Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Aces Wild, Ante Up, All in

by Amanda Carlson

  Jake nodded and bent down, scooping her up in his arms, still keeping them connected. Neve wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her lips on the side of his cheek as he moved them. Her mouth trailed to the edge of his ear and whispered, “You are the most amazing lover.”

  “You’re not too bad yourself,” he said. “We’ll do this any way you want to.” He immediately turned and sprawled out on the bed, seating Neve firmly on top of him, never once breaking their connection. “You lead, and I’ll follow. Don’t worry about the pinnacle, I’ll be right there with you. I’m barely hanging on as it is.” He grinned.

  Neve clenched her knees against his sides and grabbed his hands in hers. He’d leaned back himself against the big pillows and was at the perfect angle. She knew it was important to have him know she was coherent. It was important for her, too. She pinned her gaze on his as she started moving. “We do this together.”

  She rocked hard, moving to the tip of him, and then down quickly, seating herself on him firmly with every thrust. The pressure between them built immediately. As she built the rhythm, he came up to meet her.

  It was explosive.

  “Neve, you’re so wet,” he groaned.

  She smiled as her mercury tears leaked freely down her face. She didn’t care if he saw them. She broke her handhold as she rocked harder, bracing her palms on his shoulders instead. He met her with every thrust, running his hands up and down her sides, brushing his thumbs over her aching nipples. “Yes, Jake, it’s almost here—”

  He arched up quickly, thrusting himself deeply inside, catching her face in his hands as she called out his name. Instead of kissing her, like she thought, he leaned up and ran his tongue over both her cheeks.

  As she realized he’d just licked away her tears, she broke apart instantly.

  He came with her, bellowing his pleasure, his arms locked around her.

  Her release came in waves, and she shuddered against him as he held her tightly. He rocked into her again, and the aftershocks came, one after the other.

  She yelled in ecstasy, lost to it completely.

  Once the tremors finally subsided, he took her in his arms, bringing her gently down to his chest, and kissed her.

  It was a tender kiss filled with possession. In response, she threaded her fingers through his dark hair and nicked his bottom lip. His eyes widened in surprise. She smiled as she ran her tongue over his lip, lapping away the tiny amount of blood she’d drawn.

  “What are you doing?” he whispered.

  “You kissed my tears away so I’ve decided to claim you. It’s the vampire way to exchange blood, you know.” She laughed. She felt like she’d been reborn, and it was exhilarating. “Jake, the only thing I need from you now is a promise you won’t intentionally hurt me. Trusting someone is not my style, but I’m scared I’m going to screw this up. I need to hear you say the words.”

  “Never,” he vowed, his voice filled with intensity, “I will never hurt you, Nevada Hamilton. You have my solemn oath.”

  She leaned up and licked his earlobe. “You are an incredibly sexy man, Jake Troubadour. A hot hellhound in my bed every night? I can get used to that.” She whispered a few things in his ear and brought her lips around and licked his bottom lip.

  It was all healed.

  He growled in pleasure. “I’m going to make it my mission to satisfy you in every way possible. There is nothing in the world I want more than that.”

  “You already have, Jake,” she stretched out in his arms, “You already have.”

  Neve stood by the front door of a small trailer. She held a bouquet of wildflowers in her hand. She hadn’t been this nervous in a long time. Jake stood beside her, his hand splayed across the small of her back, his warmth comforting her.

  She knocked and waited.

  When no one answered, she turned to Jake. “What if it’s too late?”

  He shook his head and smiled. “It’s not too late. You can do this, Neve.”

  “I’m afraid to hold out too much hope.”

  “We’ll start slow. Plus, you heard what Sofia said. She may have a spell or two to help you out.”

  Neve sniffed, “I don’t believe a word that comes out of that witch’s mouth. Once I figure out what she’s really after, I’m going to send her packing.”

  “You may have to get through Diesel first. He’s taken quite a shine to her.” Jake rubbed Neve’s back, and it felt nice to have him so close. She knew she wouldn’t have found the courage to do this on her own had it not been for this hellhound. It had taken her a month to get ready for this visit.

  “I still can’t believe you paid that witch such an outrageous sum of money,” Neve groused.

  Jake shrugged. “She did what we asked her she’d do. She used a spell to try and bring down the vamp, and I’m a man of my word.”

  “Yeah, but instead, she knocked me out with her crappy aim. Plus, I already had the vamp down.” Neve shook her head.

  “We’ve been over this.” There was laughter in his voice. “But there was no way to know your quick hands could’ve taken care of business that fast. Plus, that’s why Sofia only charged us half.”

  Neve smiled to herself.

  She did have quick hands, and Jake now knew that firsthand. What she’d done to him last night still hung deliciously in her mind. Her man was unbelievable, and the heat between them hadn’t diminished for a second.

  “Half of outrageous is still outrageous,” she concluded. “And I hate the way she hangs out at the bar all the time. That witch is like a burr stuck to our legs we can’t shake off.” Nobody was answering the door, and Neve began to worry. She knocked again and glanced at Jake. “Maybe she’s out?”

  “Her car is here. Let’s give her a minute.”

  Just as Neve was about to go around back, the door opened enough for a frail-looking woman to peek out. “Nevada.” Her small, shaky voice held genuine happiness. “You’re here!”

  “Hi, Mom,” Neve said. “I’m sorry it’s been such a long time.” Neve took in a breath to steel herself. “I brought you these.”

  She held the wildflowers out to her mother.

  Neve was relieved that her mother appeared to be fairly sober, but she couldn’t tell for sure. The smell of alcohol always lingered around her. Her mother’s blonde hair looked recently washed, and she was dressed in jeans, which was a big step up from her usual ratty bathrobe.

  It was nice to see.

  “Thank you.” Her mother opened the door and reached out to take the bouquet. “I’ve missed you, Nevada. Won’t you come in?”

  “Yes.” Neve glanced between her mother and Jake. “And, Mom, I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Jake Troubadour.”

  “Hello, Jake. It’s very nice to meet you.” Her mother surprised her by reaching a hand out to Jake.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Hamilton.” Jake took her hand in his gently and shook it.

  Right then and there, Nevada knew there was hope with her mother. She would make this right.

  Or die trying.

  ANTE UP

  A Sin City Collectors Novella

  Amanda Carlson

  Welcome to Vegas. Home of the Sin City Collectors. The job description is easy: Bring the offending supernatural in to the Boss and don’t ask any questions.

  Diesel Jones is a shifter with moon issues. Not the best combination to have. His dream of becoming a Sin City Collector had always lingered in the shadows because of his inability to control himself under a full moon. When Louie Fiore decides to test his merit, and gives him a job for the agency, Diesel jumps at the chance. But when he finds out he has to come up against an incubus, painful issues from the past resurface, and instead of bringing the sex demon in, he only has one thing on his mind—kill.

  Sofia Cabrera is the new witch in town, and she’s more than anyone bargained for. She finds herself drawn to Diesel, the sexy shifter, the first moment she lays eyes on him. When she becomes the target of an organization of incubi,
who take what they want without asking, Diesel comes to her aid unexpectedly. They end up fighting the threat together, and in the process, Sofia discovers she—and she alone—can tame his rages.

  This book is dedicated to:

  Billy. For always.

  “You want me to do what?” Diesel Jones sat across from Jake’s uncle, Louie Fiore, and scratched his head. He’d just finished a massive breakfast, and a stack of empty plates were piled on the table in front of him. They were in a booth at Lorraine’s, a Vegas diner off the beaten track that catered exclusively to supes and was one of Louie’s favorite spots to do business. “That doesn’t exactly sound legal.”

  Not that Diesel had a problem with breaking the law—especially a human law—but he didn’t want to get himself on the other end of a Collection, either. After all, he was this close to getting his official papers to join the Sin City Collectors, and he wasn’t going to let anything fuck that up.

  “Kidnapping is only a minor infraction.” Louie pushed his plate away, folding his hands together on the Formica. “But I need this done by Friday, or everything I’m working toward on this case goes to hell. Once you complete this task, you’ll become an official member of the SCC. You have my word on it.”

  Diesel trusted Louie Fiore as much as he trusted Jake Troubadour, his boss and mentor—which meant he trusted the hell out of him. Diesel had been working for Jake at his bars, first Hound Dog then at Hellhounds, for more than fifteen years, and during that time the guy had never steered him wrong. Both men were honest and straightforward, and Jake had told him to listen to what Louie had to say and then do exactly what he asked.

  Diesel was on board with that.

  “Can I tell Jake what’s up?” Diesel asked, reaching over to grab a toothpick out of the dispenser.

  Louie shook his head. “No. We keep all Collections and business affairs of the Collection agency private for a good reason. No one in the SCC talks about a Collection. It’s against the rules because it complicates matters. Once information gets leaked, we have a greater chance of losing our mark.”

  “But this isn’t an official Collection, right?” Diesel asked as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the tabletop as he popped the toothpick into his mouth. “You just want me to pick this guy up, not arrest him.”

  Louie nodded. “That’s right. He’s not under an official Collection, but he has critical information for the case I’m building, and thus far he’s refused to come in on his own. He’s a slippery bastard, involved in a very hush-hush organization. His sister is actually the one we’re looking for. She’s been Collected once, but we didn’t have enough to make it stick. You bring him to me, or I lose out on nabbing the girl.”

  Diesel cracked his knuckles absentmindedly. He was a wolf shifter who had issues with the moon, which Louie was well aware of. It’s what had kept Diesel out of the SCC all these years. Diesel was strong, smart, and fully capable of becoming a good Collector. But his reactions to the full moon made him unpredictable and violent. He had no idea why the moon messed with him so badly, but he’d been living this way since he was eight years old.

  “Friday is only two days away,” Diesel pointed out, leaving out the obvious—the three-day full-moon cycle started in only one day. For Diesel, the day before the full moon, the day of, and the next were all hard on him. Louie knew that.

  “It’s not ideal,” Louie agreed, tapping a manicured finger on the table. “But it can’t be helped. If our target gets away, I’ll have to forfeit this case, and the supe I need is badly in need of a Collection. She’s done some awful things to many innocent people, and it’s time for her to pay for her crimes.”

  “What kind of supe is the guy I’m going after?”

  “An incubus.”

  Diesel blanched slightly, but refrained from pounding his fist through the table. Diesel’s dislike of sex demons ran deep, but he knew as a Collector he’d never have a say in his assignments. He was going to have to man-up. Instead of breaking the table in half, he cleared his voice and asked, “What’s the target’s name?”

  Louie lowered his voice and leaned forward. “Damien Stamos. He belongs to a group of incubi known as The Sumerians. They’re hard-core in their beliefs, and little is known about them. They’ve been extremely secretive for hundreds of years. We do know they pledge unbreakable vows, and once they enter the fold, their preferences only run female.” Sex demons were usually indiscriminate about who they slept with. “Word is, he’s after a certain woman here in Vegas, and he’s set to strike in the next day or two. If you accept this mission, I’ll send over all the particulars. But, I have to stress to you, this is an important job. One that I would trust to only a few people. Are you in or not?”

  Diesel contemplated Louie for a moment. The hellhound was dressed to perfection, Diesel would give him that. The guy was impeccable. He wore a crisp suit and tie, not a hair out of place. Louie Fiore had to be older than dirt, but the guy held an air about him, and he carried himself like the successful businessman he was. Even with a dusting of gray, Louie had received a fair amount of attention since they’d walked through the doors of Lorraine’s this morning.

  But not as much as Diesel had.

  Multiple waitresses had stopped by to fill up the shifter’s coffee in the last hour. Diesel had gotten his nickname because he was built like a Mack truck. He barely fit in the booth. He stood six feet, six inches tall and his muscles had muscles.

  But that didn’t mean he wasn’t smart. He gave Louie a wolfish grin as he leaned forward. “I accept.”

  “Just like that?” Louie’s eyebrows rose.

  “Yep.” Diesel draped a large arm across the top of the booth. “But I have one caveat. I bring my brother, Luke, along on the run to pick this guy up.” Diesel had uttered the words with a nonchalant air, but it was a serious request. He wasn’t going to do this without backup. Not because he couldn’t do the job alone—that wasn’t the issue. If he went into one of his “episodes” during the moon cycle, it could prove deadly for any innocent who crossed his path.

  Louie shook his head. “Can’t do it. This is official SCC business for me, even though it’s not a sanctioned Collection. I don’t take undo risks, and Collectors don’t work in teams.”

  Diesel brought his broad chest forward, his mouth going up on one side. “I know a test when I see one, Louie.” He gave the hellhound his signature wink. “I bring Luke, who has just filed his own application to join the SCC, but I won’t give him any intel about the job. He stays in the dark. He’s only there in case things get violent quickly.” He brought a hand up. “And before you tell me again that Collectors don’t work in teams, I know for a fact there have been exceptions—recent exceptions.” Diesel finished by arching an eyebrow, daring Louie to say otherwise.

  Jake and Nevada Hamilton hadn’t discussed their mutual Collection, but Sofia Cabrera had been a whole different story. The witch was new in town and had come into the bar shortly after seeking payment for her services. She’d ended up spilling enough details to paint a clear picture of what had gone down. He couldn’t blame the witch for talking. She wasn’t a member of the SCC, and it’d been a hell of a story.

  Louie cleared his throat. “That was the first time we’d teamed Collectors together, and we’re only recently making exceptions…as needed,” he emphasized. “I hear what you’re saying, and I will agree that your brother can cover you, but it’s imperative that no details be shared. This case is incredibly fragile as it is. Without the incubus’s word, we have nothing to move the case forward.” Louie peered at Diesel, seeming to examine him all the way to his core. “And you are correct. This is a test. You must master your moonlight issues or I can’t let you become a member of the SCC.” Louie reached for the check. “But I have total faith in you, my boy. This is your time to shine. Get this mission done, and you become a Collector.”

  “I hope so.” Diesel smiled, winking. “My mom’s counting on it.”

  Sofia Cabrera watche
d him enter Hellhounds from her position by one of the pool tables. The bar had become her second home in a very short period of time. She was new in town and hadn’t made any connections yet, so the bar was as good a place to pick up a few. He moved with the fluid grace of an animal, and it always captured her utmost attention.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  He had sandy-blond hair and piercingly green eyes. Today he wore a deep-red T-shirt with the word BOUNCER printed across the back. The material pulled tightly over his muscular chest. He was a specimen.

  But the most striking feature about him was his smile.

  The man was bewitching, and Sofia knew a thing or two about bewitching.

  “Witch, answer me,” Nevada Hamilton grumbled impatiently from her spot across the table. “Why are you still in Vegas, anyway? Shouldn’t you be on your way back home by now?” Sofia tore her gaze from Diesel and turned reluctantly back to the petulant dhampir as Neve mimed picking up a phone. “New Orleans called, and they need their witch back. Honestly, Cabrera, this town is full. It’s time for you to go home where you belong.”

  Sofia eyed her new frenemy and tried not to sigh too loudly. She knew Neve didn’t like her, but that didn’t stop Sofia from taking a seat next to the beautiful Collector every chance she had. This was a battle Sofia was determined to win. “Dhampir, don’t push me. I already told you I’m not from New Orleans. Not all witches hail from that particular city, you know. And I also told you, I’m now a proud resident of Las Vegas. Like it or not, you’re stuck with me for a while.”

  Neve made a noise in the back of her throat, but Sofia wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. Diesel was behind the bar, a towel tossed carelessly over his massive shoulder, already prepping Hellhounds for its busy hour. The place didn’t get hopping until midnight.