Dark Deceit
Page 17
‘Korvain?’ Eir knocked on the door. ‘Are you coming?’ Korvain stepped away from Bryn reluctantly, his hand dragging down the length of her arm as he did. He felt the little sparks extinguish as soon as he’d relinquished his hold on her. ‘We aren’t done here,’ he growled softly.
Korvain and Eir stepped out the back door of the club, fading to Eir’s house in Beacon Hill. The woman glanced around nervously, fumbling with the keys before finally getting the right one into the lock. Korvain had his back to her standing on the stoop, his eyes surveying their surroundings.
When the door whined open, Korvain turned and followed Eir into her place. She flicked on the lights in the entrance hall as she went, illuminating the whole place like the shadows were going to suddenly grow fangs and attack her. With a shake of his head, Korvain shut the door behind him.
Eir wandered away from him. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her to an abrupt stop.
‘Wait here while I check out the place.’
Her eyes widened like she hadn’t even considered there might be someone lying in wait for her. ‘I’m coming with you.’ Her voice was brittle with fear.
‘Fine, but stay close behind me.’
Palming one of his Sig Sauers, he moved through the bottom floor of the house with an efficiency he could only credit with his training. Eir trailed behind him, never more than two feet from his heels.
When they made it back to the entrance hall, Eir murmured, ‘Do you really think someone could be in here?’
‘I’d rather not take the risk.’ His eyes lifted to the second level. ‘I’ll go up first to check it’s clear. You stay down here. I won’t be long.’
Eir nodded, her head jerking around unsteadily. Legging it up the stairs, Korvain conducted the same sweep, but found nothing out of the ordinary. He leaned over the balustrade from the mezzanine and called down to Eir.
‘Come on up, but don’t take too long. I want to check on the others.’
While Eir started rummaging through her closet for gods knew what, Korvain went down onto the first level again. He peered through the curtained front window before looking at the photos standing in frames around Eir’s living room.
Bryn showed up in a lot of them, and a lot of them were from the early days. If he had to guess, he would have said the 1920s. Bryn looked great in a flapper dress. Her legs went for days. In many of the images, the girls posed; bright smiles on their lips. They all looked so different—so carefree. Maverick even had long hair in these photos.
Bryn especially looked younger. She didn’t have the dark circles under her eyes which were testament to the strain and stress she was living under.
‘I’m ready,’ Eir announced. Korvain spun around, having become so caught up in the past—so caught up in Bryn. The Valkyrie had a sports bag over one shoulder and a wooden box under the other arm. Korvain studied the thing.
‘My cloak,’ Eir told him when he asked.
‘What’s with the box?’
Eir looked down at the box and shrugged. ‘It’s just what Odin gave us to keep it in.’
‘All the Valkyries have one?’
‘Yeah.’
He nodded. ‘Right. Let’s go.’ Taking the bag from her hands, Korvain led Eir from the house, waiting while she locked it up again.
‘We’ll go to Sigrun and Astrid’s place first then Kristy’s on the way back to the club.’
They both faded to the address on Lime, and Korvain froze. All the fine hairs on the back of his neck were instantly set on end. Eir must have sensed the danger, too, whimpering his name. Without another thought, he pulled Eir into the shadows, calling them to him.
‘Stay here,’ he hissed. He was scaring her, he knew that, but if she were to get killed on his watch Bryn would skin him alive. Korvain willed the shadows to swathe Eir’s body before stepping away from his charge and up the two steps of the stoop.
The instant he pushed the door open, he smelled the blood. His fangs throbbed and hummed, punching out through his upper jaw. Following his nose, he cautiously moved through the house, his Sig drawn, keeping his eyes swivelling for any other movement.
The coppery tang became stronger as Korvain walked toward the back of the house. On his right, against the wall, was a pool of blood with smears disappearing under a swinging door on the left.
Standing on the other side of the jamb, Korvain pushed open the door with his foot and stepped inside. His olfactory senses went into meltdown. The stench of blood and bowels was an almost tangible thing he could see and touch and feel. The color red was everywhere; on the walls, the floor, the cupboards, the fridge, the sink and splashback. Everywhere.
The tiles that were once white and black were now red and reddish-black. On those same tiles were red smears from bodies being dragged through the larger pools of blood. Korvain’s eyes scanned the rest of the space. As they passed over the fridge again, he saw something white beneath it.
Crouching down in front of it, he reached underneath and pulled out two feathers. Both had been white, but now they were spattered with blood.
What those two feathers represented was the beginning of the end. Two in one night. Two already killed and one attempted murder. There was only one more Valkyrie on that list.
‘The fucker,’ Korvain growled. Standing up, he disappeared the feathers and hauled ass out of there. When he got outside, Eir was shivering, her arms wrapped around her torso. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood on his hands.
‘They’re dead. Their bodies weren’t there, but these were.’ He pulled the two feathers from his pocket and gave them to Eir to look over.
Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she caressed the plumes gently. ‘They’re dead,’ she whispered, her tears slurring her words.
Korvain gently pried the feathers from her fingers and pocketed them again. Taking the Valkyrie by the shoulders, he made her focus on him. ‘Eir, we need to get to Kristy. I think whoever is behind this is after her next.’
Eir wailed, but the shadows were still firmly in place, muffling her cries as she broke down and wept.
‘Kristy,’ she mumbled between deep breaths. She looked up at him, burying her face into his chest. Gingerly, he pulled her away, not liking the feeling of her being close to him when she didn’t have to be.
‘Please, we have to save her. She’s my twin. Please.’ The last word was broken by a sob. Fuck. Korvain knew he couldn’t take her with him. Her emotions would get her killed. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pulled the feathers from his pants and thrust them toward Eir again.
‘Eir, take these and fade back to Bryn. I need you to let her know what’s happened to Sigrun and Astrid.’ When she didn’t move, Korvain placed the feathers into her palm and curled her fingers around them. Raising his voice, he ordered her to look at him. ‘Eir. Go. Now.’
She blinked, whimpered then nodded. She closed her eyes and faded away. The shadows dissipated from around her body, rejoining the others. Korvain touched the karambit on his chest hidden in plain sight and faded to the last address on the list Bryn had written up for him.
Chapter Twenty-one
Adrian had bitten his tongue so much he’d tasted blood in his mouth while he was talking to Darrion. Even now, he had no idea where he’d grown a pair of balls big enough to negotiate with the bastard. Nobody negotiated with Darrion.
And now he was bound to the contract. He had to kill his best friend, then kill his boss at the club, otherwise Taer would be forced into sexual servitude like many of the other female Mares had been. Even their own mother was one of their father’s concubines.
Taer just happened to be turning all the rules upside down. But he wouldn’t let that happen to her—couldn’t let that happen to her. He’d worked too damn hard keeping her safe to fuck it up.
Fading back to the house, he unlocked the door and marched up to her room. He didn’t want to kill Korvain, but if it was between him and his sister, Taer would win. He also knew Korvain would kill him before he managed to
even get a scratch on the bastard. He was just that good.
So this was what his plan came down to: he would try to take out Korvain who would, therefore, take him out. Taer would be left unprotected and Darrion would take her and force her into sexual servitude. It sounded like a Hel of a lot of no-fucking-way to him. Adrian knew he would be killed by Korvain. There was nothing he could do about that. But there was something he could do about Taer. If he made her stronger, she could survive Darrion’s cruelty.
Her bedroom door was slightly ajar. Pausing, he listened to her deep, even breathing. Driven by the need to protect her, he pushed open her door and marched inside.
Taer was asleep with the blankets pushed to one side. The heat was cranked up in her room, causing beads of sweat to break out on Adrian’s brow. Her dark hair was splayed out around her head, a halo of inky blackness covering the pillow. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of satin boxer shorts on her narrow hips. Her ribs could clearly be seen through her tank; her hip bones poking out between the bottom of the fabric and the elastic top of her shorts.
‘Tay, wake up,’ Adrian whispered.
She groaned and rolled over, putting her back to him; her shoulder blades and ribs pressing through her skin.
Adrian tried again. ‘Tay,’ he said in a much louder voice. ‘Taer, wake up!’ He grabbed her by the shoulder, intending to pull her over onto her back when he was suddenly staring into the muzzle of a Berretta 92 Steel.
His sister’s green eyes were wide open. Adrian put his hands up in front of him in surrender. Taer blinked then lowered the weapon.
‘Sorry, Ad,’ she said stifling a yawn. ‘Didn’t mean to pull a weapon on you.’
‘I never taught you to do that,’ he commented, watching her through narrowed eyes.
She yawned again. ‘Korvain taught me,’ she replied absently. ‘What did you wake me up for?’
He ignored her question, demanding one of his own. ‘Tay, I thought I told you not to bother him.’
‘I didn’t!’ she shot back, affronted. ‘He just offered up the info.’
Adrian’s hands balled into fists. He didn’t have fucking time for this. ‘Whatever. Get up.’
‘Why?’
‘Training.’
She glanced at her clock. ‘It’s like three in the morning.’
‘I’m aware of the time,’ he bit out, his irritation growing.
She lay back down again, curling over onto her side once more. ‘Then wake me up in three and haul me off to training then. It’s too early,’ she mumbled.
Grabbing her arm, Adrian dragged her out of bed roughly. ‘Now, Taer. We train now!’
With a look of indignation on her face, she fumed, ‘Alright! Fuck, Adrian! What’s crawled up your ass?’
‘Nothing,’ he spat back, picking up her sweat pants and throwing them at her. ‘Get dressed and meet me in the garage in five.’
He turned and left her room, closing the door behind him. He glanced at the closed door at the end of the hallway. Was Korvain already home? Could he just go in and kill him now? It would put an end to a lot of Adrian’s misery. Walking quietly along the carpet, Adrian pressed his ear to the door and listened.
If he was in there, he could simply slip inside and drive a dagger through his heart. Or maybe he could smother him in his sleep. Gods, what was he thinking? He didn’t want to kill Korvain. He had to kill him, but wanting and needing to were two very different things. He would try to put it off for as long as possible. He turned quickly and walked back down the hallway. As he passed Taer’s door, he could hear her grumbling to herself.
She turned up in the garage a minute after he had, dressed in loose-fitting pants and the same tank top she’d been sleeping in. Adrian dropped into a fighting position, attacking her before she was ready for him.
Blocking his attacks, she shoved him off her. ‘Ad, what the fuck?’ she snarled.
‘Be prepared,’ he replied, ducking past her guard and slamming the heel of his palm against her breastbone, in between her breasts. Taer staggered backwards, but righted herself by bracing her leg before she could fall.
‘Watch it, dick!’ she hissed, falling into the same fighting stance as Adrian had adopted. Before she was fully ready, he came at her again—always finding the hole in her defences, always taking advantage of her unpreparedness.
They sparred for hours. He ran drills fifty different times until their bodies were slick with sweat. Taer called him something new each time his fist or foot connected with a part of her body. Her inventiveness with curse words really was impressive. They were both breathless, the air they dragged into their lungs tainted with Adrian’s fear, Taer’s anger and their blood. She didn’t question him once about why he was pushing her so hard.
And for that Adrian was thankful.
By the time sunlight was peeking through the dirt-encrusted windows along one side of the garage, Taer’s torso, arms, neck and legs were beginning to bruise up. Adrian had hit her harder than he normally would have, fear driving him to toughen his sister up more quickly than he would have normally. All of his anger from the little chit chat with Darrion had thankfully drained away from his body.
Taer bent over; her hands on her knees, her breathing rasping in and out of her throat. Adrian took a sip from the bottle of water in his hands and studied her. She was a good fighter, but she needed to be better. Looking up from underneath all her long, dark hair, she lifted a hand and motioned for the bottle.
Adrian pushed off from the workbench he was leaning on and passed it over.
‘You’re a dick,’ she said after taking a long pull. Her breath was still wheezing in and out of her mouth.
‘Is that all you got? You were calling me plenty of other things while we were training.’
‘Dick is only one syllable,’ she panted. ‘It’s easier to say.’
Adrian grinned despite himself and the clusterfuck he’d found himself in. ‘Come on. We’re done. Food then rest. We’ll start again at sundown.’
Taer groaned, but shuffled out of the garage after him. ‘These bruises aren’t going to be gone by tonight,’ she huffed.
‘Suck it up, Princess. Life’s hard. I’m just trying to make you harder.’
Chapter Twenty-two
Frigg had been waiting for Fulla in La Perla for three quarters of an hour, and she was so incredibly close to screaming out loud. She had gone through the racks of bustiers, bras and panties, touching the silks, laces and satins. She had scented all the perfumes and looked at all the robes, and yet Fulla hadn’t returned.
Gods, she’d only sent the woman out to get her a latte while she browsed. How difficult could it actually be? Fussing with the waist of her emerald green dress, she dropped her hand and stopped fidgeting.
Queens didn’t fidget.
‘My queen,’ Fulla said quietly from behind her. Frigg spun around to face the young woman, frowning as she did. In her hand, Fulla held up the white cup slapped with a green logo on the side. Snatching it from out of her palm, Frigg took a sip and let the caffeine charge through her system.
‘What took you so long?’ she snapped impatiently.
Her handmaiden looked down. ‘There was a large line at the coffee house.’
Frigg made a disgusted noise at the back of her throat and waved Fulla away. ‘Whatever. Where is my money? I wish to buy something.’
Not waiting for her acquiescence—because she knew she would get it—Frigg began to pull thousand dollar silk kimonos and six hundred dollar corsets from the racks and threw them at Fulla to catch. Frigg breathed in a deep, satisfied breath. There really was nothing like spending her husband’s money.
When Fulla couldn’t see over the pile of lingerie in her arms, Frigg left her handmaiden to pay for her purchases and went to sit in the limo out front. Tiki stood sentry at the rear door. He opened it, allowing Frigg to slide inside the quiet, rich-leather smelling backseat. When she felt eyes on her, Frigg glanced up into the rear view mirror to see V
ali already behind the wheel.
Vali’s violet eyes smoldered for her. She smiled a seductive smile, biting down onto her pouty lower lip. She had had him many times before; the same way she had had Tiki many times before. Sometimes she even had them together. They were her personal guard and they would lay their lives down for hers.
‘You’re staring, Vali,’ she purred, touching the part of her chest where her dress pushed her breasts up and over. His eyes darted down to her fingers and she could have sworn she heard him growl faintly.
Frigg caught movement from the corner of her eye then. Fulla was coming toward the car, at least a dozen bags in her hands. She glanced back at the male in the front seat.
‘Come to me later, Lover,’ she said quickly just as the door was opened for Fulla.
‘What took you so long?’ she snapped, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
‘You had a large number of purchases, my queen. It takes time to ring them all up.’
The passenger door opened and Tiki got into the car, all while Fulla rattled on.
Frigg waved her hand in the air dismissively. ‘Yes, yes. I don’t really care.’ Turning her attention back to Vali, she said, ‘Back to the penthouse. I feel the need for a bath.’ She made sure to keep her eyes locked on Vali when she said the words. He nodded and pulled out into traffic.
They arrived at her Charlestown address, and Frigg waited for Tiki to open her door. She stepped out, running her hands down her dress, pushing out any wrinkles from the short drive home.
‘Fulla, run upstairs and get the bath going.’ The girl practically jumped before hurrying off to do her bidding. Tiki pulled her purchases from the trunk of the car while Vali offered her his arm. She smiled slyly at him. He had never offered this courtesy before.
By the time they were upstairs, Tiki was placing the bags neatly on the chaise lounge before backing out of the room. Fulla was still in the bathroom, monitoring the water temperature and level while Frigg had Vali all to herself.
He was still staring at her with a desire she found so tempting. Usually it was the other way around—she would be the one to approach her guards to have her appetites sated. This was out of character for Vali, but she liked how his eyes raked over her body with such lust and longing.