by Vella Day
He reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Sit down and relax. Or do you need to be someplace?”
“I promised Brother Jacob that I would tell him how my date with you went.” Of course, she was joking, but Devon’s jaw hardened, and his eyes turned nearly black. “Kidding,” she said. Okay, maybe it had been to soon for that kind of dark humor. She had a lot to learn!
He released his death grip on her wrist. “Don’t tease me like that.”
“I didn’t take you for the delicate type.”
“I’m not delicate, as you so nicely put it, but I’m confused about some things.”
Vinea sat back down and sobered. “Tell me about it. Maybe I can clear them up.”
Devon swiped a hand down his chin. He hadn’t shaved yet, and she liked the rough look. “A lot has happened in the last few days. Mind you, I want to trust you.”
“But shit keeps happening that stops you. I get it. It’s almost as if someone is trying to sabotage me.”
“Who do you think is responsible? One of your dark gods?” he asked.
“It’s possible, but it could be the Changelings, though I don’t see why they would have anything against me.”
“Before you appeared in Brother Jacob’s office, I bet they thought highly of you. After all, you were trying to destroy us.”
“True.”
“McKinnon and Associates is their main enemy. Perhaps they want to keep us off kilter. When you stole the sardonyx from Brother Jacob, I’m sure we were the first group they considered.”
“If they are guilty, I’m worried that some Changeling will now see me with you, putting a bigger target on your back.” Damn, and here she was hoping they could have more dates.
He dragged a palm down his sexy chin, acting as if it had put a dent into what he wanted to do too. Didn’t she wish?
“If we need to meet for some reason, you’ll need to just appear in my office, sight unseen.”
“I can do that. Seeing how we shouldn’t flaunt our connection, I guess I’ll just have to appear at home and walk to work from there.”
“Are you sure you want to walk? I can drive you.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Changelings have people watching your house as we speak.”
“They aren’t close. I would have sensed them.”
To be sure no one was watching, she could become invisible and take a look, but she trusted Devon to be able to tell. “Good to know.”
Together, they took the plates over to the kitchen, and in no time, she had them washed. Devon dried them and then put them away.
She dragged her wet hands down her pants. “If you need me for anything today, just text. I might not be able to get away from work right then, but I’ll find you when I’m free.”
“It’s a deal.”
Good. They had a truce of sorts, and before he could change his mind about her, Vinea nodded and disappeared. Moments later, she was inside her freezing trailer. Flapping her arms to warm up, she walked around the tiny space, trying to sense if anyone had been here. She wouldn’t put it past the Changelings to leave something of theirs—like a business card—and place it in a conspicuous place for Devon to find. Damn rabid wolves.
While she didn’t have to be at work for an hour, she didn’t want to stay in her cold trailer longer than necessary. She quickly dressed in her uniform then put on her coat. If all went well, her landlord would come through with the heater today.
If he didn’t, maybe Devon would take pity on her again and ask her to spend another night. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true? It would move them one step closer to becoming mates.
With that delicious thought, she headed out to work. The walk chilled her, but to keep from bemoaning the cold, she focused on what she’d do if she ever lured Devon into bed. Heat warmed her lower regions, and she was more convinced than ever that the two of them would combust if they ever made love.
Vinea smiled. She could still remember seeing him naked a little more than six months ago when he stood at the edge of Silver Lake. If he hadn’t shoved her into the water, she probably would have tried to take him right then.
But that was in the past.
Before she could dream any more about what could be, she arrived at work. She entered through the back where the cooks were already shouting orders.
“Hey, Ralph,” she said to one of the short order cooks.
Elise and Marissa were there picking up their orders. They both waved and smiled. Vinea walked over to the wall to check where her station would be located.
“You’re early,” her boss said as he pushed open the kitchen door.
“Thought the girls could use an extra hand,” she said. There was no reason to tell him her heater had busted. He might then ask where she’d spent the night, and she wanted to keep that information to herself.
He smiled. “Great.”
Once she checked the location of her station section, she went to work. While she’d asked Devon to text her, if he needed her, she doubted he would. It would have to be some kind of emergency before he’d contact her.
For a moment she considered returning to Brother Jacob’s house without Devon’s permission, but that would go against his wishes. Right now, she needed to do things his way. Not only that, she didn’t trust herself not to mess up again.
Given she’d already breached Brother Jacob’s sanctuary once before, it wouldn’t surprise her if he hadn’t arranged to meet his Clan elsewhere. He couldn’t chance having all of the Changeling secrets exposed. Jackson’s mate, Ainsley, could become invisible, so Brother Jacob probably figured Vinea was a relative of hers. Maybe that was how he connected her to the McKinnons. It didn’t matter now. What was done was done.
At two, she was on her fifteen-minute break and needed to hear a friendly voice. After pulling on her coat, Vinea stepped into the back alley and called EmmaLee. Today was her day off, and she prayed her good friend wasn’t with Slater.
“Hello?” her friend said.
Her pulse jumped at hearing her voice. “EmmaLee, it’s me, Vinea!”
She squealed. “Hey, how are you? How are things going with Devon?”
So many things had happened since they’d talked that Vinea didn’t know where to begin. Discussing any of the thefts, especially while standing in the alley within earshot of someone inside, wouldn’t be smart. “My heater broke in my trailer, and when Devon found out, he insisted I stay at his place.”
“Seriously? Did he warm you up?”
“I wish. Nothing happened between us—unfortunately. My primary goal right now is for him to realize I’m not evil.”
“How’s that going?” EmmaLee asked, a sudden seriousness tingeing her tone.
“It’s hard to assess, but I think I’m making progress.” She told her about breakfast and while he hadn’t been affectionate, he hadn’t pushed her away.
Someone called to EmmaLee. It was Slater. Crap. “Can I call you back?” she asked. “Slater and I are about to do something.”
“I thought you promised—never mind. Sure. Any time. I miss you,” Vinea said.
“Miss you more. I hope you come back soon.”
For the first time since her transformation, she wasn’t anxious to return. Silver Lake was growing on her. “We’ll see.”
Once she hung up, Vinea was a bit depressed. She missed her talks with her best friend. For the foreseeable future though, she had to put her social life on hold. Vinea had a job to do, not only at the café but also helping Devon.
Once back inside, she focused on making sure all of her customers were happy. While the next three hours were rather uneventful, there had been one bright spot. Mr. Sanford had come in. He was such a nice man, always smiling and telling her how much she brightened his day. Something about him reminded her of her dad—her dad when she was little that is; not when he suggested Naliana become matchmaker instead of her.
Vinea halted at that thought. Looking back on it, he might have
been right. Whoa! Where had that thought come from? Only now did she understand why the gods had expelled her. Her jealousy of her younger sister had caused a mental cancer so great that only a cleansing could expel it. But why had she been jealous in the first place? Had she subconsciously known Naliana was better suited for the job? Of the two, her sister had been the more compassionate. Well, damn.
“Miss?” one of her customers called as he waved.
“Coming.”
Once she gave the man his check, she began wiping down her tables and refilling the condiments. Her shift was almost over when a group of six men sat in her section. As she turned to greet them, her blood ran cold.
Oh, shit, oh, shit. It was Brother Jacob and his men.
Chapter Twelve
‡
Vinea ducked out of sight from the Changeling Clan, and plastered her back against the wall. Marissa exited the kitchen with a tray of drinks in hand, and Vinea reached out to stop her.
“Can you do me a favor?” Vinea whispered.
“Sure. What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“I’m not feeling all that well. Can you take the drink orders for table nine? I have to use the ladies’ room really bad.” It was a lame excuse, but it was all she could think of right then.
“No problem. Let me give these drinks to table two, and I’ll swing by your table.”
“I owe you.”
Thankful her coworker didn’t ask any more questions, Vinea rushed to the bathroom. Once she checked she was alone, she swiped a hand over her head, hoping the short blonde haircut and overdone makeup would throw off Brother Jacob and John Ernst.
I can do this. Pretending to be out of breath, she rushed up to the table as soon as Marissa stepped into the kitchen.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, y’all.” She fanned herself and smiled, acting as if she had no idea Marissa had taken their drink orders. “What can I get you men?” Vinea patted her apron, supposedly looking for her pad. The accent was in honor of EmmaLee. Whenever her friend was tired, her southern phrases came out.
“Someone else took our drink orders.”
“Oh? Okay. Do you know what you want to order?” Vinea focused on the man next to Brother Jacob, not wanting to let on she knew that Jacob was the kingpin of the group.
“Can you give us a minute?”
“Take your time, y’all.”
Making sure not to run into her boss, Vinea returned to the restroom once more and then became invisible. Fingers crossed, she returned to hover over their table, hoping to hear something important. She couldn’t stay away for too long, as she didn’t need them asking her boss where their waitress had gone. Making certain to focus on each man—memorizing their features, their mannerisms, and how they reacted to Brother Jacob—she listened and once more wished she had worn a wire.
“Have we decided who’s next then?” Brother Jacob asked, glancing at each of the men at the table.
John Ernst nodded. “The Lake Steakhouse is packed every Saturday. I say we hit them up right after closing.”
“I agree. Let’s decide who should go in and who should stand watch.”
Thank you Brother Jacob for getting right to the point. With a nod, she landed in the bathroom, but someone was already there. Whoops. Trying once more to find a safe place, she pictured the outside alley. When she saw no one was there, she felt safe returning to her human self. The hard part was not looking suspicious when she returned through the back door.
Their cook, Ralph, didn’t even seem to notice when she snuck in, but perhaps her short blonde hair threw him off. Avoiding her boss and the other servers, she rushed to the table to take their order. The men seemed so engrossed in their conversation that they barely noticed her.
Vinea smiled. “I’ll place this order, but since my shift is ending, Marissa will finish up.”
Not waiting for them to complain, Vinea took off for the kitchen. Right before she entered, she ducked into the bathroom once more, and returned her hair to auburn and made sure not a speck of makeup was on her face. Heart still not back to normal, she painted on a smile and located Marissa before slipping out.
*
“So you believe her?” Connor asked.
Devon had given the events of the last few days a lot of thought. “Yes. There is strong proof that Vinea was at her trailer after she returned from the fiasco with Brother Jacob.” He explained about the message from the landlord. “She told me that Brother Jacob had grabbed her arm when she materialized.”
“It was a red moon, which means he transformed into her. Bastards.”
“Yes.” Devon was thrilled Connor believed that.
His brother leaned back in his seat. “So do you have a plan?”
“A plan?”
“About how to nail these bastards? I’m guessing Vinea is still willing to help?”
“Yes, but I don’t want her to go back to Brother Jacob’s again. It’s too dangerous.”
Conner’s eyes widened. “Okay, I didn’t expect that reaction. I’m guessing you’re falling for her again.” He shook his head. “You didn’t learn your lesson, did you?”
Devon’s hands clenched. “She’s changed. Until there is irrefutable proof she hasn’t, I will treat her with respect.” He’d do more than that, but he wasn’t about to mention it to Connor. His wolf was at the end of his rope, but it wasn’t just the sexual release he yearned for. He wanted Vinea in his life.
Thank goddess you’ve come to your senses, his wolf cheerfully exclaimed.
In reality, it was a relief finally to mentally say those words. His cock hadn’t deflated in weeks, and his nails were constantly in a sharpened state. If he didn’t get some reprieve soon, he’d go crazy.
“It’s your life,” Connor warned.
This negativity wasn’t doing them any good. Tell him. Devon leaned forward. “I know this will sound crazy, especially since Vinea is a goddess and all, but the reason I keep defending her is because I believe she’s my mate.”
Connor dropped back his head and laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
“No. I’m not. I can’t deny it any longer. It was why she was able to fool me in the first place. She does something to me. I swear she put a spell on me the last time.”
Connor waved a hand in front of Devon’s face. “It’s because she is a goddess. She can do those things. What makes you so sure she isn’t doing it to you now?”
“Give me one thing she’s done since she’s returned that proves she’s in cahoots with the Changelings or out for some personal gain? She has given good intel.”
Connor glanced to the side and leaned back in his chair. “I can’t, but that doesn’t prove that she’s good now either.”
Devon shrugged. “She risked exposure by going out to California. Can you imagine what would have happened if the Changelings had gotten a hold of that much sardonyx?”
“I don’t want to even think about something like that.”
“Trust me, she wants to help. I can see it in her eyes. She’s a good person now.”
Connor held up his hands. “I hope you’re right, but please don’t do anything rash.”
“I don’t intend to bite her if that’s what you mean.” At least not for a while. The problem was that her scent never left him. At night, he could barely sleep, picturing her perfect tits, her delicious scent, and her curvaceous body. He needed her desperately.
Even though she’d kissed him, Devon wasn’t certain she wanted to be saddled with him. His lifestyle wasn’t conducive to having a great relationship—or so many women had told him.
“Good,” Connor said, sounding rather smug.
A knock sounded on Connor’s door. His brother glanced over at him and shrugged. “Come in.”
Vinea walked in, and Devon’s cock shot to attention. His wolf howled and clawed for release. Even though she was still wearing her Silver Lake Café waitress outfit, she looked beautiful. Devon shot to his feet. “Did something happen?”
She glanced at Connor first and then back at Devon. “I need to speak with you—in private.”
“If you found out anything, just tell me. It will save an explanation to my brother afterwards.” Devon hoped that Connor would be willing to put aside his prejudices and listen to her.
“Fine.” She clasped her hands in front of her and worked them into a knot. “I was at work at the café when Brother Jacob, John Ernst, and four other men came into the restaurant.”
His pulse spiked. “Oh, shit. Did they recognize you?”
“No.” She explained how another waitress took their orders while Vinea ducked into the bathroom and redid her hair and makeup. “I’ll show you.”
One second, her hair was long, auburn, and sexy as hell, and the next she wore a short blonde bob and a ton of eye makeup.
“Holy shit,” Connor said. “You don’t look the same at all.”
Vinea nodded. “That was my plan. I was worried the most about John Ernst. He sat across from the other me at McKinnon’s Pub, or so you said. That would have given him a chance to memorize what I looked like.”
Connor nodded. “Did you overhear anything?”
She shot a quick glance at Devon. “Yes. Devon said not to visit Jacob’s house, but he said nothing about keeping a low profile when I was at work.”
Wasn’t she the clever girl? “So you hovered about their table?” Please say yes.
She smiled. “As a matter of fact I did. And I worked really hard not to become distracted. I couldn’t be gone too long, but I learned that on Saturday night, the Changelings plan to rob the Lake Steakhouse after they close.”
“What?” Connor said. “Are you sure?”
Devon was pleased Connor didn’t scoff at her and call her a liar. “Positive. That’s all I know since I had to wait on their table, and I couldn’t be two places at once.”
Connor grabbed his phone. “I need to let Kalan know. If we can catch them in the act, it might make them think twice about pulling another heist.”
Vinea held up a finger, worry crisscrossing her features. “Unless they wanted me to think that was their plan.”