Master Juggler (Untraceable Succubus Book 3)
Page 2
“We got what we needed?” I checked, relieved when he nodded. “Good. I do not want to have to see that asshole again after he loses. He’s not a good sport and will be pissed.”
“Think he’ll start trouble like name you?”
I shook my head. “No, he’s got too much pride for that. He will absolutely believe it was anything other than a demon wore him out, as most can’t feed like I do. It’s more just he’s a dick and I could walk away, plus after he loses he will probably be angry at everything and everyone for a while.”
“Fair enough. You’ve got that thing tomorrow as Jasmine, right?” Kyle had long figured out that my cover as Jasmine Stewart wasn’t my real name even if it was my “real life” as VP of Acquisitions and Expansions for Heavenly Entertainment. I had never confirmed it, and he never pushed, which was why we were friends more than coworkers.
Or as close as I got to real friends. Him and Kiera, who was the manager of our flagship club in Berlin, were the only two people I really considered friends.
“Yeah, I do,” I sighed. “Thank fuck it’s in LA instead of New York this year.”
“Or, you know, you could call the smoking hot and seriously all about you junior councilman ancient vampire who wants to give you everything,” Kyle drawled.
“This is why I keep my personal life quiet. People start to think they get a vote or throw things in my face,” I snapped.
He sighed. “Fine, fine, but at least call one of them.”
I snorted. “David, Sebastian, and Nathanial all made it rather clear that they get calls all the time seeing if I’ve been around. Hell, Owen and Evan are buddies with them and hang out at their house since they all live in Denver.”
“What are you so scared of?” he asked gently, sighing when I just shrugged. “I know you have more secrets I don’t even know, but you also deserve to be happy, Jasmine. Can’t you just give yourself the chance to try?” He growled when I didn’t reply. “You are setting them up to fail. You’re worried they’re addicted to you, right?
“That this is all about feeding and chemicals, so you’re waiting it out, giving them a chance to get over that if it’s really happening. Except you’re putting all this space between you and basically screaming you’re not interested, which will make them move on eventually. And then you will point to that and say it wasn’t real and you did the right thing. It’s all a setup.”
I opened my mouth to argue but then frowned. Was that what I was doing? I let out a shaky breath, and instantly he eased back. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Kyle. Maybe subconsciously, but fear isn’t rational. You didn’t know me when I was accidentally melting brains and—you cannot be so flippant about it. I’m not a baby, but I’m still young. It’s not worth the risk to me, okay?”
“Okay, sorry, I’m sorry,” he muttered, sounding shocked I blasted him. He cleared his throat and kept driving, not touching the topic again, which I appreciated. “I cloned the card and deactivated his so he can’t just swipe in and double us on events. There are hoops to getting a new one, but they will think he just slid it against another magnetic strip.”
“Which is why you also deactivated one of his credit cards, right?”
“Yes, the one next to it,” he confirmed. “But I didn’t put it in his wallet that way to draw attention. We’ve done this before, Jasmine.”
“Right, sorry, yeah,” I grumbled, shooting him a glance that clearly said it was his own fault for pushing my damn buttons. Jerk.
After a stop for food, we arrived at the place we were using as home base in LA while working this investigation. It wasn’t a murder this time, and we already had a club in the mixed area. However, the situation was tricky and complicated and something ISLE should really handle if we could trust all the corruption had been cleaned up already. Plus, there were a few other strip clubs we wanted to put out of business.
Mostly they were shit places that treated women like dogs and bitches, but also they were starting crap with some of our employees, and that wasn’t something we tolerated.
At. All.
Which meant it was time to get to work and find all the dark secrets assholes kept so we could get them in the right hands. I loved to hunt, just not in the conventional sense, but it was still great to me.
2
I arrived at the huge event as Jasmine Stewart, and the moment I was through the door and hidden enough, I switched my glamour to my Cara Delany cover. It wasn’t one I used regularly, but it was a deep and well-constructed cover for when I needed to get in the richest and powerful circles. Showing at the invitation-only event few could get invitations to would help the cover and case we were working on.
However, they wanted Jasmine Stewart there. Great, I’d arrived, if they couldn’t find me to bother me, that was their problem. I’d probably flash my glamour back a few times—including what I wore—just to keep up appearances, but I hated coming to these sorts of events as Jasmine. Everything was a sales pitch then or pushing to learn more about me as the whispers and intrigue were too much for some.
But it helped me more times than not, so it was important to keep the air of mystery. Both for work and my life.
Though I was interested in the event. It was like a nightclub tradeshow, but instead of a convention hall anyone could go to, this was the chance for some of the best, newest, and/or coolest vendors to show off what they had or that it worked in reality. It was a huge deal that changed the city it was at each year, and there was even talk of doing it twice a year to keep things fresh and so more could attend.
Anyone who was anyone in the bar and nightclub world was there. Maybe not all the owners, as some were celebs who had no idea what they were doing when they put their name to a place, which was why too many failed.
No, it was people like me who were in acquisitions or did the purchasing. Big name club promoters and PR firms who handled nightlife along with some agents as they recommended to their clients where to hit next to get the best visual and pictures taken. I noted a corner where there weren’t tables but drinking game tables that weren’t college frat looking but more like stylish pool tables.
Interesting. Not really our thing, but still interesting and maybe something that would be fun for certain nights where guests could play with employees.
I kept looking around, knowing that we were the only “adult entertainment” company to ever be invited, which chapped a lot of asses like strip clubs weren’t good enough. Well, most weren’t, but we were, which also annoyed people on the other end like my invite dragged the place down. Whatever, the company had an annual income of some countries.
We weren’t going anywhere, and whatever place was newest and hottest or a fad could easily burn out, but our history and structure was solid. We were the ultimate nightlife and fantasy. We were what others aspired to.
I was smart though and checked through back channels that Aiden wasn’t attending, as he had some seriously awesome restaurants with fancy bars so it could be a blurry line. Honestly, it would have been awesome for Evan and Owen to get their name on the list, and I’d thought about making it happen, but they survived by staying below the radar.
I did, however, put them down on a few lists to receive some of the sick promo that would work well for their club, along with purchase for them a dozen LED shot carriers that were cooler and safer than the normal trays. It would work well for their shot people and for parties, and it wasn’t close to cheap or tacky.
I reeled myself back when I thought of getting them a shaved ice machine for crazy drinks and more. Instead, I put them on the list of possibly interested and willing to have a sales associate stop by or on scene demo. I’d have to warn them or that could cause a problem.
I made sure to get in on several pictures that I knew would be all over social media, spelling out my name for them to tag it right. All the stuff I wouldn’t ever be caught dead doing as Jasmine or any other cover. I had to do it from time to time as Cara to keep the cover going.
I moved over to the bar to try one of the shaved ice drinks, selecting a coffee liquor and fruit puree one that sounded interesting. Sure, I liked a raspberry latte now and again, but there weren’t many fruit choices that went well with coffee. At least in my opinion.
It was exceptional. I couldn’t name the fruit though. It was like some cherry compote but not as sweet. Maybe pomegranate? I wasn’t sure, but I did make sure to grab a card from the company, as I always loved anything clever or fun.
There was cheering in the back corner, and I wandered over there, seeing huge screens set up by a company to show how easy it was to use them for events or parties but not have a sports bar vibe. Moving closer, I sipped my drink as I realized it was the supe heavyweight MMA prize fight. It was hard not to smirk as I saw Caden look dead on his feet.
Asshole.
“Can you believe he offered to postpone the fight?” someone muttered, shaking his head. “The guy is too naive to make it in the industry. You don’t offer to reschedule a huge fight for a belt because the other side is sick.”
“Yeah, but sick with what?” his friend replied. “Supes don’t get sick I thought. Or at least shifters?”
The first guy shrugged. “Drugs? Maybe he tried some sort of shifter steroids and it backfired?”
Oh, that would be fun for Caden to handle. Hopefully it would knock him down a peg or six. I couldn’t believe Bain had actually offered that though. I thought maybe it was bull, but one of the announcers actually talked about it between rounds, everyone shocked the newbie would think it.
Another commentator was talking about how they’d been at the same party together that the promoters and agents had agreed to, as there was lots of talk of taking Bain out. There were a few hints that maybe someone had tried to and it had backfired on Caden.
This was just getting better and better.
And so was Bain laying out Caden in the next round. There had been some trading of blows, which seemed like pathetic attempts on Caden’s end and Bain looking like he was waiting for the right time or knowing people would be pissed if the fight was over too fast. The hit came right at the end of the round, and Caden was out before he hit the ground.
Everyone was quiet a few beats—even in the arena—and then cheers went up as the ref went over to Bain. He smirked down at Caden, which I thought was well deserved given everything Caden had been saying about him in the media.
A few more minutes of watching and I was about to turn away and get another drink when I froze.
“Could you repeat that?” the interviewer said over the crowd. “I asked what you were thinking now that you’ve won? Is there anyone you’d like to thank?”
“Cara Delany,” Bain replied again. “I was a mongrel to her and the Shelia didn’t kick me in me stiffy or tell me to rack off for what I said. She’s such a beauty I ate my foot and I have to find her.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll make sure to get in touch after seeing this,” the interviewer said, sounding amused.
Bain winced. “She’s a goddess, and I stepped in it.” He looked at the camera directly. “Cara, I’m sorry I was a mongrel. Please tell Pete I can have your number or he has mine. I’m begging you, please just have a drink with me.”
“That’s so romantic,” someone cooed near me.
Idiot. That was a bit more attention than I ever wanted for my cover. Seriously, idiot. Who wanted that sort of attention?
Right, most women who would want to go with someone famous. Luckily they started talking about how he’d offered to postpone the fight, and I headed off for another drink, thinking maybe a stiffer one this time would be best. I picked up a plate of appetizers and a popular martini before moving away from the area that was crowded.
“Don’t drink that,” a silky voice said in my ear.
I swallowed a shiver, wanting that voice to tell me anything and everything. What was it about some of the voices on men lately? I liked a good voice as much as the rest, but this was ridiculous.
Then again, it might have been my thing. I loved Dylan’s deep, rumbling voice and the elf twins’ British highbrow accents in their sensual timbers. Even Aidan had a nice voice that sounded like it should be the voiceover for any romantic audio books or selling something sensual in commercials.
I glanced over my shoulder and locked with silver fucking eyes that were maybe the prettiest things I’d ever seen. They were molten silver that seemed to move and bubble now and again. Shit, that was one I’d never seen before. I realized what he said and cleared my throat. “Why not?”
“The vendor is slipping something extra in the drinks of the gorgeous women and then pushing them to sign modeling contracts with them at the shittiest terms ever,” he explained quietly, his breath tickling my ear. “I’ve told manager and security, but you took one of the drinks before they stepped in.”
I was about to check this wasn’t some line or ploy for him to rescue women he thought were gorgeous, as I’d heard lead-ins like that before, but there was deep worry in those expressive eyes. I had caught him from an angle though because when I turned, I saw the rimless square glasses that just amplified how sexy his eyes were for some reason.
I nodded, moving over to one of the garbage cans and tossing the drink, setting the glass on a table like I’d just chugged it. I turned to face him then, noting he was my height in the heels I wore, and given I was just over five-ten, that had to put him at about six-two or three.
He had sexy bed head hair that didn’t look styled that way. No, this was natural and like he’d tried to tame it a bit, his wavy brown hair curling at the end and hanging just below his ears and over his glasses depending on how he leaned. He wasn’t bulky, but he wasn’t skinny either. He looked like there was a well kept and nice secret under his black collared shirt and gray slacks.
One I wanted to find out.
“You are the most breathtaking goddess I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he murmured while I was still checking him out. “Seeing you from a distance does not do your perfection justice.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you always start with a save and hard flirt?”
It looked like his cheeks flushed even in the darker lighting of the club as he adjusted his glasses. “No, not even remotely. This isn’t my normal scene, and while I love to dance, this crowd is a bit above my normal…”
“Pay grade?” I tried when he didn’t seem to know how to finish that.
He shook his head. “No, there are a lot of young models desperate for their break in the right ad campaign, so no, it’s not money.” He tapped his hand on his thigh. “Sophistication. Let’s go with that.” He nodded like that worked. “But I realized security wouldn’t intervene with you in time. I don’t normally blurt out when I find a woman beautiful. You must be used to it though.”
I smiled at him, finding him sweet instead of over the top. “I haven’t shot you down, so this is normally where you ask me to dance or get me a new drink.”
His eyes flashed shock. “Would you like another drink since you’re eating? I would love a chance to dance with you. Fuck, I’d beg to take you home and let me treat you like the goddess you are.”
I swallowed a shiver as I felt his lust, his desire. He wasn’t kidding, and it wasn’t a line. All this sexy man wanted was to worship me, treat me as he thought I deserved, and just have the chance to spend time with me.
He frowned when I didn’t answer. “I know you shouldn’t ever go home with a warlock, but I’m not like others.” He tapped his hand again when I didn’t answer, letting him explain that one. “Someone had to warn you about warlocks, right? How young are you?”
“I stay out of mixed areas normally,” I answered instead. “It always leads to trouble.”
“Smart, very smart, and I do too.” He kept going when it was clear I want
ed him to. “Warlocks are sexist and controlling, demeaning to other species and especially the females.”
“Oh? And how did you turn out so different?” I asked as I snacked on my food.
His eyes bubbled with emotion before he squashed it down. “I grew up watching my monster of a father treat my mother like dirt and her allowing him to like that was acceptable. It’s not.”
“It’s not,” I agreed, thinking to what I knew about witches and warlocks now that I knew he was one. I almost dropped my plate. “Your eyes are silver.”
His expression flashed shock. “You’re powerful to know that. Most can’t see them.” He leaned in closer. “What do you see?”
“They’re stunning,” I murmured, moving my hand to his chest and giving him a gentle rub to make him understand it was okay for me to know. Instead, I got wound up as I felt firm, toned muscle. Oh, he was hiding something nice under his clothes all right. Shit, if he was ripped and lean like a sexy swimmer, I might really be in trouble. “I would never tell people the man who rescued me from being drugged was of a noble witch bloodline.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, sounding relieved. He studied me closely. “You understand running.”
“Most demons do,” I grumbled under my breath. “Are you going to tell me how you got the invite if this isn’t your normal scene while we have that drink?”
He winced slightly. “I get overly friendly when I drink.”
“Would you be overly friendly with anyone but me?” I teased him.
He snorted. “Not in this lifetime.” He held out his hand to me, and I accepted it, letting him lead me over to a different drink setup. I saw several pissed off and large people dealing with the setup giving out the martinis. So it had been the real deal. Damnit. There were too many people around, and I hadn’t been checking on things like that.