He released her, only to plant both hands on the wall on either side of her head, bracketing her. The scent of male and ocean caressed her senses. “Come home with me.”
“Are you joking?” She coughed. Her body bellowed a hell yes and actually bowed toward him, while her mind moved to shut down all sensation. “Yeah, me at Fire doing the walk of shame tomorrow. Step back, asshole.”
“I have a flat across town.” He leaned down until his breath brushed her lips. “It’ll be our secret.”
She met his gaze directly, even as her mouth tingled with need. She thought she’d gotten rid of her penchant for bad boys. “I don’t have secrets.”
His gaze warmed. “Sure you do, baby. I promise.”
“I’m nobody’s baby,” she said, finally getting her body under control.
“Now that’s a true pity.” He brushed hair back from her face. “A girl like you is made to be cosseted, protected, and loved until the world is a safe oasis of pleasure.”
She blinked. “Jesus. What century are you from?”
Amusement tilted his lips. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
She shook her head. “You’re a bad guy, Kellach. Your gang sells drugs and guns . . . which lead to violence and death. There’s no safe oasis in your life.”
“No.” His lips curved in almost a gentle smile. “My job as an enforcer means no oasis for me. But I was talking about you. I could give you that.”
“I’ve never wanted safety.” She noted, almost sadly, that he didn’t dispute her statement about guns or drugs. “Who’s the distributor of Apollo?”
His head lifted at her use of the drug’s name. “You’ve been doing your research.”
“That’s my job.” She flattened both hands on his hard pecs. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll get you a deal. Away from here and somewhere safe.”
He grinned, a flash of white through the darkness. “You’re offering me immunity and a new identity?”
“Yes.” She tried to press her advantage.
“How about I take you out of here, get you somewhere safe until things quiet down with this drug?” He leaned in, his lips hovering above hers. “I’ll get it off the streets for you.”
“Bull.” She shoved him, and he stepped back. “Don’t lie to me.”
“Never.” He brushed hair from her face, his hands cupping her head. “You need to stay away from Bear, darlin’.”
“Why?” she breathed, going on instinct. “You jealous, Kell?”
He blinked. Slowly. It was an oddly curious sight, a foreshadowing of a dangerous temper. “You like to play with fire, Alexandra?”
The way he said her name, all Irish brogue and lilting consonants, caused desire to burn in her abdomen. “Lex. It’s Lex.”
“No.” He shook he head, his hold tightening. “You’re all Alexandra—each and every syllable.” He leaned down, his lips nuzzling hers, his big hands tethering her in place. “Want me to be jealous? Give me something to protect.”
A definite dare. She’d never been able to turn from a dare, and being challenged by a guy like Kell? Yeah. She could meet his challenge and raise him one. Screw it. They’d just see who won this battle of wills. She pressed her lips against his, her eyes fluttering shut. Heat and male—all spice.
With a low growl, he tugged her into him, his mouth overtaking hers. He overwhelmed her in power and strength, kissing her hard, half-lifting her against the wall to settle his groin at the apex of her legs. Her thighs trembled and tightened against his hips, her hands shooting into his thick mass of hair. He shoved up her dress and pressed his cock against her panties, gyrating against her swollen clit. One firm hand dragged back her hair, while the other palmed her breast.
A mini-orgasm rippled through her, making her gasp into his mouth. Then another uncoiled, sparking flashes of electricity through her. She shook her head, trying to regain control of her body. She couldn’t climax there. No way. No way could she let him know he had that much power over her.
He leaned back, one hand tethered in her hair, the other on her breast. “Problem?”
She gasped and tried to remain perfectly still. “Put me down and back away. Now.” Her breathy voice didn’t sound like her. At all.
He eyed her, awareness dawning in those deadly eyes. “How close are you?”
Too close. Way too fucking close. She swallowed. “Nowhere near. Now put me down.”
“Aw, darlin’,” he breathed, his gaze hardening. “If you wouldn’t have lied, I woulda put you down.” The Irish brogue licked along her skin, and she shivered. “Now? Now you’re gonna come.” He released her breast and tapped her lips with his fingers.
She opened her mouth in surprise, and he dipped in one finger. “Hey—” she started.
His head lifted, while his eyelids lowered to half-mast. Then his moistened finger wandered down her front, between her breasts, over her abdomen, and slid inside her panties.
“No—” she hissed, just as he pressed his wet finger against her clit. Sparks lit through her. She shoved her head back against the wall and shut her eyes, arching into his palm. “Please,” she breathed, truly not knowing what she was asking for.
He pressed his thumb against her clit and slid the finger inside her. “Now, baby.” He pinched, nearly forming a circle with his fingers.
She exploded into a million pieces, her mouth opening on a scream only to be covered by his. He kissed her deep, even as his fingers worked her, drawing out the waves until she sagged against him, allowing him to take all of her weight. Her mind fuzzed, and her body turned boneless.
He removed his hand and slowed his kiss, gently setting her on her feet. Two seconds later, and he’d set her dress to rights. “You’re a keeper, Alexandra Monzelle,” he whispered, stepping back.
She shoved hair away from her face, blinking up at him. What in the hell had just happened?
As she watched, he slowly licked his hand. “You taste like heaven.”
Bernie rounded the corner. “Lex? You all right?”
“Fine.” She slid toward Bernie, grateful for the escape, her face blushing fiercely enough it hurt. Her heart thundered hard enough, everyone had to be able to hear it. “Just talking to a Fire member here in Grizzly territory. Weird, huh?”
Bernie eyed Kellach, his hand perched precariously close to the weapon secured beneath his jacket. “Yeah. Weird.”
She hustled toward her partner and away from the heat. Either Fire was making a move on Grizzly territory, or Kellach was up to something else. Her instincts hummed that there was a hell of a lot more to the Irish enforcer than she’d initially thought.
What the hell had just happened?
It was as if her body had taken over, giving in to him, knowing something her brain didn’t. She had to get away from him and now.
“Detective,” Kellach said from behind her.
She turned to meet his gaze, not saying a word.
“Those secrets of yours?”
Her knees trembled, so she held her stance.
“You’d better run wide and fast, or I’ll unravel each and every one.” With that, he turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Chapter 6
Kell dropped his leather jacket over a table in Simone’s entryway and stalked toward the spacious living room, his body still rioting after making Alexandra come. The taste of her still lingered in his mouth.
“Hang up your damn jacket,” Simone said without heat, her gaze on a pile of papers in her hand, a wide wall of windows behind her. The witch lounged in a yoga outfit that probably cost as much as a car, the darkness of the Puget Sound behind her appearing vast and mysterious.
Daire strode in from the wide kitchen and tossed him a beer.
“Thanks.” Kell dropped onto the leather sofa and put his boots on the coffee table until she glanced up from the papers and lifted an eyebrow. He paused. With a sigh, he settled his boots back onto the wooden floor. He could take the feisty witch in a fight, but
she fought dirty. As he’d taught her. He twisted off the cap and drank deeply, allowing the brew to cool his throat.
He’d been fucking combustible since tasting Alexandra.
Daire sat in an overstuffed chair and slammed his boots onto the coffee table.
Kell bit back a grin. His older brother had lived in Russia on his own for much too long. “Your cousin is going to kick your ass.”
Daire lifted his head and looked toward Simone. “Why?” He was truly perplexed.
Kell shook his head.
Simone huffed out air, looked at Daire’s boots, and then his face. Her expression softened. “Nothing.”
Once again, Kellach wondered what had happened centuries ago in Russia when Daire had rescued Simone from something. Or someone. The two cousins had always been close. She remained vigilantly protective of Daire, and he her. Not that he needed protection, considering the power the witch held.
Kellach studied the two. While their dark hair was similar, Simone had nearly black eyes, and Daire’s were a mixture of different greens, and always alert. Simone was tall for a woman at just under six feet, but Daire was at least six-six—an inch taller than Kell. The family resemblance was obvious in the classic features, which on Simone were feminine and beautiful, and on Daire deadly.
Daire focused on Kell. “Did you find anything at the bar?”
Yeah, a sexier than hell detective he wanted naked and screaming under him. “No, and it appears Bear has his people locked down under fear of death for anybody going near Apollo. Nobody is dealing in Bear’s territory.” Kell stretched his neck.
The front door opened again, and Adam Dunne loped inside, his phone to his ear. He shut the door and shrugged his leather jacket onto the floor.
“Damn it,” Simone muttered, shooting Adam a glare.
The witch enforcer finished his conversation. “I agree. Bye, King.” He crossed into the room and sat next to Kell on the couch.
Daire lifted an eyebrow at their middle brother. “King?”
Adam sighed and ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair. “Kayrs wanted an update on the phenakite situation.”
“Planekite,” Simone said absently. “I’m sick of the different names for the dumb mineral. Let’s just call it PK from now on.”
Kell shrugged. “Fine with me.” The mineral was mainly mined in Russia and could be used to negate a witch’s power or even cause death, so it didn’t really matter that different species had used different spellings with the name. It was dangerous no matter how one spelled it. He glanced at Adam. “The king’s mood?”
“Pissed and worried about the drug, considering two of his sisters-in-law are witches, one with new twins and the other pregnant.” Adam eyed Kell’s beer.
Kell nodded. Dage Kayrs was a vampire and the king of the Realm, a coalition of immortals aligned with the witches. “Does the king have any clue who’s importing the mineral or melting it down into the drug?”
“No, but he’s working on it,” Adam said. “He has the same question we do. Why is the manufacturer trying out the drug in Seattle? Why here?”
Kell shrugged. “Seattle has a larger witch population than most cities in the USA, and if the goal is ultimately to harm witches, it’s a good place to start before hitting Ireland.” Yet something, a tickle at the base of his neck, hinted he was missing something.
Adam nodded and focused on Simone. “I’m tired of being the liaison. You do it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m a lawyer these days, apparently.” She cut her eyes to Daire. “Although, I could take over the liaising if I headed back home to New York.”
“No. Until we figure out what’s going on with PK, you need to stay close and protected as a member of the Coven Nine.” Daire was always dedicated to protecting the members of the Council of the Coven Nine, who ruled the witch nation. “I can’t afford a security detail in New York with the Apollo distribution happening here in Seattle.”
She slammed the papers down next to his feet. “I’m a centuries old witch, Daire. I do not need a security detail.”
Daire slowly raised one eyebrow. “I said no.”
Blue fire crackled down Simone’s arms and irritation spiraled through her eyes.
Daire waited patiently.
Adam shot Kell a grin, and they both tensed in case they needed to jump away from the fire. Simone served on the council that ruled the witches, but Daire was an enforcer, and when security was at issue, the enforcers trumped coven members. So Daire would win, even if they burned down Simone’s penthouse during the debate.
Kellach grew bored of the silent struggle of wills. “Any deaths tonight?”
Simone slowly turned to face him. “Not that we’ve heard. Were you distracted with your cop again?”
Daire jerked his head. “Distracted?”
Simone smiled slowly like a cat playing with a mouse. “Aye. Your brother has the hots for the vice cop working the drug case. She’s also quite concerned about new weapons that throw fire hitting the streets.”
Daire focused on Kell. “She saw you throw plasma?”
“No. She saw a junkie throw fire and then die,” Kell said slowly.
“She thinks it’s a weapon and has no clue about the distortion of molecules or application of quantum physics.” Witches used quantum physics to take a state of matter and create a different state of matter in a skill humans could not possess or understand. Ever. He kept his voice level while unease bubbled up in his stomach.
“Do we need to take her out?” Adam asked quietly, amusement in his eyes.
Kell lifted a shoulder. “Not at this point.” If his brother thought he’d rise to that bait, he was delusional. “If we need to contain her, we will.” Not one inch of her pretty head would be harmed; he’d make damn sure of her safety.
“Is she an enhanced human?” Daire asked. “A possible mate to an immortal?”
“No.” The reality of that statement cut a little deeper than it should. Kell took another drink of his beer. “We may have an issue with Duck wanting to harm the police.”
“That fucking moron,” Adam muttered. “So far, our merging with that club hasn’t gleaned any results. We’re no closer to finding the manufacturer of the drug. Let’s just blow them all up and start over.”
Kell grinned. He could always count on Adam to go to the extreme. “That gets my vote.” Although, then they might not find the drug creator, and that was their goal. “You haven’t had to spend much time at the club, now have you?”
“Hell, no.” Adam shuddered. As the most scientific of the three brothers, he’d taken a break from enforcing to study the drug’s components in a lab set up in the warehouse district. “I liked our club at home, and I like Bear’s club here. Good men, good riders all around. Not like Fire.”
“Aye.” Kell finished his beer. There were good clubs and bad clubs, just like anything else. He studied his older brother. Lines of red fanned out from Adam’s dark brown eyes. “You look like you need a break, brother.”
“We all do.” Adam let his head fall back onto the sofa and shut his eyes.
Simone reached for her phone. “Pizza. We need pizza.” She viewed them. “I think this is the first time in a century I’ve had all three Dunne brothers in one place.”
Kellach grinned. “And you’re going to feed us pizza?”
“Damn straight,” she said.
His phone buzzed, and he eyed the screen. “Got a body.” He stood and nodded at Daire. “Save me a slice, would ya?”
Lex triple-locked her apartment door and kicked off her boots. Her feet ached and her head pounded. But her body? Man. Loose and satiated after an incredible orgasm induced by Kellach Dunne.
What in the fucking hell had she been thinking?
She pressed a hand to her head and flicked on the light to illuminate her quiet studio apartment. The smell of burned noodles filtered up from the Thai restaurant below, easing through the cracks in the yellow linoleum. Though she hadn’t eaten i
n hours, the dingy kitchen with dented avocado appliances didn’t inspire hunger. Maybe she should get a cat to make the place feel homey. Or a goldfish to brighten the room.
A car alarm went off down the block, and in the distance, sirens trilled.
Limping, she crossed into the tiny bathroom to wash the pound of makeup off her face. Wriggling out of the tight dress, she sighed as it hit the floor.
Her phone rang.
She turned and glanced with longing at her small, unmade bed before answering. “Yeah?”
“We got another one,” Bernie said without preamble. After giving her directions, he hung up.
She eyed the dress on the floor and quickly hurried to the tiny closet to snatch jeans and a long-sleeved shirt before dragging on flat boots. Better. Much better. Tucking her gun and badge at her belt, she hurried through the door and down the cracked steps to her car, thinking all the way. Kellach Dunne had been with her for part of the night, and why was that exactly? What the hell did the Fire enforcer want with Bear’s crew? It was almost as if Kell shared a secret or some type of mission with Bear. What was going on?
She drove through rain and dingy streets to reach an alley across town. Blue and red lights swirled around while cops moved, doing their jobs. She pulled to the curb.
Bernie opened her door before she could. “This way.” He lifted crime scene tape and led her around a building to a quiet alley. “It looks like he crawled back here, bleeding all the way, to die in the corner and out of the rain.”
Like a wild animal. Didn’t animals go off on their own and find a quiet place to die?
The guy lay on his back under an awning, one arm thrown over his chest.
She reached the body, careful not to step in blood. “Male, early twenties.” She crouched down and used the flashlight on her phone to run a light over the corpse’s bare arms. Track marks. Many track marks. “Junkie for years.” She looked around and spotted a crime tech she knew. “Daisy? Got gloves?”
Daisy reached into her pack and handed over two black gloves. “Yep.”
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