“Like what, Detective?” he asked, his eyebrow arching.
My face burned with unfinished thought. He knew damn well what.
“Like you are now,” I said, and I hated the breathless note that entered my voice. He had a way of looking at me not just like he was undressing me with his eyes, but as if I was already bare.
Maddock leaned back in his chair and peered up at me, one corner of his mouth tipping up almost into a smile. “Ye mean like I want to pin ye to the wall and fuck ye until ye can’t breathe anymore?”
I swallowed, trying to block out that image.
“Well, Detective, I am not sure who wants that more…me, or ye? But I do believe ye had something more important to whine about. The matter of my guard, Caid? If ye could, please get back to that bit.”
We could play this game all he liked, but I wasn’t about to let him win. I refused to let him get to me. So I leaned in even closer, until I could feel his breath on my cheeks, until his deliciously masculine scent was dangerously close to overwhelming me.
“If you think you’re getting away with either one of those things, you’ve got your head so far up your ass, I’m surprised you can see anything.”
“Oh, I can see just fine,” Maddock said. His Scottish burr was whisper-soft, and his eyes had shifted from brilliantly cold to blisteringly hot. “And what I see is a little girl standing in front of me, pretending to be a woman. A little girl who thinks she can intimidate me by entering my personal space and using foul language. You may be bold, Detective, but yer bloody foolish as well.”
“Just because I’m not a thousands-of-years-old fart like you doesn’t mean I’m a little girl.” I meant to snap the words, but they came out just as softly as his. “I’m a woman, and you should damn well start treating me like one instead of like a child who can’t take care of herself.”
“Fine.” Maddock’s hands banded around my upper arms, and I gasped as he yanked me forward. “Then yer about to find out what happens when a woman drapes herself across my desk.”
I landed in his lap with a flurry of papers and a loud thud as something heavy— probably a paperweight—fell to the floor. And then his lips were on mine, his hands in my hair, his hard body molded against my own. Rough stubble scraped my cheeks as he kissed me, devoured me. His teeth nipping at my lips, his tongue exploring my mouth so completely that I couldn’t help but melt into him. My body was molten, a sizzling live wire, and I sank my fingernails into his shoulders. Hunger was a living animal inside me, clawing to get free, and my desperate desire only seemed to excite him more.
Our hips shifted in the commotion, and then his arousal ground against me, hard and hot even through the layers of clothing that separated us. We both gasped at the sensation, and the shock of the sexual charge was enough to snap me out of the funk, enough to let me rear back and slap him across the face.
Hard.
“Fuck.” The word exploded from him as his head snapped to the side, but it didn’t seem to be in response to the blow. It was in response to the violent lust that had surged between us, a lust that was so strong it had obliterated all common sense. And here I was, panting with need, while Tom was barely cold in his grave.
“No.” Cold horror and disgust rose in my throat, and I scrambled off his lap and pressed myself against the wall, as far from Maddock as I could manage. “No.”
Maddock turned slowly to face me again. His eyes glittered, harder than diamonds now. “Are you satisfied?” he growled. “Do you now see why I can’t have you in my club? Why I insist on keeping distance between us?”
“Yes.” I let out a slow breath, ordering my heart rate to return to normal.
I didn’t know what the hell this attraction was between Maddock and me, but I didn’t like it one bit. We barely knew each other. There was probably some kind of supernatural explanation for it, but if there was I didn’t want to know. All I knew for sure was that there could be nothing between us.
Ours was a partnership of convenience, and once we’d both attained our goals, we’d be moving on our separate paths. Maddock Tremaine was a cold, manipulative bastard who was out for himself, and I wanted nothing to do with him.
But for now, I needed him.
“We have to find a better solution,” I said once I was confident I could speak normally again. “I need to be able to contact you if something comes up.”
Maddock pulled a business card out of his inner jacket pocket and tossed it onto the desk, a faintly annoyed expression on his face. “I thought a detective of yer caliber could do something as simple as produce a phone number, but since ye can’t…here.”
I snatched up the card, stuffed it in my pocket, and plopped down in the chair. “Save me the speech and tell me what kind of spell or weapon can cut up a fae who supposedly had unbreakable skin.”
“There are ways of enchanting weapons to make them powerful enough to do such a thing.” Maddock’s expression turned grim. “The spells are costly, usually requiring some kind of sacrifice, and the enchantment is not permanent. But if that’s what occurred, it means the Onyx Order has at least one iron fae-killing weapon. We can only hope the enchantment on the weapon is temporary.” He pressed his lips together. “I am not willing to sacrifice more of my men, and yet I must keep ye safe until we have solved this mystery. Ye are very close to becoming more trouble than yer worth, Detective.”
“Yeah, well you passed that point a long time ago,” I snapped. “Besides, didn’t you say that you warded my apartment? Isn’t that supposed to keep enemies away?”
“Yes, but it won’t stop them from attacking ye when ye step outside.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that.” I patted the side of my blazer, where my second gun was nestled snugly. “I’ve got vampire and fae ammo at my disposal, and plenty of old-fashioned bullets, too. I’m hardly a damsel in distress.”
Maddock snorted. “Ye’ve never been that.”
I nearly asked him what he meant by that, but I didn’t want the conversation to get de-railed again. “Just before I went outside, I had a vision concerning Tom,” I quickly caught him up to speed on the details. “I want to go to the Boston orphanage and see what I can dig out of them.”
“Then go.”
I rolled my eyes. “I want you to come with me.”
“Why?”
Was he determined to be infuriating? “Because you agreed to help me find out what happened to Tom, and it’s time you started keeping up your end of this arrangement. Besides, I think you and I both know the two are connected. It can’t be a coincidence that the same coven of witches who’ve been kidnapping your fae have been gunning for me the second I set foot in this town, and that all evidence of what happened to Tom has been erased.”
Maddock stared at me for a long moment, almost as if waiting for me to say something more. Or maybe he was just trying to frazzle me with that thousand-yard stare. I gritted my teeth; I wasn’t going to let him mind-fuck me. I needed to be in control, for once.
“Just come with me tomorrow. We’ll pretend to be a childless couple looking to adopt. You can distract the nuns while I snoop around.”
His eyebrows shot up. “But Detective, I do believe that would be illegal. This isn’t official police duty. The Salem police department might kick ye back to Chicago.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. “That’s some seriously passive aggressive behavior.”
“I assure you, when I’m aggressive, there’s nothing passive about it.” He leaned forward now, entwining his fingers in front of him on his desk. “I just wanted to make sure we are on the same page, since ye seem to like flashing that badge around so much and using it to make threats against my club.”
“Don’t—”
“Please. I’m past done arguing with ye, Detective. I’ll pick ye up from yer apartment at four o’clock, and we’ll go visit this orphanage. Don’t be late. Now get out of here.” He turned to his computer, angling his chair awa
y from me.
And just like that, I was dismissed.
CHAPTER 17
I worked at the precinct until three o’clock, then hurried home so I could change out of my cop clothes and into something a little more appropriate for my excursion with Maddock this afternoon. I told Baxter and Captain Randall I was following up a lead in Boston, and while Baxter had wanted to come, the Captain had been surprisingly accommodating about letting me go on my own. He hadn’t even asked many questions.
Maybe I’d misread him, and he wasn’t such a dick after all.
I had an early dinner, then switched out my slacks and button-up shirt for a white, knee-length dress with a square neckline and faux pearls that gleamed softly at my ears and throat. Low heels replaced my boots, and I swapped my blazer with a red woolen pea coat and a black leather concealed carry purse.
I couldn’t fit both my guns in, so I opted for the 1911—after all, wooden stake and iron bullets were effective on humans, too. And I was being the furthest thing from a cop as I could think of today—my instincts told me Maddock wouldn’t be dressing down to make us look like the friendly neighborhood couple, so I was going to have to pretend to be a socialite instead.
Fun.
Finished dressing, I rummaged through my closet and pulled out a short black wig styled into an A-line bob. I’d used it before, both on the job and off, when I wanted to maintain a low-profile. My silver hair was eye-catching and memorable, neither of which I wanted to be today. So I tucked it under the wig, then pulled out my make-up kit and made sure my eyebrows matched. My lavender-blue eyes were still going to draw attention—there was no getting around that without colored-contacts, which I’d never gotten the hang of putting in—but I ditched the eyeliner and mascara and went bold on the lipstick to try and draw attention away from them.
I was just finishing up with my makeup when my phone buzzed. Maddock’s name flickered onto the screen along with a text message: Come outside.
My heart skipped a beat, and I ruthlessly squashed the butterflies that threatened to rise in my stomach at the reminder of the scorching-hot kiss I’d shared with him last night.
You have to move past that, I told myself sternly. That kiss hadn’t been an invitation for more, but a warning of what would happen if we let ourselves get too close to each other. I needed to heed that warning. There would be no more kissing, or unnecessary touching, of Maddock Tremaine while we worked together. And the sooner this partnership was over, the better.
Yeah, good luck with keeping your hands to yourself today, a snide voice snickered in my head as I locked my apartment door behind me. You guys are supposed to be a couple this afternoon.
I sighed as I headed down the stairs. Why did life have to be so unfair?
Maddock was waiting at the curb inside a silver Aston Martin, of all things. Determined not to be impressed by the sleek, sexy coupe, I pulled open the door and slid smoothly into the black leather passenger’s seat as if sitting my butt down in a three-hundred-thousand-dollar car was an everyday occurrence.
“You’re a real show-off, you know that?” I said as I buckled my seatbelt.
“I fail to see what the point of having endless amounts of wealth is if I cannae ‘show off’ every once in a while, as you put it.” Maddock’s eyes narrowed as he took in my appearance. “Ye look better than I expected.”
I bit the inside of my cheek on that one. Nothing bugged me more than people assuming I had to be some certain way just because I was a cop. There was more to me than my job.
“I’m a woman, Tremaine,” I said mildly, refusing to rise to the bait. “I know how to dress up.”
“Indeed,” he murmured, his eyes lingering on my painted lips for a moment too long. Heat flashed through me as the sensation of his mouth against mine suddenly came back to me. He’d tasted dark and spicy and utterly delicious, and hunger clenched low in my belly. It was like a craving, an addiction, and I needed to shake it fast.
Maddock’s nostrils flared, like a beast that had scented prey, and I braced myself, ready to fend him off if he decided to grab me again. But he jerked his gaze away from me, almost violently, then shifted into gear and shot into traffic.
Was it just me, or was the pull between us getting worse?
“So.” I let out the word with a slow breath, trying to relax. I needed to ease the tension between us so I could focus. “Has anyone else turned up missing or dead that I don’t know about?”
“No.” Maddock’s hands flexed, almost imperceptibly, on the steering wheel. “From what I’ve observed, they only take one at a time, and since ye’ve been marked, that means the others have a reprieve until yer taken.”
“Huh.” I pursed my lips as I ingested that piece of information. “So I’m guessing the best way to ensure no one else is missing is to keep me safe?”
“Correct. That’s one of the reasons I assigned Caid to watch ye yesterday. Except I lost him instead.” A muscle in his jaw twitched.
Guilt twanged in my chest. “I’m guessing Caid wasn’t just a bodyguard to you.”
“While I do have many employees, most of the ones who work closely with me are fae that I’ve known for too many of your lifetimes to count.” Maddock’s voice held no emotion, but his body language said everything. Caid had meant something to him. “Forming bonds is unavoidable when ye’ve been around someone for such a long time.”
“I see that,” I said softly. I wondered what that would be like, to have a friendship with someone that lasted hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. “How old are the fae, anyway? How long do they live?”
“Millennia, and indefinitely. We do not age, nor do we die of ‘natural causes’ as yer people do. And when we do die, we are eventually reincarnated, though it can take quite a bit of time.”
“Jesus.” I tilted my head back against the seat rest. “How many times have you been reincarnated?”
“That’s none of yer business.”
I huffed. “Well, what’s the average? I mean, since iron can kill you guys, I imagine you don’t all go through life without being reincarnated at least a couple of times.”
“Ye underestimate us if you think we can be killed so easily, even with iron.” Maddock’s tone was frigid. “And ye take me for a fool if ye think I will just give up the secrets of our race to anyone who asks.”
“Fine.” I crossed my arms and glared out the window. “I’ll stop asking. But you should get me a list of all the fae who’ve gone missing. I can’t very well do my job as a Detective if you keep side-lining me. There might be patterns and clues you’re missing, things that could get us closer to finding the victims.”
A pause. Then, “Very well. I’ll see what I can do.”
The tension in the car lightened, and I let out a little sigh. Maddock and I would never get along, not completely, but if we could keep our eyes on the prize, then maybe we could stop tearing into each other.
Relaxing in my super-comfy seat, I pulled out my phone to review the information I’d gathered regarding the orphanage, and relayed it to Maddock so we’d both be prepared when we got there.
“So it’s a Catholic orphanage?” Maddock asked, his voice dripping with derision.
“Yes.” I slanted a look at him. “What, you don’t like Catholics?”
“They’ve persecuted pagan religions throughout history, including many of the humans who worshipped my kind. So no, I’m not a fan.”
“Oookay.” I wasn’t touching that subject with a ten-foot pole. Talking about religion and politics was the fastest way to send a conversation south. Especially when the person you were conversing with didn’t like you much in the first place. “Well, anyway, the New Advent Church of Salem was founded in 1833, and they opened the orphanage about ten years later. I did a run on them this morning at the precinct, and they’ve got a surprisingly clean record.”
“Why ‘surprisingly’?”
“Because any orphanage that has starving and poorly-dressed children, and wher
e adults beat each other bloody in classrooms, can’t be a great place.” My voice hardened as the memories from the vision flitted through my mind again. “There’s a huge problem with the search I ran, though.”
“And what is that?”
“The orphanage moved to a larger, newer building about five years ago.” I let out a frustrated breath. “And the old one was demolished. The vision I saw happened in the old building.”
Maddock swung his head around to glare at me. “If what yer saying is true, then why the fuck are we going there? Your fiancé couldn’t possibly have died at the orphanage if the vision you had happened over five years ago!”
“Because something fucked up is going on in that orphanage, and I want to know what, and why!” I snapped. “And just because that incident happened five years ago, doesn’t mean it’s not relevant! If Tom went there five years ago, as a grown man, and ended up in a fist-fight, then I want to know why. I want to know what brought him back to the orphanage then that got him into trouble, and if that same trouble got him killed this time around.”
“Fine.” Maddock turned back to the road. “But we’d better find something. I don’t appreciate having my time wasted, Detective.”
We pulled into the parking lot of the New Advent Home for Children—a large, Romanesque building with gorgeous turrets and a large cross jutting up from the central building. It was two stories high, with huge windows framed with ornate molding. Definitely more than a couple steps up from the building they used to own. The records listed that they’d received an anonymous donation which had allowed them to purchase the larger building, but I hadn’t had time to do more digging and find out who had given them the funds.
Maybe I would, after this. Because if my vision was any indication, they definitely didn’t deserve the upgrade.
“Wipe that disgruntled look off your face,” Maddock murmured as he killed the engine. “We’re supposed to be the happy, excited couple.”
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