by Trina M. Lee
When she arrived at the coffee shop, I was already there, observing the few late night customers. The place smelled of strong coffee and humans. Juliet sauntered in, adding the aroma of wolf and perfume to the mix.
She ordered a coffee before sliding into the seat across from me. “Was this really necessary?”
“Everything I do is necessary.” I was annoyed to find Gabriel’s words lingering in my thoughts. That little pecker. “What does Briggs plan to do with Alexa if he can catch her without having his throat torn out?”
Juliet shrugged and shook her head. She planned to lie to me. Already I could see through it, and she hadn’t so much as uttered a denial.
“I don’t know. He’s been gunning for her for quite some time now. I’ve done all I can to convince him that she’s not the threat he believes she is. He thinks that because I’m family, my view of the situation is biased.”
“Is it? Alexa is under the impression that you’d sell her out in a heartbeat if you thought you were doing the right thing.”
A grimace marred Juliet’s pretty face. She sipped from her coffee and glanced about the place before answering. “I wish I could say she was wrong. Unfortunately, I do think the FPA acts in the best interest of humanity. I don’t always agree with their methods, but I don’t make those calls.”
“So you’re basically saying that you would stand by and allow Briggs to do whatever he wants to Alexa because it’s best for humanity?” I questioned with a shake of my head. “Both you and Briggs are fucking idiots. Alexa was born to protect humankind. She isn’t the enemy.”
Juliet squared her shoulders and gave her dark hair an angry toss. “She just kidnapped a federal agent. She’s killed publicly. If we turn a blind eye to her then we wouldn’t be doing our job.”
“You don’t have a fucking job. You’re working for a human run government sector that mistakenly thinks they have a say in the paranormal world. They don’t. And you, being a werewolf, shouldn’t even be affiliated with them.”
“I didn’t come here to be told off.” Juliet stood up to leave. “Thanks for wasting my time.”
I rose as well, reaching out to grab hold of her arm. “Don’t go,” I said, with a gentle pulse of power meant to enthrall.
She shook her head as if confused. Then her eyes widened as she realized what my intent was. Juliet tried to pull away, and I forced her to meet my gaze. I watched as she struggled against my hypnotic pull and ultimately failed.
Her eyes glazed, and she stared at me as if I were the most wondrous thing she’d ever seen. That had been easy enough. Now to see if I could pump her for info.
“What does Briggs plan to do with Alexa?” I asked, continuing to wrap Juliet in my thrall.
She swayed slightly on her feet, likely lightheaded from the rush. “He’s given strict orders that she’s to be caught and kept alive. That’s all I know.”
Imagining Alexa as a government lab rat was enough to make my blood boil, but it was important to remain calm so as not to upset the connection between Juliet and me. I stared into Juliet, drawing her in deeper. She fell hard. It was likely that she’d never been enthralled by a vampire like me before, making this slightly enjoyable. Her pupils dilated in excitement, and the telltale scent of desire arose from her. I stopped her when she reached for me.
“Tell me something about Briggs that I don’t already know,” I commanded. “Tell me his secrets. A man like that has to have many.”
“Secrets,” she repeated. “My relationship with him is a secret. It’s frowned upon to fraternize in the workplace. He doesn’t want anyone to know.” She grimaced then, a scowl twisted her expression into something ugly. “He killed an agent right in front of me once. He claimed the man was a traitor, but that was a lie. Briggs was the traitor. He wanted to silence Jeff, because he knew something.”
She gazed beyond me, seeing something or someone that wasn’t really there. I shook her lightly, bringing her gaze back to mine.
“What did Jeff know about Briggs?” I asked, encouraging her to keep talking.
“He knew about the experiments Briggs ordered. The private ones the higher ups know nothing about.” Juliet appeared worried, like she knew she shouldn’t be sharing this but couldn’t stop it from coming out.
This was getting interesting. Finally, something I could work with. “What kind of experiments?”
She clamped her mouth shut. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she shook her head. “I can’t.”
I needed to turn things up a notch, not something I could do in a public place with witnesses. Gently, I guided Juliet toward the exit. She clutched her coffee and allowed me to lead her.
After escaping the harsh fluorescent lighting, we stopped in the parking lot where nobody was around to save the little wolf from the big, bad vampire. Turning her to face me, I touched her cheek with a caress meant to stir the part of her only touched by human men. Her inexperience with vampires made it far more exciting than it should have been.
Seducing the sister of the woman I loved was bad news. I knew this. Still, I didn’t have a lot of options, especially if I wanted to get some dirt on Briggs.
I leaned in close, as if I might kiss her, knowing I wouldn’t. Wrapping her in my power, I whispered against her lips, “Tell me about Briggs’s experiments. What is he up to?”
Juliet shuddered and tried to bridge the tiny gap left between us. I pulled back, just enough to make her want it more. I traced a finger over her jawbone and down the side of her neck, eliciting a soft sigh from her.
“The FPA has been testing supernatural DNA, hoping to one day genetically enhance human soldiers. Briggs is doing his own testing, trying to find a way to control supernatural creatures and humans with supernatural abilities.” She spoke in a low, even tone.
“The lock up in the basement at FPA headquarters…that’s all his, isn’t it?” I asked, expecting the nod I received. “And you? Has he done anything to you?”
“No. I don’t think so. I trust him.”
It was not news that the FPA were involved with experiments of the supernatural kind. Currently they employed a handful of supernaturals, Juliet being just one of them. Controlling a vast number on a large scale though, it was unlikely. Yet, it was also something to be taken seriously.
“You can’t trust him, Juliet,” I said against her lips before plunging a hand into her thick tresses. “He has to be stopped.”
With a soft murmur that sounded like, “But I love him,” she grabbed hungrily for me. She dropped her coffee cup in the process, and it hit the ground between our feet, splashing us both. That’s all it took to break her out of my thrall.
She shoved away from me so hard she almost fell on her ass in the parking lot. She stared at me with horror-filled wolf eyes. “What kind of sick shit is that? Is that what you did to my sister?”
“Oh yeah.” I grinned. “But to be fair, it goes both ways. That woman can seduce me with a glance.”
“Fuck you, Arys,” she snarled. “You are a sick, twisted person. I can’t believe you would do that to me. I’m Alexa’s sister, dammit.”
“Which is exactly why I did it to you,” I said with a flippant shrug. “You had answers that I needed. Hopefully it was enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Enough for me to put the squeeze on your man.”
She reached for her weapon, and I shook my head. “You don’t want to do this with me, one on one. Trust me. It’s better if you just walk away. I’d hate to have to kill you. Alexa is already pissed with me.”
She stood there looking both vicious and uncertain. Then she snarled, “You’re a fucking douchebag, Arys.”
Spinning on a heel, she stormed away to the black sedan at the back of the lot. After slamming the door much harder than necessary, she tore out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires.
I watched the taillights disappear down the street. I liked to pride myself on my uncanny ability to handle women. But no man on this
planet had it in him to handle two O’Brien women. Not even me.
Chapter Seven
Needing to see Alexa was driving me mad. And if I couldn’t do that then I wanted to be in solitude, just me, a pencil, and paper. If I didn’t work my frustrations out on the page, it would come out in a horrible, bloody way. Seeing as Alexa was already taking that road, I had to show some self-restraint.
And I could do it too. I could play the part of the well-controlled vampire, wallowing in a small bungalow in a small town, completely detached from the world. It wasn’t really me though. The real me was back in that strip club, seducing and killing women in cold blood with Jenner.
Knowing that Alexa was losing herself to the twin flame madness was the only thing keeping me sane. For now.
There was no sign of Jenner when I returned home. I strode through the house, dropping clothing as I went. I cranked the shower on hot and stood under the spray so it pelted my face with steaming, angry drops.
For several minutes I just stood there, thinking about Gabriel, about Juliet, and how I so desperately wanted to have my wolf back in my arms. Thoughts of her led my mind down a path filled with memories of passion and blood. What I wouldn’t have given to be with her, to be inside her. We were supposed to be together.
With one hand on my cock and the other bracing my weight against the tiled wall, I escaped into some of my favorite memories of Alexa. Rather than relieving the need for her, it only made my longing for her grow. I groaned and slammed a hand against the wall, watching the tile crack beneath my fist.
I wasn’t one for tears. It had nothing to do with lack of emotion, but after three centuries of Harley, it took a lot to make me cry. However, right then standing alone in my shower jacking off like a horny teenager and pining after Alexa, I wanted to.
And I might have. But by the time I got out of the shower, it didn’t matter. I’d already put it behind me.
The front door slammed with Jenner’s arrival. I stepped into a pair of soft, grey sweatpants and rubbed a towel over my wet hair. I used some mouthwash, ran my tongue over the silver hoop in my bottom lip, and exited the bathroom.
“You are not going to believe what I found your woman doing,” Jenner announced as he flopped down on the couch.
“Abducting a Fed?” I replied, pleased when he frowned.
“If you already knew, then why the hell did you send me to tail her?”
“I didn’t know until Juliet told me they’re missing an agent.” I sat in my favorite chair and pinned Jenner with a fierce stare. “So, did you talk to her?”
His head bobbed, and he gave a wan smile. “I did. If you can call it that. I tried to talk some sense into her. She told me that if I didn’t get out of her way, she’d send me back to you with my head stuffed up my ass. She’s a real classy broad, that one.”
I grinned, somehow finding reassurance in Jenner’s report. “Is that all?”
He considered me in silence for a long moment. “She’s in rough shape without you, Arys.” It wasn’t news. Not really. Still, it made me feel both worried and relieved.
“How did she look? Was she ok? I mean, all things considered.”
“She looked good,” he said, picking his words carefully. “Beautiful, really. Leaking power like a sieve though. She’s pretty jacked up on the juice. I don’t think she knows how to calm it.”
I sighed and shook my head so droplets of water fell from my wet hair. “I don’t know what to do, Jenner. How long do I let her go on like this?”
“I wish I could help you, brother. Really, I do.”
My phone rang, destroying the quiet and causing me to jump up in alarm. I snatched it from the coffee table, mildly disappointed to find Jez’s number on the display.
“Arys?” The leopard launched in right away without any forced pleasantries. “Alexa just called me. She wants to meet me tomorrow after sunset. She said that she needs to talk.”
“And why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think you should come with me. She needs to see you, even if she doesn’t want to,” Jez said, becoming one of my favorite people with those words.
I glanced at Jenner who nodded his agreement. The thought of seeing Alexa under such circumstances didn’t sit well with me. However, if she wasn’t going to come to me, this might be the next best solution.
“Where should I meet you?”
After making arrangements to meet Jez the following evening after dusk, I sat back in my chair and stared at the clock above the television. It was going to be a very long day.
“You’re not going to sleep at all today, are you?” Jenner asked knowingly.
“Not likely. Help me pass the time.” I grabbed a deck of cards from the small side table next to my chair and tossed it at Jenner. “Shuffle those.”
“Hey, I didn’t say that I wasn’t going to sleep,” he protested, though he shook the cards from the pack anyway.
“If I can’t sleep, then you can’t sleep.” I grinned. “Texas hold ’em?”
Jenner shuffled the deck of cards with a dramatic flair. The cards moved between his hands with a precision even a Vegas magician couldn’t match.
“Are we making this interesting?” The glint of mischief in Jenner’s eyes was worrisome.
I raised a brow. “Don’t go there, Jenner. Whatever you’re thinking, no way.”
“When did you become such a pussy?” he challenged. “I guess you don’t think you can beat me after the way I spanked you in Vegas.”
His taunting laughter brought forth a less than savory memory. The crap he’d pulled on Alexa and me in Vegas had been both clever and downright nasty. We had turned his own game against him, but it had come at a price. Jenner might feel he had come out of that worse off than we had, but it was no great joy to me that Alexa had enchanted him. It was something I didn’t even know she could do until I saw her do it to Sinclair.
Too many memories.
“Have you forgotten how the rest of that played out?” I asked with the barest hint of gloating.
“Do you want to play cards or not?” he demanded.
“I do.”
“Then let’s make it interesting.” Jenner’s insistence was annoying. It almost made me reconsider.
“How so?” I didn’t want to know what he was thinking. Still I wasn’t all that surprised at his request.
“If I win, you let me take a run at Alexa’s sister.” His face lit up with a devilish delight.
For a moment I debated on tossing the cards onto the floor and saying fuck it. It was times like this that reminded me why Jenner and I had butted heads so much. He could be a good guy, but he could also be an antagonistic prick.
“You’re a real asshole, you know that?” I grabbed my cards and appraised them. Two aces. I could work with that. “If you win, you can ask her out. No manipulation. She either accepts you or rejects you all on her own. Got it?”
Jenner considered my stipulations and then nodded. “Sounds fair.”
“I mean it, Jenner. No enthralling Juliet.” I ignored his dismissive wave and kept talking. “If I win, I want you to take Sinclair back to Las Vegas with you.”
He looked up from his cards in surprise. “You really are going mad, aren’t you? I hope you’re not really delusional enough to think he’ll just happily hop on a plane. Fuck, Alexa would kill you.”
I clenched my jaw and glowered. “Not if it’s his decision, she won’t. I can handle Sinclair. If he really wants what’s best for her, he’ll leave.”
“Oh, brother, you are something else.” Jenner chuckled, a wicked sound I’d heard many times before. “Deal. If you win, I’ll take Sinclair home with me.”
It was a mistake. I knew that. Desperation knew no limits though, and I was quickly growing desperate. As the poker game went on, I found myself hoping that I would lose. But I was going to try like hell to win.
* * * *
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be hanging out here anymore,” I
said, taking in the cluster of leather-clad youth waiting to get into the busy rock bar.
Jez’s glare was stern as she puffed away on a cigarette. “What do you care? I already have two babysitters breathing down my neck about it. Lay off.”
I held my hands up in surrender, having no desire to engage with the feisty werecat. “No need to rip my head off. Just trying to show some friendly concern.”
We stood in the parking lot of The Spirit Room, the popular rock club where Jez had told me to meet her. It was relatively early in the evening, yet the line to get in already stretched down the block.
“Sorry,” she grumbled, dropping the cigarette and crushing it beneath her heel. “I’m just a little testy these days. Withdrawal is a bitch.”
“So you’ve been ok then?” It was difficult to make conversation with her. I wasn’t usually one on one with Alexa’s friends. I knew Jez well enough to know she loved Alexa like a sister. And she could hold her own in a fight. In a tense situation like this one, I didn’t quite know what to say.
“I’ve had better days,” she said, pulling a cell phone from her pocket. “I slipped a few times. Just a little. Alexa doesn’t know that. Anyway,” she glanced up from the screen, “she’s expecting me soon. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Jez stopped me with a hand on my chest. Her deep green eyes reminded me of tropical ocean waters. They were hardened by the intensity of her beast. “One thing first. There’s a good chance she’s bringing Kale. You have to promise me to keep the peace with him.” When I didn’t answer right away, she got closer, staring up at me with a deadly look. “Promise me, Arys. Or we can forget this entire thing.”
“I promise. I just want to see Alexa.” Showing up unannounced was going to be enough of an upset to her. I could manage to restrain myself.
I followed Jez to her Jeep, eager to get moving but also anxious about my first meeting with my wolf in several days. I doubted that she’d be happy to see me.
“She’s going to know you’re there before she even sees you, isn’t she? Better be stealthy.” Jez started the Jeep and pulled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires, nearly sideswiping two vehicles on the way out. And Alexa thought my driving was bad?