by Dunbar, Natalie; Glass, Seressia; Jeffries, J. M. ; Banks, L. A.
“And go to war with the FBI…”
She grabbed him tightly by the neck. “Pull your gun and shoot me point blank. In five minutes, it will look like a scratch. You have no idea how to kill us. In ten, it will be totally healed. How do you fight an enemy you can’t kill? Haven’t you learned anything about us yet?”
He clamped her hand, refusing to back down. “Go ahead, my bosses will just send somebody else.” He leaned into her grip, staring her right in the eye. “Kill me. But I don’t think you will. You don’t have it in you.” He hoped she didn’t. He envisioned his death as being something a lot less messy than having his throat pulled out.
Her hand dropped away. “What I don’t want is to get my car dirty. Blood is hell on leather.”
He resisted the urge to rub his neck. He didn’t want to show any weakness, though his stomach was ready to rebel. He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. “You agreed to cooperate with the FBI.”
“That was before—“ her voice trailed away and he thought he actually heard fear in it. “Before what?” he prompted curiously. What wasn’t she telling him? Something about Kenny.
“Before I discovered Kenny has a demon.”
The other shoe had finally dropped. His throat went dry. “Demon! As in red eyes, red skin, red tail?”
Her voice was low and fierce. “You don’t understand. You don’t know about demons.”
“Enlighten me.” If she was afraid, then he should be doubly so. What kind of demon would frighten her? She was strong, fearless and unstoppable. Now he was afraid.
“I don’t know what kind of demon he has, so I can’t tell you what it does. But it doesn’t have red skin, tail or eyes. It probably looks just like you. Demons are masters of disguise and Kenny having the demon’s box means he’s controlling it. Maybe.”
“What do you mean maybe?” His heart was thumping so loud, and his throat had grown so tight he could barely talk.
“Demons usually work as wizards’ familiars. They control their demons by keeping them in copper lined boxes. Copper is poison to them. When they are out of the box, they wear copper bracelets, or something copper on them. They can’t take it off.”
“Wizards? You mean wizards are a part of the game, too.” He’d thought she had secrets, and now as he was beginning to discover them he wished they were still secret. Solange was giving him more information than he could possibly imagine. His innocent thought about what other creatures went bump in the night would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“Wizards, mages, necromancers, witches, ghosts, succubi, incubi, dragons, djinn, there’s even a phoenix or two burning up every once in a while and being reborn in the morning.” She rattled off a few more he didn’t recognize, and he started to feel ill. Only seconds ago he’d been thinking werewolves and vampires were all there was to the otherworldly element of his world, but now he knew more than he ever wanted to know about the frightening truths of legend and myth.
Jarred attempted to still the dread creeping through him. He couldn’t catch his breath, the enormity of what she was saying felt like a sucker punch to the gut. “I think,” He said nervously, “maybe you and I have a bigger reason to work together then we thought.
You have a lot of secrets, and I have a whole world to protect.” Protecting the unsuspecting from their worst nightmares.
“Starting with Kenny.”
He wanted to forget about Kenny and his demon. “Okay, we can do this,” he said with more bravado than he felt. “I will do what I have to catch Kenny, and I won’t let any of it taint your family. We don’t want a werewolf turf war anymore than you do.”
“Do you have a plan?” “Not yet. But I’ll come up with something that will make both of us smell like roses when it’s done.” She gave a small chuckle. “To grow good roses you need a lot of shit.”
He didn’t know what to say. He kept thinking he would wake up in a couple hours and realize this was all a dream. No, a nightmare. Except his nightmare was really pretty, and he’d already explored every inch of her body even if she wasn’t totally human and she had just told him about other non-humans walking the face of the earth humanity knew nothing about. “I’ve worked undercover to many years not to know how to deal with shit.”
“We will sell you out if it comes down to it, Jarred. We have to protect the pack at all costs.”
Working undercover meant he got his hands dirty in ways that would shock the rest of the world. He understood where she was coming from. And he knew she would choose her pack over anything. If he were in her shoes, he would do the same thing. “Are you still going to drop the plans off at Kenny’s?”
“Yes.”
“If he has a demon like you say, then I’m going with you.” As strong and as smart as she was, he couldn’t let her face Kenny alone. Not with the kind of danger she said Kenny had. Maybe a gun wasn’t much use against a demon, but he’d be there anyway.
“I can do this by myself.” “I don’t trust Kenny, and I’m not sure I trust you.” Not anymore. The thought that he’d slept with her and made love to her beautiful body still left him wanting more. Maybe the attraction of being with a woman as dangerous as she was made him insane, but he didn’t care. She was the most thrilling woman he’d ever known. Admittedly, she turned into a wolf periodically, but that added to her allure.
“Thank you for such a ringing endorsement, Special Agent Maitland.”
“I do the best I can.” What would Harry say? Hell, Jarred couldn’t tell Harry anything. This was one secret he would have to keep.
He opened the door and stepped out. As he walked back to his car, gravel crunched under his shoes. When he glanced back, Solange sat behind the wheel, making no move to start the car and leave. He had the feeling she was more disturbed, more worried about telling him about the demon then she let on. He walked back to the car, opened the driver’s door and at the startled look on her face, bent down and kissed her.
“Maybe I’m a little out of my depth. Hell, I’m a lot out of my depth, but I do know one thing. You and I are going to solve this, and we’re going to do it together. We’re going to—”
She grabbed him and kissed him back. His hands crept up under her shirt to knead the tight nipples. His pants were too tight; he couldn’t breath. And this intoxicating woman, with her bizarre secret life, was not only the source of all his problems, but also the source of all his answers. If only he could just ask the right questions.
She pushed him away and laughed shakily. “I really, really, really, want to take you home with me and make love the rest of the night, but I can’t.” She pulled back, regret in every move. “I’m sorry, I have something to do. I’ll explain it to you later.”
He pulled back and stood on the dirt road while she started her car and peeled out so quickly, he barely had time to think. As he walked back to his car, he started to whistle. Things always looked darkest before the dawn. But he had Solange and her family on his side.
“I have made a mistake,” Solange said to Esther.
Solange paced back and forth; just knowing she was wearing a hole in Esther’s carpet, wringing her hands nervously. Esther sat calmly on the sofa watching, sipping a glass of red wine. “You’ve fallen in love with Special Agent Maitland.”
Solange went very still, and then she whirled to face Esther. “We have a demon to take care of. What makes you think I’m in love with him?”
“Years of experience.”
Solange started pacing again. “I don’t have time for love. I have the rest of my life to worry about. How stupid would I be if I fell in love with a human? No, I told him about the demon.” And a lot of other things she probably shouldn’t have mentioned, but somehow it seemed the time was right.
“I suppose we could just kill him,” Esther said in a matter of fact tone.
He may know more about the supernatural world than he wanted to know, but killing him would just bring another FBI agent just like him. Besides, she liked him. M
aybe more than she should, but she still liked him. “We’ve had enough violence lately. I’d prefer another solution.”
Esther crossed her legs and held her wine up to the light to stare at it. “How about we let him do his job. He’s a good man, and he did come to us with Kenny’s plans.”
Solange had only spent one night with him, but the memory of how he’d brought her body to fulfillment would always be with her. “We can’t let Kenny target our casino and get away with it. Our standing with the other packs would be in jeopardy.”
Esther took a deep breath and spoke in a careful, thoughtful manner. “If we take one step in the wrong direction, it will be the end of our kind as we know it. We may be stronger and faster, but there is nothing more determined than a mob of frightened human beings who don’t understand what’s happening. They butcher first and ask questions later. I’m assuming you told him about our unique dilemma.”
“I did. But he didn’t have a solution.”
Esther sighed. “With all this brain power, you’d think someone would have figured out an answer.”
“Esther we’re all too afraid of making the wrong choice. We have fire on one side, and a tank full of hungry sharks on the other. Choose how you want to die.”
“In my bed, next to my beloved.”
“That wasn’t one of your choices.”
“I don’t like when things don’t go my way.”
Neither did Solange. She had never been one for confrontation, and if things didn’t go right, the pack would remember that. More than ever, she knew she had to leave, to find her own way. “I don’t want anyone to think Jarred is the enemy. Make sure everyone knows.”
Esther chuckled. “For someone not in love, you’re going to a lot of trouble to keep him safe.”
“You’ve always told me I’m the nice one. It’s not in my nature to kill someone. I like Jarred, and I don’t want to see him dead because I was careless.” She started for the door, but then remembered the demon. “Has Laurel found out anything about the demon?”
Esther rubbed her forehead. “Her friend hasn’t called back yet. As soon as she knows something, I’ll call you. Let’s just get rest, and we’ll tackle it all again in the morning.”
Solange nodded, kissed Esther’s cheek and left. Though it was after midnight, the tournament was still going strong. A few slots chimed wins and losses. A woman carried a large cup almost overflowing with quarters to the cashier and music flowed from the bar. But Solange could tell the floor was nowhere near as crowded as it usually was, even so late in the night. She hoped Marcus’ campaign brought the gamblers back. Though Esther and Julius could survive a downturn in business for a while, they could only last so long. And with Malcolm taking over, the pack would be scrutinizing everything he did, every decision he made and with business off, putting extra pressure on him.
Solange took the elevator to the residence floor where all the weres lived. As she walked down the long hall to her apartment, she could smell the other weres in their apartments with their mates and their children. Some of the single weres had overnight guests, and the scent of sex in the air made her miss Jarred.
Once inside, she stood in the window overlooking the city. She leaned her head against the cool glass. Even at this time of night, the strip was snarled with traffic and lit up as though it were day. This was her home and in a way, she would be sad to leave it. But her choices were few and far between. Better to make a new life somewhere else, then worry about her acceptance in the pack once Julius and Esther were gone. Better to move on.
The French Quarter had originally been situated in a part of town catering to the black population on east Fremont Street. But Esther and Julius had moved the casino to a newer location on North Las Vegas Blvd in the late seventies and built the casino as it was now. Originally, the area had been filled with warehouses and strip clubs. Eventually the big financiers realized they were sitting on a gold mine and started building and eventually built up the strip until it reached the French Quarter. The strip clubs and dives had disappeared to be replaced by casinos. She’d watched the changes in the city the same way she’d watched the changes in the world around her. Las Vegas would go on and so would she.
Chapter Five
Kenny opened the door to his apartment. Solange slipped inside. The apartment was hot, despite the noisy wheeze of the air conditioner. Then she remembered demons like the heat. A basket of laundry sat on the sofa. Even though Kenny seemed alert and chirper, he smelled of stale sex and the aroma of another man that made Solange anxious to get out again. She shouldn’t have come by herself, but she doubted Jarred could protect her any better than she could protect herself, though she found his chivalry endearing.
She handed Kenny the blueprints for the two basements beneath the casino, detailing the location of the old vault and the corridors leading to it. He unrolled them and she stepped back, her eyes drawn to the copper box. Again, the box seemed to blur, and she felt the compulsion to turn her head away. Laurel’s friend had suggested she try to look at it from the side of her vision. So she stared at the door beyond it, letting her peripheral vision study the box. Again, the compulsion took her, and she was forced to look away, but she did feel she had a clearer view of it.
He re-rolled the blueprints and tossed them on the sofa. “Let’s get to know each other better.”
Solange didn’t like the way he wrapped his demand in a smiling face and nice manner. “I don’t have the time for idle chit chat.” She started back toward the front door, but Kenny grabbed her wrist.
When she tried to twist free, his fingers tightened and tiny alarm bells went off in her head. Jarred had said Kenny was dangerous. He was a lot stronger than his lean pale body appeared. Had the demon given him extra strength? For the first time, she felt
a ribbon of fear. “I don’t think your boyfriend would like you fooling around on him.” “What makes you think I have a boyfriend and not a girlfriend?” He raised his thin blond eyebrow.
For one thing, she could smell him and why anyone wanted to date someone who smelled rank was beyond her. “For one thing,” she pointed at the coffee table, “those pants all neatly folded on the table are too big for you. And no man does another man’s laundry unless they’re sleeping together.”
He rubbed his thumb on the inside of her wrist. “I’m flexible.”
“I’m not. She jerked free.
“Too bad. I didn’t know you and Maitland were exclusive.”
She stepped back from him. “None of your business.”
He glanced at the plans lying on the sofa. “Why are you so willing to rob the people who have been your family for so many years?” “Besides a nice payday my little ripple will start a tidal wave, and I can sit back and watch.” She took a step toward him
Kenny grinned but took a step back. “I didn’t know weres had a sense of humor. That old goat, Julius, certainly doesn’t have one. You could give that stand-up comedian playing at the bar a run for his money.”
“Way too much pressure.”
He stiffened. “And a high-stakes robbery isn’t any pressure?”
“This is revenge, not pressure.” Did she sound ferocious enough to convince him of her sincerity? He relaxed and she did, too. “I have one request of you.”
He glanced at her. “Anything for a beautiful woman.”
“No guns. I will take the Temples’ money, but I will not be responsible for anyone’s death.” Especially the humans. She had to neutralize as much damage ahead of time as possible. “You want me to commit a robbery with no guns. Half the fun is shooting up the place.”
“You do this my way, or I take those plans and walk out of here. We are in and out, with nobody being the wiser. All you need is enough people to carry the twenty million.” Not everybody in the pack was happy with the hands off rule Esther and Julius had imposed. But they had agreed to let the FBI work their own magic, which was a testament to Julius and Ester’s strength. This type of situation tor
e packs apart.
“No.”
“Fine, I’m out of here.” She grabbed the blueprints and spun toward the front door.
Kenny grabbed her. Growling, she twisted around and wrapped her hand around his wrist. He dropped to his knees, pain on his face. Rage filled her. Her beast awakened, and she had to fight the urge to rip his throat out. Her heart pounded in her chest. How she wanted to let her wolf out and rip Kenny to shreds. “Don’t let my delicate looks fool you.”
He glanced at the bedroom door, a slow smile spreading over his lips. She took a deep breath, pulling back from the red haze filling her gaze.
Slowly he pushed to his feet, his entire body shook, he didn’t back down. “I believe you, little wolf. But do keep in mind, that even the big, bad wolf met his match in the end.” Again he glanced at the bedroom door. “I won’t bring a gun, but I will tell you this. If things don’t go right, you’ll be the first one I kill.”
Why the bedroom door? She kept thinking. Wouldn’t he look at the box where the demon would be? Unless…she didn’t complete the thought. “Give it your best shot,” she replied in a steady voice, even as the horror of her thoughts filled her. The demon was his lover. How she knew, she couldn’t say, but she the demon wasn’t in its box, but in the bedroom, and was the owner of the folded pants on the table. Which made her wonder who controlled whom?
“I’ll win.” He gave her a cocky, confident smile.
“Maybe.” She yanked him up to his feet, grabbed the tail of his shirt and pulled the wrinkles out. “Now let gets down to business.”