“My turn next,” Terri called out.
“Then mine,” Dani said.
“Okay,” I said. “But nobody tells Izumi how many times we’ve gone. She really will break off my cock.”
Cleo rode me, slowly at first, adjusting to my size. “All your secrets are safe with me. Oh, this feels so good.”
I reached up and seized her tits, gripping them tightly.
In the back shadows of my mind, my inner dragon roused, scales slithering, his golden eyes opening, shining with greed. He, too, hissed in pleasure. Through my human eyes, he devoured Cleo. His thought echoed in our inner darkness: Mine!
Ours!
SIX
“The purpose of minor offenses
is to distract from the bigger ones.”
—Caine Deathwalker
The were-kitties and I snuck out of the suite, careful not to wake Izumi. Asleep on the leather couch, she was oblivious to the hangover that awaited her. I closed the hall door and nodded to the changed guards. These two had worked with me before. Kiiln was a fire-demon, smelling faintly of sulfur. His skin had a faint jaundiced color. Glug, his companion, had kelp-colored hair, and a seafoam smell. He was from an ocean branch of demons distantly related to a minor Elder God that had visited the planet in the dawn of time to breed with the mermaids.
They didn’t ask stupid questions, trusting I’d tell them what they needed to know. As I moved away, they fell in behind me, locked in magical charms so they could pose as humans. Both wore dark suits and sunglasses—professional muscle.
Dani leaned in, her platinum hair mussed in a sexy way. She whispered to me. “I smell old eggs and raw fish.”
Terri nodded. “I’m hungry. Is it too early in the day for sushi?”
Glug rumbled approval. “I could go for some spicy tuna rolls.”
Kiiln said, “I prefer my food fire-roasted.”
“No surprise there.” I checked my watch. “We’ve got hours before my noon meeting with Gemma and her toms. Let’s hit the strip for grub and get a little air.”
We stepped onto the elevator and started toward the lobby. My phone played Memories, from cats. It was Kat’s ringtone. Apparently, she and the were-liger were up already and looking for me.
“Oh! I love that song!” Cleo said.
I answered. “Caine here.”
“Morning, Caine. This is a great place! Our room is wonderful. This is like the honeymoon we never had.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. I can die content.”
“Josh wants to know when we’re going after the monster.”
“There’s the situation with Cleo to be resolved here at noon. Gemma, the Queen of the Cats, will be here. I’d appreciate it if you’d back us up.”
“Sure.”
Cleo tugged on my arm. “Ask them if they want to come out and get breakfast with us.”
With her were-cat hearing, Kat heard the question over the phone. She answered at once. “Love to.”
“Okay,” I said. “You and Josh meet us in the lobby.”
Kat said, “On the way!”
I put away my phone and waited out the ride. Soon, the doors dinged open. We stepped off the elevator and moved across the spacious lobby to an island of furniture near the front doors. My demon security was in place. I couldn’t name the individuals without using magic to see through their magical disguises. Since that served no purpose, I didn’t bother.
About this time, I expected Julia to be in the clutches of Imari and the bridesmaids, getting herself entrenched in wedding preparations. I didn’t even want to think about what the Old Man and Kinsey might still be up to.
The glass front doors to the parking lot opened and Zero-T entered the building. He had on one of his earth-magic masks that moved naturally with his underlying face, giving him a black skin tone that matched the illusion covering the rest of him. He was black as in brown, African-American, not black like Imari, a fire-demon with glossy obsidian skin. Zero-T in his “Shaft” mode was here to see either her—his one true love—or me, because fun stalks me like a savage beast and everyone always wants in on the killing. He wore a chocolate brown suit with gold pinstripes, and a jaunty hat sat skewed on his head. Wing-tip shoes completed his sartorial splendor.
Seeing me in my trademark outfit, a black-linen suit and crimson tee, he smiled a greeting and angled to converge on me. Security knew him, giving him a once over, then ignoring him. He thought we were best friends. I couldn’t say he was wrong, though I remained his boss as well. Imari commanded most of the demons under the Old Man and me, putting her third in power, but as a member of my intelligence unit, Zero-T was outside her line of command. He and a few others wore black opal rings to show they acted under my personal authority. Not that he was here to work. He’d come down for a big online poker tournament—that he’d already washed out of.
He stopped in front of the couch we used and nodded to the were-kitties. “Ladies. All of you are looking damn fine this morning.”
They smiled back and spoke in unison, as if they’d rehearsed. “Good morning, Zero.”
“That’s Zero-T,” he corrected. “The Tee stands for tolerance. My high-school had a zero-tolerance policy for gifted, handsome black males—with a tendency toward violence—which is why I never graduated.”
I’d investigated his history and knew his story was crap. He had a high-school diploma and an electronic engineering degree as well. That didn’t fit his outta-the-hood persona, so he kept it quiet. I wasn’t sure why he thought he needed to pass for black. Maybe a deep love of waffle and chicken breast sandwiches.
“What are you up to?” I asked.
“Six-foot two,” he said.
“Seriously.” I gave him a light glare that didn’t really have any bite in it. “I have some work for you.”
“I came to see Imari,” he asked.
“She’s tied up with Red and Julie. Probably isn’t even still in the hotel.”
“Well, hell-in-high-heels! I guess I’m yours then.”
I whispered loudly to the girls. “It’s so cute the way he thinks I was giving him a choice.” I returned my stare to Zero-T. “Join us for breakfast. You can listen in as I bring Josh and Kat up to speed.”
“Who?” he asked.
I saw them coming off of the elevator. “Here they are now.”
Kat wore black leggings that looked painted on, and a pink top that was too big for her, hanging down to mid-thigh level. There were a pair of green cat’s eyes on her chest. Her black hair was in a pony-tail. She moved with a dancer grace that matched her lithe physic.
Next to her, leather-faced, bronzed by the sun, Josh looked thirty-five, wearing a tawny, short-sleeved shirt and faded jeans. His long legs ended in brown hiking boots, the kind that are good for stomping people in bar fights. He was hella-tall, with dark blond hair and the squinty eyes of a range-roving cowboy.
Huge and tiny, arm in arm, they strolled our way.
I saw a wave of tension sweep through my guards. They knew predators when they saw them. Coming in by portal last night, they’d not have been noted by security. And apparently, word hadn’t yet gone around to everybody that he was my guest.
I used a stand-down hand signal, and shook my head for them to chill. Josh was a threat, but not to me.
“Damn, he’s big,” Zero-T said. “What, six-four?”
“Even bigger when he changes into his were-liger form,” I said.
Zero gave me a wide-eyed stare. “You’re kidding me? He turns into a beer?”
“Were-liger, idiot, not were-lager. His shifter form is a genetic blend of lion and tiger. Liger.”
“But Kat’s the dangerous one,” Cleo said. “She controls him like a guided missile.”
I added, “She’s the Mistress of Sacramento, runs the northern California territory. Be nice to her or he’ll break you like a rotted twig. I mention this because they’re important allies, and it would be a pain to replace you.”
“Down righ
t impossible,” Zero-T said. “Some things can never be improved upon.” He stood and adjusted his crotch.
The were-kitties and I stood as Josh and Kat reached us. Cleo jumped in and hugged her. Teri and Dani moved in a second later making it a group hug. Josh had moved aside to let the reunion take its course. While the girls chattered brightly, he edged over to Zero-T and me. Josh and I shook hands. He used a firm grip, but made no test of power, too confident to play such games. He released my hand, leaving it intact.
I said, “This is Zero-T. Zero, Josh.”
They shook hands, completing the ancient ritual: See, no weapon in my hand, me come in peace. We can be friends.
“You’re a demon,” Josh said.
“And you’re not,” Zero-T said. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Awful decent of you,” Josh murmured. “My inner liger is hungry. Can we get a move on?”
“Kind of up to your wife,” I said. “She’s the one holding court with her fuzzy sisters.”
“Yeah. Well, it’s been a while. Know a good place to go?”
“Pancake Villa?” Zero-T said. “Mom’s Country Kitchen is also good.”
Josh looked over at Kat and said, “Honey, we can talk at the restaurant and eat at the same time. Have mercy on a poor starving liger, would you?”
Kat rolled her eyes, but started for the glass doors, surrounded by my were-kitties. Us guys followed. Glug and Kiiln brought up the rear. I expected they’d have their own car to use.
I asked Josh, “Did Imari set you up with a vehicle?”
“A hummer. I asked for a big rental. I just can’t get comfortable in a small car.”
“Why don’t you and Kat take the were-kitties. Zero-T can ride with me.”
Josh and Zero-T nodded.
I called over to Cleo, “Clee, show them where Mom’s is down the block. We’ll meet you there.”
She hollered back, “Gotcha, boss.”
We went out to the parking lot and found our vehicles. A few minutes later we were on the road. There was less life to Las Vegas in the early morning, less glitz. The city was designed to do its shining at night. By day, it was less impressive. Still, I thought Kat would find the strip and the high-rise buildings interesting. Traffic wasn’t too bad so we reached Mom’s fairly quickly. We parked and ambled over to the restaurant entrance. Oddly, Glug and Kiiln had failed to arrive. I’d thought they were right behind me.
My phone chimed, a call from an unknown number. I answered. “Caine here.”
“It’s Glug. You won’t believe this. We were a few cars behind you when this giant lance of cobalt glass falls out of the sky and stabs through the hood. Our engine is dead. Watch out. They may come after you next.”
“Call Imari.” I put my phone away and scanned the area around me. The cobalt glass was a trademark of Chrys’ brother. She’d be next to show up, or her parents. All the other Villagers were caged in their own dimension.
Painted red and blue like something off of an Eagles’ CD, a steer’s skull dropped out of the sky, landing at my feet, clattering. It stared up with vacant eyes. A woman screamed, “Caine, you bastard, you’re going to die!”
Chrys dropped out of the sky and stomped my way. The look of homicidal intent on her face didn’t detract from her scorching beauty. Her stunning curves filled out a thousand-dollar, turquoise mini-dress with mother-of-pearl buttons. Her platinum hair was upswept with a crown of braids around a top knot. Her smoky eyeliner and black eyes gave her bad-girl chic. Tinted a creamy elderberry red, her full lips were stretched thin by a fervent snarl.
I pooled shadow on my chest, willing it to reform as a spell-tatt. I pulled golden dragon magic to the same area, forcing the incompatible energies to cooperate. With a warm tingle, the defensive spell activated.
Kat looked at her, then at me. “Lover’s quarrel? We’ll wait for you inside.” Without looking back, she and Josh went in with the were-kitties.
Zero-T lingered.
“She’s a Villager,” I said. “You don’t want a piece of this.”
“I’ll give you some space to work this out, bro.” He patted me on the shoulder and scurried off.
Chrys stopped a few feet away, eyes dark with shadow power, her fists clenched in rage. As a Villager, she used shadow magic to manipulate her personal element: calcium. Echoing her emotions, the skull exploded. Shards of bone burst up into my face. A liberated horn flew point-first for my heart while the other one stabbed at my cock.
Oh, yes, this is very personal.
My protective barrier activated, becoming visible where the calcium touched it. A shell of red light swirled between Chrys and me. I was really hoping her power couldn’t reach through the shield, into my body, and shatter every bone in me. That would really suck, as well as being painful as hell.
The first rule of being an urban legend came to mind: Never let the bad guys see you sweat.
I smiled at her. “Chrys, my love, what a surprise. I was hoping I’d run into you. It’s been so long since I’ve fucked you properly.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” she spoke through bared teeth. “I think you’ve fucked me over plenty.” Her gaze shifted toward the restaurant door. “It didn’t seem as if I was missed at all. Partying with college girls now?”
“It’s a case I’m on, clan business.”
“Really, someone told me you’ve been hiding out in the desert, just to avoid me.”
“Absolutely not true! Someone’s trying to drive a wedge between us.” I took a step closer to her. The small pieces of bone were scattered on the sidewalk. Only the two horns still hovered. Twisting in space, still trying to bore through my barrier to do some damage.
“There’s a hell of a wedge between us,” she yelled. “You’ve blocked off my dimension. My family is stranded here. Tell me what you did to close down the accesses!”
I blinked at her.
That’s all she thinks I’ve done? No one’s told her my armies have ravished her world? That millions are dead. That the Red Lady unleashed raping hell-beasts there? Or that we freed the Villagers’ chained goddess so she could exact a millennium’s worth of horrific vengeance for their crimes against her?
No wonder I’m still alive.
SEVEN
“Love is a weapon even the defeated enjoy.”
—Caine Deathwalker
I stared with my best gaze-of-soul-withering-contempt. “After I hand you such an awesome opportunity, this is how you thank me?” I shook my head sadly. “I never figured you for such an ingrate.”
Standing there, pointing a finger at me, Chrys no longer looked like she was about to fling herself upon me. She closed her mouth and shook her head hard, as if to dislodge the words she’d just heard. The floating bull horns stopped grinding against my barrier. The magical red shell went invisible again.
She drew a deep breath, straightened, and used a more rational tone of voice. “What the hell are you saying?”
“Look past the inconvenience of being cut off from your home dimension. I’ve been there. It’s nothing special. You ought to be happy not to go back. You’ve built a financial empire here, right? Since you can’t go back for a while, why not take advantage of the fact that your family now has a free hand here, with none of your people able to interfere?”
“Interfere in what?” Neglected, her horns wafted lower, almost out of play.
“The technical name for it is hostile takeover. Your family is over here in a big way, invested deeply in human society, but there are others, right? Others trying to cut themselves in on the markets you’ve developed.”
“There are a few smaller groups, small investors sniffing around us.”
“Right. But do they live here, or just use agents like the silver dragons to do their grunt work?”
Her face relaxed. I could tell she was really listening to me. I just hoped I could finish this argument to my advantage while making it all up as I went along.
“They use i
ntermediaries: vampires, dragons, minor fey, even humans.”
“So, right now, your rival companies are cut off from direction and support that—trust me—isn’t coming anytime soon. They are headless resources that can be snapped up by your family. You have the strength to destroy anyone trying to stop you. By the time the way back to the Villager dimension opens again, all your rival’s assets can be yours with no legal trace of where those businesses went. Who cares what will be suspected. You can act so that nothing will ever be proven. And if your corporate empire becomes strong enough, with ties to the preternatural communities here, most of your people will want in. They won’t care who you stepped on along your way.”
“There’s just one problem with all that?” she said. “The home dimension can’t buy what can’t be delivered.” The horns darted at my face, shattering against my shell of force. The painted shards of calcium disintegrated, dust in the wind, like Chrys’ dreams.
I said, “Damn, you got me. Look, the Villagers attacked me first, starting a war. I won. They lost. Their fault for coming against me.” I shrugged. “Why are you trying to make it my problem that your people bit off more than they could chew?”
“I’m pissed, and you’re throwing sophistry at me?”
“Nothing you do to me will change your situation.”
A wicked smile appeared on her face. “Yes, but hurting you will make me feel better.”
“Until my shifter allies, my demons, the dragons of the Imperial Court, and my armies from Fairy all come down on your family and your commercial businesses. And you’ve met Selene, the Red Lady. After you take me down, how are you going to survive a dragon-goddess with hormonal surges from her pregnancy? She’s going to be real understanding. You think you have trouble now…!”
“So, I beat the crap out of you, but leave you alive. Barely.”
“Join us for breakfast instead. I’m buying.” I backed to the doors and opened one of them for her, weakening one area of my barrier so I could reach through.
Moonstone Shifter (Demon Lord Book 8) Page 5
