by Brenda Trim
“You can’t force someone into recovery. There was an intervention, but he refused,” Santi replied as he stepped over a pile of broken glass.
Glancing at the run-down condition of the home they were approaching, she pondered his response. She knew the drug was highly addictive, but she never understood the full scope. For a shifter to be brought to these depths was unthinkable. She couldn’t imagine a supernatural of any kind living in a shack that looked as if the next storm would blow it down surrounded by rotting garbage and the Goddess only knew what else.
“Are those safe?” she asked pointing to the sagging porch steps ahead of them.
“I didn’t fall through last time I was here,” Santi replied unhelpfully and headed up to the door.
Shaking her head, she watched as he strode into the home without knocking. She hurried up the steps, not trusting them, and squealed when one of the boards broke under her foot and sent her stumbling onto the porch. “I told you they weren’t safe,” she muttered.
A warm hand curled around her upper arm, steadying her. “You’re afraid of falling three feet, but not waiting in the shadows to kill a known murderer?”
“Where is this male?” she asked, refusing to be charmed by his light teasing.
An enraged roar was her answer before a large male barreled into them. Santi went flying and she landed on her ass on a pile of something soft and squishy. Her hand came down automatically to stop her downward momentum and she immediately regretted it. She’d had no idea mold came in that many colors, she thought as she wiped her palm off on the dilapidated couch. It wasn’t much better than the moldy sandwich she had landed on, but she had managed to find a cleanish spot.
Santi had his arms wrapped around the snarling bear as he snapped and lunged toward Tori. His eyes glanced around the room restlessly. He was foaming at the mouth and his fur was a matted mess. Her heart sank into her feet, seeing what this creature had been reduced to.
“Shift,” Santi ordered. The bear fought the command for several seconds, but Santi was an alpha and eventually the bear had no choice but to obey. In a shimmer of lights, fur receded and bones reshaped until a naked male stood before them.
Rather than being the burly male she expected, he was emaciated. There were no ropes of muscle or bulk to him at all. He was a tall male with broad shoulders, but at the moment bones were clearly visible beneath his sagging skin. Given the matted fur, she had expected to see a head full of ratty hair, but his skull was buzzed to the scalp. He reminded her of a concentration camp victim rather than a being who should have incredible physical strength.
Dropping his arms, Santi addressed the shifter. “You good now, Tobias?”
“What are you doing back here? I told you I’m not going to that place,” Tobias spat.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Santi glared at the male. “You aren’t getting any more Angel’s Kiss. That’s what’s up. They’re working on a cure, but in the meantime, they can make the pain stop. But that’s not why I’m here. Remember that female I told you about?”
Faded gray eyes shifted between her and Santi. A tiny furrow appeared between them, telling her the male was trying to recall what Santi had told him. The male smelled like an outhouse and was as filthy as he had been in bear form. “You’re Miguel’s sister.”
Cocking her head, she wondered if Santi had told him he was bringing Miguel’s sister to visit. “What do you know of Miguel?”
Tobias began pacing around the room and scratching at his arms. It wasn’t until then that she noticed the sores littering his body. She reached out when he dug his fingers into one spot, making it bleed. Santi’s hand wrapped around her wrist and he shook his head. “He needs another fix. The withdrawal is causing hallucinations. Put some clothes on, Tobias.”
Tobias spun in place. “Do you have a hit for me?” he asked hopefully, smiling and revealing a horrific sight. The foam around his mouth had hid his missing and blackened teeth when he had been snarling before.
“No,” Santi informed a suddenly pissed-off bear shifter. “I told you there will be no more drugs for you. There is no one else to buy it from. Now, put your fucking pants on,” Santi growled, and threw a dingy pair of jeans to the bear.
“I will find someone else to buy from. You killed Miguel, but there are others. He told me so,” Tobias murmured as he shoved his legs into the pants. She was glad he had covered at least some of his body. She couldn’t stand looking at him. It sickened her and made her want to hunt down whoever made this drug and take their head with her stalvajer.
Not only were there sores covering his body, but most of them had a greenish-yellow cast to them, telling her they could be infected. He was certainly covered in enough filth to cause the worst sort of infection. She had never seen a supernatural in this condition because they regenerated rapidly enough that injuries didn’t last and infection never took hold.
“Those look infected. Why isn’t he healing?” she asked, too cowardly to ask about Miguel yet.
“Whatever magic was used to create Angel’s Kiss inhibits a supernatural’s ability to heal. That’s why this drug is addictive to us when all others are not.”
The sight was disturbing to say the least. She had seen news reports about the plight of homeless humans, and she’d thought their conditions horrendous, but this was so much worse.
Suddenly, Tobias lunged toward her and latched on to her arm. “You’re Miguel’s sister. You can get into his house and get some of the drug for me. Please, you have to. I’ve got money,” he replied, letting go as he fished around in one of his pockets.
“My brother didn’t sell drugs. You must be confused,” she denied as he thrust several dollar bills in to her hands. After she shoved the cash back into his hands, she backed away from him, shaking her head.
“I’m not. Miguel gave me my first hit months ago,” Tobias continued, following her until Santiago stepped into his path. “He has that scar on his left hand. It looks like a bite mark, said he got it when he was a stripling.”
More doubt crept into her mind. Lots of people had scars on their hands. Still, she recalled the scar on Miguel’s hand and how he had gotten it. Their vampire parents weren’t able to go out during the day, so she and Miguel did the hunting for their family. She had just shot a deer when she heard her brother cry out. He had been targeting a wild boar, but the boar attacked first and had nearly taken Miguel’s hand.
She had scooped him into her arms and flown him home, terrified of the amount of blood he was losing. Her parents had reassured her she’d done the right thing, but the guilt never left her that she hadn’t protected her baby brother. She was a powerful Valkyrie and should have been able to keep him safe.
“One scar doesn’t prove anything. You are wrong,” she insisted.
Frantic, Tobias gestured wildly. “He showed me the painting you did of your parents. They were sitting on a beach at night with a big full moon,” he blurted.
Ice filled her veins. No one would have that knowledge unless they had been in Miguel’s house. Not even realm police. She had removed it before anyone else had entered the apartment, so she knew Santi couldn’t have seen it there. There was no reason for this male to lie to her. He was desperately searching for a drug to feed his addiction. He was telling her this because he believed she had access to Miguel’s belongings and could get him Angel’s Kiss.
Everything she thought she knew about her brother evaporated. Clearly, they were more estranged than she had ever imagined. Guilt swamped her for not returning his calls more frequently and doing more with him. Could she have kept him from going down this route? She had left him on his own and hadn’t considered how difficult that would be for him.
Santiago had been telling her the truth. Turning her head, she met his knowing gaze. She wanted to punch Santi in his sympathetic face. “Don’t think this excuses you for killing him,” she spat and walked out the front door.
She couldn’t breathe and being outside didn’t
make it any better. Tears streamed down her face as she ran down the litter-strewn sidewalk. Releasing her wings, she launched into the night sky, wanting to escape the reality that her brother had ruined Tobias’s life and countless others.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Tori marched into Guild headquarters with her thoughts still in a whirl. She was still shocked her brother had sold drugs. She may have had her doubts before, but she had refused to believe it. Now, with the stench and sight of Tobias still fresh in her mind, she couldn’t keep her head in the sand.
Silently cursing herself, she forced her mind off Miguel and Santiago and onto the matter at hand. Lana was going to be pissed. A distraction right now could cost Tori everything. The driveway had been empty and with luck no one else would be in the house during this meeting.
Tori may not be best friends with her fellow Valkyrie, but she’d worked hard to gain her reputation and wasn’t about to lose it now. The living room was empty. No sounds echoed from the game room above, but she did hear Lana yelling in her office.
Tori made her way down the hall, making sure to step lightly so her boots didn’t echo so loudly off the hardwood floors. She understood why Lana refused to put carpets in the house. The Guild may be a powerful entity few chose to fuck with, but there were times people got pissed when their cases were denied. She paused outside the office and steeled her nerves for the battle she was going to face.
“Get your ass in here,” Lana ordered not two seconds later. “Just the Valkyrie I wanted to see,” Lana spat as Tori opened the door and entered the well-appointed office.
“Since when is it okay to take over a month and a half to eliminate a mark?” Lana asked as soon as Tori took a seat across from her.
Tori met the female’s black eyes and considered her response. The Valkyrie leader’s long blonde hair was pulled back into her typical ponytail and she sat back with her arms crossed over her abdomen. She’d known Lana was going to be pissed, but the vein that throbbed in her temple told Tori she was ready to blow.
“In my defense, I didn’t finish my investigation until tonight. We shouldn’t take the case. He’s a Dark Warrior,” Tori responded, hoping to avoid admitting what Santiago was to her.
“I know he is a Dark Warrior. We’ve had this conversation. He was kicked out because he broke the rules. I thought you wanted him dead because he killed your brother. Now, tell me something I don’t know,” Lana ordered, her thin lips pursed in anger.
Tori knew Lana well enough to know the female wasn’t going to let this go. The leader had been searching for a reason to discipline Tori for decades. “Unfortunately, I found out my brother was dealing drugs, and Santiago was defending an innocent,” Tori told her boss.
“Oh, we’re on a first name basis with marks now?” Lana inquired with a lift of her eyebrow.
“Yes, no. It’s complicated,” Tori admitted.
“Uncomplicate it,” Lana barked as she sat forward and rested her arms on the desk.
Seeing no way to avoid the explanation, Tori hoped the female before her really did have a heart or she would give a shit that Santiago was her mate. “I can’t, he’s my Fated Mate. And, he really was defending an innocent and trying to protect the realm from exposure. Miguel was selling Angel’s Kiss when he was killed. And, before you say anything. I have already returned the deposit for this case.”
Lana sat up straight, her expression becoming unreadable. “That does complicate matters. I can see why you can’t kill your Fated Mate. I’m tempted to assign another assassin, but this whole mess with Angel’s Kiss is destroying the realm. No, I’ll inform Von that we won’t be accepting his contract. But, I do have a case for you that I expect to be fulfilled right away. No excuses this time,” Lana informed her.
Tori was tempted to tell her to take her case and shove it, that she was done, but aside from needing the money, she needed the distraction right now. “You’ll have my report by the end of the week,” she told Lana as she stood up to take her leave.
“I mean it, Tori. I will not tolerate any excuses in this case. You don’t want to cross me,” Lana threatened.
“I will do my due diligence and take care of the case like I do every case I accept,” Tori said, unable to curb her rebellious streak entirely.
*****
Tori clenched her jaw shut and bit her tongue to keep from snapping at the smarmy cambion sitting behind the desk. The male had put this hit out on someone he claimed had embezzled millions of dollars from his company. The company didn’t appear to be hurting for money.
The office was done in dark colors. Brown leather chairs sat on rich mahogany floors before a large teak desk. She wasn’t entirely surprised to see the Rembrandt hanging from the wall behind the male, given the opulence of the rooms she’d seen so far. But, she did wonder if the male knew the true value of what he had. It was likely a statement piece for him and didn’t speak to his heart like it did her. Rembrandt and most from the Baroque period spoke to her in a way other paintings did not.
Million-dollar paintings and expensive suits aside, Tori’s skin prickled. Something wasn’t adding up with the cambion’s story. Or perhaps it was the fact that Lana had forced Tori into accepting this case.
“So, you’ve already gone to realm police and they told you there was nothing they could do?” she clarified, keeping the cynicism out of her voice.
Sam leaned back in his chair and crossed his foot over a knee. The cambion’s smug expression grated on her, but she tried not to let this sway her judgment. She could retire from the Guild after this and buy her studio. Not that she would allow that to make her decision for her. Lana may have forced her to take the case, but that wasn’t going to stop her from doing her investigation. Every case had to meet Guild standards, and she was going to ensure this case fit the bill.
It had been three days since Santiago had taken her to see Tobias, and she had yet to recover. Everything she believed was called into question. She had let her brother down. Hadn’t been there for him when he had needed her, and he’d turned not only to a life of crime but decided it was okay to destroy lives and perpetuate the ruin in the realm.
The Miguel she knew had been a law-abiding citizen and had enough empathy for the entire world. That vampire never would have sold out his fellow supernaturals for a quick buck. If anything, she would have sworn he would have been on Santiago’s side acting the part of a vigilante. And yet, something had happened to cause him to go in the opposite direction.
Why had she decided to move out of their parents’ home? She had made the excuse a million times, but wanting to shield him from her role of Valkyrie assassin was not a valid reason. Of course, hindsight was twenty-twenty and she now understood she could have stayed with him and kept that part of her life separate. Maybe then he wouldn’t have turned to being an integral part of destroying the realm, one supernatural at a time.
“The realm police barely lifted a finger to take my report. I am appalled at how they ignored the crime. I pay my tithe and deserve the same attention as anyone else,” Sam professed, interrupting Tori’s musings. Good thing, too. If she thought much more about her brother, she was likely to do something she’d regret. It wouldn’t help her reputation to kill a potential client.
She eyed Sam critically. He was a portly male, with a big belly that nearly obscured his lap. How he had managed to cross his foot over his knee so easily, she had no idea. His three-piece suit struggled to stay buttoned over the flesh. One deep breath and the buttons would pop off and brain her, she thought. And then there was his hair. The comb-over was slick and greasy and did a piss-poor job of hiding the shiny dome he was rocking.
Add to that the way his eyes shifted around the room, refusing to meet hers for long, and she was hardly able to stand still. Sam was trying too hard to appear earnest, and coupled with his shifty eyes that told her there was more to the story.
Hell, she knew the guy wasn’t a stand-up citizen or he wouldn’t be hiring an assassin, but t
hat wasn’t what had her wanting to deny him. She didn’t typically work with the crème de la crème, after all. Everything about the male exuded deceit. In fact, she wondered how he wasn’t ruled completely by his inner demon.
As human/sex demon hybrids, every cambion was ruled by their sexual needs. If they went too long without sex, they transformed into the demon half of their heritage. How did this disgusting creature convince anyone, male or female, to have intercourse with him? No one in her right mind would touch him with a ten-foot pole.
“I struggle to believe that the realm police would ignore your situation. Stealing millions of dollars is a major crime by anyone’s standards. Which officers did you talk to? I have connections and perhaps I can get them to reconsider their investigation,” she offered, curious what he would do with that.
“No,” he blurted, practically jumping out of his chair. As if he realized his mistake, he slowly sat forward and placed his hands on his desk. “I mean. That’s not necessary. The realm PD is too busy to bother with a case as minor as this. They have their hands full with the drug epidemic. No reason to waste resources on a case such as this when I can have you handle it for me.”
“So, you think stealing millions of dollars from a bloated corporation deserves a death sentence?” she asked curiously. It was not the worst reason she had been asked to kill someone. Theft of this magnitude was a serious offense and one that caused major problems.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of the soft ones. I expect that from a human and human sympathizers like the Vampire King,” Sam sneered, not bothering to hide how he felt about Zander Tarakesh and his mate, “but not the Valkyrie. I paid the Guild for an assassin, not a conscience. And I asked for the best. Is that you or not? I need action taken immediately.”
After brushing a piece of lint from her sleeve, Tori pushed off the wall and stopped in front of the desk. It gave her time to hide her reaction to his disdain for the Vampire King. She’d never met the king in person, but he had treated her parents with respect and decency. She’d heard the rumors about him mating a human he manipulated the Goddess into turning into a vampire, but had no malice toward the couple. In fact, she respected Zander for holding Santi accountable for his actions rather than excusing them to meet his needs.