by Heather Long
Bish made a noise in the back of his throat, pulling my attention to him. Ah, the Keeper of Death, with his red burnished skin and golden brown eyes that spoke of sunkissed days in the Sahara Desert. He cut his gaze at Váli as he swiped a big hand down the man’s chest.
Váli just gave Bish a droll stare but didn’t try to remove his hand.
“Yes, Bish?” A hint of an accent came out as Váli looked between the two Keepers holding him hostage. “Cipher?”
“Oh, it looked like you were having so much fun with my old friend here. I had to join you.” Cipher roped an arm around Váli’s neck. He’d been in Sinner’s every night, but outside of the first time, he hadn’t actually approached me.
Narrowing my eyes, I refused to give him a rise. Fucker.
“I would actually prefer you didn’t. You and Bish were having your own fun over there. In the corner.” Váli jerked his head toward their end of the bar. “So why don’t you go back. Over there.” Now he removed Bish’s hand—the one still caressing his delectable chest, then stepped away from Cipher.
“We were having fun, but I feel a little Zhan coming over me.” Bish shrugged and sent another cold smile my way as he placed one hand on Cipher, one of Váli, and the three of them disappeared.
Huh.
A little Zhan coming over him.
Asshole.
They kidnapped Váli to what? Try and seduce him on the beach? Maybe introduce him to Bish’s dogs. I snorted. If they thought they were going to get him in bed, I wished them much good luck with that. Váli didn’t go for dick. Not even sinful, delicious dick like Cipher.
Fuck.
I shoved the thought of him out of my head. If they wanted to play this game with me, fine. Didn’t mean I had to give chase. I drained my drink and cast a look to where Sunny was currently all boneless in the chair with Hattie curled in his lap. The stench of sex and happiness hung like a cloying perfume and seeped out into the rest of the bar. More than one patron was getting busy.
The human couple at the bar were already heading for one of the bathrooms for a quick and dirty, semi-public fuck. Keepers weren’t altogether unaffected either, Kindle stood trapped in the doorway for a moment, her eyes wide and her face flushed. We locked gazes and I swore I could almost hear her little ‘eep’ before she blinked out.
Quetta let out a laugh behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to find her wiping down a glass with her towel and shaking her head. “Clueless idiots.”
Sure. Why not? I shrugged. “I think I’ll call it a night.”
“Probably a good plan,” Quetta began, then hesitated. Her brows gathered together to form a firm crinkle between them. “You don’t usually take advice.”
True.
“You don’t usually offer it.”
Also true.
At least, she didn’t offer it to me.
“Agreed. It gives me hives,” Quetta admitted. “So I’ll do this once and we’re never speaking of it again.”
Turning fully, I rested my arms on the bar. “All right. Hit me.”
The other Keeper grunted then narrowed the distance between us. Her words were just for me. I could respect that.
“Whatever game those boys are playing—skip it.”
“Not a bad bit of advice,” I admitted. “Wasn’t interested in it anyway.”
I rose, but Quetta just stared at me.
“You don’t usually lie to yourself,” she mused. “Probably a good plan to not start now.” With that, she whisked away back to me and I stuck my tongue out at her uncaring if she saw it in the mirror. Besties could be such a pain in the ass.
I glanced to the corner where Cipher and Bish had been all cozied up and then to where Váli had been before they took off with him. I owed Váli a boon and he wasn’t shy, he’d collect it when he was ready.
I also wasn’t that worried about Cipher and Bish trying to hold him hostage. Seriously, he was Vengeance. He ate douchebags like them for breakfast.
A delighted laugh escaped me.
Silly boys.
That was better than if I’d planned it myself. With a little pat to my own back, I marked a point to myself in the air and then bamfed my way home. A hot bath, some wine, and maybe some MMA fighting if there was one on.
I could go for a little blood and bone tonight.
Don’t miss the rest of Karmen’s story in Taste of Karma and if you haven’t read the first of Sinner’s Keepers, check out Kiss of Fate. Both are standalone reverse harems by Heather Long and Blake Blessing.
ABOUT HEATHER LONG
USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.
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ALSO BY HEATHER LONG
Always a Marine Series
Once Her Man, Always Her Man
Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here
Tell It to the Marine
Proud to Serve Her
Her Marine
No Regrets, No Surrender
The Marine Cowboy
The Two and the Proud
A Marine and a Gentleman
Combat Barbie
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
What Part of Marine Don’t You Understand?
A Marine Affair
Marine Ever After
Marine in the Wind
Marine with Benefits
A Marine of Plenty
A Candle for a Marine
Marine under the Mistletoe
Have Yourself a Marine Christmas
Lest Old Marines Be Forgot
Her Marine Bodyguard
Smoke & Marines
Bravo Team Wolf
When Danger Bites
Bitten Under Fire
Boomers
The Judas Contact
Deadly Genesis
Unstoppable
Chance Monroe
Earth Witches Aren’t Easy
Plan Witch from Out of Town
Bad Witch Rising
Her Elite Assets
Featuring:
Pure Copper
Target: Tungsten
Asset: Arsenic
Fevered Hearts
Marshal of Hel Dorado
Brave are the Lonely
Micah & Mrs. Miller
A Fistful of Dreams
Raising Kane
Wanted: Fevered or Alive
Wild and Fevered
The Quick & The Fevered
A Man Called Wyatt
Going Royal
Some Like It Royal
Some Like It Scandalous
Some Like It Deadly
Some Like it Secret
Some Like it Easy
Her Marine Prince
Blocked
Heart of the Nebula
Queenmaker
Deal Breaker
Throne Taker
Lone Star Leathernecks
Semper Fi Cowboy
As You Were, Cowboy
Madison, The Witch Hunter
Every Witch Way But Floosey’s
Magic & Mayhem
The Witch Singer
Bridget’s Witch’s Diary
The Witched Away Bride
Mongrels
Mongrels, Mischief & Mayhem
Shackled Souls
Succubus Chained
Succubus Unchained
Succubus Blessed
Space Cowboy
Space Cowboy Survival Guide
Untouchable
Rules and Roses
Changes and Chocolates
Keys and Kisses
Whispers and Wishes
Hangovers and Holidays
Brazen and Breathless
Trials and Tiaras
Wolves of Willow Bend
Wolf at Law
Wolf Bite
Caged Wolf
Wolf Claim
Wolf Next Door
Rogue Wolf
Bayou Wolf
Untamed Wolf
Wolf with Benefits
River Wolf
Single Wicked Wolf
Desert Wolf
Snow Wolf
Wolf on Board
Holly Jolly Wolf
Shadow Wolf
His Moonstruck Wolf
Thunder Wolf
Ghost Wolf
Outlaw Wolves
Wolf Unleashed
Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Paranormal Prison Collection
Succubus Blessed
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Afterword
Taste of Karma Sneak Peek
About Heather Long
Also by Heather Long