“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I held up a hand, my head spinning as I tried to process what she’d just told me. “Back up a second. You said that a man sent you to kill me? Who?”
Celia opened her mouth to speak, then shrieked as flames sprang up around her body. I jumped back with a cry of my own, grabbing for the fire extinguisher. But even as I swung the heavy red canister around, the flames vanished, and Celia along with them.
Breathing heavily, I set the canister down, then carefully approached the counter. A white rose bouquet rested exactly where Celia’s ghostly butt had been perched. There was no yellow card this time, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out where they’d come from.
I crushed the fragrant blossoms in my hand, then tossed them into the trash before storming away to grab my jacket. I was done with this. It was time I got my hands on Maddock Tremaine and dealt with him once and for all.
After my near-death experience in the bathtub, I needed to get out of my apartment for a little. Yeah, so the spell Father James gave me had worked, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t still feeling the aftershocks from my encounter. Sitting around in my apartment wasn’t going to get me anywhere, so I took my laptop and made a beeline for the nearest coffee shop so I could do some more digging into Maddock Tremaine.
I was only a block away from the coffee shop when I caught sight of a tall, lanky teenager coming out of a vape shop across the street. He was dressed from head-to-toe in black, his hair dyed to match, and he had a lip piercing, but I still recognized him from the photo Shelley had given me.
Well, well, Jason Williams. Let’s see what you’re up to that’s got your mother so worried.
I hefted my laptop bag a little higher on my shoulder, then crossed the street so I could follow him. I kept a cautious distance, although it wasn’t really necessary—with his earbuds jammed into his ears, his shoulders hunched from the cold, and his moody eyes downcast, he was too wrapped up in his own little world to notice me. I pulled a beanie out from my jacket pocket and tucked my damp silver hair beneath it so I wouldn’t draw attention to myself, then followed him eastward for a couple more blocks.
Soon we were in downtown Salem, just a few blocks from Essex Street, in the same part of town where Maddock’s club was. I frowned, wondering what he was looking for. Was he headed into one of the witch shops? Had he gotten himself mixed up in something occult?
The answer became clear when Jason crossed the street to where a non-descript, but expensive-looking black sedan idled. The windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see who or what was inside, but when the back door opened and Jason climbed in, I thought I caught the glitter of a pricey cufflink.
He’s definitely not hanging out with a local gang, I thought as I started across the street to stop him.
A large hand curled around my shoulder, fingers digging in harshly, and I was unceremoniously yanked back onto the sidewalk. Heart pounding, I grabbed my gun as my assailant spun me around, then froze as I came face-to-face with a thunderous-looking Maddock Tremaine.
“Get in,” he growled, jerking his thumb toward a shiny silver BMW parked on the curb just a few feet away. “We need to talk.”
CHAPTER 12
I probably should have been pissed, or scared, or some combination thereof. After all, I was smack-dab in the middle of a confrontation with a guy who’d tried to have me killed. Twice. Within the last twenty-four hours.
Instead, I burst out laughing.
“I dinnae see what’s so funny,” Maddock said tightly. A muscle in his jaw twitched as I only laughed harder. “Are ye suffering from hysteria, Detective Chandler? Because if so, ye might want to holster that gun before you shoot yer own leg off.”
“I’m not suffering from hysteria.” I chuckled, straightening up, and leveled the barrel of my gun at his chest. It only had regular bullets, but I was willing to bet they’d still hurt Maddock, whatever he was. “I just think it’s funny that you think I’m stupid enough to get into a vehicle with you after you tried to have me killed. Twice. Now get on your knees and put your hands behind your head. You’re under arrest for attempted murder.”
Maddock’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t tried to kill ye, Detective. If I had, ye’d be dead.”
I rolled my eyes. “Save that cliché for someone who hasn’t heard it.” I clicked off the safety and gave him my best glare. “I will shoot you if I have to.”
“All right.”
Slowly, Maddock dropped to his knees, putting his hands behind his head. It was a good thing, too, because we were drawing attention from passersby, and this was a busy area. I really didn’t want to have to shoot him in front of all these people. Most of them were giving us a wide berth, but there was always a chance Maddock could make a move that would end up getting someone else hurt.
“Smart man,” I murmured, keeping my gun trained on him as I approached. I walked behind him, and as I moved to secure his wrists, the most amazing scent hit me. It was heather and woodsmoke and whiskey and rain all at once, and I inhaled deeply. A second later, I realized the scent belonged to Maddock, and my cheeks flamed. I was supposed to be arresting him, not sniffing him like a goddamn dog in heat!
“Maddock Tremaine,” I began, sheathing my weapon and grabbing hold of his wrist. My voice trembled despite myself, which made me even angrier. “You are under arrest for—”
A wave of dizziness hit me, and the world started spinning. The next thing I knew, Maddock Tremaine was pressing his very big, very hard body against mine, driving me against a back alley wall behind a dumpster. My stomach pitched, and I choked, nearly heaving my guts onto the shoulder of his blazer.
“If ye throw up on my suit, I’ll make sure to send the bill to yer apartment, Detective Chandler,” Maddock growled. “Trust me when I say, the damage to yer wallet would be considerable.”
I snorted, and my stomach roiled. “Give me some breathing room, then,” I hissed out between clenched teeth. “I don’t know what the hell you just did, but it’s really not agreeing with my stomach right now.”
“Since that was likely yer first time teleporting, I’m hardly surprised.” There was a hint of amusement in his Scottish burr now. “The nausea will soon pass.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I want you on top of me,” I snapped.
He was right though—the nausea did seem to be easing off. Unfortunately, it was replaced by butterflies in my stomach, and my heart began fluttering in response as well. He was far too close, his addictive scent surrounding me, claiming me. Heat pooled low in my belly, and I gritted my teeth.
“Don’t you?” he murmured, his lips so close I could feel his breath on my skin. One of his big hands drifted down to my waist, settled there for a moment, and then slowly moved up beneath my blazer.
“Get off me!” I stomped on his foot as hard as I could, wishing I was wearing boots or stilettos instead of my flats. Pain radiated up my ankle as I realized he had steel toes in his leather dress shoes.
He smirked.
“Ye ought to be careful,” he said, drawing back. “It wouldna do to have ye break yer ankle when ye’ve only been on the job two days.” He twirled both my guns in his hands like he was some Wild West cowboy, then tucked them beneath the rear waistband of his pants.
“Give those back!” I lunged for him, but my hands met empty air as he disappeared right before my eyes.
“Yer wasting time, Detective.”
I spun around at the sound of Maddock’s voice. He was leaning casually against the alley wall behind me, a few feet away from where he’d pinned me just seconds ago.
“The longer ye draw out this conversation, the longer I’ll hold onto yer weapons,” he continued. “I’ve no intention of keeping them, but I’m not going to let ye shoot me.”
“You bastard,” I hissed, but relented. What was I going to do, run away? I’d wanted a confrontation with Maddock Tremaine, and now I had one. I just wished I’d loaded my new iron bullets into my gun and used them on him to begin w
ith, spectators be damned.
“What the hell do you want?” I demanded. “Why do you keep trying to kill me?”
“I haven’t tried to kill ye.” Maddock crossed his arms over his chest, the frown returning to his face. “Some cop ye are, by the way. Ye were going to arrest me with no evidence.”
“You don’t know—”
“Aye, but I do. Because there is no evidence to be had. All I have done is tell ye to stay out of my club. But I never tried ta kill ye. As I said before—”
“Yeah, yeah. If you wanted to kill me, I’d be dead.” I waved a hand impatiently. “If that’s the case, then what were your goons trying to do to me when you had them drag me to the back alley? Because whatever it was, it didn’t work. The wraith you sent to kill me would have been more effective, if I hadn’t beaten her back.”
“Wraith?” Maddock’s eyes narrowed. “What wraith?”
I scoffed. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know.” But if he was lying, he hid it very well. I didn’t detect anything beyond surprise in his voice and expression. “The ghost of a colonial woman tried to drown me in my own bathtub less than an hour ago. It really ruined my night, by the way. And then when I was interrogating her, she disappeared, and you left behind a bouquet of white roses, just like you did when you returned my gun.”
Maddock scowled. “I had nothing to do with this wraith. Ye’ve clearly mixed yourself up with someone dangerous, which isn’t at all surprising considering how easily ye attract trouble and how reckless ye are in yer actions.”
“And what the hell would you know about me and my ability to attract trouble?” I demanded. “You don’t know me.”
“I know that yer a recent transfer from the Chicago Police Department and that yer looking into the death of yer recently deceased fiancé.” He smirked. “It’s easy enough for a man of my means to find out most anything I want to know.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then it should be easy enough for you to tell me what’s really going on in this town.” I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. “You’re clearly right in the center of the supernatural community.”
“Yes, and I’d prefer that ye stay as far away from it, and me, as possible.”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll make your life hell. I can have cops breathing down the necks of you and your cronies at every turn. I’m sure that’ll put a real cramp in your secretive lifestyle.”
Maddock threw his head back and laughed. White, even teeth gleamed in the moonlight, and I cursed myself as the butterflies in my stomach whipped themselves into a frenzy.
“Ye dinnae scare me.” He sneered, the humor disappearing from his face as quickly as it came. “And neither does the Salem police department. Yer the one who should be afraid, Detective. This city is too dangerous for a little girl such as yerself. You should pack yer bags and head back to Chicago while ye’ve still got the chance.”
“I’m not a little girl.” I seethed, balling my hands into fists. Oh, how I wanted to punch him in that ridiculously handsome face of his! “I’ve been fighting vampires since I was a teen. Chicago’s infested with them. If I can handle that, I can handle whatever else is around here.”
Maddock tilted his head, regarding me curiously. “Did yer fiancé know about yer little hobby?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “In fact, we worked together, killing vampires while we were on the job.”
A pang of grief and loneliness hit my chest—I longed for those days again, when it was just me and Tom, stalking the dark streets of Chicago and kicking vampire ass. At least fifty percent of the homicides we’d dealt with were vampire-related, so it wasn’t like we were doing it for fun. But I’d still enjoyed it, not just because we were making a difference, but because I had someone I could share this part of my life with. Someone who’d understood.
Not anymore, though. Everyone around me who knew anything about the supernatural were bound and determined to keep me away from it. And I was sick of being treated with kid gloves.
Maddock sighed, uncrossing his arms and pushing his hands into his pockets. “I can see that I’m not going to dissuade ye from this foolhardy path, and that yer going to cause me trouble regardless of whether or not I give ye information. I suppose it would behoove me to tell ye a few things, so that ye dinnae go blundering around and causing even more problems.”
“Gee, thanks.” My heartbeat picked up with excitement, but I was careful not to let it show on my face. “I’m all ears, buddy.”
“ENVY, the club I manage here, is the premiere supernatural hotspot in this city and the whole of New England as well.” Maddock picked some imaginary dirt from his fingernails, as if this conversation was utterly boring. “Its location is technically in Underhill, but it’s anchored in this world as well and serves as a sort of go-between.”
My eyes popped. “You’re saying that your club is a gateway to faerie?”
“That’s one way of putting it.” Maddock inclined his head. A lock of inky hair fell forward, giving him a rakish look, and I told the butterflies in my stomach to pipe down.
Jesus, did he have some kind of magic mojo that was throwing me off like this?
“As a high-ranking member of the Seelie Court, I have responsibilities to ensure that our domain is well-protected. In addition to that, I also keep an eye out in the area for any newcomers…such as yerself.” His eyes narrowed. “And my guards keep tabs on any humans who are trying to get into the supernatural community. For example, that young teenage boy who ye watched get in that car. He’s been snooping around for weeks, trying to get a vampire to turn him.”
“What?” I straightened up at that. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why didn’t you let me go after him? They could be turning him right now!”
Maddock let out a sigh. “They’re not doing any such thing.”
“And just how do you know that?”
“Because the men he got into the car with weren’t vampires,” he said patiently. “They were some of my own men. They’re going to wipe his memory of the club and take him back to his mother’s house. Ye won’t find him snooping around here again.”
“Oh.” Some of the tension coiled in my gut eased. Which was silly, because I had no idea if I could even trust Maddock Tremaine. “You’d better not be lying to me, Tremaine. I promised that boy’s mother I would help him.”
“Well, now ye can keep yer word,” Maddock said silkily, a little smirk playing on his sensual lips. “Better yet, now that I’ve helped get that off yer plate, ye have some time to help me.”
I stiffened. “Help you with what?”
“A number of supernaturals have been going missing in the last few months.” Maddock’s face hardened. “Someone is taking them, and I need to know why, and where they are. Since yer both a detective and a supernatural, I’d like to enlist ye in my search for them.”
I pursed my lips. “Are any of them kids?”
“Both children and adults have been taken,” Maddock confirmed. “And whoever is doing it is using magic to mask their trail.”
“Huh.” I pursed my lips. Tom came here to investigate missing kids, and now Maddock was telling me supernaturals were going missing as well? That couldn’t be coincidence. But still… “What’s in it for me?”
“If ye help me locate my missing kin, I’ll help ye uncover the truth about yer fiancé.”
I glared suspiciously at him. “How do I know that you’ll keep your word?”
“The fae cannot lie,” Maddock said simply. “If you doubt that, simply ask yer Uncle Oscar. He knows that to be true.”
I pressed my lips together, annoyed that he knew so much more about me than I knew about him. I needed to fix that, to level the playing field between us. He held too many cards.
“Fine,” I agreed, because it benefited me all around. “I’ll help you.”
“Excellent. I’ll be in touch.” A smile curved his lips briefly, and then his brilliant green eyes hardened. “In the meantime, stay alert, Dete
ctive. Yer activities have painted a large target on your back, and I’m sure the wraith attack won’t be the last attempt on yer life.”
And with that, he vanished.
CHAPTER 13
Even though I turned in early, I did not sleep easy. My dreams were full of wraiths and vampires and shadowy figures with glowing purple eyes. They stalked me mercilessly, clinging to me like glue no matter how fast I moved.
“Get away from me!” I cried, batting away the bluish figure of a ghostly little girl.
My hand passed through her form as she swooped down, and a chill swept through me, sending a shiver across my skin even though I normally enjoyed the cold.
“But why?” The girl pouted, her voice echoing strangely in the darkness. “We’re family.”
I glared at her. “I may not remember my parents much, but I’m pretty sure that you’re not from my family tree.”
“We may not share blood,” someone hissed from my left. I whipped my head around to see a vampire smiling at me, his white fangs gleaming despite the lack of light. “But we do share a heritage of sorts, Brooke Chandler,” he continued. “You’re one of us.”
“No!” I pulled out my vampire gun and shot him in the chest. Blood bloomed on his chest as the wooden stake bullets ripped through his flesh, but instead of disintegrating into ash, he simply fell to his knees and laughed, and laughed, and laughed…
“Detective! Wake up!”
A demanding male voice dragged me kicking and screaming from the dream. Strong, firm hands curled around my shoulders, shaking me, and I lashed out with my fists.
“Mac Soith!” Maddock cursed as my fist connected with his perfect jawline. He grabbed my wrists in both hands and pressed me into the mattress. “Stop struggling, will ye? I’m not trying to attack!”
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