Edged Blade

by J. C. Daniels

  “No.”

  I turned to see Chang standing just inches away.

  His face was grim. “It’s not.”

  He gave me five names, five dates, five routes. I noted them all down on a piece of paper while he gave me the stats and other information that wasn’t on the computer.

  The latest was going through Georgia—via Atlanta—and the cats who’d gone missing had been seen there.

  “She was the most recent,” he said quietly, bringing up a picture of a trim brunette. He looked up at me. “She went missing only five days ago. She could still show up in Orlando, but it’s not looking good. The others, however, are officially counted as missing.”

  I studied the woman on his datapad. Shanelle Maguire. “Why was she coming here?”

  “Several reasons.” Chang looked back at the screen. “I’m sure you recall the unpleasantness at the Ball. Shanelle is from the clan in northern Georgia. They call themselves the Claw, by the way.” He smiled, as if it amused him.

  “The Claw.” It made me roll my eyes. “Sounds like a cheesy TV superhero villain.”

  “Doesn’t it?” The smile faded as he hit a key. The image faded out of view, replaced by a stark, staggering display of mountains, the sun rising up low over the mists. I don’t know where that picture had been taken, but the beauty staggered me.

  “Shanelle had dual goals when she announced her intentions to come to East Orlando. She’d volunteered her services for business that is ongoing between the Assembly and the Claw.” He paused and then added, “And she has petitioned Damon to rejoin the clan once her job for her current alpha is complete. She lived here years ago, but left. There were…reasons.” His voice was so smooth, I barely noticed the pause.

  Barely noticed. But I did notice it. Noticed, filed it away. “Okay, so she left.” I smiled thinly. “I assume it had something to do with Annette. Annette’s dispatched—now she wants to come back and this Assembly job just came up at the right time. How convenient.”

  “You noticed that as well.” Chang returned my smile, thin and just barely there. “You’re smart, Kit. I admire that about you. Saves time when I don’t have to connect the dots.” Now he looked away. “Shanelle notified the clan—as courtesy dictates—that she was on official business for the Assembly and then she filed the official petition stating her desire to rejoin the clan and take reclaim her official position.”

  “Which was…?”

  “She had been one of the lead enforcers.” His voice was neutral.

  Too neutral. There was something he wasn’t telling me.

  “What else was she?”

  The door opened and Chang’s eyes cut to the left.

  As Damon came inside, I had a sinking feeling I already knew.

  “What, I don’t get invited to tea these days, Chang?” He studied me before shifting his attention to his second.

  I folded up the slip of paper and tucked it inside my vest, keeping the movement casual. Damon took note of it—he took note of everything.

  I imagined he also noticed the tension in the air and the way my heart jacked up before I got it under control. I could attribute that racing heartbeat to any number of things—I hadn’t seen him in over a week.

  Hadn’t touched him—really touched him in far too long.

  I could attribute it to nerves.

  Maybe even a bit of jealousy, because I knew as sure as he stood there that there was a woman—a shapeshifter—who’d been heading this way to take back her place as an enforcer and as his lover.

  But really, just looking at him was enough to make everything in me sigh.

  Can we stop waiting already?

  “I would have invited you, but you hate tea, Damon.” Chang’s calm voice shattered the silence when all I could do was just sit there and stare dumbly at the man in front of us. “Kit wanted to know if I had any information about an on-going case.”

  Damon shifted his gaze my way.

  Chang might be a picture of masculine beauty, but Damon was pretty much the living, breathing personification of power. Up until he’d steamrolled his way into my life, I’d tended to avoid powerhouses like him, just because I didn’t like to feel that surrounded.

  He was gorgeous and headstrong and intimidating and sarcastic.

  And...still mine.

  “Well.” Chang cleared his throat, the gesture pointed. “I think I’m going to attend to some matters out in the club. Kit…if you can, check in when you have information about your case.”

  “Uh…yeah.” I barely glanced at him.

  “Hmmm.” The dry amusement in his voice was evident. But he didn’t head toward the door.

  Rising, I swiped my hands down the sides of my cargoes, looking away from Damon before I somehow embarrassed myself even more. “So…ah…I…”

  “Here.”

  Chang cut me off before I managed to even stammer out a greeting to the man still watching me with intense eyes. I looked at Chang, then looked again.

  He held the katana out in front of him, sheathed.

  Slowly, I lowered my gaze to the katana and then back up to him. “I can’t…”

  “The blade needs somebody who would appreciate it—” Chang corrected himself. “Him as a weapon. I appreciate the effort that went into creating him, and I appreciate the artistry. But I have no need of the blade. You would do his maker justice.”

  “You said his maker tried to relieve you of your head,” I said.

  “And I repaid him by taking his.” He continued to hold it. “Take it, Kit.”

  Greed raced through me and I couldn’t stop myself another moment. Reaching out, I closed my hand around it and took it. “Thank you.”

  Chang, instead of replying, gave me a small bow.

  I returned it and he left without speaking.

  The door closed behind him a moment later and I lowered my gaze to the gift he’d given me.

  “If he wasn’t my best man, I’d be tempted to hurt him for putting that look in your eyes.”

  I shifted my attention up and met Damon’s gaze.

  “Ah…hi.”

  Chapter Five

  Even now, more than a year after I’d first met him, looking at him was enough to steal my breath away.

  When he asked me out on a date—a for-real, actual date—a little over a month ago, my instincts had been to say no. My heart had kicked my instinct in the balls and screamed yes. My response had been a slow, almost stammered, “Sure.” Since then, we usually saw each other once a week, but we met at a designated place.

  He didn’t come see me.

  I didn’t go to the Lair.

  It was always in a public place.

  The one exception had been the night of the Halloween Ball and my plans of seducing—or at least telling him I wanted to stop waiting—had gone screaming out the window.

  But now we were alone.

  I couldn’t exactly call this a date, of course. He’d shown up in Chang’s office, not knowing I’d be there, although he would have seen my car, and to be very honest—he’d probably realized I was here before he even hit the grounds. Shapeshifter senses are funny like that.

  His nostrils flared.

  “Justin’s back in town,” he said, his voice neutral.

  “Yeah.” I hitched a shoulder in a shrug.

  His nostrils flared again, lids hanging low. I braced myself because I knew what he was doing. Damon was a shifter and that meant he could smell things no human or half-human could possibly pick up. He was analyzing the scent layers on me. “Somebody’s dead, Kit.”

  “Somebody needed to die, Damon.” I gave him an innocent stare. Son of a bitch. I should have spent another thirty minutes in a shower—or a steam bath. Determined to make him think about anything other than the fact that I smelled like human blood, I said, “You haven’t seen me in almost two weeks and you’re more interested in other people than me.”

  He came in a little closer and I froze as he dipped his head, breathed in.
<
br />   Then, as his breath drifted over me in a soft sigh, he murmured, “No…never. I just don’t like thinking about what could happen if somebody found out you’d killed a human. I’d have to slaughter the world, Kit.”

  Now he lifted his head. While his eyes swirled and the intensity of his emotions beat against me, I eased back.

  “Ah…” I blinked. “That would be a bit of overkill. And relax. I know what I’m doing.”

  He sighed. Then, with a gentle touch, he smoothed a finger over my brow. “You got sick from her biting you. The virus…it lingered.” He smoothed a finger across my brow. “It made you sick.”

  “What…oh.” I shrugged as I remembered the debacle with Alice at the ball. “I’m fine. It was just a fever. No big deal.”

  His gaze roamed over me and I knew he was looking for some sign of injury, but I was standing there all but burning and it didn’t take long for him to pick up on it.

  His lashes drooped as he drew in a deep, slow breath and his big body seemed to ripple—everything in him drawing tight.

  When he looked back at me, I felt it as intimately as if he’d stroked his hands over me.

  “I…um…” My brain tried to kick in. “Look, I should go.”

  He took a step toward me.

  The list of names Chang had given me was burning a hole in my vest and I wanted to demand Damon tell me who Shanelle was, and why she’d been coming here. I don’t care that I’d had Chang’s explanation. There was the official explanation and there were the reasons a woman would give a former lover—and she’d stay former.

  Will she? That sly voice murmured in the back of my mind and doubt slid in.

  Before it could take root, though, Damon reached out.

  His fingers slid up my cheek, tangled in my hair.

  “I was going to call you when I left here,” he said, his voice low.

  “Were you?” Heat skittered and danced in my veins.

  “Hmmm. Am I still coming over tonight?”

  I turned, my answer on my lips. But then it died…faded away, as his mouth covered mine.

  Why would I want to talk when I could be kissing him?

  “Stop.”

  A rush of heat and hot skin and hunger later, Damon caught my hands as I went to shove his shirt up.

  His chest was heaving, his skin hot under my hands. When he tried to pull back, I just followed his mouth with mine. Stop? Why in the world would I want to do that?

  Damon groaned and reached up, cupping my face in his hands. His arms were now an effective barrier between us, too.

  Damn it.

  “Kit…baby girl. Stop…”

  I groaned.

  He dropped his head on my shoulder.

  The ragged rhythm of his breath on my skin, the heavy brush of it all over me was enough to have my nipples drawing tight. I clutched at his hips, desperate hunger clawing at me.

  In the next second, Damon was by the door and I was gripping the desk to catch my balance.

  “Damon…?”

  He dragged his hands down his face. “That’s…okay. Enough. I have to be able to walk out of here.”

  Involuntarily, my gaze dropped lower and then I turned away because I was tempted to rush him. Sex up against a wall—it wasn’t an unknown for us. Even as some part of my brain was wary, the rest of me was all for crashing ahead at full speed.

  “Yeah. Um. I don’t think I could face Chang if we…” I looked at his office and my face went hot and red. Ohhhhh, no. I’d die of embarrassment. I wasn’t particularly shy, but Chang would know in a hot second if we had sex up here. Hell, he’d probably know how close we’d come to having sex up here and that was already pretty bad.

  A hand brushed down the back of my hair. A kiss ghosted over my shoulder.

  I would have caught his hand, but he was already sliding through the door.

  “You’re coming over tonight, right?” I asked, knowing he’d hear me.

  “Still want me to?”

  I licked my lips. “Yeah. I’ll be home…probably late. See you there.”

  There are some people who could get in trouble with a wet bag and a rubber ducky.

  I know.

  I’m one of them.

  There I was, standing with a wet bag, eggs oozing out of it, half of my groceries for tonight all over the ground and a rubber ducky in my hand. I’d dropped one of the bags when a small tornado had almost bowled me over. I’d held onto the other, although thanks to the smashed eggs, the stuff in it was probably ruined.

  Sighing, I looked down at the bag and then the ducky.

  Said duck belonged to the little girl cowering at my feet.

  Or maybe not…

  “This doesn’t concern you.”

  The words were delivered in a cloud of garlic and undercooked meat as a man came storming my way. He went to snatch the duck away and I whipped my hand out of his reach.

  “She stole it,” he said.

  “I’ll pay for it,” I said calmly. “Just tell me how much it is.”

  “I’m not selling it to you.” His lip curled and he glanced down at the girl. He went to grab her. I dropped the rest of my groceries and shoved my hand against his chest.

  He went flying back.

  I took advantage of the momentary distraction to pick up the girl and put her in my car. I’d only barely had the chance to shut the door when he came rushing at me. Magic sparked around him as he swung out at me.

  Splintered power danced in the air around him. An untrained witch, probably watered down—just enough ability to light a fire—or make him feel tough.

  Ducking under the punch, I slammed my fist into his gut and spun away.

  He lumbered after me.

  I caught the next punch.

  His face went red as I started to squeeze. I heard bones break.

  As he started to squeal, I flung his hand away.

  “Well. This is entertaining.”

  With a disgusted sigh, I looked up as Megan Banks came striding up.

  Megan was the second in command for the local wolf pack. She looked like a soccer mom, cussed like a sailor and had a jaw like a brick wall. I’d broken my hand on that jaw of hers. As I caught sight of the amusement in her eyes, I relived that moment. It had been worth it.

  Blowing out a disgusted breath, I looked at the groceries I’d dropped when the little girl had plowed into me. The eggs were a lost cause. “Hi, Megan. Long time, no see. Oh, you’re in a hurry? Sorry to hear that. See ya.”

  She chuckled as she knelt down next to me. “I’m here to speak with the man you made cry like a baby.” She picked up a packet of steak and held it out. “Planning on having company?”

  I just stared.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Alpha. Perhaps I should swing by and just touch base. It’s a courtesy…from the pack to the clan.”

  “Come by my house tonight and die,” I said.

  She threw back her head and laughed.

  Trying to ignore her, I stacked up the groceries that weren’t ruined. I’d need another bag.

  “Don’t worry. I’m here to pick up a cub. You’re safe…I’ll be playing mama.” Her voice went soft then.

  A cub…? I looked up, watched as she rose.

  I did the same, fighting the urge to glance back to my car.

  “I thought you were here to talk to him.” I jutted my chin at the man who had finally gotten to his feet, although he was still clutching his mangled hand.

  “I am.” Distaste thickened her voice. “Maurice called and said he had a stray kid in the store—was positive she was a wolf. We pay rewards for anybody who finds a youth.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I looked over at him, thought about the way I’d seen him going to grab her, the fear in her eyes.

  “How long ago did he call you?” I asked softly.

  She frowned. “He left a message—it’s been about two hours or so. He said she was secure. I couldn’t get here immediately. I was tending to…a problem.”<
br />
  I fought the urge to snarl. “You might have another one.”

  “What?”

  I pointed to my car, and she turned just in time to see the tiny child duck into the back, hiding.

  Terrified.

  “Now, see here…that’s not fair!” Maurice jabbed a thumb at his chest. “That’s my reward.”

  “You had one of my wolves locked in a closet,” Alisdair MacDonald said. The words sliced through the air, vicious and feral.

  “The kid tried to run! She bit me! She stole my merchandise!”

  I started to laugh.

  Dair cut me a cold look.

  “It was a rubber duck,” I said. The child was currently sound asleep in the other room—with the rubber duck. We could see her through the open door—or I could. The raised voices didn’t disturb her at all, so either she was that exhausted or she was used to them. Either scenario tugged at my heart. “She took a rubber duck. She’s five years old, if that, and she was scared.”

  “She’s a thief.” He jabbed his splinted hand at me. “And you…you…I’m filing a complaint against you.”

  “I’m quivering,” I drawled.

  “Do it,” Dair said, his voice silky. “And I’ll have you before the Assembly on charges of child cruelty.”

  Maurice froze.

  Megan said, “Alpha, I’m sure Maurice doesn’t realize that locking her in a closet counts as child imprisonment.” She gave Maurice a polite smile, but the look in her eyes said the opposite—she was sure Maurice did realize it…and he didn’t care.

  I was pretty sure of that myself.

  “She tried to run away!” Maurice shouted again.

  “Then you should have let her.” Dair lifted a shoulder. “You’d notified us. We could have tracked her. Instead you chose to manhandle and traumatize her.”

  “If she ran, I didn’t get paid—”

  He snapped his mouth shut, but it was too late.