So, instead of two cups of coffee, I had three. Plus, I drank the rest of Jaxon’s when he didn’t finish his quickly enough. It didn’t quite wake up my endorphins like hot, sweaty sex did, but it was a close second.
As soon as I’d been caffeinated, Mason opened a portal since Nixie still had a stick up her ass. I felt for the girl, but she needed to put forth effort in figuring out a solution instead of complaining about her predicament. She made herself look like Jaxon before, so I assumed she could make her own self bigger as well. I’d have to remind her of that as soon as we were back from Vegas.
We popped out into an empty alley south of the strip and walked toward the crowds. I’d never been to Vegas, but I’d seen pictures and they did the city too much justice. We weren’t even three feet into the busy parts before men and women were smacking cards against their palms and trying to pass out numbers for hookers.
“Where are we headed?” I asked Spencer.
“Seth, the teenager we’re looking for, was last seen running drugs between the Bellagio and MGM casinos. We’ll grab rooms at the Bellagio and then take turns keeping watch for him. Might not see him until tonight, though.”
Mason grinned. “That’s alright with me. I love Sin City.”
Nixie scoffed. “Of course, you do.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said to my shoulder since Nixie wasn’t visible. Remorse was written in the worry lines gracing his face.
We continued down the busy street filled with tourists and showgirls, passing by a mini Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower. We arrived at the Bellagio just in time to see the fountains going off, and I was in awe. Now, this was the Vegas I envisioned from the pictures I’d seen online.
Jaxon stopped with me while I took an extra minute to appreciate the beauty of the water show. “It’s stunning. I can’t wait to see it at night if we’re here that long,” I whispered.
“Neither can I,” Jaxon replied, but he only had eyes for me, which still took me by surprise every so often.
He was a completely different person since we decided to stop fighting our feelings. Some days, I missed the asshole version of him, because that version was so much fun to screw with, but most days, I enjoyed the peace I’d found with him over the last couple weeks. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
“Come on. They’re waiting. Plus, the inside should keep you enchanted as well.” He smirked, and I was instantly intrigued to see what we would find.
After strolling through the doors, both Jenna and I had matching expressions of awe as we took in the blown glass fixtures hanging from the ceiling that led to a room with structures completely made from flower petals.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Jenna cooed, and I agreed.
Bright colors were used to create birds, flowers, grass knolls, and so much more. I couldn’t decide where to stare, because everything seemed straight out of a fairytale. I pulled out my phone and snapped a few photos of the garden gnomes, a petal waterfall, and the hot air balloon that nearly reached the ceiling.
Spencer appeared with three room keys, and I finally quit gawking as he handed one to Jaxon and then to Blake. “I’ll bunk with Mason in the third room if we’re here that long.”
“Who’s going to take first watch?” I asked as we headed toward the elevators.
“Blake and Jenna? Are you two good to go first?” Spencer suggested, which I appreciated. The first shift would be the least likely to find Seth, but it would make Jenna feel included instead of like a liability. Gods knew I hated feeling that way, and I would never want her to suffer those emotions, even if she was lacking in the necessary fighting skills.
Jaxon dangled our room key. “Room number?”
“2845,” Spencer answered, and I turned to Mason, but really, I was speaking to an invisible Nixie who was still on my shoulder.
“Do you want to come with us, or go with them, Nix?”
Mason’s face twisted in confusion until she answered with a low hiss. “Fuck that. I don’t need to be privy to your sexcapades. I’ll hang out in a corner of the casino and screw with drunken idiots.”
The flutter of wings blew air against my cheek as she took off to who knew where. Hopefully, she would at least keep an eye out for Blake and Jenna. Just our luck, Seth would be running drugs earlier than any of us predicted
Jaxon tugged on my hand, and I waved goodbye to the others as we headed toward the elevators. When the doors closed and we were finally alone, he jerked me toward him but turned at the last second, so my back was against the wall. His lips found mine in an assertive move that had my body flowing with need in mere moments, and our tongues clashed together in hunger.
The door pinged open, and I peeked around Jaxon to find an older lady, red-faced and gaping at us. Then, she recovered, grinning and waving a hand toward us. “I’ll catch the next one.”
My hands covered my face as Jaxon’s chest shook with laughter. Pushing away from him, I stepped to the side, refusing to touch him until we were in our room.
“What’s wrong, Flower?” he teased, but I didn’t waste my breath answering him. Instead, I stubbornly waited for the doors to swoosh open once more and dodged his attempts to grab me.
We reached our floor, and my feet moved to the beat of my racing heart. I may not have wanted to continue making out in the elevator, but I was more than okay with it behind closed doors.
Jaxon used the key, kicked open the entrance, and then surprised me by swinging my body up into his arms. “I missed you this morning,” he grumbled.
“Me, too.” My arms wrapped around his neck as he moved toward the bed.
With the blackout curtains already closed, it felt like early morning, or even nighttime, and I could hardly see around the room, but it didn’t matter. In that moment, I only had eyes for Jaxon. The rest could be explored much, much later.
My sandals, jeans, and shirt were gone before I knew it, as were Jaxon’s. He pushed me back onto the bed, and I began to crawl backward, but he pulled me forward and dropped to his knees.
Starting with the insides of my ankles, he kissed his way up both sides of my legs, torturing me with anticipation until I was soaking the bed and my legs were trembling. As much as I wanted the instant gratification, I wasn’t opposed to this kind of suffering when I knew the end result would be making me see stars.
As soon as his mouth covered my center, my hips bucked and I locked my thighs around his neck to keep him in place. My entire body began to shake as the release I’d been craving all morning neared, but he broke free from my hold and flipped me over onto my hands and knees.
Just as I turned my head and opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, instead of words, a scream of release poured from me when he slammed into me with one swift move.
By the time I came down from my high, he was gripping my hips and waiting to have my full attention before flipping us again, putting me on top.
This time, it was my turn to offer the slow torture, and I had no problem repaying the favor. Several times over.
Chapter 15
Six hours later, after a few rounds of sexcapades and a nap, I was sated and energized. Our turn had come to keep a lookout for Seth, and we were more than ready.
Just as I’d hoped, Jenna and Blake hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary during their watch, but Mason and Spencer had seen some of the known criminals that Seth was mixed up with, so we at least knew we were in the right place.
With evening rolling in, I had high hopes that we’d spot him, and so did Spence considering he and Mason never turned in when their shift was over.
“Where’s Nixie?” I asked Mason.
“She got mad at me right after we started, and I haven’t seen her since.” His eyes were pinched, showing the stress he felt at her disappearance.
I knew the feeling, but I also knew the fairy could handle herself and would show when she was ready.
“You two have dinner over there, so y
ou can watch the entrance. Mason and I are going to stroll the casino,” Spencer said.
I saluted him. “You got it, boss.”
His glare told me how much he didn’t like that, and I was beginning to realize he didn’t like any nickname other than Ace.
Jaxon and I headed to the restaurant, and since it was just early enough, we got lucky and snagged the last window table. The server was a tired, older lady with a pen holding together her grey-streaked bun and another above her ear.
“What can I get you two?” she sighed.
“Long day?” I asked when she hardly even glanced at us.
She offered a small smile. “I’m on a double. Those young kids the boss likes to hire on the cheap call in sick whenever they want,” she grumbled, and I instantly knew she was getting a fat tip from Jaxon. I’d never served tables, but she seemed deserving of some extra kindness.
“I’ll take a ribeye, rare, with potatoes,” Jaxon finally answered her original question.
She glanced at me. “And you, hun?”
“I’ll take a chicken salad,” I replied, then added, “Do you have chocolate shakes?”
“Sure do. I’ll have your order out soon.” She smiled again through the tiredness and walked away with shoulders hunched.
Jaxon was already staring out the window, and I joined him.
Spencer had shown us a picture of the teenager we were looking for, and I assumed him much younger by the roundness of his face, but apparently, he was nineteen, just shy of six foot, and last seen with medium-length ebony hair and green eyes.
There was an air of goodness about him in the photo, and if it was real, I hoped he hadn’t been exposed to Sin City long enough to lose the innocence he’d portrayed. Once it was gone, very few ever got it back. I know I never had.
A woman in a stunning sleeveless wedding dress that poofed out like a princess dress along with four bridesmaids came through the doors next. She had a glow about her that I had only allowed myself to very rarely dream about before, but now, I allowed my heart to believe it might come true with Jaxon.
I wasn’t anywhere near ready for marriage, but I knew someday—if we made it through all of this—I could let myself love Jaxon and create a real family of my own. My eyes followed the group of women as they headed for the elevators laughing freely, and I wondered what it felt like to have so few worries about the world.
With my luck, I’d never know a moment of true peace.
“What do you think about that?” Jaxon asked.
I’d missed something with my daydreaming. “About what?”
“Getting married in Vegas,” he said casually, and my chest squeezed with anxiety. Had I accidentally said something out loud?
“Uh, no?” I replied, but it came out as a question and not even a real answer to his question.
He laughed while still keeping his eyes on the doors. “Maybe one day.”
Food arrived, along with my shake, and I instantly put my focus on sucking down the cold liquid, trying to keep my brain from overthinking what he’d said. We hadn’t even said “I love you.” Sure, I cared deeply about Jaxon and didn’t see myself with anyone else, but love? Unfortunately, my walls hadn’t come down far enough to take that leap of faith yet.
We took turns eating and watching, never again mentioning Vegas weddings. As I slurped down the last of my shake, I paused. “Jax, look.”
He followed my gaze and was hopefully seeing what I was. Seth was walking in dressed like a choir boy with black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a black bowtie. His hair was combed over, and he was the picture of innocence, even more so than the photo we’d been shown.
“That’s why they’re using him. Nobody would suspect that kid of running drugs,” Jaxon said.
“Yeah, but I bet my favorite bra that the luggage he’s carrying around isn’t full of clothes.” There was a grey hard-cased roller he pulled behind him, and if we had anything to do about it, the contents wouldn’t make it to their final destination.
“Let’s go.” Jaxon threw a hundred down on the table, but I looked at him expectantly until he tossed another. “Happy?”
“Indeed, I am. Now we can go.”
His phone was already out, likely texting the guys as we walked out of the restaurant. Seth was moving quickly, and we’d have to be twice as fast just to catch up. By the time we got close enough to grab him, he was already on the casino floor, and I would have to work quickly with my persuasion to convince him not to cause a scene.
My hand reached out and grabbed his arm with the bag, and the fucker shocked me with enough magic that my hand had welts on it. “Hey, shitface. That wasn’t nice,” I snarled.
He glanced at me and then Jaxon before his eyes went wide and he made a run for it, but Spencer was already there to grab him. Stupid tree man apparently couldn’t get hurt like me.
Mason grabbed on to my hand and healed it for me as Spencer whispered something to Seth that had him suddenly cooperating while sweat built up around his pudgy face.
We left the casino floor and headed for the elevators where Blake and Jenna met us. “Need help?” Blake asked, but Spencer shook his head.
We waited for an empty lift and went up as a group, silent and awkward as fuck.
Spencer led us to his and Mason’s room and shoved Seth on the bed. “Why would you do this to your father?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Seth spat, suddenly full of defiance.
“What? Too much expected of you? You didn’t want to follow in daddy’s footsteps? Hate to break it to you, but we all understand in some ways,” Mason said.
Seth didn’t soften. “I’m not going back.”
“Why? What’s here that is so appealing to you?” Jaxon asked.
“Freedom,” Seth snapped.
My brow arched. “Really? Being told when and how often to run drugs for a bunch of criminals is your idea of freedom? Interesting take you have on the word.”
His hand glowed with magic, but Jaxon stepped closer, showing off his demon eyes. “I’d think twice before you hurt her again. The first time is forgiven, but there won’t be a second.”
Seth gulped, clearly afraid of Jaxon, but still not giving up. “I need to get this bag to where it belongs. Tell my father to stop coming for me. I’m not his son anymore.”
Hmmm, that was an interesting way to put it.
“He’s your father, but you’re not his son?” I questioned.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Seth’s arms crossed over his chest, proving that even though we were the same age, he was mentally years younger.
“They made you do something you’re not proud of, didn’t they?” Blake asked, and when Seth didn’t answer, I decided to take control of things.
My fingers snapped, gaining the witch’s attention. “Tell us why you left and why you’re staying when we can clearly see you’re struggling with your choices.”
His green eyes glazed over as he slowly blinked. “I was a nobody in our coven. People didn’t interact with me, because they thought I’d tell my father if they did anything wrong. Our coven isn’t bad, but nobody is good all of the time.”
Wasn’t that the truth.
“Why are you staying here and running drugs?” I asked with more persuasion.
“Because…” He fought answering the question. Whatever it was, he really didn’t want us to know.
Blake leaned in, likely helping by sending some calm out. “It’s okay. We’re not going to judge you.”
I pressed again, sending even more magic into my question before Seth finally broke.
“Because I helped in the murder of a human.” Seth’s hands covered his face in disgrace.
If I was understanding him correctly, he’d committed one of the ultimate crimes in our supernatural world, and I had no idea what we were supposed to do with that information.
“Tell us how it happened,” Jaxon ordered through gritted teeth.
Seth finally looked back up and to
ok a deep breath. “They said I had to earn my place. If I was going to be responsible for their merchandise, then they needed to know they could trust me.”
Oh, gods. I knew where this was going, and my heart hurt for the kid.
“What did you do, Seth?” Spencer asked, kinder than I expected.
“I hid the body of a prostitute for them, and they took video of me doing so.” His eyes moved to the carpet as he said the words that weren’t as bad as I had been picturing. I had been certain they’d made him do the actual killing. This was bad, but it wasn’t horrible.
“Do you want to go home now?” Spencer asked, and Seth nodded. “Don’t worry about the people here. I’ll have someone take care of the video, and you can go home, but we need to get rid of these drugs.”
“Why don’t you use them as leverage for the video? I’m pretty sure a luggage that size filled with narcotics is worth more to them than a runner, even if he is a damn good one given his appearance,” I suggested.
Spencer nodded and was already talking on his phone, whispering to whoever he knew that could scare a bunch of drug lords. I had zero desire to know any of the details.
“Where is all of your stuff?” Jenna asked, and I was proud of her for inserting herself into the situation.
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever I had isn’t important. Just take me home, please.” His demeanor changed so quickly, I almost didn’t believe he wouldn’t be any more trouble for us, but the self-hatred I could see in the depths of his eyes made me disregard the negative thoughts just as quickly as they had come.
While Spencer was on the phone, the room door opened and closed without anyone near it. “What the hell?” I murmured right before a cloud of fairy dust smacked me in the face.
“What happened? Why wasn’t there a big scene with blood and dead bodies?” Nixie asked, genuinely disappointed.
My hands cleared the dust from my face. “Because that’s not the only way to solve a problem,” I grumbled.
Escape (Elite Supernatural Trackers Book 3) Page 11