Touché, jackass. Jameson could only make it as far as the Mist. “Can you get a demon army into Numen?”
“Not yet, but I have something on one of Vale’s team. She’s proven very helpful in order to keep her secret.” Stede was steady, calm. Kenton was ruffled, ready to run circles like an angel on fire.
Stede was the steady one. A big-picture guy. As an enforcer he had to answer to every single senator. But if Jameson succeeded, every single senator would answer to Stede.
“Interesting,” Jameson said. “What have you got on her?”
Stede smiled and Jameson could see the psychopath beneath. “You can see why I don’t want to share.”
Calm, conniving Stede. Jameson needed to get him alone. They could work well together.
“I assume you’re looking for some help hiding?”
“Not me,” Stede said adamantly. “I have a place to go.”
The way he said it almost made Jameson feel bad for whomever Stede planned to hang out with. Jameson would hide the senator. Right where he could distract the warriors so they’d back off his club.
“I’ll need clothes and money. And two demon guards you can trust.” Kenton had some balls, Jameson would give him that. “I want to be kept apprised of your progress. We still have contacts in Numen we can get updates from.”
One, demons and trust don’t go together. Two, he’d be kept apprised enough so Jameson could lay a wide trail of breadcrumbs. Let the warriors deal with the senator. He’d served his purpose. The Numen knew about Jameson and his plan. He had to switch to evasive tactics and step up his game.
“Stede, you’ll be in touch with Andy once you get settled?”
From the gleam in Stede’s gaze, he interpreted his tone correctly. The enforcer also thought Kenton had reached his expiration date. The angel nodded and transcended.
Jameson eyed Kenton. He remembered when he first ran into the male after his fall. “I wanted to kill you when I first saw you in Fall from Grace. It’s a shame you could no longer frequent there after we partnered up.”
Kenton narrowed his eyes on him like a hubris-filled bird of prey. “What are you getting at?”
“I know you had to go to other places to find partners to suit your particular…tastes. Do you have a paramour who could shelter you?”
Frowning, Kenton studied the dirt. Jameson waited patiently. The angel’s penchant for whips, chains, and pain wouldn’t go over well with most Numen females. Or males, for that matter. It was what opened the door for an alliance between Jameson and Kenton.
“I’d need money,” Kenton finally said.
“What’s a few dollars among partners?”
Jameson could recruit a couple of hosts to watch Kenton. Kenton could distract himself with his human toys. The warriors should have no trouble finding him. Meanwhile, Jameson could keep working on Gerzon to up his demonic contribution to Jameson’s plans. The demon might be interested in some potion that prevented Numen from traveling between realms.
Yes, Kenton thought they’d taken a severe hit, almost had their plans derailed. But to Jameson, things were looking up.
Chapter 31
“Hey.” Odessa smiled as she let herself through the door.
“Hey, yourself.” Bryant pushed back from his desk to greet his mate.
God, she was beautiful. Her hair hung free around her shoulders, a lush frame for her work-of-art face. She wore a maxi dress that teased him about the treasures lying underneath.
He’d hardly seen her in the last week. Since the senate hearing, he’d been steeped in paperwork and planted in meetings. What a fucking headache. How’d Richter survive this?
His appointment had created waves, but Senator Thomas and Senator Naasim were strong supporters to have on his side. They strongly encouraged the senate to back his position as Warrior Director. He was even asked for a recommendation to take Stede’s place, who—shocker—had turned up missing.
Tosca’s appointment to Stede’s position had made almost as many waves as his. She didn’t put up with any shit from her fellow enforcers and her intense scrutiny was on each one. Starting with the ones that had worked closely with Stede.
“I brought lunch.” She held up a bag from one of his favorite pubs in London. “Don’t worry,” she rushed on. “I didn’t go there alone. Jagger and Felicia came with me.”
Bryant smiled. It was something he did easily around her now. Odessa had spent much of the last week at Felicia’s place where Jagger and her sister kept working on her self-defense skills. Odessa’s presence helped the other two fight less between themselves.
When she wasn’t in Atlanta, she stopped by to help Millie. The two had become fast friends, sharing the same privileged background and both being mated to warriors. Bryant needed to get over there and check on Leo. And remind him he was still a warrior and make sure he at least got his ass out of bed.
“It smells great.” He wanted to lean in to kiss her. Hug her in tight. That would only be the beginning. He wanted to do so much more, but it wouldn’t be very director-like. Well…he wasn’t very director-like, anyway.
“Come.” She smiled. “Let’s eat.”
They sat at the round table in his office where he usually held smaller meetings. She talked about her day while he ate and enjoyed the pleasing cadence of her voice. These moments were too precious to be interrupted. If anyone knocked on the door, he’d tell them to fuck off.
“That was super greasy. And delicious.” She pushed her wrappers to the side and set her elbow on the table. She leaned into her hand. “How’s it been going?”
“I spoke with Chanel Hancock today.” Bryant suppressed a shudder. A chilling female to say the least. “She told me what Haddock was like when they were mated.”
“Is she as cold and unfeeling as Jagger?”
He couldn’t help but smirk. His mate was definitely on Team Felicia.
“Jagger feels, then shoves it down and gets angry. His mother is stone cold. She’s willing to help us. I think she despises her ex-mate even more since finding out he’s thrived among the humans.”
“Yes, Jagger’s still a little angry about being on Felicia duty. She refuses to reside up here, so Dionna ordered him to stay with Filly.”
Bryant wanted to stomp his foot and pout like a five-year-old. Dionna had his old job. He’d freaking loved his job. But he loved his mate and his realm more; they came first.
“Yeah, she’s a solid leader. Always has been. She could’ve had her own team long ago, but always turned it down.”
“Hmm, wonder why.” Odessa swiveled in her chair to face him. “How are the others?”
“Sierra’s running intel for Harlowe, Bronx, and Urban, who are in the field hunting down the senator and Stede. I put another team on surveillance of Fall from Grace. We’ll get Jameson Haddock, but Kenton and Stede are higher priority since they can still transcend into Numen. How’s your sister?”
Odessa’s forehead furrowed. “Good, I guess.”
Bryant waited. There was more.
“I think…” She frowned. “I strongly suspect that all her training is more than to keep from ever feeling weak and being a victim again. I think she’s going to hunt down the male that brutalized her.”
He couldn’t blame Felicia. Honestly, he didn’t want to stop her, but he didn’t want to see her hurt.
“Until we know for sure…” He shrugged. “She has me and you backing her actions, if she chooses to follow through.”
His mate looked relieved. “So…” Odessa began to twirl patterns on his thigh. He swelled uncomfortably behind the fly of his pants. “Your door is locked, right?”
“Yes,” he growled, dragging her onto his lap. He buried his nose in her neck. “It’s been too long.”
“It’s been since yesterday.” The breathy quality in her words hardened him even more.
“Right. Too long.”
“Are we going to christen your office?” she purred, rocking into him.
&nb
sp; He felt like he was going to explode. He needed to get in her.
“We’re going to break in this chair. Then the table. Then my desk.”
Odessa giggled and reached between them to undo his pants. “That’s how dedicated we are to your new position.”
She freed him and he rejoiced in the feeling of his length cradled in her warm hands.
He cupped her face. “I love you, Odessa. I couldn’t do this job without you. You make it worthwhile.”
A sweet smile rewarded his words. “Bryant Vale. I didn’t have to wait for a destined sync mate, because I was meant to be with you. If I have to bring you lunch every day to sneak a few moments here and there, it’s okay. You’re worth it.”
He brought his lips to hers. She lifted herself up until her robe was out of the way, and gifted him with the sweet ecstasy of her wet heat sliding down his shaft.
She was right. Everything he’d been through had brought him to her, drew her to him. He thought of the time not so long ago when he was in this office. Leo Richter had been right. He had needed to sync.
_________
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About the Author
Marie Johnston lives in the upper-Midwest with her husband, four kids, and an old cat. Deciding to trade in her lab coat for a laptop, she’s writing down all the tales she’s been making up in her head for years. An avid reader of paranormal romance, these are the stories hanging out and waiting to be told between the demands of work, home, and the endless chauffeuring that comes with children.
mariejohnstonwriter.com
Also by Marie Johnston
New Vampire Disorder:
Demetrius (Book1)
Rourke (Book 2)
Bishop (Book 3)
Stryke (Book 4)
Creed (Book 5)
Bastian (Book 6)
The Seer (Novella 7)
Demon Q (Book 8)
Angel Fire:
Angel Fire, book 1
Wicked Fire, book 2 (coming soon)
Angel Fire: Angel Fire, Book 1 Page 29