard to get weapons into Ether, but I doubted this place had the same rules. Marcus knelt down and strapped the knife around my ankle then helped me into my boots. It was cold outside and the boots were warm and allowed fairly easy access to the weapons hidden there. I zipped up my jacket. Marcus stood back up and his hands went to my waist.
“Be careful, cara mia,” he said, touching his lips to mine. “Come home to me.”
“I promise.” I would. Marcus was the first person to trust me and he proved it by understanding I needed to do this and I had to go alone. He would be waiting for me, and it gave me an enormous amount of strength.
Henri promised to meet with me the next afternoon to go over what his lab discovered. I opened the front door and was surprised to see a boy in footie pajamas sitting across from the door, as if he was waiting. He had a Nintendo DS in his hands.
“Lee Donovan-Quinn,” I said in my most motherly voice. “You should be in bed.”
He smiled up at me and got to his feet. “But you have to go to that club and that means you need a way out without Dad knowing you’re gone.”
The kid was hell on wheels. I wondered how his parents had survived his toddler years and feared for a world in which he could drive. “I suppose you know a way out. What am I saying? Of course you know a way out.”
His arrogant grin said it all. “I do and I printed out this map for you.”
“How did you get the address?”
“Stole it.”
I sighed and checked my back pocket. Sure enough, it was empty. “All right. Lead on, buddy.”
Lee’s chocolate brown eyes lit up like it was Christmas. “Let’s go. It’s really cool. You’re going to love it.”
I did not, in fact, love it.
I muffled my shriek as I went headfirst down the compound’s laundry chute. About halfway down, I realized my folly. Seriously, when falling into a large vat of unwashed underwear, many belonging to werewolves, always, always go in feet first. One would assume that with heightened senses, werewolves would be very clean. One would assume wrong. Wolves aren’t at all judgmental when it comes to the nastier smells. To a wolf, it’s all one big bouquet. They revel in strong odors, as evidenced by their undies.
“Don’t forget the cameras when you come back in,” Lee shouted down.
I stared up and saw his little face craning forward to look down the chute. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted to slide down and join me. It didn’t make any sense to him that he couldn’t come along. I’d resorted to threats of not allowing him in my office to get him to go to bed. They were empty threats because I knew I would never follow through, but it had worked.
“But they’re off now?” I needed that clarified.
“Yeah,” the boy replied. “I turned them off myself. The dude at security will figure it out sooner or later. If the cams are moving or have a green light shining in the back, then they’re on. I told you about the blind spots. Stay in them and Dad won’t be able to see you.”
Guilt gnawed at me. I was helping the boy go behind his parents’ backs and probably not being a great role model. I’d never thought about being a model anything until I had to deal with Lee. I’d never been around kids I had any responsibility for. No one ever depended on me before.
“Go to bed, Lee,” I said in my best big sister voice. “I’ll talk to you about it after school tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday. I have a basketball game, but then I can come find you. Marcus didn’t eat all the candy, did he? I only ask because Mama is bringing the snacks tomorrow and it’s apples and mineral water. It’s so embarrassing. All the other kids bring Gatorade at least. Mama read the label and didn’t like the sugar.”
“I promise he still has a bunch of junk for you,” I said, climbing out of the basket. “Go to bed.”
He grinned down at me in the darkness and then his face was gone. I studied the quiet room. At this time of night it was completely empty, the only light coming from the streetlights outside streaming through the small windows. The camera was right where Lee had said it would be, and the fact that it was neither moving nor had the green light Lee had warned me about gave me confidence. I shook my head as I realized how lucky I was the kid was on my side. I would hate to be up against him. I followed the short path he’d given me and in minutes, I was crawling out a window and falling gracelessly on my ass on the street below. I growled, got up, and let the night air wash over me. It was a cool, crisp January night and I reveled in the freedom. It had been months since I had been allowed even a minute alone. I breathed deeply and realized how much I missed this.
My father, my biological father, had been what’s known as a lone wolf. It’s a rare genetic anomaly in a world of rare DNA. Lee Owens had been stronger, faster, and more ferocious than a normal werewolf. It also made him different. While normal wolves prefer pack life, the lone wolf wants solitude. According to my uncle, my father fought the urge all his life. I didn’t feel a desperate need to wander the earth, but I did need alone time. I hadn’t realized how much until tonight.
The club known as Brimstone was twenty blocks from Ether and in a completely different universe. Ether is in the middle of what Dallas natives call the West End. It’s surrounded by swanky hotels and hotspots. As I ran through the night, I realized that Brimstone was surrounded by something entirely different. The buildings took on an air of neglect in this part of the city. I opened my newly found senses and let my legs take me where I needed to go. Marcus had done more than merely teach me how to meditate. I’d spent some time with Italian wolf packs learning how to use my heightened senses. I’d had to learn how to access that wolf part of me without allowing her to take over.
I’d also learned how to run. The freedom I’d felt those nights I let loose and ran through the countryside with the wolves had opened something inside of me I hadn’t known existed. The queen had told me I would find I “belonged” in wolf culture, and it had been true while I was in Italy. Marcus had stayed with me for weeks while I immersed myself in their lifestyle. I wasn’t so sure how I fit in with the American wolves though. The Italians had appreciated my rarity. The Americans seemed to be suspicious of it.
None of that mattered as I gave my legs leave to do their worst. At this time of night, in this part of town, I could run freely. A human would most likely ignore me, thinking I was a stiff wind breezing by. My instincts were strong, and I hadn’t plowed into anyone yet. Pure joy suffused me as I opened all my sen
ses and let loose.
I’d easily memorized the map Lee had drawn for me. I had a feeling he was going to turn out to be a much more effective assistant than Justin Parker. I made the final turn and halted suddenly in front of the address I’d been sent to.
I also managed to surprise the demon waiting on me.
He gasped. I couldn’t blame him. One minute he was alone and getting pissed off that I wasn’t there and the next I was two feet away. It wasn’t easy to scare a demon, but that was kind of the point of me.
“Hello,” I said, enjoying the fact that he made sure I wasn’t holding a weapon.
“You’re late.” Gray’s brother was dressed in an open-throated dress shirt and neatly pressed slacks. His dark-brown hair was perfectly cut to frame his face. I wondered what he looked like in his demon form. He had perfect hold of this guise. Without the red tinge to his eyes when the light caught them, I would swear I was standing next to a human. From what I understood, Gray’s brother was a full demon with none of that pesky mortal DNA.
“I got held up,” I explained. “Some asshole on freaky drugs tried to take me out. Do you know who Julius Winter is?”
The demon nodded with an approving smile. “Gray said you were quite good. Julius Winter is the owner of this club. I don’t know exactly what he’s up to, though I suspect he’s also the one pushing drugs about the city.”
“He’s a demon, then?” I studied the warehouse we stood outside. It was perfectly nondescript, like any of a thousand bland warehouses that dotted the city. From what I could see, there were very few windows and only the one door on this side. They definitely didn’t want prying eyes.
“A very old one.” He was looking me over and he shook his head at my clothing. “This won’t do.”
I straightened my nice black cashmere sweater, wondering what the hell he was talking about. It paired nicely with the gray slacks and tailored leather jacket. The outfit was perfectly respectable. “What’s wrong with it?”
“You look like someone’s sweetheart,” the demon pointed out. “Does the vampire dress you himself? Are you wearing a chastity belt? I wouldn’t put it past him.”
I rolled my eyes. “I dressed myself, asshole, and Marcus trusts me. He knows exactly where I am and why I’m here.”
“Does he now?” the demon said as though he was intrigued by that bit of information. “We’ll see how he feels at the end of the night, won’t we? Come along. I have your cover set up, but I need you to change clothes. The good news is, most of the girls change here anyway.”
The demon turned and walked toward the warehouse. I stopped because I felt eyes on me. There was an abandoned building directly across the street, and I was sure someone was watching me from one of those windows. I didn’t have time to figure out who it was though, since the demon wasn’t big on waiting. I rushed to catch up and took my place at his side just as he held up his hand to knock. He caught himself and took me by the shoulders.
“You must remain quiet, Kelsey,” he instructed. “Human women in this place are to be seen and not heard. Do you understand?”
“If I’m not allowed to ask questions, then why the fuck am I here?”
“I’m not saying you can’t talk to staff if the occasion presents itself, but do not, under any circumstances, even look Julius Winter in the eyes. Once you get to the top level of this club, you must play your part or you’ll get us all killed.”
“Fine,” I said shortly. Now I was really interested.
The demon knocked three times on the door in a sharp, staccato rhythm.
“What kind of club is this anyway?” I asked.
“A sex club, of course, dear,” was the even reply.
Of course. What had I been thinking?
Chapter Seven
Matt straightened his tie as the elevator began its climb. I’d been told to refer to him as Matt. Obviously demons aren’t normally named Matt. They get douche names like Hixelfrax and Beezle. Whoever names them is serious about the xs and zs. But Matt wasn’t about to tell me his real name. On the Earth plane he would likely go by several aliases, but there was no way he was giving me the real deal. Demons jealously guard their real names. If you’re dumb enough to try it, you can call a demon to your hand, but only if you know his or her real name.
His eyes slanted my way. “Stop fidgeting.”
“You try having a piece of dental floss shoved up your ass and we’ll see how you like it,” I grumbled back.
I tried not to look at myself, but it was hard because the entire elevator was mirrored. Pretty sure I didn’t want to know why they’d done that. I was just thinking about the fact that my ass was hanging out. We’d been allowed into the club after Matt had explained he’d procured me for his brother. I could tell the bouncer wasn’t that impressed. He’d looked at me differently after I walked out of the dressing room. The demon had taken charge, briskly ordering me out of the nice clothes that covered me up and into lingerie. I don’t even know if I could call it that. Marcus had bought me a ton of pretty, frilly things he liked to see me in, but they tended toward filmy nightgowns and beautifully made corsets.
I was dressed in a white lace demi-cup bra that pushed my boobs up and made them look a lot bigger than they were. There was the white thong currently stuck between my ass cheeks. Thigh-high white hose and four-inch stilettos completed the look. Gray’s brother had brushed out my hair and placed a white mask over my face. I didn’t know what I hated more, the shoes or the so-called underwear. I longed for my nice cotton bikinis and my comfy Uggs. Apparently both of those were a no-go in the house of sin Gray was currently residing in.
I was grateful for the mask as the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and my heart started to race. I reminded myself that I was here on a case. I was going to make sure Gray was all right. That was all. I didn’t have any interest in him beyond the fact that he was my brother’s best friend and potentially had information I could use.
So why was my heart thumping as loud as the heavy rock beat that filled the space as Matt led me out onto the floor?
We stopped at an elegantly appointed desk. A tuxedoed man sat behind it, looking ever so competent. I was fairly certain he was a demon, but I couldn’t tell if he was in his form or a borrowed one. Demons manifest on the Earth plane in two ways. Some can change their form, flowing from demon to human-looking in an effortless transition. Gray can do it, but I’d decided his brother was the other type. It’s much more common for a demon to possess a human body. I hoped whoever Matt was inside had agreed to host him. There are humans out there who are crazy enough to do it.
“My Lord,” our host said deferentially. His eyebrows arched as he looked me over. “Trying something different tonight, My Lord?”
Matt laughed as though the thought of hanging with me was the most ridiculous thing ever. “Not at all, Kevin. Let Tristan know I’ll be requiring his services. This one is for my brother.”
“Very good, sir. Lord Sloane does like slender brunettes,” Kevin said, nodding us in.
We walked past the security desk and into some combination of a strip club and a place for swingers. All of the women were dressed in a similar fashion to me, though they seemed to favor leather and dark colors. I was the only one in the room wearing white. Naturally, every eye turned to me.
Behind my half mask, I studied the room. The space had been redone to resemble a grand ballroom. The floors were polished hardwood and the room was lit with chandeliers. The walls had those white panels favored in European palaces. It had an old-world feel to it, if one ignored the stripper poles at the far end or the various women and men tied up and being spanked across the room. There was also a bar, naturally, and several intimate spaces with antique couches.
I turned and there he was. He was sitting on a couch, his big body lounging negligently. He was wearing tight black jeans and a dark shirt he’d left open as though he’d walked out of the bedroom without bothering to button his shirt. It left his perfectly cut chest
on full, mouth-watering display. The tattoo that covered the left half of his torso looked sexy as hell in the low glow of the room, and I wondered if it still vibrated on his body after I left. His face was a tribute to masculine perfection. Marcus was the perfect European male, all fine lines and aesthetic grace. Gray was an all-American hunk of masculinity. He screamed dominant male and for good reason. He was and made no apologies for it. He was the kinkiest man I’d ever met. He preferred to tie up his sexual partners, and when I was that partner, I’d been happy to let him do it.
I was thinking about doing it right now.
His deep blue eyes glanced lazily around the room. He had a female at his feet, her head resting on his lap. He didn’t seem terribly interested in her. He was talking to another man, whose face I couldn’t see. He was smaller than Gray with almost white hair. Gray stopped midsentence when his eyes caught sight of me.
“You do seem able to catch my brother’s attention, don’t you?” Matt said, satisfaction oozing from his pores.
Gray sat up, and I noticed that his hair was longer than it had been when we were engaged. He used to wear it in a strict, military-style cut. It was a little shaggy now, reaching to the tops of his ears. It was thick and wavy. I’d always wanted to run my fingers through it. I flushed under his gaze, unsure if it was the outfit I was wearing or complete and abject shame that I had a man who cared about me and I couldn’t help but think about someone else.
He was the ultimate bad boy. Grayson Sloane was a half demon who’d lied to me, used me, and had potentially tried to trick me into going to Hell with him. And I was shaking at the thought of his hands on me. I was also resolute. No matter how much I was attracted to the man, I was going to resist because I knew the score.
Marcus was good, and Gray was bad.
Gray was also observant. He stood up abruptly, his face going cold. He stalked across the room as another big man moved to intercept me. He was shorter than Gray, though he still towered over me. He didn’t have great control over his form. His eyes gave him away. They flashed between red and brown.
