She clenched her fists at her sides. Anger surged through her veins. She could taste the fiery spice on her tongue. The prick of her nails in her palms surprised her. She and her tiger were always so in sync. She’d never lost control so far, she didn’t sense how close to the surface her tiger really was.
“I’m here aren’t I? I said I would last night. What bug crawled up your butt and died?”
He chuckled. “You’re only here because we bumped into you. We happened to be on our way to your fourth period class. I am sure your teacher would love to know you’re ditching again.” He stopped and turned toward her. “Nothing has crawled up my butt. However, I find your rage against the world distasteful. You’re being a brat. Trying to do something you know will cause you more pain. It’s like you’re a glutton for punishment.”
Goes to show how much he knows. “Since you seem so smug, I’m going to enjoy knocking you down a peg. I’m a T.A. for fourth period. The teacher uses me when she needs me.” The corner of her mouth kicked up when he continued to stare at her. She wished she could see his pale-blue eyes again. Watch them dilate when she got close to him. “Besides, shouldn’t you be in class too? Or do cranky vampires get naptime while in high school.” She wouldn’t let him see how close he’d come to hurting her. Every word he spoke had been a dagger to her soul. If she hadn’t built up the callouses cover it, he’d have seen her bleed.
“Not today,” he answered, opening a giant door behind the main building. He motioned for her to step inside. She’d never seen it before, perhaps because she hadn’t been paying attention or, they didn’t want just anyone seeing it. “We can talk in here.”
“What’s in there?” Her tiger demanded she turn around and walk away. Evil lurked within those walls. She could already feel it. The hairs on her arms stood on end and her heart beat kicked up a notch.
“Don’t worry,” Warren murmured. “We’ll protect you.” He slung an arm over her shoulder and guided her inside. “You don’t like it because it’s us. It’s all the dark demonic power. We stay here and hit our classes through the tunnels. It’s the only way to stay out of the direct sun.”
“Huh,” she grunted. “Interesting.”
“Indeed.” Grainger shrugged out of his coat, and she caught whiff of his scent. Something dark, bitter almost earthy. Her tiger purred. “Take a seat.” He pointed to the table beside them in the darkened corner.
“So, you all hang out here?” She glanced around the sparsely decorated space. Nothing cheery lay within those walls. She’d figured vampires would be obsessed with sun rises and sun set photos. Or drawings to remind themselves of their time before the transition.
“We do.” Grainger watched her. His pale gaze finally locking with hers. The power he wielded sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t figure out if she should be excited or scared. She went with indifferent—for now.
“Cool.” She cleared her throat. “I guess we should get a few things straight, then we’ll talk about what I’ll be doing for you.”
Three sets of gazes met hers. Though they appeared relaxed, their presence loomed over her, making her a bit overwhelmed and unsure about herself. She waited a beat, then a second. When they didn’t say anything, she continued. “I have a few stipulations.”
Grainger laughed. “You don’t get to have stipulations.”
The dark, edgy sound didn’t ease the anxious energy already crawling through her. Which, dang it body, get it together. Her senses and emotions were pinging out all over the place. She usually kept herself under a tight control. Here with these guys, she was losing it. Big time.
“Well, if you want me working with you, you’ll listen close.” She pretended to examine her nails, an easy way to take her mind off them staring at her, while also giving herself a moment to gather her wits.
“I’ll bite,” Abraham said, surprising her. “What do you need in order to do this job?” He gave her a small smile exposing the sharp points of his teeth.
“If you think you’re intimidating me, you’re not,” she snarled, curling her lip. “I’m not a simpering girl.”
“No, you’re not,” Warren agreed. A blast of lust smacked her in the chest, dousing the anger within her. It surprised her. Took her breath away, and when she glanced up at all three guys, they too were affected.
“None of that either,” she said. “It’s not fair.”
Warren shrugged. “Incubus. I like what I see and I want it.” He grabbed Abraham’s thigh then groaned when his boyfriend hissed at him.
“Can we not play this game.” Grainger rolled his eyes. “You don’t get to set the rules, Fallon. It’s simple. You’re helping us.”
Yes, she knew that. But, she also promised her aunt she’d be honest. She wouldn’t do anything to get herself into trouble, and she’d bring all three of them to the house for tea. “My aunt would think differently.”
“Oh yeah?” Abraham sat up a little straighter. “What does she say?”
She smirked remembering the conversation they had the night before. What hadn’t they said to one another. She’d cried later, after she’d gone to bed. The freshness of her broken heart had taken over her common sense and she’d wept for her parents. If her aunt heard her, she never came in or said word one.
It was also as she mourned that she thought about what her parents would want for her. In those moments, blowing her nose and staring out her bedroom window, she realized how disappointed they would be with her. Her father would have been furious. Her mother would have never said anything about it, but her actions would have spoken loudly.
“You don’t understand.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My aunt doesn’t want anything we do to break any laws. Supernatural or human. She also doesn’t want me to lie to her or my brother even if it is to protect them.”
Grainger visibly relaxed in his chair. “Oh. Well, those are simple to agree to. We won’t put you in a situation where you must choose your morals over the job. We don’t operate that way.”
“Yes, and your aunt doesn’t have to worry about you getting hurt. We’ll be with you the whole time. No matter what,” Warren added. “You’ll never be alone.”
Some of the tension left her. “Great, then there is one more thing.”
Again, Grainger cocked a brow. “Oh?”
She nodded. “My aunt is this traditional woman. She believes you should come to our house for tea, so she can get to know you and welcome you to our family. It’s a sign of respect and inclusion.” She hated the way she fidgeted in her seat. The uncomfortable unease slithered down her spine. It shouldn’t bother her. They were nothing to her, no matter what her tiger wanted.
“Tea?” Abraham stared at her in disbelief. “She wants us to have tea with her?”
“Uh huh,” she answered.
Grainger stared at her. He ensnared her gaze, drawing her closer to him without her having to move. She wondered what he thought. Did it bother him to have to accommodate her family after everything he knew about them? Did he feel the connection between them and was trying to understand it? She had so many questions for this man. “Fine. We’ll do it. Tea with your aunt sounds lovely.”
The knot in her stomach eased. They agreed with every condition she’d made, so why was she amazed by it? Had she really been prepared for them to say no? Had she been ready for the rush of relief she’d experience when they left her alone? She didn’t understand why she felt so out of whack.
“Great. Then I will set it up with my aunt, and I’ll call you.” She slipped her phone out of her pocket. “Number?”
Grainger was at her side in a blur of motion. He took the phone from her and typed in his information. “You can reach me there any time.” He handed the phone back to her, but held on tight. “Don’t jerk us around, Fallon.”
Jeez, she didn’t plan on it. “Don’t be a dick, Grainger.” She snatched the phone away and placed it back in her pocket. “I have to get to class. I’ll see you later.”
<
br /> Warren and Abraham waved as she headed for the door, but Grainger followed closely. His warm breath tickled the nape of her neck and sent goose flesh down her arms. She wanted to tell him to leave her alone, but he’d get what was coming to him when she opened the door.
“We’ll see you soon,” He murmured, spinning her so she faced him. He gazed down at her, a mix of anger and something … intimate, maybe, flashed through his eyes before he ran his knuckle down her cheek.
The crazy soft touch surprised her. Her heart tripped a beat and her stomach got this funny tickle in it. The pleasant feeling shocked her, yet felt right too. “Uh…sure.” She gave him a little wave as she opened the door, grateful she’d have a few hours before she had to deal with them again.
5
Grainger stepped out of Detective Michael’s office after informing him of Fallon’s stipulations to work with them. Abraham and Warren lounged against the opposite wall, arms and ankles crossed, with smirks on their faces—which seemed to be permeant since he agreed to Fallon’s outrageous terms.
Tea?
Correction, traditional Chinese tea.
He wasn’t an expert on anything to do with Fallon’s culture. He did understand, of course, tea had been a big freaking deal. At least he wouldn’t be alone. The dynamic duo would have to endure it with him. The knowledge gave him some small pleasure.
It’d been hours since he spoke with her, and he continued to wonder why he so readily conceded to her. Nor why he’d felt compelled to touch her. His knuckles had glided across her soft skin and some part of him unraveled. Like he’d found the other half of his soul. Never one to wax poetic, he didn’t tell Abraham or Warren. Probably wouldn’t until they could fully trust her. Which brought him back to this notion of giving in to the little tiger rather quickly.
Grainger didn’t bend to anyone’s will. He coerced them to give over to his will, or in rare occasions when the job called for it, he forced the issue. So to roll over for a slip of a girl … It pissed him off. The two waiting for him, smiling, peeved him even more.
Right. If he were honest with himself, he already knew the reason why. It was the exact same reason the other two members of the teams seemed to bend so willingly for her. She evoked unfamiliar emotions inside him. Feelings they’d all have to deal with. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.
“What did he say?” Warren pushed off the wall, standing to his full height.
“About?” He knew right well what the incubus was asking.
“Don’t play dumb,” Abraham said, moving to stand beside his partner.
He shrugged. “Not much. Michaels doesn’t give a crap. All he wants is her working with us voluntarily. And she is.”
“Honestly, even though I’d been there, I can’t believe you gave in so readily. It’s unlike you,” Abraham stated.
“Tea never hurt anyone. I suspect he agreed for the same reason, how we’re feeling toward her.” Warren gave voice to Grainger’s thoughts.
He flicked his gaze between the two, trying to determine how they felt about it. Their expressions never changed. Their eyes, however, gave them away. Warren’s glowed an eerie shade of red, and Abraham’s matched Grainger’s, not in color, but in need.
“We can’t guarantee she won’t get hurt,” Warren said.
“No, we can’t. I think, between the three of us, we’re going to do everything in our power to prevent it from happening.”
Both nodded.
“This could get interesting,” he muttered the understated factoid. There were three of them, one of her. The odds weren’t exactly in her favor. “Is this going to be an issue?” Everyone knew about Warren and Abraham’s relationship and what it detailed. It wasn’t unheard of, but he realized they tried to separate their job from their personal lives, not wanting the two to interfere. Now it would be. In a big way.
“We’ve already discussed it. We’re good,” Warren replied. “The question is, are you good? Do you get what this means for all of us?”
It meant, among other things, he’d be connected to the members of his team for the rest of his life. They worked well together, had from the moment they were assigned. The biggest variable, at least for him, seemed silly. Could he share Fallon’s affections with two other guys who he considered both teammates and friends.
“I’m working my way towards it,” Grainger answered honestly.
“Thought you should understand, we’re not willing to wait for you,” Abraham declared.
Warren nodded in agreement.
“So basically, I need to get there quicker, is what you’re saying.”
“Pretty much,” Warren grunted.
“I’m not into guys.”
Warren chuckled.
Abraham snickered.
“We’re aware. Although you’ve never been around an Incubus. Things could change.” A condescending smile floated a crossed Warren’s lips, and if they weren’t standing in KISS headquarters, he might’ve just given the other guy a hearty shove.
“What else did Michaels say?” Abraham changed the subject from Fallon to their jobs. A good thing too, because his body reacted in ways not conducive to them doing the assignment the Detective tasked them with.
“Time to hunt,” he announced.
Abraham rubbed his hands together in what Grainger suspected was anticipation. Like him, the other Vampire enjoyed the chase. It was ingrained in them.
“Fallon’s training starts tonight, she has to see how we work as a team.”
“She should be home from school in about an hour or so,” Warren said.
“It’s a nighttime activity. Something she’ll excel at, I’m sure,” he replied. “One of you contact her and the aunt to let them know Fallon’s services will be required.”
“The aunt? Seriously?” Abraham laughed. “Don’t you mean, Ayí—her name?”
“According to Michaels, her aunt is a master of Kung Fu. Black belt and not someone to be trifled with,” Grainger informed them. “Ayí is also aunt in Mandarin, so I doubt it’s her name.”
Warren whistled. “Impressive.”
“Yes. So, it might behoove us to keep on the woman’s good side.”
“Yeah. We wouldn’t make a good impression with our mate if her aunt kicks our butts,” Warren snickered.
“You’re all worried about the aunt. I wonder if the aunt has taught Fallon. If she has, then our future mate could kick our butts,” Abraham interjected.
“Maybe you demons,” Grainger teased Warren. “I’d have to think we’re pretty safe. Vamps are faster than shifters. Everyone knows this. Her aunt is just dangerous because of who she is and how much she can make Michaels life a living hell. Which, in turn, makes our lives agony.”
After agreeing to meet back at headquarters at a little before sunset so they could pick up Fallon together, they went their separate ways. Though Warren and Abraham graduated last year, Grainger still had homework to finish. Teachers didn’t give a flying fig if you were on an Arrowfire team or not, they expected the work to be done, and not even Michaels could save them from detention.
* * *
Grainger pulled the black SUV to a stop in front of Fallon’s aunt’s house. Warren jumped out before the vehicle in park and made his way up to the front door to ring the doorbell. Abraham was oddly quiet as Warren waited for Fallon to show herself.
“You okay?” He kept his gaze on the front door.
“Yes, just feeling a little pensive about going on a stake out with her. She’s an unknown, a wildcard. I wouldn’t put it past her to do something rash and stupid tonight. Potentially risking her safety and ours.”
Grainger gave Abraham his full attention, situating himself sideways in his seat so they could talk. “Would it make you feel better if I assigned you to keep an eye on her the entire night, no matter what? Warren and I will focus on what we need to do.” He shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
“It would,” his friend answered with a nod. He visibly relaxed, sitting bac
k against the seat.
“Done. I’ll fill Warren in without giving away our secret to the kitty. I’ve got a feeling that if she realized you were her shadow, she wouldn’t be pleased.”
“I think allowing her to hear the truth and you calling her kitty might make her less than happy.”
He laughed. “Agreed. Let’s keep the kitty comment between the two of us.”
“Oh, I think I’ll share that little nugget with Warren. Later. He’ll get a kick out of it, I’m sure,” Abraham informed him with a small chuckle.
It surprised him when Warren returned to the SUV and helped Fallon into the passenger seat. The Incubus’s normal spot. He understood what the demon attempted to do—put him even closer to Fallon—so when they claimed her, it happened as a group. Nonetheless, he expected her aunt to follow them out and lecture them in Mandarin, something he’d learned a few years ago, but never had any practical use for.
“Evening, Fallon,” he greeted her, as she reached over her shoulder for her seat belt.
“Hey, Grainger.” The smile she flashed him had his heart stuttering. She turned in her seat, addressing the other occupant in the car. “Hey, Abraham.”
He glanced up in the rearview mirror. The guy wore a shit-eating grin as he gave a small wave. The back door opened and Warren hopped into the seat. He stared at Grainger then winked before glancing at Abraham.
“I’m excited.” Fallon rubbed her hands together. “My aunt packed a cooler filled with water and snacks, but Warren said it would just get in the way.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
A cooler?
“I agree. Chances are we won’t be in the SUV much tonight. A cooler would just slow us down. If you’re hungry after, we’ll find a place to get you something to eat,” Grainger said, fighting the urge to shake his head at her antics.
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