I scanned the room, trying to be casual about it. Then I spotted him. Reynolds stood across the room, sipping champagne.
Harry moved closer, pretending to check his phone. “Well?”
“I’m going in.”
“Be careful,” Harry warned.
I hoped Reynolds didn’t recognize me from the other day, but even if he did, I would play dumb. If he thought I was Kandy’s friend, he might assume I was in the same line of work as her. I didn’t want anyone thinking that about me, but if it worked in my favor, I would just run with it.
“Hi, there,” I said, as I approached him.
He stared at me for a moment, a hint of a smirk on his face. “Yes?”
“I really love this house, do you know who owns it?”
“I do.”
“Oh. Then maybe you could give me a tour of this place,” I said, taking his arm.
He extracted his arm from mine. “I don’t think so. I don’t go near mongrels.”
That one stung. Ever since I arrived here, I’ve been treated as less than. Actually, I have been treated that way most of my life. Shifters have always been treated like shit but I wasn’t going to take it from a murdering scumbag like him.
I moved back to stand beside Harry. “He isn’t interested. Care to try your luck?” I said.
“We need to get him alone, but I don’t want to let him know that we are working together.”
“Okay, let me try again. I’ll get him to leave the room.”
A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne. I snagged one off it and knocked it back. I’m not a drinker, but I needed it after my run in with Reynolds. If cleavage didn’t work, I guess I would have to resort to threats instead.
Reynolds was chatting to some blonde. I waited until she moved on before going up to him again. “Listen up, you son of a bitch, I know exactly what you’ve done, so unless you want me to tell everyone here, let’s go somewhere more private and talk.”
He stared at me with contempt. “Lead the way.”
19
Jade
Reynolds followed me out to the hallway. I could feel the anger radiating from him, I didn’t need a mind reader to tell me how he felt. None of the guests had ventured out here so I assumed this was a private part of the house. The hallway led to several doors, all of which were closed. How many rooms did one person need?
“What do you know?” he said, his voice menacing. Now that we were away from the others, I could smell a weird odor off him. He was probably some kind of shapeshifter, but nothing I had ever smelled before. Kind of like a mix of freshly mown grass and tar.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t have the power to melt my eyeballs.
“Everything,” I said, crossing my arms. “Especially when it comes to the club.” I wondered if I should have a tape recorder running. I assumed Regine would accept my word for it, she certainly didn’t like the guy if she pointed us in his direction, but she might want proof she could use.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “What do you want? Money?”
Not denying it then, but not admitting to anything either. It looked like we would have to do this the hard way.
“No. I want you to say it. I want you to admit that you murdered a woman.” Then there would be no doubt.
Reynolds looked confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”
If he didn’t think I was talking about Kandy, what did he think I was accusing him of? “Kandy from the club. You cut her throat, admit it.”
Shaking his head, he turned away from me. “Crazy bitch.”
I grabbed his arm to stop him. The next thing I knew, I hit the wall hard, his hand around my throat. He lifted me off the ground so my feet dangled in the air. I clawed at his hand but he was crazy strong.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I didn’t kill anyone, but I might just kill you if you don’t get the hell out of my house.”
On instinct, I brought my knee up, catching him in the balls. He let out a grunt and released me. I dropped to the ground gasping for air.
When he raised his head again, his eyes glowed red. “You’ll pay for that,” he growled.
His body started jerking wilding and long black spines sprouted from his back and arms, tearing through his clothes.
“What the fuck?” I whispered, backing away. What the hell was he? I’ve never seen anything like him.
He swung his fist at my head. I ducked and his hand struck the wall behind me, leaving a dent.
Fuck this.
I ran.
***
Harry
“Drink, sir?” the waiter asked me, holding the tray of champagne out toward me.
“No, thank you,” I said, trying not to look at it. Ever since I left Crestwood, it had become harder to avoid alcohol. That itch was always there, but I was determined not to give into it. That’s why it was important to stay busy and keep up with training. The tai chi and sparring wasn’t only to help Jade, it kept me focused too. I should probably check for a local AA meeting in case I needed it.
Jade still hadn’t returned to the room. Reynolds probably didn’t react well to being confronted. I headed for the hall to see if she needed any back up. It bothered me that we never found out what kind of supernatural he is. Even rumors. It meant he had reach or he was very careful never to reveal himself to anyone.
Someone stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Kate,” I said, shocked to see her here. Judging by her attire, she was here on business and not a guest of the party. I assumed she wasn’t here alone either. Sure enough I could see a man in a cheap suit on the other side of the room.
“Considering the kind of party this is and why I’m here, maybe it would be better if you call me Detective Bell,” she said.
“I don’t understand. Has someone been murdered?”
“Not yet. But the owner is a suspect in another case. A woman disappeared at a party just like this one.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know anything about it.” I tried to get by her, but she moved again to block me. I needed to find Jade before Reynolds did anything to her. Or caused her to shift if she found herself in danger.
“Why are you here, Harry?” Kate asked, placing her hands on her hips.
“I got an invitation and I thought it might be the place to network. Now I see it’s not that kind of place.” It did look highly suspect, but right now I needed to concentrate on finding Jade. Preferably without making Kate any more suspicious.
Kate opened her mouth to reply when there was a smashing noise from above us and a thump heavy enough to shake the chandelier in the middle of the room. A few of the guests looked slightly worried, then they returned to their drinking. I guess they didn’t care enough to check it out. It had to be Jade.
Kate looked up at the ceiling then at me, as though I was responsible. “Where’s your partner? Jade, is it?”
“Um, she’s around. I think she went to the bathroom. I’ll fetch her and we’ll get out of here.” I didn’t want to be rude but she needed to get out of my way.
There was another smashing sound, this one sounded like a window and a few seconds later, someone screamed from the back of the house. It didn’t sound like Jade, but that didn’t mean she was okay. What if Reynolds threw her out a window? Heart thumping, I tried to push by Kate, but she placed a hand on my chest, holding me back.
“Stay here,” Kate ordered and ran from the room. I waited until she was out of sight and then I went to look for Jade myself. I just prayed she was okay.
Jade where are you?
20
Jade
In the chaos, I managed to get myself lost in this maze of a house. I picked a direction and ran, finding a staircase which took me up. I assumed I could find my way to the front staircase and get back downstairs but now I had no idea where I was. Everything was in darkness and I wasn’t stopping long enough to find a light switch. Reynolds was too close to do anythin
g but run.
Running through a huge mansion with a killer on my heels – why does this seem familiar?
Turning left, I ducked into one of the bedrooms as I heard Spiney coming up the hallway. Did he have control in that form? What if he wandered into the middle of the party? That could really ruin the mood.
If I could get back downstairs then maybe he wouldn’t follow me and I could get the hell out of here in one piece.
Where the hell is Harry?
I thought it was painfully obvious by now – I’m the muscle and he’s the firepower. And muscle wouldn’t cut it on this occasion. That guy could probably crush me like a bug.
The bedroom didn’t offer many places to hide. I doubted he would be fooled by me hiding under the bed. Reynolds would find me in seconds. I took a step toward the door to find somewhere else, when there was loud thump from outside. Shit! I needed to do something. Looking around, I spotted the window. It wasn’t the greatest solution, but it beat just waiting here to be eaten.
Opening the window, I leaned out to take a look. There was a ledge running around the house, but it was so thin, I wasn’t sure I would be able to stand on it. There was another thump. I didn’t have much of a choice.
Pulling my shoes off, I dropped them on the floor and climbed out onto the ledge. Good thing I’m not Harry, he hates heights. Can’t say I liked them much anymore, not after Gideon took me for an impromptu flight into the air before dropping me. I still had nightmares about that one.
Inching along the ledge, I moved slowly, looking for another window to climb through. There was a crash from the room as Reynolds broke through the door. I tried to move faster, worried he would try and follow, although I didn’t think the ledge would hold him.
For all I know he might be able to fly! I pushed that thought aside, I needed all my concentration not to fall to the gravel below.
I reached the edge of the house. Now came the tricky part. I gripped the edge of the wall tightly as I moved around the corner. My foot slipped and I almost lost my balance. Throwing myself flush against the wall, I clung to it, breathing hard.
Please don’t let me fall.
I might not die from the fall, but I could hardly explain a fall that I could walk away from and it would hurt like hell landing on gravel in my bare feet. Not to mention what it would do to this dress although I’m sure it was beyond saving at this point. Good thing we were at the back of the house, less chance of being seen by any of the guests. At least until I fell past the window and they all got a good look at me.
When I felt steady again, I moved on. I reached a balcony and managed to climb over, scraping my knee in the process. I tried the handle, relieved when the door opened. Staggering inside, I found myself back in the hallway. I needed to get back downstairs.
As I took a step forward, Reynolds appeared from one of the rooms, still transformed. He moved toward me, taking slow menacing steps.
“There you are,” he said, his voice sounding high pitched and nasally.
“You won’t get away with this, I didn’t come here alone,” I said.
“No, you came with the English guy. Don’t worry, when I’m done with you, I’ll torture him to death and bury you both in the same shallow grave.”
There was nowhere to run, I had to try and fight him. Concentrating, I extended my claws, knowing it probably wouldn’t be enough.
He reached behind him and ripped one of the spines free from his back. Another instantly grew in its place.
That is disgusting. He has his own built in weapons.
He slashed at me with it. I jumped back, but the tip caught on the strap of my dress and I heard the fabric tear.
“Son of a bitch,” I snarled. I knew I had a lot more to worry about than the dress but damn him.
I kicked out, catching him in the gut. He staggered back a few steps but still brandished his weapon. I had nothing that would get close to him.
Backing up a few steps, I considered trying to get back out the window, but I’d never get back onto the ledge without him catching me.
“What are you waiting for?” I said. Let’s just get it over with.
Reynolds ran at me, the spine raised. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I threw myself to the ground. Reynolds was moving too fast to stop, he crashed through the doors behind me, over the balcony and plummeted to the ground below.
Getting to my feet, I ran to look. A fall like that probably wouldn’t kill him.
I groaned in disgust when I saw him. The fall might not have killed him, but the metal fencing he now lay impaled on, did the job. It surrounded the property. Reynolds had returned to his human form, his spines gone, though they might have a hard time explaining the holes in his suit.
As people gathered on the lawn, a scream went up. I took that as my cue to get the help out of there.
21
Jade
After everyone ran outside to get a look at Reynold’s body, I grabbed my shoes from the room and hurried back downstairs. I found Harry in the foyer, looking worried.
“There you are. What happened?” he asked, grabbing my arms.
“Reynolds transformed into this weird thing with spines. He went for me and fell out the window. Pretty sure he’s dead.”
“Are you hurt?” Harry asked.
“I’m fine.”
He reached out his hand toward my neck. “Um, there are marks on your neck.”
“Oh. They’ll fade.” I rubbed at them. I guess Reynolds had a stronger grip than I thought. If I was human, I’d probably be dead.
“Yes, but they might not before Detective Bell returns.”
“She’s here!” Why was that woman everywhere all of a sudden?
He nodded, taking off his tux jacket. “Here put this on and try to cover it up.”
I wrapped myself in his jacket, hoping Kate didn’t look too closely or ask any awkward questions. We stood near the queue of onlookers, trying to blend in. Eventually Kate and another cop ushered everyone back inside so they could secure the crime scene.
“We could make a run for it,” I suggested as we were herded toward the main room.
“She knows we’re here. It would look too suspicious.”
I wasn’t looking forward to getting grilled by the woman, I just wanted to go home and get cleaned up. I opened the jacket and glanced down at the dress. The fabric was covered in dust and there was a tear on the shoulder.
Fuck I’m not getting my money back now. It was the last time I ever bought something so expensive.
We stood in the corner of the living room while the police questioned everyone. I’m sure everyone was telling the same story, they saw nothing. I just hoped no one saw me leave the room with Reynolds. If they did, I would have to make something up.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Harry asked, as I chewed on my fingernails.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Kate finally headed our way, a grim look on her face. I kept my head bent trying to cover my neck as best as possible, although I’m sure it was healed by now.
“Do you two want to tell me what you’re doing here? At the home of a man famous for his sex parties? A man now dead. Or why you were seen hanging out at a well-known strip club?”
I glanced at Harry. What the hell could we say that wouldn’t incriminate us? We didn’t need Kate hounding us while we tried to work. She might end up stumbling on the truth or learning that supernaturals existed.
“I, uh…I’m a big ol’ whore,” I said.
“Excuse me?” Kate said.
I glanced at Harry. His eyes were wide with shock, but he didn’t say anything. What the hell could he say to that?
“Yep, I go to clubs and parties like this to meet men,” I went on, cringing at every word. It wasn’t the greatest excuse, but it didn’t get us accused of murder.
Kate looked to Harry and I saw her expression change to one of horror. She thought Harry was a part of this
.
“Not for money,” I quickly amended. “Nothing like that. It’s an addiction. Harry came here to stop me. He’s a good friend.” No point in throwing him under the bus.
“Yes…” Harry said slowly. “I’m always telling her to stop her…whoring ways.”
Kate looked at us like we were insane. I couldn’t blame her.
She cleared her throat. “Did you talk to Mr Reynolds at any point this evening?”
“Um, yeah, briefly when we arrived. I was complimenting him on his house. But he disappeared after that.”
She made a note of it in her notebook. I’ve never felt more humiliated in my life, why the hell did I say that? I mean it seemed like a good way to cover up our reason for being here, but it hardly painted me in a good light.
I’m sure I’ve been accused of worse though.
Kate lowered her notebook. “Look, I don’t know what you two are really up to, but I warned you about screwing around on my turf. I mean…” She realized what she had said. “Just watch your backs. If I find out you were involved in anyway, you’ll both be in a world of trouble.”
She gave us a glare before moving onto the next guest.
“What the hell did you say that for?” Harry whispered.
“I don’t know! It was the first thing that came to mind. She said this was a sex party, I just went with it.”
“Let’s get out of here before we’re both arrested,” Harry said. We headed back to our car, now that we had given our statement. I imagined that Kate was going to be watching us very closely from now on. We would have to be on our best behavior. I would need to be extra careful if I found a spot to run too, in case she put us under surveillance.
I knew Harry should have stayed away from her. Why didn’t he listen to me?
As we drove back, I wondered what would happen with Reynolds now. He changed back into his human form after he died, but who knew what an autopsy would turn up. I’m sure he had provisions in place in case something like this happened. His body would be removed from the morgue which I’m sure would really rile Kate up.
The Werewolf Queen of Bourbon Street: City For Lost Souls Series Book 1 Page 10
