by Jodi Redford
A distressed sound escaped their mother. “Leena, please don’t speak such vileness.”
“Vile?” Leena spat the word. “They’re the foul disease eating away at this planet, Mother. If there’s any vileness found in this equation, it’s them.”
Avily struggled to understand the source of her sister’s vehement hatred. Yes, there certainly had been some cruel injustices inflicted on humans at the hands of the fae, but Leena had never been on the receiving end of it. “They were here long before we showed up. In case you forgot, they once considered us the foul disease.”
“For which they enslaved and beat us.”
Again, nothing that Leena had personally endured. And the oppression of the old guard was a thing of the past, for the most part. Yes, the inequality was still there, and many of the royal faes continued to get away with too much. But the slave bans put in place many moons ago protected the human race from the chains and taskmaster whips of those long-ago dark days. “You’re speaking nonsense. What purpose does it serve holding a grudge for offenses not even affecting you?”
“You think any of them would hesitate at shackling us again?”
Avily tossed up her arms. “Good gods, Leena. Paranoid much?”
“You’re the worst kind of fool if you don’t see the possibility. Made all the more so by the fact you’re sleeping with the enemy.”
“That’s it.” Temper quaking, Avily swung her arm toward the door. “Get out. And don’t you dare come back here looking for merca.”
Leena stalked toward the exit. “I hope you come to your senses before it’s too late.”
“Same here,” Avily bit out.
The moment her sister disappeared in the crowd outside, Avily dragged her hands over her face. “My gods. What was that?”
Her mother shook her head. “You’re as clueless as me. I didn’t raise you girls to be closed-minded in any way. Leena’s prejudices disappoint me. And to speak that way of Jerrick.” Tula’s expression suddenly turned hawklike. “Is there something you would like to tell me?”
She didn’t need to read between the lines to know her mother was referring to Leena’s sleeping-with-the-enemy crack. “No. There’s about as much merit to the accusation of me being romantically involved with him as me streetwalking.”
Tula sucked in a deep breath and released it regretfully. “I have a confession to make. Deep in my heart, I always hoped he’d wake up and see what a treasure he has in you.”
Jeez, like mother like daughter. She nibbled her lip and cast her gaze to her strappy sandals. “I have a confession to make too. I coerced him into teaching me the trade. All those years you thought I was bringing home merca courtesy of an after-school job at the grocer? I wasn’t.”
“Dearest, you think I didn’t know that?”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“I suspected it from the start. It wasn’t an easy thing for me at first. As your mother, how could I go along with you committing any kind of crime? Particularly when I knew you were doing it to keep us afloat.” Remorse painted Tula’s expression. “Sweet child, there was a part of me that felt horrible for not stepping in.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“He needed you.”
Avily blinked. “Want to run that by me again?”
“What Leena did—it eviscerated his soul. I saw it in his eyes. Saw it in the way he closed himself off from the rest of the world shortly after everything happened. Then he went the opposite direction and immersed himself in all known vices. He was on a bender headed straight for self-destruction.”
She hadn’t seen any of that. Just went to show how proficient he’d always been at lowering those shutters with her. “I still don’t understand why you think he needed me.”
“Baby, Jerrick might put up this tough front of being solitary, but I’ve never known anyone who needs someone more than him. Someone to pull him out of himself, give him purpose. Someone who’ll shine a light into all those dark, lonely corners that inhabit his soul.” Tula patted Avi’s cheek. “He needs you. He always has.”
“Trust me, Mama, he doesn’t,” she said flatly. Great, just when she’d finally started to hammer it into her own stubborn brain that she had no future with Jerrick, along came her mother, equally delusional.
Yeah, definitely like daughter like mother.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sitting like a bump on a log in Avi’s apartment all damn day was doing nothing to improve his shitty mood. Deciding the risk of getting doubly aggravated by some kissy-faced Amora Moon attendees would be worth a breath of air and a much-needed brew, Jerrick slung on his jacket and thumped down the stairway. The sound of chatter drifted into the back hallway. Judging from the volume, Avi was experiencing a nice rush. Which meant she’d skin him alive if he ventured out there.
Grumping under his breath, he detoured into the alleyway. No point taking the Air Racer. By the time he fought traffic and then located a parking spot, he could already be on his tenth ale. Not that he was shooting for that number.
Fifteen sounded better, to his way of thinking. It’d been a damn long time since he’d tied one on. Tonight would be a hell of a good opportunity to rectify that. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he headed toward the alley’s exit.
Out on the street, festival-goers were congregated around a mini chapel that’d been erected on the corner of the intersection. Raucous cheers erupted from the crowd when the newly joined bride and groom honored the spectators with a passionate clinch. Jerrick rolled his eyes. Fucking corny. He had half a mind to walk up on the dais and shake some living sense into the couple.
Why? Because they’re blissfully happy and you’re not, you fucking putz?
Sounded about right.
Awarding the wedding party a wide berth, he elbowed his way through the masses of people and ducked into the first bar he came to—and promptly began to march his ass back through the door when he spotted Lex gobbling a club sandwich at the window booth.
Of course Tarker spotted him. “Jerrick!” Lettuce hanging out of his mouth, Lex flagged him down.
Why did I leave the fucking apartment? Repeatedly pounding that admonishment into his brain, Jerrick did an about-face and reluctantly strode to Lex’s booth. Feeling uncomfortably like a cornered mongrel seconds from gnawing off his own leg to escape the deadly trap he’d landed himself in, Jerrick cautiously slid across from Lex.
“You know…”
He winced, steeling himself for whatever family recollection Lex had in store for him.
“…this sandwich is tasty,” Lex finished.
Jerrick allowed his shoulders to relax, and he stretched his legs, settling in.
“Not nearly as delicious as the ones my cousin Horacio made that time we all went picnicking in Galdore Swamp. Don’t ask me why we spent an entire day in a dreary swamp with biting insects during the middle of a heat wave with no bathroom facilities anywhere.”
He didn’t ask. Lex filled him in anyway during forty of the longest minutes of Jerrick’s life.
Right around the time Lex got to ruminating on why anyone would settle for one-ply toilet paper when they could have two, and Jerrick officially decided he’d either drink himself to death within the next five seconds or bite the bullet and return to the apartment, the server approached with Jerrick’s second beer.
Option one it is. Biting the bullet, Jerrick snagged the brew and took a lengthy gulp.
“I’ve been meaning to ask how things are progressing at Club Rapture. Any leads on the scientist?”
Grimacing, he glanced away from Lex sputtering bread crumbs everywhere. “Better than expected. Turns out Casper was the sub of the woman running the place.”
Lex’s eyes widened behind his enormous spectacles. “No kidding.”
“If all goes as planned, tomorrow night I’ll be well on my way to wrapping this whole fucking nightmare up.” Then he could focus on his next course of action—bringing down a world of hurt on the assh
oles who’d threatened Avi.
“I wonder if she led him around on a leash. Like in that flyer.”
“Who?”
Lex gaped at him like he should have been able to instantly follow the man’s whiplash train of thought. “Casper. I wonder if he wore a leash and collar. Do you suppose it would chafe your neck? It would have to. I remember one time my fifth cousin, Previn, got a big boil on his neck.”
Concerned Lex was seconds away from using the word oozing, Jerrick inched toward the end of the booth. “Sorry, Tarker, but I just remembered I forgot to feed the cat.”
“I don’t remember seeing a cat at your place.”
“It’s one of those chameleon felines. Blends with the furniture.” Jerrick booked for the exit before Lex could launch into a diatribe about his Great Aunt Snicklepoop’s geriatric chameleon cat.
The walk back to The Fairest Rose was a trying one. While he’d been holed up in the bar, the entire planet had descended on the sidewalks of Tul’dea. After checking on the status of his Racer, he headed upstairs and passed some time testing his skills on a few of the locks in the apartment. When Avi entered an hour later, he was still attempting to break his record with the hairpin he’d found in the top drawer of the bathroom cabinet.
She arched an eyebrow. “What, you haven’t moved on to a toothpick?”
“Already nailed that one in the first go.”
“You’re a scary fairy, Jer.”
Grunting, he tossed the hairpin aside. “Hope you don’t need that for your date tonight, since I bent it to hell.”
She smiled acidly. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your nefarious attempt at hairdo sabotage was all for naught. I’m going for the loose and flirty look for this evening’s festivities.”
Loose and flirty? That didn’t sound fucking good. “You’re better keeping your hair up. Breeze could blow through and catch a stray spark from a flickering candle. Next thing you know, your whole head is in flames.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve put a lot of thought into that. I commend your ingenuity, but I think I’ll stick with my original hairdo plan.”
“I’m telling you, babe. Candle mishaps are the leading cause of date disasters. Don’t be another casualty.”
Lips twitching, she gave him a middle-finger salute and hustled down the hall.
Groaning, he sprawled on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. He was going to go goddamned crazy, and she hadn’t even left for her date yet. There was no fucking way he’d survive the hour or two she’d be gone.
And if she stayed out later than that?
He’d be destined for the loony bin.
Grumbling, he laced his fingers behind his head and continued playing dot to dot with the cracks in the ceiling until his vision blurred. A rustling noise jerked his gaze to the mouth of the hallway. Avi was spritzing a scent from a crystal atomizer along the pulse points on her neck. Bending, she repeated the maneuver in the crook behind her knee.
Now why the bloody hell would she need perfume there?
A visual of Thane burying his nose in that seductive little curve sprang into Jerrick’s brain, and he nearly chomped off his own tongue when he ground his teeth. She straightened, and he surveyed the skintight red lace dress she was poured into. He was already intimately acquainted with the luscious body packaged in the sinful creation. And damn if that knowledge wasn’t going to torment him all night. Particularly since he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Thane would be mentally calculating how best he could get Avi out of the dress before they parted ways for the evening. To make matters worse, she was wearing the fuck-me shoes that’d featured prominently in his explicit wet dream the night before.
Tucking the atomizer into her coin purse, Avi journeyed to the cupboard and snatched her coat.
He cleared his throat. “When will you be back?”
“I have no idea. Don’t wait up for me.”
Like that was fucking going to happen. “What restaurant did you say he was taking you to?”
Shrugging into her coat, she gave him a wry look. “Nice try.”
Damn it. He disentangled himself from the sofa and strode to her side. The sultry notes of her perfume seducing his sinuses, he reached for the buttons on her coat.
“I appreciate your assistance, but I’ve been dressing myself for some time now. Fairly sure I have it somewhat down pat.”
Ignoring her surliness, he gripped her coat’s collar, praying for strength. “You don’t have to do this, Avi.”
“Do what?”
“Make me jealous by going out with him.”
“Are you?” Despite the bravado of her words, a slight waver fluttered her voice.
“Insanely.”
A soft expulsion of breath stirred the hair clinging to her cheek.
“Stay here with me,” he pleaded. “I’ll make you dinner, and later we can go over tomorrow’s game plan.”
A fraction of the light diminished in her eyes. Looking at him as if he’d done something despicable—like run over her grandmother—she retreated a step. Her expression shifted to coolness. Without uttering a single word to him, she calmly pivoted and trotted down the stairs.
He stood there for an endless moment, staring at the darkness of the lower stairwell, her lingering scent a tormenting ghost haunting him.
Queasy and pitifully miserable inside, Avily secured The Fairest Rose’s front door before venturing toward the curb. The crowd parted, and she noticed Thane working his way against the current of pedestrian traffic gridlocked around the kiosk selling neon tube sparklers. He wore an impeccably cut dark navy business suit and tie. He looked so handsome, any woman in her right mind would have swooned on the spot. But if there was anything she was certain of, it was her failings when it came to being in the right mind.
He spotted her. Smiling, he ratcheted up his efforts of clearing the blockade of people separating them. Hauling up short beside her, he ducked and presented a chaste kiss upon her cheek. “You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
He grinned. “Me? Beautiful? My manly sensibilities are whimpering.”
“Somehow I think they’ll recover.” Accepting the arm he crooked in offering, she scanned the jam-packed street. “Maybe it wasn’t such a smart idea doing this on one of the busiest nights of Amora Moon. I have no clue how you’re going to manage driving in this madhouse.”
“Hence the reason I’m not. I called the Glasstisserie two nights ago and made our reservations.”
She blinked at him, both surprised and delighted. “That was exceedingly brilliant of you. And the Glasstisserie happens to be my favorite restaurant, so you score double impression points.”
“I shall covet them forever.”
Chuckling at his silliness, she squeezed his elbow. Old habit getting the better of her, she swung her attention upward toward her apartment and caught Jerrick looming on the balcony, his mutinous stare pinned on them. Her bubble of happiness popped.
Breaking their gazes, she dragged her focus back to Thane. “Shall we go then?”
With an incline of his head, he escorted her through the throng. They paused for a moment to watch the ceremony being performed at the mobile wedding chapel at the corner. She clapped and whistled along with everyone else when the happy couple kissed and the waiting doves were released in the air to mark the union. Inside, she felt heavy and envious.
Gods, she was a horrible person. It wasn’t that couple’s fault that her love life sucked balls. Sighing, she waited for the crowd to disperse before she made her way to the newly wedded pair. After delivering her genuine felicitations, she offered up her business card along with a coupon for a free set of Lover’s Bliss bath salts. Feeling slightly better for amending her previous pettiness, she rejoined Thane.
He gifted her an admiring look. “That was a smart business move. You’ve likely just earned yourself a repeat customer.”
Wow, she hadn’t considered that
angle. Scratching her chin, she debated the merits of printing up extra coupons that the ceremony officiate could pass out to all of the couples.
“Are you ever going to get around to telling me about the situation with you and sub Bill?”
Thane’s question came out of nowhere, knocking her for a loop. Unprepared, she fumbled to find her tongue. The serious set of his face left her wondering if he’d deliberately sought to catch her off-guard. “I—I’m not sure what you’re after.”
“I have the distinct impression he’d very much like to rip my throat out,” Thane said blandly.
“Don’t take it personally. He’d like to rip everyone’s throat out.”
“Particularly any male who dares look at you.”
She rubbed at her temples. “Our relationship is complicated.”
“So I gather.” Thane’s stride slowed to match hers. He continued to observe the various venders lining the street, but his distraction hinted that his mind was on other things besides T-shirts that proudly proclaimed I survived Amora Moon and all I got was this lousy shirt. “I confess to being bemused over the dynamics of your relationship. To be honest, Bill doesn’t strike me as being domesticated, much less submissive.”
You have no damn idea. “Appearances can be misleading.”
The corner of Thane’s mouth tilted upward. “You have a valid point there.”
Worried he skated too close to digging beneath her cover, she attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere. Despite her efforts, he doggedly persisted in keeping Jerrick the front-and-center topic. Like she didn’t have a difficult enough time ridding her thoughts of him.
“Bill didn’t look the least pleased about you going out with me tonight.”
Damn it. Thane had spotted Jerrick on the balcony? She smothered a groan. Well of course he did. No doubt Thane had detected Jerrick’s death-stare missiles from a martroneter away. “He has a tendency to be pouty when he’s deprived the opportunity to serve me. Saturday is his usual night to give me a pedicure and read me poetry.” Not snorting over that absurdity was damn hard.
