by Linda Wisdom
Mick was another matter.
In record time, Maggie was at the club’s parking lot, leaving the car in a No Parking zone as she moved toward the entrance.
“You are not allowed inside, Guard,” the troll sneered when she reached the door. “No one in there has need of your aid, nor would we call you if trouble happened.”
Her smile grew wide with anticipation of a good, old-fashioned knockdown drag-out fight, if need be. Yep, she was in that bad a mood.
“Oh, good, Declan didn’t tell you I was coming. I could just kiss him for that because I’d like nothing better than to cause a few bruises. Someone in there absolutely needs my aid because you were a bad boy and committed the ultimate no-no.
“You allowed a human girl and boy in there. That’s about as illegal as you can get. Automatic death sentence, in fact. So,” she drew out the word, “you don’t give me any crap, and I won’t tear your gullet out.”
The troll growled and started to reach for her but froze in place. His eyes rolled frantically as he struggled to move.
“Be grateful I let you breathe.” She brushed past him and entered the dark interior.
Nothing had changed since her last visit. Even Seether screaming “Fake It” out of the speakers in the walls was enough to turn her deaf.
She ignored the vampire that snarled at her as he passed by and the trio of imps who looked at her as if they’d like to kill her but still kept a careful distance.
“They’re in one of the back rooms.” Declan appeared at her side.
“Did they see you?”
He shook his head. “Everyone’s been told that if they ask about me, they’re to be told I’m not here tonight. So far, I’ve managed to keep an eye on them without them seeing me.”
“Why did they come here?” she ground out, feeling her blood boil. “Courtney knows she’s underage and this isn’t the place for her.”
“Because it’s forbidden and Mick obviously talked her into breaking the rules big time.” He steered her around the edge of the crowded dance floor. “I understand you threatened Paxil.”
“Paxil? He named himself after an antidepressant?” She laughed. “I know many races refuse to allow their real names to be known because of the power the names hold, but you have to admit that’s more than a bit much. There are plenty of baby-name books out there, so why go through a pharmacology textbook?”
She looked up and saw humor flickering in his eyes. “You know what, Sparky? Talk to the wand. Right now, I’m so pissed at Courtney that I’m surprised the club hasn’t gone up in flames.”
He held out his cupped palm, a tiny flame flickering. “That’s my job. Come on. Let’s surprise the kids, shall we?”
She shook out her hands, ignoring the magick that filtered out. “Surprise will be the least of it. Right now, I want to take the punk down.” She looked down to find Declan’s fingers threaded through hers.
“Just don’t destroy anyone. I do have a business to run.”
“Be happy I don’t feel like blowing something up. Yet.”
***
Declan felt Maggie’s anger flow through her body. She fairly smoldered, with her power threatening to erupt like Mount Vesuvius. He looked at her, seeing the sharp gaze of a Guard, her form tight, ready to fight if need be.
It was easy to remember the first time he saw her. Sexy as hell in a skimpy clubbing outfit, with high heels that showed off the golden tanned legs that he fondly recalled having wrapped tightly around his hips. But her smile was what had caught him that night. The way she smiled at the Bloater, drawing the rogue creature in until there was no escape.
Just as there had been no escape for him. That was fine. He had no desire to leave her. She was already imprinted in his blood.
He cocked his head to the side, listening to a telepathic message from Snips, whom he’d ordered to stay a safe distance away while still keeping an eye on Courtney and Mick. The imp’s words weren’t what he wanted to hear.
Declan guided Maggie toward one of the back rooms that offered private tables and booths.
“Just how many private rooms do you have in this place?” she asked, noting the hallways and couples making their way down them. She doubted they were looking for the restrooms.
“More than you’d like to know about. Her human blood won’t allow her to enter any of the more clandestine areas. I can’t keep an eye everywhere,” he said by way of an excuse that he knew wasn’t going to fly with her. Judging by her expression, he was right. “What goes on there is nothing illegal, since humans shouldn’t make it past the front door.”
“And since Courtney did, you have no idea how many others have in the past,” she argued, pushing past him.
Declan swore under his breath when he saw Snips standing by a filmy curtain that opened to a room he would prefer to shut down, but keeping the room available at all times was an ironclad clause in the contract he’d signed to get the club.
The imp looked at Maggie as if she was a piece of filth he’d find on the bottom of his shoe. A warning rumble moved up Declan’s chest and left his lips before he could think twice.
Snips looked from Declan to Maggie and back to Declan. His knowing look was also a warning.
Demons and witches didn’t mix, and now Snips had figured out that Declan had mixed very well with Maggie.
“The human girl is in there and looking very uneasy,” Snips reported, ignoring Maggie’s presence. “The boy with her appears to be content to stay there. So far, there has been no trouble, and Elena has been instructed to serve them no drinks.”
“Who else is in there? Or should I say, what else?” Maggie demanded.
Snips hesitated.
“Tell her,” Declan ordered harshly. “Who is in there?”
The imp’s response was reluctant. “Wreaker is there with several ladies. Otherwise, the room is empty.”
Declan looked away in hopes Maggie wouldn’t see his reaction, but he wasn’t fast enough. Her eyesight was more than good enough, even in the dark surroundings.
“Who is Wreaker?”
“My cousin.” He gestured for Snips to get out of there fast. He didn’t know what the witch might decide to do to the imp if she believed in the axiom Kill the messenger. Snips wasted no time disappearing.
“Your cousin the incubus?” Her moonstone pendant started gleaming with an eerie light that lit up their little corner.
“Let me go in first.”
But she already had her hand on the curtain and was pushing it aside. “Ladies first, remember?”
“Please remember my request not to wreck my club again, okay?” He followed her in.
Declan was familiar with this room, although he preferred to stay out of it unless there was trouble. Unfortunately, trouble erupted in here more frequently than in any other room in the club.
Large privacy booths along the walls gave couples, or more, seclusion to indulge in their wildest fantasies. Healers were kept on call for when the games got out of hand.
He kept close to Maggie’s back while scanning the room for his cousin.
Red filmy curtains sectioned off the booths and tables, while almost naked waitresses circulated with trays of drinks, most of them mixed with potent aphrodisiacs.
As he expected, Wreaker held court in one corner, his large body sprawled on a red velvet couch while several females watched him with rapt attention. Mick sat nearby, looking as if he were mentally taking notes of what the incubus was saying. A very unhappy Courtney sat next to Mick. He shrugged her off every time she plucked his sleeve and said something to him. Clearly, she wanted to leave and he didn’t.
“That son of a whore.”
Declan didn’t miss the dangerous magick thrumming through Maggie’s body. “Umm, Maggie, could you dial it back just a little?” he murmured. He tried to loosen his hand from her tight grip but was unable to do so. “Even demons need to breathe.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll kill him.”
; “Things will get out of hand fast if you make a scene, so don’t kill him until after you leave the club.” He didn’t like that Wreaker noticed their entrance. Judging by the avid interest on his face, trouble could easily follow.
There was nothing his cousin liked more—other than willing female flesh—than creating trouble. A pissed-off witch would be the perfect target for him.
“Cuz! Good to see you. Our lovely Elena over there said you weren’t in tonight, but I found that hard to believe, since the club is so important to you.” His obsidian eyes glowed with dark light. “Come join us.”
Courtney’s head snapped around, her face a mixture of pleasure and relief followed by a hint of guilt. “Maggie! Declan!” She started to get up, but Mick grabbed hold of her hand.
“Hey, you’re with me, remember?” he reminded her with a snap in his words. He stared at Maggie with open threat. “You don’t need that bitch anymore.”
Declan shook his head. “Boy, you’ve done it now, because if I don’t take you apart, she will.”
Mick threw back his head and laughed, an edge of howling in the sound. “Her? All she’s good for is spreading her legs. I bet you’ve had her more than once, haven’t you?”
Courtney gasped and struggled to free herself, but she could only cry out in pain when he tightened his grip.
Declan looked at Maggie. “It’s my club, my rules, so feel free to hurt him first.”
***
The witch lit up like a Christmas tree. “Do you know that is the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me?” She rolled her shoulders and shook out her hands again.
Wreaker straightened up more, watching the two. “Is there something I don’t know?” He flashed Maggie a dazzling smile.
She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Declan, I can’t believe that Neanderthal is related to you. I’d sure hate to see the rest of your family tree.” She dismissed the other demon and advanced on Mick, who stood up and stared at her with menace in his manner.
“I knew you’d try to mess up her mind,” he told Maggie.
“I didn’t want to come here,” Courtney cried out. “Last night, Mick said we were going to a rave. But when we left tonight, he said no, we’d come here. Declan had said we couldn’t get in, but Mick said he could get us in.” She stared at what was her former boyfriend with fear in her eyes, “I—he took my cell phone so I couldn’t call you.”
Maggie stared at Courtney’s bare neck. Now she knew why the tracker had failed. Mick had taken it from Courtney and somehow managed to dampen its use. Did he know what it was for?
This close up, she could see the beginning of a bruise on Courtney’s cheek. Oh, yeah, she really hated this guy. She was looking forward to making sure he’d never hurt a girl again.
“You might want to stay out of the way,” she advised Wreaker, who straightened up and watched her with an odd look in his eyes. While he knew she was a Hellion Guard, he obviously hadn’t taken her very seriously. Until now. He moved off to one side, taking his harem with him. The women wasted no time exiting the room.
Declan spoke quietly into the air. A moment later, a familiar giant guarded the doorway. “No one gets in or leaves,” Declan told him.
Maggie smiled. “I could really get to like Anton.” But for now, her target was the asshole in front of her. She stared at his hand, which still held Courtney’s wrist in a bruising grip. “Release with pain to him and none to her. Now.”
Mick yelped as fire encircled his hand. The moment he let go of Courtney, she ran to Maggie, who gently pushed the girl behind her.
“What the fuck are you?” Mick started to advance on her.
Maggie’s smile just got wider. “Oh, honey, I’m the witch your mother, if you even had one, would have warned you about.”
She walked forward until she could wrap her hand around his throat. She kept her hold just tight enough and kept walking until she had him up against the wall. Mick’s words gurgled deep inside his throat as he struggled against her.
“Don’t bother talking,” she said in a low voice, squeezing her fingers just enough to get him to shut up. “I just love it when they get all stupid.” She glanced over her shoulder at Declan and then returned her attention to Mick.
“I… can’t… breathe,” Mick rasped.
“Ask me if I care.” Maggie felt her face tighten with the fury that rippled through her body. “You called me a bitch. You lured an innocent girl into thinking you loved her,” she spoke in a deadly soft voice. “You played the part of the bad boy because you knew, with her past, she was ripe for the picking. You brought her to a club that is strictly forbidden.”
With each word, her hand tightened around his throat. “But you know what really pisses me off? You put your hands on her.” She ignored his gasps for air.
“You’re killing him!” Courtney cried. “Please, I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
“By the time I finish, he’ll wish I had—and don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“Do me a favor and leave something for me,” Declan spoke up. “I’d like to ask him a question before you tear him to pieces. Just how the fuck did you get into my club?”
Maggie loosened her grip just a fraction and arched an eyebrow at Mick. “Answer fast. My patience is very limited.”
Mick shrugged, showing a bit of bravado. “A guy told me what to do. He said it would be easy to get in. And it was.”
Declan and Maggie looked toward a corner of the room.
“Not me.” Wreaker held up his hands in surrender. “This is the only club where I have any fun. No way I’d want to be banned from here.”
Maggie tipped her head to one side when a soft gleam flickered off Mick’s chest. She reached out and snatched a medallion from around his neck without caring if she left a welt behind. She held it up, studying the sigil shifting across the metal.
Declan looked over her shoulder. “Demon made,” he said softly. “By wearing that, he wouldn’t appear to be human to the bouncers here, so he could get in without any problems.” He took the medallion from her. “I’ll find out where this came from.”
Maggie knew whoever gave Mick the charm would find himself in a heap of trouble. She’d let Declan have that fun. She was already in the midst of her own.
“I paid good money for that!” Mick argued, trying to grab it back, but he faltered when Declan’s demon side appeared. Flame seemed to flicker over Declan’s skin and leap from his eyes. The room’s temperature rose by a good twenty degrees. “What the fuck are you?”
“Something that makes sure assholes like you don’t last long.”
“Enough chitchat.” Maggie focused back on Mick after taking a moment to admire her fiery demon lover. “Turnabout’s fair play. I’d also like to know what you are, because I’m positive you’re not totally human.”
“What do you mean, I’m not human?” He tried to fight her hold but found it was all in vain. “Just because you’re a witch and he’s something else doesn’t mean I’m a freak like any of you.”
Maggie released him and stepped back as he fell to the floor. He slowly stood up, rubbing his throat, which was reddening by the second.
She got in Mick’s face. “Then I guess there’s only one place for scum like you.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in her speed dial. “Hi, I’ve got a package pickup at Damnation Alley. We’ll be in the parking lot.”
The moment she disconnected, she punched in another number. “Hey, Syb. I’m sending someone to you for a chat. And I’ll be there later. Thanks!”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Mick said, regaining his courage. “You’re not a cop, so you can’t make me. That’s kidnapping, and I’ll press charges so you’re in jail until you’re an old lady.”
“No, I’m not a cop. I’m worse than any cop you’ve ever dealt with in your short lamentable life because I don’t have to play by their rules. Trust me, they won’t care about you, nor will they believe I kidnap
ped you, so don’t try that story with me, bub. I’m also older than you could ever guess.”
She shook her head. “It’s amazing that everyone says they’re not going with me, but they still do, willing or not. You have a choice, Mick. You can walk out of here on your own two feet, or I will toss you out of here, which would involve bruises at best and broken bones at worst. Declan doesn’t like having his club messed up, so I suggest we do the adult thing and walk out of here.”
By now, Mick was doing his best to keep out of her reach.
“I’m serious, Mick. If you screw with me, I will screw with you—and my way is very painful.”
“Don’t bother asking for help from me or anyone else in the club,” Declan advised the boy as Mick looked in his direction with a silent plea. “Especially when we leave this room. Some of my clientele might offer to assist you, but they would do it only for their own benefit. Trust me, their plans wouldn’t be anything you’d like.” His eyes turned to molten silver.
Mick turned to Wreaker, whose eyes now sizzled like charcoal. “Sorry, kid, you’re not my type, but I can set you up with a revenant who enjoys fresh meat every now and then. You look like you’d provide him with a tasty meal.”
Courtney grabbed hold of Maggie’s arm. “Can you get my cell from him?” she whispered fiercely.
“Don’t expect to get it back any time soon.” She plucked it out of Mick’s jacket pocket and secured it. She shoved Mick hard enough that he almost lost his balance. “Just move.”
The sound of applause came from the side of the room.
“Brava, witch!” Wreaker’s handsome face was wreathed in a broad smile as he leaned back in an artful slouch while clapping his hands. “You are truly a lovely sight to behold. Beauty and violence, hand in hand. I had no idea members of the Hellion Guard were so comely.” He sketched a low bow. “If only I’d met you before my cousin did. I think we would make an excellent pair, what with your fighting skills and my good looks.”
Maggie shot him a You have got to be kidding expression. “We’d make a great pair only if I turned you into a mud slug, because it’s obvious you’re extremely annoying.” She planted her hand against Mick’s back and gave him a push. He walked without any further argument. Courtney remained close on Maggie’s heels.
