by Gina LaManna
“Of course you do,” Grey sighed.
“DeMarco,” I said into my wrist.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Matthew’s smooth voice spoke across the channel. “You’re needed at Dust, Detective. I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t urgent. I’ll see you soon.”
Then he disconnected. I gritted my teeth and turned to face Grey. “I’m sorry about that, but—”
“Your vampire beckons,” Grey said. “I understand.”
I scowled. “You two act like children sometimes, you know that?”
Grey raised a hand, dropped a coin in mine. “Very rich, spoiled children. Where are you headed?”
“Silver Street.”
“Get a private carriage over.” He closed my fingers around the coin. “Beautiful women don’t walk Silver Street alone at night.”
“Maybe they don’t, but at the moment, I’m a pissed off detective with a Stunner tucked into my private zones,” I said, shoving the coin back into Grey’s hand. “How’d you get so rich, anyway?”
Grey gave me a thin smile. “Years of experience.”
“Experience with what?”
He gave a playful shake of his head. “Sometime, when you take me up on that offer of a drink, I’ll tell you.”
I spun around, gave a wave over my shoulder, and felt Grey’s eyes follow me until I turned down a side street. The first side street I could find. I wasn’t sure if I was moving in the right direction, but I needed away from Grey. My breathing was heavy, my body on edge, and something didn’t feel quite right.
But whether it was Grey, or my feelings toward him, or something else entirely, it was hard to say. For now, I had to push the wolf out of my mind and focus on the vampire. Sometimes it seemed my life would be forever torn between the two men. The one my heart longed to love, and the one determined to be my friend. I wondered if there would be a way to keep both in my life, or if sooner or later, I’d have to choose.
Chapter 15
I took the trolley through the borough and reached the far corner of the Golden District in under five minutes. I found Silver Street sparkling a few blocks further down—a cheap, tarnished sparkle compared to the rest of the district.
The change in scenery couldn’t have been more abrupt. Silver Street was located in the northeast corner of the Golden District, just west of the Goblin Grid. Where the Golden District was all opulence and shiny, sleek streets and modern home fronts, Silver Street was the shady underbelly, it’s ugly step-sister. Abandoned buildings sat boarded up, while hooded street merchants pushed carts in and out of the shadows.
I forced myself to keep on high alert as I marched through the streets. I caught glimpses of Residuals from spells that could only have been purchased from The Void and ignored an herbals deal going down in a dark corner. While I itched to do something about each infraction, I had to focus on the reason I’d come to Silver Street in the first place.
A glimmer of light in the distance held my attention: a small neon sign blinking with the word Dust. As I neared, I realized that the sign wasn’t neon at all but an enchanted hex that caused the letters to pulse and shiver with a sparkly-like substance.
When I neared the entrance and the quivering letters, I hesitated, scanning the jewel-adorned crowd for a glimpse of Matthew. He was supposed to have waited outside for my arrival, but something urgent must have called him away. He was nowhere to be found.
With a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, I glanced back and took in the sight of a long line snaking through the back alley. With a groan, I set off to find the end.
As I moved, I noted the various species waiting to enter the disco. A group of Goblin Girls, their skin a pale green, giggled with delight as they waited near the front. Two ogres in the back wore inexpensive suits that did nothing to cover the sneaky smiles curling up their misshapen faces. A tittering bachelorette party of pixies waited near the back, hiccupping and passing a champagne bottle between them.
“Congratulations,” I said to the pixie dressed in white. She wore a cheap veil that glittered and snapped with a firecracker enchantment. “Anyone know how long the wait is to get inside?”
The bride-to-be hiccupped. “We’re VIP, and we’ll be waiting for an hour, so get in line.”
I muttered some nasty words to Matthew for ditching me in a dimly lit alley, surrounded by hiccupping pixies and grinning goblins, and stepped behind the women dressed in frills. Even in my red gown, I wasn’t exactly dressed for a nightclub, and I most certainly didn’t look like I belonged in this crowd of scantily clad women and sleazy, grinning males.
I raised my wrist to my mouth and Commed Matthew, but there was no answer. He probably couldn’t hear inside the club, seeing as I could barely hear myself think outside of it. The music thrummed at such a low decibel it pulsed in my chest, competing with the beat of my heart. I stuck one high-heeled foot out of line, ignoring the whimpers and whines from the rest of the waiting crew, and elbowed my way up to the front as my impatience quickly won out.
“Excuse me,” I said to the elf bouncer. The shimmering Dust sign above his head reflected off a pair of chic sunglasses. “I have a friend inside. His name is Matthew King, and he’s expecting me.”
This bouncer was unlike most other bouncers I’d encountered in my line of work. He stood tall and slim, and as he flicked his sunglasses upward, I was greeted by piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare straight through my soul. He contained none of the bulk and brawn of most rent-a-cops.
“I’m sorry,” the elf said in a sophisticated lisp. “You’ll have to get in line. We don’t take reservations.”
Then he waited in a pregnant pause for me to get moving. As I glanced over my shoulder, I heaved another huge sigh, realizing the line had grown exponentially in my haste to bully my way inside. It had nearly doubled in size in the last few minutes. Apparently, the party started late on Silver Street, seeing as it was midnight and most of the folks were just arriving.
I exhaled slowly, debating the pros and cons of whipping out my badge and sending the line into a fritz—not to mention that Matthew would have my head. Badges on Silver Street were a general no-go and had the potential to scatter crowds in seconds. I could blow everything. Or, I could sit outside in an unmoving line of drunken Silver Streeters for an eternity.
I was just sliding one hand down my hip, over the curve of the expensive red material toward my badge, when a hand came to rest on my arm.
“Something the matter?” a familiar, cool voice asked.
I turned and scowled. “What are you doing here, Marcus?”
Marcus flashed a smug grin that fit in with the rest of the patrons waiting for Dust’s doors to open. “You’ll have to excuse my date, Paul. She’s a first-timer.”
“She’s here with you?” The disdain on the elfin bouncer’s face was very clear. His eyes scanned slowly over my body, landed on my high heels and flicked back to my eyes.
Marcus’s hand, which was still on my wrist, slid lower and came to rest on my hip. “Trust me.”
I withheld a groan only because it appeared the two were friends. I could suck up Marcus’s annoying bravado if it spared me a wait in that damn line.
“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.” Paul watched Marcus carefully. “You’re not on the list.”
“I’m always on the list.” Marcus’s voice took on a predatory tone. “I’m certain of it.”
I thought that probably wasn’t something to brag about, but I knew when to keep my lips zipped. I half-heartedly wondered how often Marcus came to places like Dust and decided I was better off not knowing.
“If you’d like to ask Damien or Bran, feel free,” Marcus said with a hefty sigh. “But I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
The elf flicked a glance behind him, swallowing as he considered his options. Eventually, the bouncer gave a shrug. He stepped to the side and moved the railing just enough to let us pass.
As we slipped into the dark inte
rior of the club, Marcus didn’t bother to pull his hand from my hip, so I did it for him—and then I added an elbow to his ribs for good measure.
“What was that?” Marcus retorted. “I got you in here, didn’t I?”
“You didn’t have to put your hands all over me.”
“Are you worried Matthew’s going to find out?”
“How often do you have to hang around Silver Street to be considered a VIP?” I shot back. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Marcus raised his chin in defiance. “Like you said, I’m a regular. I know Damien and Bran, the managers. I’m just here for a night out on the town.”
“Right.” I waited for Marcus to pass through the hallway first, and out onto the dance floor. “And you had no clue that I’d be here?”
“I told you, DeMarco—I’m not sitting this one out. You and King can pillow talk all you want, but I’m getting that promotion.”
“If you still think this is about a promotion, you’re horribly mistaken.”
“Exactly, Detective. It’s about catching a murderer. Which means the more the merrier, wouldn’t you agree?” Marcus said. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
He did have a point. Seeing as I wouldn’t have gotten inside Dust without his help, I could probably refrain from elbowing him in the nose as a sign of gratitude. Thanking him would be a near impossible task, so I settled for a silent truce.
“Where are you coming from, anyway?” Marcus asked. He sized me up, taking a little too long to cover the distance from my hips to my chest. “You certainly didn’t wear that on Dust’s behalf, unless you’re trying to impress a certain captain.”
“Shut up, Marcus.”
“Let me guess, you’ve got a gun and a badge on your body,” he said, his eyes lingering once again. “But for the life of me, I can’t guess where.”
I felt my fist itching, easing away from my body in preparation for a swing. I knew I shouldn’t let him provoke me, but the detective was working incredibly hard to push every one of my buttons. It didn’t help that I felt an annoying sense of gratitude for his help in getting past the bouncer—a fact that truly had me conflicted about sending my fist flying into his face.
Luckily, a cool hand, strong as steel, circled my wrist before I got any ideas about finishing what I’d started.
“Good to see you two getting along,” Matthew said softly, yet still somehow audible despite the club’s thumping music. The vampire’s eyes roved over my face, fastening for a long moment on my lips, where I had recently added a touch of blood-red lipstick.
“I’m just here to help.” Marcus raised his hands innocently. “Detective DeMarco was struggling to get inside, so I gave her a hand.”
I scowled at Marcus and wriggled my way out of Matthew’s grasp. “That part is true, but it doesn’t explain why he’s here in the first place.”
“I happened to be passing by,” Marcus said smoothly. “I know Bran and Damien, so it was no problem to help Dani inside.”
“I see,” Matthew said. “Thank you. Enjoy your evening.”
“Absolutely, Captain.” With that, Marcus slid away and entered the throbbing mass of people on the dance floor. He had his arm around a blue-haired pixie less than thirty seconds later, her mouth on his neck as they disappeared into the dancing throng of people.
“Ew,” I said, tearing my eyes away.
“Danielle—”
“Matthew, you know he’s not here on his own time,” I said. “He came here to interfere with the case—”
“Danielle. You both work for the precinct. You’re going to have to learn to play nicely.”
It sounded like a command, and on second thought, I realized it was.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Anyway, what’s so urgent? I was practically on my way when you called.”
A dark expression flickered across Matthew’s face, appearing involuntarily and causing me to take a second look at him. He averted his eyes for just a second, just long enough to realize I wasn’t the only one feeling angsty this evening.
“Oh,” I said. “You didn’t need me here urgently—you just wanted to check on me during my date.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Matthew finally admitted. “I needed a partner.”
I glanced down as Matthew stretched out a hand toward me. Realizing his intentions, I shook my head. “Oh, no.”
“Come on, Detective—”
I shook my head firmly and crossed my arms over my chest. “Not a chance. I am not dancing with you.”
“We have to blend in.”
“Well then, I’m going to head to the bar and get a drink and blend in like a pro,” I said, “because I told you, I don’t dance. You’ve known me for years, and that is one thing that is never changing.”
“Then it’s a very good thing I’ve had centuries to practice,” Matthew said. “You just have to follow my lead.”
“This isn’t eighteenth century ballroom dancing,” I said, watching a gyrating group of goblins perform something that looked like a feat of gymnastics in front of me. “There’s no way I can... there’s no way my body can do that.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. “I’d beg to differ, Detective.”
Maybe Matthew had a point. Over the last several years, he had managed to get me into several quite interesting positions, but that was then, and this was now. We were also in public. And on the job.
“A huge no,” I said again. “That’s final.”
“Suit yourself,” Matthew said. “But it’s either me or someone else, so good luck fending for yourself.”
“You don’t even want to know where I have my gun,” I said. “I can handle it.”
“Good luck.”
I rolled my eyes and stomped in the direction of the bar. Unfortunately, it didn’t take more than a minute before I was intercepted by someone who appeared be part giant—my assumption based on sheer mass alone. The unfortunate suitor stepped in front of me, his hair a brilliant shade of red, glittering with some sort of magical incantation under the lights.
“Dance?” The man smelled like ketchup and had a beard down to his chest. His muscles looked like they’d been drawn on by a cartoonist.
“No, thanks,” I said, and tried to step past him.
He stepped closer. “Come on, just one dance. Pretty thing like you can’t be sitting here alone.”
My hands slid down my hip, inched dangerously close to the gun I’d tucked there. One quick stun in the middle of the club and probably no one would notice.
But my plans went south the moment stony fingers landed again on my shoulders.
“She’s mine,” Matthew said, in a deadly lilt to the red-head.
A hint of his fangs glinted out, descending halfway. It took only a few seconds of frustrated eye contact before the giant eased away and left me in Matthew’s grasp.
“Like I said,” Matthew said with a satisfied smirk. “One dance, Detective.”
Grumbling and groaning, I let myself be led onto the dance floor. As soon as we reached the center, I was elbowed from behind, shoved from the side, and stomped on by the teeming mass of people until I found myself smashed directly against Matthew’s chest. Like magic, my arms flew up and latched around his neck, holding on for balance. Matthew’s eyes gleamed with amusement as his hands came down to fix behind my waist.
“I halfway expected to feel a gun, Detective,” he murmured, his voice silky against my ear. “I can’t imagine where you’ve stashed it if not here.”
“Somewhere you won’t be touching.”
“Did the wolf get a chance to find out?”
I stomped on Matthew’s foot. It didn’t hurt him, but he got the picture.
“You look beautiful,” Matthew said, and his voice was suddenly quiet, tender. It was as if the music had softened around us, leaving us in a private bubble, a fragile little globe in which we could only see and hear one another. The pulse of music wrapped around us. The hot mass of dancers seemed to give us a bit
of space, a little room to breathe.
“I’m sorry,” Matthew said. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “Er—thank you, I mean.”
“Dani,” Matthew said urgently. “I know this isn’t the proper time or the place, but I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night and—”
“Matthew,” I said, “not now.”
I felt suddenly overwhelmed, as if everything was too much. The music. The beat. The swarming mass of people. I was falling into a state of overload, my senses churning at full speed. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t hear myself. Could hardly breathe. All I could sense was Matthew’s long, hard body pressed to mine and his fingers, cool, tender, solid, pressing against the bare skin on my back.
I couldn’t miss how well we fit together, how smoothly we joined into a team. His voice in my ear was calm, comforting, and I wanted to stay there all night. If he was going to say what I expected him to say, it would ruin me, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Not here. Not now, when we had other, larger problems on our plates.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” Matthew started again. “And—”
“Matthew, look!” I hissed, nodding over his shoulder.
I glimpsed movement behind him, and while I couldn’t say exactly what felt wrong, the situation most certainly wasn’t right. There was a commotion—a woman, a man... something was wrong.
“Matthew, we have to go. Now,” I said. “I think something is happening over there.”
Matthew turned, though he didn’t lift his hands off me for a second. If anything, he held me closer, my chest against his, my arms wrapped around him. We were entangled as one as he looked, scanned for danger and pressed his hand against my lower back.
“Do you see Damien or Bran?” Matthew asked. “I can’t pick them out.”
“No, but we have to go after her. The blonde elf.”
“I’ll pursue her directly,” Matthew said. “You loop around the back. If Damien or Bran are involved, they’ll likely be shepherding her through their private offices before the kidnapping.”