by Tate James
Zed's glance was sharp at that comment. "Dare, you can't... just no. I'll get the sample. It's as easy as grabbing a glass he's been drinking out of."
I shook my head, having already thought through all the options. "I don't trust it. If we're taking a DNA sample from Chase should-be-dead Lockhart, then I want a clean, unquestionably his sample. Straight from his mouth." Or better yet, from his veins.
The tension basically vibrated from Zed as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, and I understood completely.
"I'll do it," he growled, stubborn as hell.
I just rolled my eyes. "We'll deal with it when an opportunity arises. But if Chase is even a tiny bit like the guy we both knew, we also know he has a major blind spot that can be used against him."
Zed exhaled a muttered string of curses. "You."
I nodded, and neither of us said anything else for a long time. Zed silently reached out and placed his hand on my knee, though, and I didn't push him away.
We arrived at Nadia's Cakes a few minutes later, scoring a parking spot right in front of the café. It was late afternoon on a weekday, and she didn't look too busy, which was a small relief.
Even so, my spine was tight with tension as we stepped out of the car and made our way inside. Lots of eyes were on us. Reapers, mostly, people who knew who we were and what I'd done. But there were also plenty of normal customers who had no clue about the gangs who really ran the city they lived in.
"I admit I didn't think I'd see you around here," Nadia commented in a terse, clipped tone as she came around the counter. She wore an apron branded with her company logo and wiped her hands on it as she approached Zed and me. As she got closer, though, I noted the lack of real heat in her eyes. The lack of authentic anger in her posture. For a woman whose grandson I'd supposedly shot a week and a half ago, she was awfully calm.
"We couldn't resist your cakes, Nadia," Zed smoothly answered for us, leaning down to kiss the old woman's cheek and making her smile tightly.
She arched a knowing brow at me. "I hope your pretty one enjoyed his birthday cake."
The penny dropped. Fucking Cass had been in touch with his grandmother. I hadn't even questioned it when they’d had a beautifully decorated cake set up for Lucas the night before.
I gave her a small smile back. "He did, thank you. Zed and I just wanted to pick up an apple-and-blackberry pie, if you have any?" For some reason I was seriously craving that.
She pursed her lips, then indicated to some vacant seats near the counter. "Sit down; I'll sort you out."
Zed and I followed her instruction, sitting down at the small table, and a minute later one of the waitresses came over with a couple of coffees for us.
"Nadia said it'll be twenty minutes; have a coffee while you wait." The woman gave a shrug, raking her eyes over me like I was a rare animal in the zoo or something. Then she met my eyes, blanched, and retreated away from our table quickly.
I gave a small sigh, picking up my coffee as Zed covered a laugh with his hand.
"What's so funny?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him.
"You are," he replied, just as quietly. "She was checking you out. Then she spotted that monster lurking in your glare and changed her mind so fast it gave her whiplash."
I frowned. "What? No, she was gawking at the woman who murdered the beloved Reapers’ leader, then had the audacity to show her face in Reaper territory."
Zed snorted. "Okay then."
Scowling, I locked my gaze on the table and sipped my coffee, ignoring the eyes on me from all around the room. If this had been any other gang’s territory, I wouldn't be giving it a second thought. But this wasn't any other gang. It was the Reapers. And Cassiel fucking Saint had left a hell of an impression behind.
Zed leaned in close, brushing my hair over my shoulder. "For what it's worth, I like the monster behind your eyes. She's sexy as hell."
I caught a sharp breath at that, my gaze jerking up from the table, but it locked on someone about to walk through the door instead. "Get fucked," I breathed.
"Uh... what?" Zed replied, recoiling somewhat.
"No, not you," I snapped, "that."
The front door chimed as it opened, and I locked eyes with my nemesis. He didn't even seem the slightest bit surprised, like he'd known I was here. Was he tailing me? Or had someone in the Reapers tipped him off?
Not that it mattered. He sauntered over to us as Zed stiffened beside me, and I laid a hand on his knee to silently remind him we couldn't kill Chase yet.
He got the message but wasn't remotely happy about it, shooting me an angry glare before flicking his scowl back to Chase.
"Uh-oh," Chase said with a chuckle, "do I smell trouble in paradise here? What a shame. You two are the ultimate star-crossed lovers, like something straight out of a Shakespearean tragedy." His sick smile spread wide, and his single eye bored into me.
"What do you want, Chase?" I asked in a cool, unemotional voice. "Zed and I were having a nice time until you decided to stink the place up with your foul energy."
Chase parted his lips to reply but was interrupted by Nadia storming out of the kitchen.
"You!" she barked, shaking a finger at Chase. "You get out of here. You're not welcome in my establishment."
For whatever reason, Chase genuinely seemed surprised that this old woman was scolding him and gaped at her for a moment, speechless. I smirked, leaning back in my seat and stuffing my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket.
"You heard me, Mr. Dibbs," Nadia continued, making a shooing motion at Chase. "You're a known enemy of Hades, so you're an enemy of the Reapers. Now get."
My fingers touched something in my pocket, and I tilted my head, trying to remember what it was. Then it struck me. This was a jacket that had survived the apartment bombing. I knew exactly what was in my pocket and couldn't fight the smile as a rapid plan formulated in my mind.
"Actually, Nadia," I spoke up, drawing everyone's gazes. "Mr. Dibbs here was just passing by. I don't mind handling this if that's okay with you." I gave Cass's grandmother a sly smile, letting a spark of my evil intent show through my gaze when she met my eyes.
She jerked a nod, understanding that I had things firmly in hand, and with a parting glare at Chase, she stomped back to the kitchen while muttering insults about him under her breath.
Chase's lip curled as he refocused his one eye on me. "Oh, you've got me handled do you, Darling? Been a really long time since I've had you handle me, but I remember it like it was yesterday." He ran his tongue over his front teeth, and I tightened my throat to hold back the bile threatening to decorate Nadia's pretty tablecloth.
Instead of telling him where to shove his memories, I stood up and gave him a small smile like I was really joining him on that little trip down memory lane. Or nightmare lane, as it may be.
With a well-practiced sleight of hand, I passed the vial of drugs to Zed as I brushed past him to approach Chase. Like Zed and I had just discussed earlier in the day, the Chase Lockhart we both knew had one huge blind spot. It was about time to test whether that was still the case or not.
"I just bet you do," I murmured, stepping right into his personal space and placing a hand lightly on his chest. His muscles twitched under my touch like he was shocked I'd willingly touched him. In fairness, I was amazed I'd done it without breaking out in hives, too.
"What... do you think you're doing, Darling?" he asked in a low voice, his eye locked on my face as I leaned in closer still. "If you think you can play me by reminding me what an excellent lay you are—" He broke off with a sharp inhale as I bit his earlobe between my teeth. It wasn't hard enough to rip the flesh from his head, no matter how badly I wanted to disfigure him further than I already had. Nope, this was one of his erogenous zones, and he loved it rough to the point of pain.
Chase moaned, and my stomach tightened with disgust. And a little bit of fear. His hand snaked around my waist, pulling me hard against his body and showing me just how turned on th
at one bite had gotten him. Then he released me like I was made of barbed wire and took a firm step back.
"You sneaky minx," he hissed. "You're up to something." He gave a short laugh, but I could hear unease in the way his voice shook ever so slightly. I'd unnerved the hell out of him, and it made my smile wide and wicked.
Chase shook his head, pointing between me and Zed, who was still seated at the table and sipping on his coffee like he wasn't also shaking with rage. "You two think you're so much smarter than me. You're wrong. I've had five years to plan my revenge, and you're just making it up as you go along. Pathetic."
He leaned over and swiped my coffee from the table, shooting me a smug grin before drinking it all. I hated sharing my coffee. Despised it. Chase knew it, too, and used to always steal my coffees just to enrage me.
When I gave no response to that little blast from the past, though, he slammed the mug down so hard it shattered on the tabletop. If the whole café hadn't already been watching our interaction, they sure as shit would be now.
Chase looked around with a sneer. "What a cute little café. I understand that old bitch is your deceased lover's grandmother too. Sure would be a shame to see anything happen to this place. Or her."
One of the big, tattoo-covered Reapers at a nearby table overheard that comment and made a move to come at Chase, but I gave him a short headshake.
"I think you've overstayed your welcome, Chase," I told my ex with a smile as I returned to my seat beside Zed. He draped his arm around my shoulders, and Chase's scowl flickered with violence and fury.
He was smart enough to recognize when Zed was deliberately trying to get a rise out of him, though, so with another sneer at us, he spun on his heel and started toward the door.
As badly as I wanted to wash my mouth out with bleach after willingly touching Chase, appearances were everything. I couldn’t let him see anything but confidence and strength, and washing my mouth out with harsh chemicals would only tell him just how badly he made my skin crawl. Instead, Zed calmly handed me his own coffee and I took a sip as we watched our nemesis leave. Or... he tried to.
He made it within a few steps of the main entrance to Nadia's Cakes, then staggered, swayed, and dropped like a sack of bricks.
No one in the cafe spoke. They all just stared in shock at the motionless man on the ground or at me and Zed sitting there with the smuggest of smiles.
"Oh good," Nadia commented, coming out of the kitchen with a pie box. "You killed him. 'Bout damn time."
I snorted a laugh, standing up from my chair once more. "I wish. Nadia, do you have any cotton swabs or Q-tips or something?"
The old woman just frowned at me in confusion. "No, why would I?"
"I do!" The waitress from earlier announced, diving under the counter. She popped back up with her makeup bag in hand, dug around inside, then pulled out a fresh box of Q-tips, still unopened. "I use them for makeup," she explained, handing them over.
I gave a small smile that was probably pure evil and plucked two from the box. "Perfect. Do you also happen to have a permanent marker and a ziplock bag?"
The waitress bobbed her head and rushed away again, and I headed over to where Chase was unconscious on the floor. Just because I couldn't help myself, I delivered a hard kick to his ribs, and one of the Reaper guys watching hissed a sharp breath.
My gaze jerked up to meet his, and I shrugged. "He deserves worse."
The guy gave a grim smile. "What'd you drug him with?"
Crouching down beside my fallen enemy, I allowed myself the luxury of this small win. "A lady never reveals her secrets," I murmured, rolling Chase over and opening his mouth so I could swab the inside of his cheek thoroughly with the Q-tips.
The helpful waitress hurried back to me, holding a plastic sandwich bag open for me to drop the saliva-wet Q-tips into.
Zed took the sealed bag from her and tucked it into his jacket pocket, looking down at me with an arched brow. "Now what? He's going to know we drugged him for a reason."
I shrugged and took the permanent marker from the waitress. "So what? Not much he can do about it now." I uncapped the pen with my teeth, then went to work drawing a massive dick on the side of Chase's face, complete with hairy balls.
When I was done, I capped the pen and pushed to my feet to admire my handiwork. "Not bad," I commented to myself.
Zed looked like he was on the verge of full-blown laughter as he snapped a photo on his phone. "Some skills never fade, no matter how long it's been."
"You sure you don't wanna put a bullet in his brain right now?" Nadia asked, her hands on her wide hips as she scowled down at the unconscious man. "Save yourself a hell of a headache."
I grimaced. "You have no idea how tempting that is, Nadia." I kicked Chase again, just letting out a little pent-up frustration, then took the pie box from her. "Drop him out into the alleyway or something. He should focus blame on me, but—"
"If he burns my café down, you'll be paying for it," she finished for me with a stern look.
My lips twitched with a smile, equally shocked and impressed that she gave zero shits who she was speaking to with that attitude. No wonder Cass had such respect for women with a role model like her.
"Absolutely," I confirmed. "Best keep some of these boys around for personal safety too." I nodded to the Reapers, who weren't even pretending not to be listening in.
Nadia pursed her lips and gave a tight nod. "I've stayed alive this long; I'm no idiot. You just take care of..." she drifted her eyes to Zed, then back to me with a meaningful look "...of your family. Understood?"
The message was loud and clear. Keep Cass safe and alive, or I'd have Nadia to deal with.
I jerked a nod. "Thank you for the pie."
She huffed. "Thank you for the entertainment."
Zed and I exited the café as several of the big Reapers moved to haul Chase up roughly. Our car was right there outside, so we didn't speak until we were back on the road again, my fresh pie sitting warm in my lap. Yum.
"What did we just dose him with, and why was it in your pocket, Dare?" Zed asked as he drove, shooting me an amused look.
I smirked. "Chloral hydrate. Demi gave me that little vial months ago when I was having trouble sleeping. She puts just one drop of it in her chamomile tea when she can't switch her brain off from work."
Zed gave an amused huff. "Lucky break."
I shrugged. "I'll take it. And now we know that Chase hasn't changed all that much. Better the devil we know, right?"
"Too true," he murmured, then cranked the music up loud as we drove in the direction of our paid pathology lab. No time like the present to get Chase's sample analyzed.
14
Zed wanted to sit at the lab and watch our tech run the DNA samples through so there could be no possibility of contamination or corruption in the results. But I was bored as hell and itching to see Lucas, so I left Zed there and took his car home.
After I parked and headed into the house, I followed the sound of thumping music through to the gym, where I found Lucas, shirtless and sweaty, pounding the crap out of one of the punching bags.
His music was up loud enough that he didn't hear me enter, so I stood there for a while, watching him like a giant creep. Okay, in fairness I was a little bit checking his form and taking mental notes of things he could tweak to tighten his guard or add force to his hooks. Mostly I was drooling over the way his muscles bunched and shifted, his sweat gleaming on every slope and angle as he ran through one of Zed's training combinations.
When the song on the stereo ended, he stepped back from the bag with his freshly tattooed chest heaving and his gloved hands hanging loose at his sides.
"Not bad," I commented, startling him. "You're a quick learner."
His smile spread wide, then he used his teeth to loosen the Velcro on one of his gloves. He pulled them off, tossing them aside as he crossed the room towards me.
"How long were you watching me, Hayden?" His eyes were heated and his exp
ression predatory as he stalked closer.
I grinned, unable to help myself, and tipped my head back to hold his gaze when he got close enough to touch. "Not long," I admitted. "You've got good form. Keep training with Zed and you'll be asking to fight at Anarchy soon."
Lucas scoffed a laugh. "And risk messing up this face? Hell no." He braced his hand on the wall behind me, then leaned down and caught my mouth in a gentle, unhurried kiss.
I leaned into his touch, parting my lips and weaving my arms around his sweaty neck as he deepened the kiss. Fucking hell, Lucas was like something straight out of my dirtiest dreams. I never wanted to let him go.
"I should shower," he muttered eventually, releasing my lips but keeping his arms tight around me like he was echoing my thoughts.
I grinned, kissing his jaw. "Can I join you?"
A low groan dragged from him as I ran my tongue down his neck, tasting the saltiness of his sweat, and scraped my teeth over his skin. "Fuck yes," he breathed. "I don't think I'll ever say no to sharing my shower with you, Hayden."
In a dramatic move, he swept me up into his arms and kissed me again as he strode out of the gym. He raced up the stairs with me still carried in his arms like I weighed nothing at all and all but kicked open the door to his room while I tried not to laugh.
"You probably shouldn't be carrying me," I scolded gently as he crossed the room to the attached bathroom.
He just shot me a cocky smile. "I probably shouldn't be underage drinking or working in a strip club either. But I have no intention of doing what I should do." He set me down gently, his hands already finding the hem of my blouse to lift it up over my head.
I was loving his attention enough that I let him strip me down, then waited while he got the shower running warm. But just as he indicated for me to step in, his words sank through the thick haze of arousal.
"Uh, you don't work in a strip club anymore, hot stuff. Or did you forget the whole gas leak–explosion situation?" I tied my hair up in a high bun to keep it dry, then took his extended hand. He pulled me into the shower and into his warm, naked embrace. Delicious.