Eternal Pleasure

by Nina Bangs

  “Nothing. Love is a weakness. I can’t afford to have weaknesses. Now can we get back to the brain waves?” His voice was cold, flat.

  “Sure. Explain.” She fought down her anger. Anger would bounce right off that hard shell he called a heart. Of course, just because he had a human body didn’t mean he had the emotions to go with it. Ty felt human. Fin was alien.

  “I believe in synchronicity. I believe that we were meant to rise at the same time as Zero and his crew. And I believe it’s our affinity for numbers that makes us the right choice to save humanity. There are no coincidences in the universe.”

  “And what does that have to do with brain waves?”

  “I saw you, Kelly, and everything you were. I saw you playing a melody on your flute. No, I didn’t hear it. But I knew it wasn’t composed by you or given to you by someone else. It was a part of you. And I saw the possibility that you would defeat Nine. Unfortunately, that’s all I saw.”

  “Not too helpful.” He’d targeted her from the beginning. Shen’s story about talking to someone who said she might be interested in a job had been a lie. The outrageous salary was bait, and she’d bitten.

  “But I finally figured it out. I read an article about people who’re using electroencephalograms to record their brain activity and then having it translated into music. They think listening to their own brain music helps with anxiety and insomnia.”

  “Or with kicking galactic goons out of Houston.” Kelly didn’t bother asking what this had to do with numbers. She understood the relationship between numbers and music. But there was something terrifying about knowing that the fate of humanity might rest on her and her flute. Eat your heart out, Pied Piper. “Are you sure this is the solution?”

  Fin hesitated.

  “You’re not.”

  He swiveled his chair around to stare into the night. “I don’t know what else it could be. But, no, we won’t know if that’s the answer until you play the tune for Nine.”

  “So it’s possible that I could play my brain music and then Nine would do lots of giggling right before he splattered said brain all over some wall.”

  “Hypothetically. Although, since he can’t touch you directly, one of his helpers would do the splattering.”

  The ball was in her court. “Uh, maybe we could make a CD of my brain music and just mail it to him.”

  Fin shook his head. “I saw you playing the tune.”

  She could say no. She should say no. She said yes. “Okay, where do I get an EEG? And before you begin to celebrate, this isn’t a promise that I’ll play my flute in the face of certain death. I have strong survival instincts. I reserve the right to run like hell if the odds are wrong.”

  He spun his chair to face her. “Understood. I have all the equipment here. It’ll take five minutes to record your brain activity, and then you’ll be free. I’ll get the tune to you as soon as the lab finishes up. Memorize it, and then make sure you don’t go anywhere without your flute.”

  She stood, and Fin stood with her. “I have a question now that we’re alone. Why haven’t you told your men that they were something else before they were dinosaurs? It’s obvious to me, and God knows I’m not the perceptive type. Why isn’t it obvious to them? Why don’t they ask questions about their past?”

  He stopped and stared at her. Kelly felt his stare as a sudden stabbing pain that threatened to shatter her skull. Gasping, she pushed her palms against the sides of her head to hold it together.

  “What’s your name?”

  She opened her mouth…and nothing came out. Her name? Her freaking name. Her mind raced in panicked circles, searching for the word. Gone. She didn’t know her own name.

  Fin looked away, and her name was back. Kelly. She said it over and over in her head to make sure it was really there.

  “Sometimes forgetting is kinder than remembering.” His voice grew harder, colder. “Imagine the worst nightmare you could possibly create, magnify it a hundred times, and it still wouldn’t come close to the horror they’ve forgotten.”

  “You’ve wiped their memories.” The enormity of what he’d done to his own men sickened her. And then it made her mad. “Where the hell do you get off playing God? Why are you the only one with a right to remember?”

  Fin looked back at her, his expression shutting her and everyone else out of his world. “There are just so many memories anyone can handle. How would the memory of something unspeakably evil help their concentration now when they need it most?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “That’s exactly the point.” He turned toward the door again. “Get this straight, Kelly. We’re going to defeat Zero and his nine buddies one damn number at a time. And I won’t let anyone or anything distract my men from that goal.”

  “And if I decide to tell Ty?”

  “Do we have to see if you can remember your name again?”

  Fin wasn’t subtle about his threats. She’d back off and regroup. Then when she had time to think, she’d decide what to do. The part of her brain in charge of self-preservation thought she should keep her big mouth shut, that this was an internal affair and none of her business. Maybe she’d listen to her brain on this one.

  “There are other distractions beside the past. What are you going to do if one of your men falls in love with a human?” Now where’d that question come from?

  His harsh laugh managed to sound ominous. “No chance of that. Once she knew what was involved, no woman alive would be willing to claim one of our souls for her own.”

  Well, that sounded scary but intriguing. She joined him at the door. “So what does Fin stand for? I can’t think of any carnivores beginning with those letters.”

  “Infinity.” He led her toward another room at the end of the hallway.

  “I should’ve thought of that. It goes with your number obsession. And since you chose the names, you got to call yourself anything you wanted. But what kind of dinosaur were you?”

  Fin paused in front of the closed door. He closed his eyes for a moment. “How does Ty stand all your questions?”

  She was getting to him. Good. “It’s part of my charm.”

  He pushed the door open, then turned to face her. “I was huge and horrifying, and I don’t have a name because there were only two of us. Scientists haven’t found our fossil remains.” Fin waved her into the room, where a woman in a white coat waited, and then he escaped.

  Coward. While the EEG was recording her brain activity, she wondered about the other one like Fin. A mate? Interesting.

  Ty was about ready to go looking for Kelly when she finally returned. Instead of dropping onto the couch, she walked over to the wall of windows and stared out.

  “It’s amazing. Houston looks just like it always did, but knowing what’s happening below the surface makes it a place I don’t recognize anymore.” She sighed and turned to stare at him. “Do you think it’ll ever go back to the way it was?”

  She’d caught him by surprise. “When Nine is gone.” When I’m gone.

  Without answering, she got a bottle of water from the wet bar’s small fridge and sat on the couch. “I was with Fin. He wanted to record my brain waves so he could have them made into music.” Neva wandered over, and Kelly absently scratched behind her ears.

  “Music?” Why hadn’t Fin told him about this? Once again, he got the feeling there were lots of things Fin didn’t tell any of them. And that bothered him. Why? It never bothered you before. He shook his head to clear the fog that seemed to roll in whenever he tried to think about Fin.

  “Yeah. He said he can see into the distant future. One of the things he saw was the possibility that I’d defeat Nine by playing my flute. The weird part? He thinks the melody will come from my brain waves.”

  Ty knew he was glowering, but he couldn’t help it. “Forget it. You’ll never get close enough to Nine for him to hear you playing your flute. I’ll make sure of that.”

  Kelly smiled at him, and he could almost hea
r cracking sounds as something hard and brittle inside him developed a few more fissures. Dangerous stuff. He’d have to make sure he didn’t get to like that smile too much, because she’d be gone as soon as they took care of Nine.

  “I guess Fin knew how you’d react, because he sent Shen to drag me off to his office before you got back.”

  He’d talk to Fin later. Not now, because even Ty’s short meeting with him had triggered all kinds of aggressive impulses. Like the urge to plant his fist in Fin’s face for sneaking around behind his back to get to Kelly. “Fin insists we take plenty of help with us tonight. Neva goes, and we have to pick up Q. Someone dropped him off at his apartment last night, but he still doesn’t have a driver. And another one of the Eleven is going with us, too. His name is Spin.”

  “Spin? This won’t work. The alpha said I could only bring one friend with me.”

  Ty nodded. “I’ll be with you. Neva stays in the car until we’re sure she’s welcome. Q and Spin will be in the wind. Fin isn’t a trusting kind of guy.”

  “What if the pack leader senses them?” She shuddered. “I’m tired of being afraid. I need some mental downtime between werewolf wars.”

  He dropped onto the couch beside her and tilted her face up until she met his gaze. “I’ll protect you. Do you believe me?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation.

  Ty’s relief was way out of proportion to her answer. But his protection was all he had to offer. No money. No shared interests. Hell, he couldn’t even talk to her about movies or TV shows. He was all about brute strength and a past she couldn’t relate to. And why are you getting so intense about this anyway?

  He glanced at his watch. “Oh, and we got an invitation while I was talking to Fin. Jude owns a club in the Montrose area, Eternal Pleasure. He wants us to stop by to night about ten. Maybe he has information we can use. I thought we could hit the club first, then get something to eat before meeting your pack leader.”

  “Eternal Pleasure?” Kelly looked doubtful. “I’m not dressed for a place with that kind of name. I’ll change when we stop at the apartment.”

  He dug Neva’s rope leash out from between the couch’s cushions and dropped it over the werewolf’s head. “Sorry. Have to keep up pretenses.”

  They left the room with a sulky Neva and headed down the stairs. A man stood by the front door. Spin. The guy with the all-black outfit and long blond hair. Ty felt the familiar need for violence, but not quite as urgently as usual. Maybe Kelly was having a calming effect on him after all.

  When they reached the door, he stuck out his hand. “Ty.”

  The man smiled and shook his hand even as his gaze slid to Kelly. “Spin.”

  They both tightened their grips. Spin grimaced but refused to back down. Ty felt like the bones in his hand were being crushed. He bore down harder.

  “Oh, for crying out loud.” Kelly sounded disgusted. “Call it a draw, guys, and get over it.”

  Ty grunted and dropped his hand at the same time Spin did. He controlled the need to flex his fingers. After considering his chances of getting away without introducing her, he came down on the side of a grumpy intro. “This is Kelly.” He glanced down at the werewolf. “And this is Neva.”

  “Hi, Spin.” Kelly offered her hand, and Spin took it in both of his. “What’s Spin short for?”

  She shot Ty a warning glance that stopped his growl before it reached the top of his throat.

  “Spinosaurus.” He slid his gaze to Ty, and his grin widened. “Big meat eater like Ty, but with a lot more style and charm. T. rexes were long on attitude but short on personality.”

  “I bet I could tear your head off with lots of style and charm.” Ty glared pointedly at where Spin still held Kelly’s hand.

  The other man maintained his grip a few seconds longer just to establish that he wasn’t afraid of Ty, then stepped back. “So what’re we doing tonight?”

  Ty carefully avoided Kelly’s gaze. She’d be pissed that he’d challenged Spin. Once again, their worlds clashed. In his time, Spin would’ve expected Ty to warn him off his mate. You’re not her mate, and she’ll hate that you went all possessive on her. Again. He clenched his fists. Would he ever adapt to this era?

  Kelly answered for him. “We’re stopping by our apartment to pick up Q, and then we’re hitting Jude’s club to see what he has for us. Finally, we’re meeting the alpha of a werewolf pack. Maybe he can help Neva.”

  Spin took the time to meet Neva’s gaze. “Sorry I ignored you. Must be tough to go through the change alone. Hope this guy can help you.”

  Ty was impressed. Spin granted Neva human dignity instead of treating her like an oversized dog. Maybe the Spinosaurus did have more style and charm than a T. rex.

  He thought about that once they were on their way back to the apartment. Ty again had the seat next to Kelly. A brief glaring match with Spin had warned Mr. Style and Charm not to try to claim it.

  Winning those kinds of minor skirmishes wasn’t enough, though. Ty understood that claiming Kelly’s respect would be a lot tougher than claiming the seat. Oh, she trusted him to protect her, and she’d enjoyed his body last night. But he’d have to step away from his primal past and into her civilized present for respect to grow. And, yeah, he was admitting it. He wanted some of those things that brute force couldn’t get him. He’d start by trying to sit on his aggressive instincts.

  As Kelly pulled into the apartment parking lot, she glanced at all of them. “Stay here. I won’t be long. I’ll just make a quick change and then get Q.”

  “Why change? You look great.” Ty couldn’t conceive of her ever not looking great.

  Kelly smiled her appreciation. “It’s a girl thing. We’re hitting a club. I want to dazzle.”

  Ty wasn’t sure he liked the idea of her dazzling anyone except him. But he made a real effort to beat down his jealousy.

  Spin put in his two cents. “Hey, I’m all for dazzling, but remember we’re meeting an alpha wolf. Don’t want to stir up the old savage heart.”

  Kelly tried to keep from laughing. “Uh, guys, look in a mirror. I think you have the savage-heart market cornered.” She climbed from the SUV before either of them could answer her. It felt good to get in the last word for a change.

  She guessed there was just so much fear a person could absorb, because she wasn’t thinking about the wolves. Instead, Kelly was actually looking forward to the club visit. It’d be a brief chance to act normal again. Act was the operative word, because normal wasn’t in her present vocabulary.

  After letting Q know they’d arrived, she stopped in her apartment long enough to make a quick change. Not much to choose from, but she slipped into some silky black pants and a sexy purple top with a deep vee plunge that teased and taunted. Kelly didn’t for a minute try to fool herself about where she was aiming that teasing. She added some dangly earrings and a pair of shoes with heels way too high for running. Maybe no running would take place tonight. A girl could hope.

  Satisfied, she refreshed her lip color, swept a little shadow across her eyelids, grabbed a jacket to replace the bloody one still hanging back in the condo, and headed down to join the others.

  A woman would always feel like a woman around the Eleven. As Kelly settled into the driver’s seat, she could sense an explosive blend of testosterone and sexual energy bouncing off every surface.

  She hadn’t put on her coat, and she handed it to Ty to hold. Okay, she’d purposely left it off to impress. So sue her. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she chanced a quick glance at Ty.

  He met her gaze, and something so sensual gleamed in his eyes that she wanted to park the car and climb all over him. She took a deep breath and looked away. Wow. Just wow.

  She thought about him all the way to Montrose and Eternal Pleasure. It took more time to find the club than she’d expected. That was because it was tucked into the top floor of a small two-story building. An antique shop took up the first floor. And the sign with the club’s name was so tin
y, Kelly missed the place the first few times she drove past.

  Jude had chosen a great spot for his club, though. The Montrose area had a unique flavor with its eclectic mix of boutiques, restaurants, and small galleries. But the area’s residents had no idea exactly how unique their neighborhood really was.

  She got lucky. Someone pulled out of a parking spot right in front of the club.

  Ty climbed out and looked around. He turned to Spin. “Maybe you should take Neva for a walk. Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious while you’re at it.”

  Kelly glanced at the werewolf. “It’s funny, but ever since she calmed down, Neva hasn’t acted like I’d expect a werewolf to act. No violent rages, no bloodlust. What’s with that?” Kelly spoke to Neva. “Too bad you can’t talk.”

  Neva looked frustrated that she couldn’t express herself.

  Spin opened the door so Neva could jump out, then slipped on her makeshift leash. “This is so cool. I’ll feel like the biggest badass on the block walking a werewolf.” He paused to think about that. “Oh, right, I’m already the biggest badass.” He stared at Ty and Q, daring them to claim the badass crown.

  Ty ignored Spin as he headed toward the outside stairs that led up to the club. Kelly followed him, and Q brought up the rear. She was breathing hard by the time she re ached the second floor, but it wasn’t because of exertion. Talk about an adrenaline rush. She was with two hot and dangerous men and about to meet with the city’s head vampire. An excitement high like this could trigger a nosebleed.

  Kelly heard the music before Ty opened the door. A woman was singing something slow and so erotic it took her breath away. Images pushed and shoved to be the first to trail across her memory. A naked Ty looking out the window, his smooth back tapering down to the most perfect ass she’d ever seen. Ty pressing her to the balcony wall, his cock hard against her stomach, his eyes…She shook her head. Later. She’d indulge her memories when she had the time to do it right.

  As Ty pulled open the door, Kelly felt Q tense behind her. Some of her euphoria faded. Danger came with this kind of excitement. Could you become addicted to the constant pulse-pounding uncertainty of what would happen in the next few minutes? Would life seem boring once she settled back into her normal routine?