The Tiger's Ambush (Kit Davenport Book 3)

by Tate James

  “Fuck, oh shit, my wrist,” she whimpered, tears streaming from behind tightly shut eyes as blood began flowing freely down her hand. Her other hand was clutched at it, holding just above the injury, which was actually a smart thing to do to stem the blood flow.

  “Here.” I reached out to her without even thinking about what I was doing, wrapping one hand over hers where it was applying pressure to the veins and quickly yanking the broken glass stem from her flesh with the other. Tightly, I covered the wound with my hand.

  The magic surged through me, sealing up her broken veins and arteries and repairing the deep cut in her arm, which I knew without a doubt could have been life threatening. She’d somehow managed to sever an artery when she fell, and I seriously doubted if they would have gotten help here quickly enough. Or maybe they would have, but was I really going to run that risk when I could help? What if she died, all because I couldn’t look where I was fucking walking?

  “Kit.” Vali’s voice broke through my concentration, and his firm hands pulled me back from the girl who was still crying and clutching her wrist. There was blood all over both our hands, but the gash on her wrist was nothing more than a deep scrape now.

  “Enough,” he murmured in my ear. “She’s fine now.”

  “What..?” The girl sobbed, opening her eyes and blinking at me in confusion, then down at her wrist and back up to me.

  “You cut yourself on that glass when you fell,” I explained. “But it doesn’t look too bad. You’ll need to go get it checked out, though.” I squinted at her, frowning. It was dark in the corridor to the bathrooms, but there was something familiar about her.

  “Do I know you?” I asked, and she seemed to pale. But maybe that was my suspicious, slightly tipsy, now magic-drained imagination at work.

  “No, you don’t. Thanks for bumping into me,” she sneered, scrambling up from the ground and stalking off, still clutching at her bleeding wrist.

  “Dragă, what the hell were you thinking?” Vali scolded, taking my hand and tugging me further down the corridor, away from the main bar. He snatched a bottle of water from the floor outside the bathrooms, where someone must have left it when they went to pee, and pushed through the fire exit door leading to the back alleyway.

  “Hands,” he commanded, and I held them out to him. Twisting the cap off the bottle, he tossed it aside and used the water to rinse the girl’s blood off my skin.

  “Now,” he sighed when he appeared satisfied all the blood was gone. “Tell me what on earth you were thinking, using your magic like that in public?”

  “I didn’t really think at all,” I admitted, feeling a bit damn stupid in hindsight. “It was my fault she fell and hurt herself, and that glass had severed an artery. I couldn’t risk her dying just because I’m a klutz.”

  “She would have been fine, beautiful. So long as she went straight to a medical center, they could have stitched it up for her, no troubles.” He ran a hand through his wavy, shoulder-length hair.

  “Oh, I, um, I didn’t know that.” I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the exhaustion of the healing. It was nothing even close to how I felt after big healings though, so I’d probably be fine to go home and sleep it off.

  “I know,” he sighed. “It’s adorable that you want to heal the world, dragă, but what about the side effects? What if that girl had any supernatural DNA in her? Have you just totally changed her life without any explanation?”

  “I think that I have worked out how to not do the magic part of the healing,” I told him, but the uncertainty was clear in my voice. “It’s sort of just a theory, but I noticed when I healed you guys from, like, nearly dead that right at the end, before I’m done, it changes. I can’t really describe it, but it’s just a different sort of feeling.”

  “So you’re thinking that if you don’t heal the injury completely, that it doesn’t risk healing their magic? If they’re even supernatural to begin with, that is. From what I understood, it’s a whole different genetic set, so there really wouldn’t be any danger in healing humans, right?” Vali pondered this theory aloud. “It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard, but it’s also totally untested. Please, dragă, please don’t go healing any more random people?”

  “I can’t promise,” I admitted, not trying to be combative, just honest. “It just... happens. I see someone that is injured, and I act faster than my brain can really process what’s even happening. It’s happened a couple of times during Omega training too.”

  “This has happened more than once?” His eyebrows shot up, and I nodded.

  “Once, on our first day of training, a girl was knocked over the stair railing and plummeted four floors. She would have died if I didn’t do something, and I sort of figure it’s better to be scaly and alive than human and dead, right?” I gave him a pointed look, reminding him that was the choice I’d made for him, too.

  He grunted acknowledgement. “And the other time?”

  “Yesterday, one of the boys fell from the high wires course and broke his leg pretty badly. I just healed the bone only and then Austin pulled me away, so it seemed like just a really bad sprain.” My belly flipped, remembering the way my magic had reacted to Austin’s hand on mine as we’d walked back to our apartment after that class.

  “It concerns me that these things keep happening around you, beautiful. Has it occurred to any of you that these could be tests? That someone is setting these accidents up to see how you will react?” His eyes blazed with anger, and his brow furrowed deeply.

  “Yes, it did. But like I said, I can’t seem to help myself.” I shrugged helplessly and staggered a bit. My balance wasn’t the best after countless daiquiris and a minor healing.

  “You’re exhausted,” Vali commented, clearly receiving my emotions down our weird spidey sense thing that we had going on. “How do I fix it for you?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I smiled. “It’s not so bad. If you can feel it from me, I dare say the other guys can too. They’ll probably be here any second.”

  “I’d feel better if I knew how to help,” he murmured, sliding his hands around my waist and backing me against the wall. “After all, if we are going to be in this... relationship... for eternity, I anticipate I’ll need to help you out at some stage.”

  “Are you saying I’m a magnet for trouble or something?” I arched a brow at him indignantly, and he snorted a soft laugh.

  “You said it, dragă, not me. Now, how am I helping you? Vic said it needed to be sexual contact, no?” His lips curved in a wicked sort of smile, and fuck if my heart didn’t contract a little at the promises that smile held. Something gave me the impression he could definitely give River a run for his money in the domination department. At least in the bedroom, anyway.

  My eyes flicked to his mouth, then back to his granite gray eyes, just a shade or two darker than Cole’s and loaded with desire.

  “I didn’t use too much magic,” I commented, my voice low and breathy. “I should be fine if you just kissed me a bit.”

  “Just a bit?” His lips curved in a sexy smile. “I think I can handle that.” He leaned in, closing the gap between us while my heart thundered in my chest. His lips brushed mine, and we were interrupted by a pop of air pressure all around us that I was coming to identify with magic.

  “Kitty Kat,” Caleb called out, striding toward us from the mouth of the alleyway where he had just appeared in a ring of mage runes. “Are you okay? What happened? I felt you use your magic to heal someone.”

  “Ah, I guess that answers my question about them sensing your emotions too,” Vali mused, brushing a light kiss across my cheek before stepping back with a sigh that seemed to mirror the disappointment I was feeling.

  “I’m fine, Cal.” I smiled at him and rubbed at my bare arms to try and calm the tingling magic left by Vali’s light touch. “Just a random girl that cut herself.”

  He watched me intently, a small frown pulling at his forehead before he nodded. “We should get you back befor
e the guys freak out any more than they already are.”

  “Sure, yeah, I’ll just go grab Lucy and Elena. They’re probably worried about where we ended up.” I rubbed my tired eyes and started back toward the fire escape door.

  “I’ll get them,” Vali murmured, laying a hand over mine on the door handle and meeting my gaze. “They were making out on the dance floor, last I saw them, but I need to be heading back to my jet anyway. Crime empires don’t run themselves you know.” He threw a wink at me and disappeared back into the booming nightclub, leaving me alone in the alleyway with Caleb.

  “So you seem to have that trick down,” I commented, turning to squint at him with arms folded over my chest. He at least had the grace to blush a little and scratch the back of his neck as he glanced over to the still glowing ring of Mage runes that he’d appeared in.

  “Uh yeah, I didn’t totally ignore the lessons Yoshi gave us as kids.” His shoulders dropped as he sighed, and his hands stuffed into his pockets. “I know you have heaps of questions, but... this whole Mage thing... it’s just hard enough getting my own head around, you know?”

  Stepping closer to him I flicked him in the forehead to bring his attention up from the concrete of the alleyway. “Yeah, Cal. I do know. Just found out I’m a whole other species here, remember?” I tugged at his hand, pulling it from his pocket and wrapping it around my waist. “So yeah, I do get what you’re going through. I just wish that we could go through it together.”

  “I know.” He frowned. “Just give me some more time. I’m working on getting a handle on my magic, and then I’ll tell you everything. Aus probably didn’t tell you that he won the coin toss with Ink? Metaphorically speaking. His magic is crazy powerful with none of the uncomfortable side-effects of Blood.”

  “I don’t understand what that even means, Caleb.” I sighed. “I really want to be understanding and give you space because God knows this whole mess is my fault to begin with, but I’m worried about you.”

  “I know,” he replied and said no more.

  Ugh, patience has never been my strong suit, either.

  Dating five guys was going to be the death of me, purely for their inability to talk.

  “Fine, whatever, let’s go meet Vali and the girls at my car. I assume you’re coming home with us now?” I flicked him a bit of a pissy look as I led the way around to where I’d left my car, but whatever, I was pissed. I’d been totally open with them on everything Ban Dia related, so for him to be keeping secrets from me... hell yeah, it stung.

  “Kitty Kat,” he groaned, grabbing me by the hand and twirling me around to face him. My back pressed against the door of my car, and I looked up at him, not trying to hide how annoyed I was feeling. “Please, trust me?”

  “I do, Cal.” I held his gaze for a long moment. “I just wish you trusted me.”

  23

  Jewels sparkled in the light as I turned to face the mirror and sucked in a breath of surprise. How the hell the woman in the reflection could possibly be me I had no idea. My hair was perfectly styled into an elaborate up-do, leaving my long neck bare to showcase the staggeringly expensive diamond necklace draped around it.

  “Elena,” I breathed, leaning in for a closer look at myself. “You have some serious talent, girl.”

  “Oh stop,” she giggled, acting coy even though I knew full well she was anything but. “I just work with the materials I am given.”

  She’d done my makeup for me in a sparkling, almost ethereal style, so I looked more like a fairy princess than a real girl. Or Ban Dia as it may be.

  Huh, I wonder if faeries are real too?

  “Well, I think you look perfect, but how have you managed to attach your weapons? Are they all sorted?” She gave me a stern look, and I smiled. She and Lucy had started officially dating just a few days after that night out with Vali, even though Lucy was also still seeing Finn. She was totally open about it, though, and Elena didn’t seem bothered by it, so who was I to judge?

  As well as being just what Lucy needed after the crap of her abduction and near death, Elena was just a joy to be around—for all of us. Hell, she was even charming Austin!

  “Uh, haven’t sorted them out yet. That’s next on my list.” I checked the time on my phone and realized I was already running late. Oh well, fashionably late was the in thing, right?

  “Go get dressed, and I’ll tell River or Cole to come help with the weapon concealment.” She threw me a saucy wink and sashayed out of the dressing room that I’d been getting ready in.

  After taking another long look at the incredible job Elena had done, I stood and stripped off the satin dressing gown I’d been wearing and lined up my arsenal of weapons on the ledge below the mirror. Nervous excitement fluttered in my belly as I ran through the plan for the night. All things considered, it should be almost easier than a lot of the heists I’d pulled in the past. So why was I all jittery?

  “Princess, we’re late!” Austin snapped, barging through the half open door and pulling up short with a stunned look on his face.

  Not one to cower with modesty, I propped one hip out with a hand on my waist, and casually flipped a knife in my other hand.

  “I’m aware of that, Austin,” I snapped back at him, narrowing my eyes. “Some of us require a little more preparation than simply throwing on an old suit and calling it done.”

  Oh God, Kit. Fucking listen to yourself sometimes!

  Austin was far from in an old suit. He was decked out in a custom tailored tuxedo, his dark hair slicked back and his face freshly shaved. Hell, even his shoes were polished to the point of reflective, and he smelled divine. I, meanwhile, was in nothing but a strapless lace corset, matching thong, and a couple of empty weapon holsters.

  “Are you just going to stand there and gawk at me, or are you going to help?” I demanded in my very best sassy tone, flicking the knife at him and snapping him out of the stare down he’d been giving my tits.

  He sneered, catching the knife by its blade between the flats of his palms and tossing it to hold the handle. “Didn’t Caleb ever tell you not to throw a blade unless you’re trying to hurt someone?”

  “Who says I wasn’t?” I challenged, lifting my foot to place it on the chair I’d been sitting in. “Actually, pass that one back. I don’t need your help securing that.”

  The sheath for that knife was strapped to my inner thigh, so I really needed no assistance putting it away and held my hand out to take it from him.

  Green eyes blazing, Austin stalked across the small room to me, then ever so slowly dragged the knife tip up from my knee to the top of the sheath before carefully securing it and adjusting the Velcro straps holding it to my thigh.

  “Wouldn’t have wanted you to cut yourself, Princess,” he murmured, his face unreadable as he held my gaze a long, tense moment.

  “Five minutes, then we leave,” he snapped as he spun and disappeared out of the dressing room, leaving me pressing my palms to my hot cheeks, cursing myself. Just a quick glance in the mirror showed how worked up he’d just gotten me, and I desperately prayed he wasn’t yet in tune with my emotions enough to have read that from me.

  “Vixen,” Cole called out, tapping lightly on the open door before entering. “You need help?”

  “Um, yeah,” I huffed, trying to gather my scattered thoughts from the wake of hurricane-Austin. “Yeah, I just need help with getting this thing to sit right.” I held up the mesh and Velcro contraption that would sit just below the waistband of my dress and store both ammunition and a handgun without being obvious.

  Cole nodded silently and took the harness from me, deftly strapping it around me and sliding all the correct items into their homes. He then held out my dress for me to step into, and zipped it up, his finger brushing up my spine and making me shiver.

  “Seems strange,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss on the back of my neck, “putting clothes on you. I can’t wait to take them off again later. Although I’m still not happy that you’re going without a
disguise.”

  “Cutie,” I growled, spinning in his embrace and wrapping my arms around his neck. “We’ve been over this, and I won. No disguise. Gray isn’t even in town tonight, remember? He’s been seen in Miami just this afternoon, and your guys have eyes on him as we speak.”

  “What if one of his friends is there and recognizes you?” He scowled. “This is too risky.”

  “If anyone does, then good. I hope they fucking-well tell him that his Foxy Girl is the one who ripped him off yet again.” My jaw hardened in stubborn determination, and Cole frowned. “Besides, you guys will be there as backup, so I’m not alone. And don’t forget I am a supernatural badass.”

  “How could I ever forget,” he groaned, then kissed me lightly so as not to upset the makeup Elena had so painstakingly applied to my face. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful?”

  “Cutie.” I grinned. “When am I not careful?”

  “Run me through it one more time,” I demanded, snagging a glass of champagne from a passing server and sipping it. Not because I needed to drink but more as something to do with my hands.

  “No. I have run through it maybe four times since we arrived here, and I don’t even know how many times before tonight. You know the plan.” Austin was pitching his voice low, maintaining a polite, calm expression that contradicted his frustrated tone of voice.

  Over the countless test runs and simulations we had done in the past few weeks, Wesley had eventually concluded that Austin and I held the most relevant skills for the job, so while Cole, River, and Caleb were in attendance as waitstaff, Austin and I were running point.

  “All okay down there?” Wesley’s voice crackled over the little earpiece I wore, and I smiled at his concern. So far the most exciting thing that had happened was some old drunk grabbing my ass. Hopefully things would stay that way, too. Nice and boring.

  “All is fine, Wes,” Austin responded quietly, letting the little microphone pick up his voice, and I heard Lucy’s distinctive laugh in the background.