by Amie Gibbons
“Not more than once, lea.”
I toasted him with my cup. “I’ll happily be the first.”
He smirked. “Cute, and nice parting line, but no you won’t. You haven’t even said no to me once. Not really.”
He blew out the doors and I scowled.
“No, that was a nice parting line,” I said, drinking my juice.
Chapter seven
“Hey, sir,” I said, sitting next to him.
I’d had to ask for directions to the library. It was in the attic, and wasn’t for guests.
Apparently my mangled neck was my all access pass here though.
Or Carvi just told the hotel workers I was to be shown to wherever.
He’d left a keycard for me with a note sayin’ it could get me into any room in the hotel, even the restricted areas employees weren’t allowed into without special permission.
“Ryder?” Grant said, starin’ at my neck.
“Oh! Right!” I blushed.
I’d pulled my hair back when I changed to comfy, all night cram session clothes borrowed from one of Carvi’s people who lived in the hotel.
Er, studying cramming.
I was not planning on the other kind.
“He, ugh…” I couldn’t look at my boss.
Grant slammed the book closed hard enough to rattle the table and I jumped in my seat.
“What the fuck are you doing, Ariana!”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
“I’m not thinking clearly.”
“I noticed. I don’t think it started with the spell tonight.”
“I think it started the second we landed here.”
“Anything that can be done about this?”
“It might help if you yell at me.”
“I don’t think it will.” Grant nodded at his pile of books. “I don’t know what I’m looking for here.”
“Right. Okay. Well, I’ll see what I can do with this.”
I pulled one stack of books towards me and opened, skimming for a table of contents or index or something.
“Ariana?” Grant said.
“Yes, sir?”
“I do not want details, but I need to know. How compromised are you?”
“I er… what are you asking, sir?”
“Did you sleep with him?”
“Oh well… not exactly. See, we were in the hall and stuff was happenin’ and…”
“No details.”
“Right. Do you want a base or what, sir?”
“I don’t want to hear any of this, but I think I should know how far it went.”
“Oral.”
I stared at my book so hard you’d think I could burn a hole through it.
“Don’t sleep with him. Don’t do anything else… that far either.”
“Sir?”
“He will break you and break your heart. And you will ruin your relationship. I don’t like that damn vamp, but he’s a damn sight better for you than this one.”
“I, ugh, Quil kinda gave his permission, sir.”
“Kind of?”
“On the phone. We called and he said he’d told Carvi it was okay, long as I consented, and he wouldn’t hold it against me if I did, long as it didn’t happen up there.”
“Vegas?” Grant asked.
“Yeah, basically.”
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
“Um, well.” I made a face. “Yeah, it does. He’s made it clear he can… share. He doesn’t really do jealousy.”
“I meant he’s been pretty firm on wanting to keep you out of Carvagio’s hands.”
“Oh, yeah, good point. I was surprised too, but… even so, I’m not going to do anything else. I really think it was just the spell.”
“I don’t.”
“Ooooookay then.” I looked down, flipping through pages again for a moment.
“Sir, I just don’t want you to think I’m the kind of girl who goes around bangin’ whatever shows an interest. I’m not.”
“Not my business, Ryder. You can be as slutty as you want. My only concern is our safety on this case.”
“I’m not slutty!”
“Didn’t say you were, just that you could be and it wouldn’t mean shit to me.”
“But… I’m not!” I stared at the side of his head and he still didn’t look up.
“Still don’t care, Ryder.”
I grumbled under my breath and kept scanning.
###
We got through most of the magic books by the time Carvi came up. I checked my phone and it was near five a.m.
“Anything useful, my little dust bunnies?” Carvi asked, way too perky for someone who’d been up all night.
“Dust bunnies?” I asked as Carvi sat next to me.
“Look at yourself.”
I looked down and sure enough I was streaked with dust from the old books. Grant was too, and if his face was any indication, I had some smears on my skin too.
I laughed, resting my head on the desk. “I’m so tired.”
“Yes, but did you get anything useful?”
I smacked the pile of books with the back of my hand without looking up. “Marked pages with spells that sound like what happened here. Can’t tell for sure. Need sleep now.”
“Okay, I’ll look through this. You two get some sleep. I’ve had your stuff moved here and you transferred to rooms next to mine due to the security issues.”
“What security issues?” I asked, tryin’ to lift my head and givin’ up.
“The little issue of extreme dead guy walking.”
“Oh that. Hey, is Grant still here? I can’t hear him.”
“I’m here,” Grant said.
“Oh, okay. Can we sleep now, sir?”
“Yes, Ryder.”
“I can’t move.”
A strong hand pulled me up and sweep me up in arms. I snuggled into the neck, smell saying it was Carvi.
“Come on, lea, I’ll put you to bed.”
“Where’s her room?” Grant asked?
“She’s adjacent to me,” Carvi said. “I want to keep an eye on her.”
“I told her and now I’m telling you, this relationship ends here. You don’t try to sleep with her.”
“Oh, he’s so cute when he’s being commanding,” Carvi said, walking away.
“You realize there was an or else attached to that, right?” I asked.
“Oh yes. I’m positively looking forward to seeing what your Grant can do once properly motivated.”
“I’m not.”
###
I woke up in a pure cloud of softness and stretched, forcing my eyes open.
“Huh,” I said, looking around as I sat up.
The giant canopy bed seemed familiar but I couldn’t quite place it.
Oh yeah, I was here last night with Carvi.
I blushed remembering what was goin’ on here last night… here and the hallway.
I didn’t remember Carvi bringing me to bed but figured he must’ve dropped me in here and tucked me in.
“And undressed me,” I said out loud as I pulled back the blankets and climbed off the bed.
I didn’t get a great look at the room last night, too busy being drunk and then getting out to the library. It was nice, but not as overdone as I’d expected knowing Carvi. The bedding and carpets were thick and exquisite materials, the bedding dark blue and the carpeting an off white. Bookshelves lined one wall and there was a TV on a giant dresser across from the bed.
The room was bright outside the bed’s curtains with the light of midday and I looked around for my phone and stuff.
Carvi did say we were being moved over here, right? Maybe he put my stuff in the adjoining room he was talkin’ about.
I grabbed the robe hanging on the bathroom door and bundled up.
It smelled like Carvi and my libido gave a little twinge.
“After last night, you do not get a say,” I said to it.
I poked my
head out of the bedroom and the living room area was empty too.
Good.
My suitcase sat next to the couch and my bag and phone were on the coffee table.
I sighed and grabbed my phone, swiping it open.
“It’s noon! Crap.” I called Grant, hoping he hadn’t been trying to get ahold of me.
He answered on the fourth ring with a bleary, “What?”
“Sorry, sir! Did I wake you up?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t lookin’ for me or anything, since it’s so late.”
Grant must’ve looked at his phone’s clock cuz he said, “Shit!”
“Yeah, we slept in.”
“You hear from Carvi?” he asked, sounding a hell of a lot more awake.
“No, sir. I just got up.”
“Where are you?”
“Um, Carvi’s suite. I didn’t ask to be, I swear. I don’t even remember him putting me to bed. I was fallin’ asleep on the books and he came in and got me and then I woke up here.”
“Calm down, Ryder. I need coffee before I can follow you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Call Carvi, I’ll come to you. We talk to his people on recon last night, go from there.”
“Got it, sir.”
We hung up and I paused by my suitcase.
How did Grant know where Carvi’s suite was?
He was Grant. ‘Nuff said. I pulled out some clothes.
I really needed a shower.
Maybe I could squeeze one in after we talked to Carvi’s guys.
I called Carvi and he didn’t answer.
“Crap,” I said as the voicemail went through its spiel. “Carvi, we need to talk to your guys who did the recon. Call me back.”
I got dressed and there was a knock on the door soon after.
I opened it to see Grant standing there in his usual work clothes of slacks and a muted button down with two giant cups of coffee.
“I love you so much,” I said, takin’ the coffee.
“I know,” Grant said as he walked in.
Not even going to touch that one, I thought as we hit the kitchen area.
I riffled through the cupboards for sugar and poured some in, Grant watching me.
“Yes, sir?” I asked as I stirred.
“Nothing, Ryder.”
“Sir.”
“Nothing I didn’t say last night.”
“Yeah, okay. I called Carvi. Still waitin’ on him to get back to me.”
“I figured.”
We sipped our coffees in silence.
For about a minute.
“Well, I think we should get some food in us while we wait,” I said, grabbing the hotel’s phone. “What you want?”
I placed our order and sighed as I checked my phone again. “Where is he?”
“Do you know who he sent for recon?” Grant asked.
“No, sir.” I shrugged.
Carvi blew through the door like he was making his grand entrance at the ball and I jumped.
“Dammit, Carvi! You scared me!” I said.
“What a wonderful start to the day,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “If I slept in your bed, where did you sleep?”
“Next to you, of course. You’re very warm.”
I ground my teeth into a smile and took a deep breath. “Who did you send for recon? We need to talk to them.”
“Yes, they are on their way. I’m looking forward to this. Been a long time since I played detective.”
“You… when?” I asked.
“Before you were born. There was a murder, a witch on the run, another witch who blushed even easier than you.” He winked at me and I rolled my eyes.
“We have food on the way.”
Carvi nodded. “Good, good. I already ate, as you know.”
I blushed.
“Yes! Got the blush.”
“You’re a jerk.”
“And you love it.”
“No, I really don’t. I like nice guys.”
“Does she lie to you like she lies to herself?” Carvi asked Grant.
“Ariana doesn’t lie to me. She has the guile of a six-year-old,” Grant said.
I looked between them. “I’m assuming that’s a compliment.”
“No,” Grant said.
At the same time Carvi said, “It’s not.”
“Hey!” I said.
The knock on the door couldn’t have come at a better time.
Carvi grabbed the door and I had a moment to wonder if he usually had servants to do those kinds of things since it seemed like a powerful king would.
Maybe Carvi wasn’t that pretentious despite him acting like he was God’s gift… well, maybe not God’s, but something on the other side’s, definitely.
Two guys walked in and I didn’t have to ask to know they were human.
“Why’d you send humans?” I asked. “What if it was dangerous?”
“How did you know they were human?” Carvi asked, grinning and raising his eyebrows.
“Oh! I don’t know. Just could tell. So why?”
“Interesting.” Carvi turned back to the men. “Report.”
So apparently I didn’t warrant an answer.
“We checked it out, definitely a gang front, sir,” the first one said.
“Which one, Rodriguez?” Carvi said.
Military. The way they stood, held their hands behind their backs, the hair, the speech, everything screamed it.
I should’ve seen it before, considering how many military men I worked with.
“It’s the Cubans,” Rodriguez said. “They own that whole block.”
“Why didn’t I know about this before?” Carvi asked.
“If I may?” the second one asked. The only thing distinguishing him from his friend was he was more blond and had a tattoo of some intricate pattern that looked mystical on his left bicep.
“You may.”
“We have been keeping an eye on all gang activity in the area. The Cubans have been growing, and they recently took over that block. It was going to be in the usual briefing, but the summit here pushed everything back.”
“True,” Carvi said. “Anything you can tell me on them?”
“Cuban gang, so it’s the usual. Drugs mostly, some prostitution rings, maybe a murder here or there. A few of them were taken down last year for grabbing a local girl on the beach. Wrong place, wrong time kind of thing. She saw a deal going down, they got her. Cops found the body and it was enough to turn my stomach.”
Carvi nodded. “I need to know.”
“The lady may not.” Tattoo nodded at me.
“She’s an investigator,” Grant said, staring the man down. “She’s seen worse than you.”
“I doubt that,” he said in a voice that made me believe him.
“Black ops,” Grant said. It wasn’t a question.
“Sir, this was worse than anything we did or saw over there.”
“What?” I asked. “Just tell us.”
“Yes, ma’am. The gang used the girl for initiation. Gang raped her for a few days. Everyone had to get a turn. Based on the police report, there were at least fifty. And there may have been more who used condoms. Slit her throat and tossed her in the street when they were done with her.”
My stomach churned and I looked away so the guys wouldn’t see tears in my eyes.
You don’t get to cry when you’re on a case.
Don’t get to throw up either.
“Does this have anything to do with the recent case?” Carvi asked.
“Don’t know,” Rodriguez said. “There’s been some more chatter than usual. And that incident has come up more than once. Cops got a few of the guys last year, but there were more, and they didn’t close the case. I think they’re getting ready to grab more guys for it. Just had to wait for the DNA.”
“So they’re picking a fight with the local vamp nest, why?” I asked. “And why now?”
; “Could be a coincidence, ma’am.”
“No,” Carvi and Grant said as one.
I looked between them.
“No,” Grant said again. “There’s coincidence, and then there’s this. They put a spell on the ballroom the opening night. It may not be related to the girl last year, but there is something going on that has to do with this nest.”
“Good point,” I said. “Anything else you’ve heard, guys?”
“The usual chatter,” Tattoo said.
“What is the usual chatter?” Grant asked.
“Stuff about drug deals going down, holding turf, expanding businesses. More about turf lately than I’d say is usual, but not so much that I’d say that is what their spell was about.”
“But it could be,” Carvi said. “Especially since they have traveled so close to my home.”
“If they know about it,” Rodriguez said. “They may not know about the nest, let alone that the king is here.”
“Someone put a bug in my hotel room,” I said. “Any chance it was them?”
“Very little, ma’am. They aren’t exactly your high-tech gang members. These guys are down and dirty, do things in person, deal in cash, and get info through bribery and intimidation. Whoever bugged your room was most likely one of the guests of the summit.”
“My money’s on Jade for that one,” Carvi said. “Gentlemen, are these lovely gang members at home right now?”
“Yes. Would you like backup?” Rodriguez said.
“We would. Two teams, hang back. I want to talk to them. Maybe give them a history lesson.”
“History lesson?” I whispered to Grant.
He shook his head.
“It would be war,” Tattoo said.
Carvi grinned. “I like wars. They’re fun.”
“Ten minutes and the team will be ready,” Rodriguez said.
“Make it twenty. The humans still need to eat.”
“Got it.”
###
“Sooooo, I’ve got to ask,” I said as we walked down the street.
“You want to know what I meant by history lesson?” Carvi asked.
“Yeah.”
“It means back in days gone by, we did not tolerate depravity like these creatures subjected that woman to. And we did not have your modern bans on torture.”
“I don’t think you’d follow them anyway,” I said.
“You don’t approve?” Carvi looked down at me and grinned. “No, you do approve.”
“I have no sympathy for rapists. I say they deserve whatever you can do to them.”