They lay together for seconds, for an infinity, the soft puff of their breaths echoing through the closed cave. Trevor didn’t dare move, the feel of her lithe body beneath his while they lay joined like this something he wanted to remember. He’d entertained plenty of enthusiastic bed partners in the past, but none ever reached to the heart of him like Danica. Those girls had sex with the guitarist of Discord’s Desire. Danica had sex with him.
“Oh, you know, just smother me,” Danica mumbled from beneath him. “Not like I need to breathe.”
A laugh slipped from his throat, and he pushed himself up to give her space. Danica’s green eyes twinkled, and a flush lit her cheeks. His mouth dried at the sight of her. She swallowed, hard, and glanced away. This thing that unfolded between them moved too fast, too quickly. Dizziness swept through him, and Trevor pulled out of her. He rolled to his side, toward the wall.
Except the rough surface never scraped his skin. He kept going.
His heart slammed in excitement as he groped in the dark around him, fumbling forward into something his eyes didn’t believe.
“Trev?” Danica’s voice came out sharp while she glanced around, her eyes not landing on his even as he stared right at her.
He crawled forward in her direction, past what he’d perceived to be the cavern wall. Her brows furrowed.
“You vanished…” She trailed off, her eyes troubled, as if hope cost too much.
His chest pulsed with adrenaline, and a giddy grin rose to his lips. “Put your clothes on,” Trevor said, tugging on his jeans. “We’ve got an exit to find.”
“Make up your mind,” Danica drawled, “because a moment ago you couldn’t wait to get them off me.” Despite her comment, she slipped on her dress, then her shoes. His stomach twisted tight when he glanced her way. Whatever transpired between them—he didn’t know if this was the beginning or the end after they left the cavern.
He slipped his shirt over his head, but before he took another step forward, Danica approached.
She pressed a kiss to his lips, the sweep of her mouth a reassurance. As fast, she pulled away. “Come on,” she said, flashing him a blinder of a grin. “Let’s find a way out of here.”
Trevor took the lead, heading toward the part of the cave wall that had been illusion. He was kicking himself for not having thought of that earlier. Of course, Alberich would place one more hurdle to keep any intruders from getting out with his mirror. Danica picked the coveted item up and clutched it tight to her chest. He held a breath. The moment they returned to Mandalay Bay, to Vegas, there was nothing to stop her from running off with the mirror to save herself. He wanted so badly to believe she wouldn’t do that, but she’d turned on them once before.
He plunged past the cave wall into the darkness, and a moment later, Danica flickered her flashlight on, the dim beam cutting into the depths. Up ahead lay a door.
“Well, shit.” Danica’s voice echoed through the chamber. “Go figure it was here all along.”
Trevor ran a hand through his hair, the thick strands dried at last. His palms itched, and the words leapt to his mouth before he could help himself. “I better take the mirror then.”
He may as well have plunged a platinum knife through her chest.
Danica’s gaze darkened, and she almost stopped mid-stride. The easy camaraderie froze between them, and the shift made him regret those words at once. If he hadn’t said anything, Ky would’ve, because at the end of the day, taking Alberich down was the aim of this entire endeavor, nothing more. Even if the woman who strode by his side left an indelible mark on him.
“Of course, as per our agreement,” Danica said, pivoting to face him. The coldness in her tone broke him. They’d shared something real, and he’d let his fears creep in and ruin it. She stared him down, lifting her chin as she handed over the mirror. Devil be damned, he’d messed this up. He hesitated when he wrapped his hand around the mirror, but Danica had let go, leaving him behind as she headed for the door.
He needed to say something, anything, but the words gummed in his mouth. As much as he wanted to make the leap of faith in her, life had snatched that naivete from him a long time ago. Trevor heaved a sigh and followed behind, trying to ignore how his skin prickled with guilt.
Leave it to him—he’d sabotage deeper connections every time. He’d been broken to the point that grasping at true happiness was hopeless.
A shimmer gleamed around the door, the thickness in the air signaling they’d reached a pocket in and out of the Otherworld. This time, they were looking to get the hell out. Danica strode to the exit and grabbed the handle. She didn’t even look back at him before she yanked the door open. The mirror weighed heavier than ever in his arms.
When the door opened, the clink and clang of slot machines rang into his peripheral, a lifetime away from this cavern in the Otherworld they’d roamed through. He followed Danica through the doorway, and the air frizzed around him as he strode past the pocket, back to the human realms.
They’d stepped out onto a side lounge overlooking the main casinos in Mandalay Bay, this sector tucked out of view. Trevor glanced at his bare feet. They wouldn’t be able to trek through the sprawl of Mandalay Bay without attracting attention.
He hadn’t taken a single step forward when a familiar figure approached, the knobby-kneed brownie he’d last spotted in the audience of their show.
Jared Cragsmire.
Chapter Fourteen
They had only walked paces out of the Otherworld exit when an unknown brownie stepped into view. Based on the way he glowered at them, he wasn’t here to offer a polite escort out of the casino.
Danica gritted her teeth. Her feet were bloodied and bare, her limbs throbbed, and she needed to find an open mic show to tap some energy like no one’s business, because hers was zapped. To make matters worse, all her weapons lay back in the bag she’d tucked in the food court.
Trevor’s shoulders tensed, and his brows furrowed. “Crags, what are you doing here?” he asked. Based on the tension in his voice, their association wasn’t old bar buds.
Danica didn’t let her guard down. She began inching to the side away from the wall. The guy didn’t pack on the heft and stature of a redcap—quite the opposite. If she got the chance to dart past him, she’d seize it. Except Trevor now had the mirror, and she couldn’t leave him or her bargaining chip for freedom behind.
“Do you need to ask?” Crags stepped forward, knives gleaming in both hands. “You’re not going to make it past here, Trevor. Hand over Tymarch’s mirror and I’ll spare you.”
A caustic laugh rolled from Trevor’s throat. “On a first name basis now? Next you’ll tell me you’re sucking his cock every night.”
“He’s a good master,” Crags responded, those thick brows tugging together with his frown. “If you’d stayed instead of escaping, maybe you could be enjoying a comfortable life instead of this desperate on the run business you’ve been about.”
“If I had stayed,” Trevor growled, something deep and animalistic in his voice, “I would still be in the cage, waiting in the dark for hours until the next time the bastard needed to use my abilities.”
Bile rose in Danica’s throat. She’d heard stories of what life was like for Alberich’s menagerie, and she knew they didn’t have picnics and afternoon tea, but the words from his lips with that expression on his face cemented the terror deep inside her. He had suffered more than anyone—human, hunter, or fae—ever should.
“Look, just hand over the mirror,” Crags responded, a tension in his tone that set Danica’s nerves on edge. “I’ll overlook your outstanding bounty—both of yours. You can stay on the run.”
Trevor lifted his brow. Even though Crags arrived armed with knives, there were two of them and one of him. She’d weather some cuts if it meant escape. Trevor glanced to her, the same understanding gleaming in his eyes. Getting the mirror out was worth the risk of charging the brownie.
“I wouldn’t run,” Crags continued, thos
e dark, gimlet eyes sparking with a knowing light. “You won’t get far before Alberich’s employees arrive. I sent them the alert, which means they know you have the mirror. Even with the chaos brewing out there, they understand the brand of loyalty he commands.”
“Sure, fear and terror leave such wonderful memories,” Trevor drawled, rolling his shoulders. He took one step forward, then another.
Danica’s mouth dried, but she strode forward with him. They were definitely going to run. If more of Alberich’s men were on their way, they’d only get this chance. With the bounty over both of their heads, if they got outnumbered, they’d end up dragged back to Alberich’s museum of fae oddities, a fate she feared worse than death.
Crags tensed, wielding his knives as he braced for them.
Trevor glanced to Danica, and she nodded. Go time.
Before they could take another pace forward, four figures whipped around the corner. Her heart lodged in her throat, and she prepared to make a mad dash to the pocket of the Otherworld, anywhere but surrounded and captured by Alberich’s men.
Until she caught sight of who had appeared.
Ky led the charge, his blades flashing, and Liz trailed behind him with her trusty Beretta already aimed. Renn charged in headfirst, his horns barely visible with the way his wild hair whipped around.
A breath of relief escaped from her, so strong she could feel it prickle under her skin. Crags turned around with his blades in hand, but at the sight of Ky charging for him and Renn close to follow, he leapt to the side, cringing as he lifted his arms to cover himself.
“About time you assholes appeared,” Ky called out, slinging an arm around Trevor’s shoulders and tugging him forward.
Liz reached out with one hand and grabbed Danica’s, all while she aimed her Beretta at Crags who wasn’t making any attempts to stop them. Instead, he kept glancing for the door. Her hazel eyes crinkled in warmth, a look that shot right through Danica. “You left me with that rowdy bunch and took our voice of reason with you. Renn terrorized the entire Food Court until a riot broke out at the Cinnabon.”
This was the camaraderie Trevor fought for, this family who protected each other. She hadn’t realized the full weight of how much she missed Liz’s friendship until now.
Danica flashed a grin in return as they raced forward, past where Crags cowered. They didn’t have the time to waste in knocking him out, and in a way, she almost pitied the man, this cringing, broken thing. Yet she also feared what he had become, direct proof of the damage Alberich could inflict.
“We’ve got to get out of here in a flash,” Danica said as they raced forward to join the guys who already took off down the corridor. “I want shoes and a shower, stat, but Alberich’s men are also on their way.”
Ahead of them lay the Orchid Lounge which overlooked the main floor of the casino where small two-seater tables and chairs were stationed across the posh, patterned carpeting. At least a dozen couples hung out with drinks, having private chats which they were about to rudely disrupt.
“Rockstars coming through,” Renn screamed, his voice reverberating through the lounge as they raced forward. “Make way, make way.” As they raced forward, the patrons swiveled around or stared to see what caused the ruckus.
Ky let out a whoop, continuing forward with a skip in his step. “If you haven’t heard of Discord’s Desire yet, you’re in luck!”
Liz shook her head, an amused grin quirking her lips before she snagged her hand from Danica’s, lifting it to her mouth. “They’re playing at the Park Theater tomorrow night,” she called out. “Don’t miss one hell of a show!”
A broad smile ripped across Danica’s face. Rule number one of working with rockstars: embrace the chaos. Using their status made for the perfect cover. Even if no one knew who the hell Discord’s Desire was, the crowds always expected drunken shenanigans and spectacles from band guys. Danica hooted and hollered behind Renn, the sound ripping from her throat in one freeing torrent. They continued to make their way through the main floor of the casino. Already, some of the casino security circled the perimeter, but human attention wasn’t an issue.
Even though she attempted carefree and casual, Alberich’s cronies could be anywhere here, waiting for the moment they stepped out of the public eye. Once word traveled down the branches to Alberich that they’d succeeded in absconding with his mirror, he’d be relentless. Even though she still didn’t have the slightest as to what they toted around, the sheer amount of obstacles in retrieval meant this was way beyond any of their pay grades. Leo Kincaid better have some answers forthcoming.
So far, with the band holding onto the mirror, her connection to the Kincaid family remained her one point of leverage to keep them from running off and cutting her out of the process. Her stupid, hopeful heart kept telling her they weren’t like that. They weren’t like her. However, Trevor asking for the mirror had hurt.
Just for once, she’d wanted to indulge in the fantasy of having someone who cared—someone to wake up next to and share a cup of coffee with. Except he’d never trust her, not after the way she’d screwed his band over, and that was proof.
Danica made a pointed effort to avoid looking in Trevor’s direction as the band continued to shout and laugh while tromping through the casino. Easy enough with the way Liz looped an arm through hers and they skipped together. Despite the pulse of fear from the impending arrival of Alberich’s men and how her mind and heart wrung dry after her time with Trevor, a giddiness bubbled inside her amid the chaos.
“If you think this is crazy, wait until you see their live shows,” Danica shouted out. A laugh spilled from Liz beside her, and she couldn’t help how her heart squeezed tight.
The bright lights of the casino shone down on them, and most of the patrons didn’t bat an eye at the way they scampered through. The folks at the tables focused on their bets, and others glazed over in front of slot machines. Danica’s skin prickled nonetheless. She was waiting for the pointed gazes, the tails she was sure would follow. The door lay so close.
All they needed to do was make it through.
They’d accrued quite a few casino security tails at this point, ones who followed them the entire way until they’d reached the edge of the patterned crimson carpeting.
“We’ve got to get out, now,” Trevor murmured, a note of urgency in his smooth voice.
Shit. He must’ve spotted Alberich’s men.
Ky nodded, even though his wide grin hadn’t dropped once. Jett slunk behind them like a specter, scanning their surroundings while the noisemakers tromped in the front. The entrance lay up ahead, all glass doors reflecting the globe lights shining from above.
Danica quickened her pace.
She hazarded a glance behind her. Behind them in the casino, a group of at least ten redcaps wove through the crowds. Oh, fuck. This group of artists and lovers wouldn’t stand a chance against big beaters like them.
“We’ve got to run.” As the words left her lips, she launched herself forward. Danica ran barefoot across the marble flooring of Mandalay Bay’s entrance, leaving streaks in the process. She didn’t give a damn. They needed to get out of here, fast.
Liz surged beside her a moment later, followed by Trevor on her other side. Of course, the survivalists raced quicker than the rest. A shout came from behind them, probably from the cabal of security they’d accumulated throughout the casino.
Three of the redcaps had already caught attention and surged through the crowd like linebackers after a football.
Danica’s legs groaned at the punishing pace she set, vaulting toward the doors as fast as possible. Shouts and murmurs sounded around them, but she ignored them all, focusing on her goal. The redcaps would outrun them. The thought burrowed in her mind and dwelled, burning the reserves of the little energy she had left.
She skidded to a halt in front of the doors, almost smacking in front of the glass panes. A second later, she grappled with the handle and vaulted through into the smog and deadening hea
t of Vegas. The six of them burst out through the entryway, Trevor and Jett last. The banshee balled his hands into fists as he opened his mouth, an unearthly wail stuttering as it ripped from his throat, like his voice was stifled from disuse. Jett let loose a sonic scream at the same time, the sounds so shrill and loud she winced.
The redcaps stumbled, stunned by the ferocity of the sound blasts, and the humans either gaped or passed out.
“Hurry.” Trevor rushed in behind her, his hand brushing against her shoulder.
Danica allowed herself a single glance before bolting forward as fast as she could.
One glance was enough.
Already, the handful of redcaps had begun to recover from the stun. The others veered in closer, cutting across the polished floor. Their eyes almost glowed, and their taut reddened skin displayed the muscles they’d use to snap their bones like kindling.
They needed to be out of here ten minutes ago.
Danica raced across the pavement, smooth and glossy to reflect the yellow lights that glowed against the eggshell exterior of the hotel. Palm trees hovered in every direction, but none of them would make for good hiding spots.
“Any of you know how to hotwire a car?” Danica called back, her breath coming out shallow as she raced forward, closer and closer to the crowds who wandered to and fro on the sidewalks of the strip.
“Not fast enough that we’d dodge Alberich’s rent-a-fae’s,” Liz responded, running neck and neck with her. Trevor loped ahead, even on bare feet. She didn’t miss the frantic look in his eyes, the desperation of a rope circling the neck before it tightened. Not now. Not when they were so close.
The lights of the Strip flashed in full swing this late at night, a patchwork of neon so loud it drowned out the pitch sky. Danica raced past Mandalay Bay’s fountains and sprawling landscaping toward the sidewalks teeming with people. Except this time, blending into the crowd wouldn’t cut it. Redcaps were faster, and once they caught a scent, they’d follow it until they claimed their quarry.
Hypnotizing Beat Page 12
