by Addison Fox
As with most things with the ancients, life was never that easy, and modern times brought modern challenges. There was plenty of chaos in the twenty-first century world, and Rafe doubted some epic battle with a band of zealots would change that much.
None of it changed the fact he and his people were hunted. Plotted against. And constantly under threat.
Was it possible Evangeline was one of them?
The bio had been straightforward and bleak—Hank Kennedy had drifted in and out of jail throughout his late twenties and early thirties before turning his skills and his loyalty toward the Las Vegas area’s corps of Hunters. A suspicious fight in the desert late one night hadn’t ended well for Hank or a fellow addict and he’d left his wife and child alone and destitute.
Nothing about the intel had sat well and Rafe had kept a purposeful distance from Evangeline over the past year, in favor of watching and monitoring her. Other than their bimonthly meetings to discuss the property, he avoided contact with her.
And had been more than surprised to see she kept to herself, worked like she had no life outside the casino and generally flew under the radar.
Until last night.
Damn, why had he waited when he knew his Rejuvenation was upon him?
Rafe’s head snapped up at the hard slam of his door. Gabe crossed the plush carpet soundlessly, even as his large frame quivered in agitated, restless motion. “You burned in front of her?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t screw with me. Last night. Evangeline Kennedy saw you? Midtransformation?”
He never lied to his brother, but the anger and frustration laser-focused on him was barely an adequate mirror for his own shame and embarrassment. Hell, he hadn’t lost control like that since he was fourteen and coming into his power.
“Yes.”
“Mind telling me why you were hanging around, full well knowing you were running hot?”
“I had a meeting that ran late.”
His brother slashed a hand through the air. “No excuse.”
“It is when you’re courting three foreign whales with several whale friends back home.”
Gabe snorted, clearly unconvinced, even with Rafe’s argument about squiring several high rollers around the property. “It’s careless and unnecessary. Since when are you the only one who can court high-end guests and build relationships?”
“I needed to check them out. See for myself. We know Hunter activity increases near the solstice, and something about the one guy’s backstory didn’t check out.”
“So you went in alone?”
“I’m never alone in here and the high-roller room has more attention than most.”
“The private villas don’t.” Gabe dug his phone out. “It’s careless.”
“It’s necessary.”
When Gabe said nothing, Rafe knew he’d hit a nerve. Rafe trusted his brother, more than anyone in the world, but he couldn’t stand by and ignore an opportunity to get the upper hand on a band of Hunters, especially so close to the solstice. The possibility of a rogue with money would be a danger beyond measure.
Besides, his damn Rejuvenation wasn’t supposed to happen then. It was nearly a month until the winter solstice and he’d been rejuvenating like clockwork since puberty.
Vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, winter solstice. His body regenerated then, not nearly a freaking month early.
“Guy ultimately checked out?”
Rafe shook off the lingering discomfort of his early change and gave Gabe his full attention. “Yeah. Charlie texted me the moment he had confirmation the guy was legit. I glad-handed him a bit more, offered him an extra night in the villa and hauled ass out of there.”
“You didn’t haul fast enough.”
No, he hadn’t. He’d considered letting himself into the villa next door and waiting out the burn but they were full up, the Archangel’s reputation ensuring all the rooms were accounted for. He and Gabe had taken their father’s life’s work and upped the ante. The hotel rooms were spoken for nearly every night and they had a list of high rollers the rest of the Strip envied.
Who would have believed success was so damned inconvenient?
“We’ve gone this long without discovery. Your life—all our lives—are worth more than one more high roller wasting his fortune at our gaming tables.”
Rafe rarely apologized but his brother hit a nerve. A fair one at that. “Look. I get it and I’m sorry. I’ve been tired and the moment hit me hard. I thought I had more time.”
A small grin finally curved his brother’s lips. “Losing your control, big brother?”
A few choice expletives bubbled to the surface but Rafe opted against the grain. He’d managed to blow over his brother’s bad mood, he might as well use it to his advantage. “You talk to Pop lately?”
“He and mom are still lounging around the Côte d’Azur and last I heard he was raising hell with the management at Monte Carlo’s casinos.”
“They let him back in?”
“Some sort of royal decree. I suspect the prince is sorry he got suckered in by the charms of one Michael Stavros.”
“Once a gambling man...” Rafe left the words hanging there, an image of his father giving instruction on the latest security protocols falling on some severely irritated Monegasque ears.
“Old man’s not settling into retirement well.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Nah.” Gabe shuddered. “Claims he’d be better at it if he had grandchildren.”
A wholly unexpected image of Evangeline rose up in his mind’s eye. She was absolutely unsuitable—she was an employee with a highly suspicious lineage—but Rafe couldn’t fully ignore the hot rush of need that accompanied the vision. “He can keep wishing.”
“You put Evangeline off?”
“Not dropping this one?”
Gabe smiled, the grin bordering on feral. “Not a chance.”
“The woman knows her mind and isn’t willing to be put off. I’ve got her down in the spa now, giving her the royal treatment and attempting to convince her she’s been working too hard.”
“Having any luck?”
“We’ll see in about two hours after Madelina’s team works on her.” Rafe stood from his desk, tapping the file folder that had already worn around the edges. “Of all the damn people.”
“Why?”
He and Gabe were as close as brothers could be, but he’d kept this from him. Kept the quiet knowledge to himself about Evangeline’s background and parentage. On a hard breath, he snagged the folder and handed it to his brother.
Gabe took the offering, his ability to quickly assess a situation more than evident when he snapped the folder closed a few moments later. “She’s a Hunter?”
“The daughter of one.”
“We’ve had a freaking Hunter on property for damn near a year and this is the first you’ve told me?”
He rarely second-guessed himself, but one look at Gabe’s face had Rafe reconsidering. “I’ve been watching her.”
“We could all have been watching her. Or better yet—” Gabe threw the folder on the desk. “We could have let her go on her merry freaking way and avoided hiring her in the first place.”
“She’s good. Her installations alone have increased foot traffic by thirty percent.”
Gabe stiffened up at that, straightening to his full height. “First the whales and now this? This place is our sanctuary. Have you forgotten that?”
“I’ve forgotten nothing.”
“Then how can you ignore the fact the woman’s dangerous? To us. Our way of life. Our people.”
An image of that long, lithe form curled up inspecting the grass outside filled his head. Was she seeking proof? Attempting to set a trap? Or wa
s it something else?
Rafe hadn’t sensed malice in her. More, she had an aching vulnerability about her that called to some strange, empty place deep inside of him.
Orphan.
Emancipated minor.
Workhorse.
None of those images matched with the sullen, disillusioned cadre normally drafted into the Hunters’ midst. Chaos thrived on the weak-minded and the easily swayed.
Evangeline Kennedy was neither.
“We got the intel on the two men she fired yesterday.”
Rafe knew his brother and there was no way he was dropping the subject of Evangeline anytime soon. But there was something underneath the comment that slashed through Rafe’s thoughts. “And?”
“They’re Hunters. My team’s tracked them back to a flophouse on the outskirts of Henderson. I’m headed there tonight.”
“I’ll join you.”
“Save it. You need to keep your focus here.”
“You won’t keep me out of this.”
“Then get your damn head in the game. She comes from the line of people determined to expose us and slaughter us all.”
“The Hunters are minions of Chaos. We’ve yet to narrow in on a leader. We’ve dealt with them before and we’ll deal with them again.”
“He’s here. I can feel it. Know it. There’s been too much static lately. Too many close calls.” Gabe dropped onto the edge of Rafe’s desk. “Don’t tell me you can’t feel it?”
Rafe shook his head, suddenly unwilling to put voice to the feeling. He understood Gabe’s point—had felt the same raw energy swirling around the casino and their people—but kept pushing against it, unwilling to act rashly.
He was the methodical Stavros, while Gabe had their father’s brash, devil-may-care attitude in spades. They complemented each other—they always had—so why were they so far apart on this? Rash action threatened their secrets, but so did ignorance. And it was time he remembered that.
Especially now that Evangeline had seen him take his true form.
And, by all accounts, was determined to understand what it all meant.
* * *
While she was still irritated at Rafe’s heavy-handed behavior, dragging her from the lawn and pushing her into a series of spa appointments, Evangeline had to admit the man had a point.
A great point.
If she could put together a coherent thought to remember just how great his point really was.
Relaxation! That was it. He’d been on her, stressing the importance of taking some time for herself and not working too hard.
Firm hands slid up and down her spine, kneading muscles and loosening knots she didn’t even know she had. The massage was the coup de grâce in an afternoon full of rest, relaxation and a significant amount of pampering. A facial. A manicure and pedicure. And some amazing thing with hot rocks that should have burned like crazy but instead, managed to loosen her muscles even more than they already were.
Why didn’t she do this for herself?
The question began as an abstract cloud, floating through her mind, but something about it stilled, expanding in her thoughts.
Why didn’t she do this more often? She wasn’t poor any longer. Far from it, in fact. The Archangel paid her a generous salary for the work she did across the property. She didn’t live extravagantly, her one-bedroom apartment more than enough room for the amount of time she spent there. And working on-property gave her a discount on the spa services.
So why not do this for herself?
Instead, she hoarded her hard-earned income as if she were still shivering and cold, hoping her parents would stop fighting or—worse—praying for the noise when their apartment got so quiet she could hear her own breath. She’d huddle in those moments, her parents’ normally volatile state hushed by whatever drug her father had managed to score that day.
“Miss Kennedy?”
The soft voice pulled her from the dismal memories, the hand on her spine gentle. “Hmm?”
“The treatment is complete. Feel free to stay and relax a bit longer. I’ve left some water on the counter.”
“Thank you.”
Hesitant to let the dreamy state end, Evangeline lay there a few more moments after the door clicked on a quiet close. Try as she might, she couldn’t fully bring back that delicious dream state. Instead, those memories of her parents peeked in, pressing against the edges of her memory with all the finesse of an attack dog.
Her father’s addiction. Her mother’s equally helpless outlook on life. And the loss of both of them by the time she was seven.
“Miss Kennedy.” The knock was soft, yet insistent and Evangeline sat up, pulling the sheet tight around herself.
“Come in.”
Madelina bustled in, her elegant form somehow softened in the muted light and calming music. Where she’d initially seen a militant effectiveness shining in the woman’s eyes before, Evangeline had to admit three hours of pampering had softened the edges of her vision. Madelina had gone from dragon to fairy godmother and she gave her a big smile. “Hello.”
“It looks like my team did their job.”
“They were wonderful.” Evangeline glanced down at her toes where her legs swung against the table. “I even have red toes.”
“Enough to drive a man wild.”
“I’m not... I mean.”
Madelina patted her arm. “It’s always good to be prepared.”
The woman seemed to understand she had nothing to say and bustled on. “Have you had your water?” When she eyed the glass still on the counter, she picked it up and marched it over. “It’s essential to hydrate. Drink up. Then you’ll come with me.”
The cool water, tinged with the refreshing taste of cucumber, was fresh on her tongue as she drank.
“You enjoyed the treatments?”
“I did.” Evangeline set her glass of water down, abstractly wondering if she’d ever tasted anything so good.
“Excellent. Because I’ve made a standing appointment for you monthly.”
“I don’t—” Evangeline broke off, not sure why she was arguing. She’d had a similar thought herself, so why be irritated when someone else did the kindness for her? And yet...
“Mr. Stavros has added it to your employment package.”
That urge to argue flared once more, even if Madelina was simply the messenger, but the woman held up a hand to forestall her.
“Mr. Stavros insists. Spa treatments aren’t simply a frivolity. You’re a woman who works with your body on a regular basis. It’s important to keep it finely tuned.”
“I can pay for it myself.”
Madelina cocked her head, those eyes sharp. Once again, the fleeting image of a dragon floated through Evangeline’s mind before vanishing. “But why do so when your employer presents you with such generosity?”
“It’s frivolous.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, either.” Handing over a fresh glass of water, Madelina pointed to the door. “Drink this, then join me in the salon. Berta will direct you once you leave the room.”
Evangeline watched her go, the conversation unsettling on several levels. She wanted the treatments—had thought that very thing as she lay there, soft and warm and boneless from an awesome massage.
So why complain when it was offered as a job perk?
An image of Rafael Stavros filled her mind’s eye, in clear answer to the question.
Tall and dark, the man was a walking, talking version of sin in the flesh. Mercurial gray eyes. Thick, dark hair. Chiseled features and a body that made her fingers itch. She’d never been a woman to ignore her body’s needs, but she’d also never understood the extremes people went to for attraction.
Rafe Stavros tossed that thought right out his penthouse wind
ow. The man was lethally sexy and equally formidable in his business. His father had established a successful casino whose business he and his brother had only shot into the stratosphere. From high-end restaurants to Broadway shows to a casino floor that boasted just enough winners to keep the tables packed, the Archangel had become a must-see destination on the Strip.
And she was part of it.
Draining the rest of her water, Evangeline hopped off the table and stretched like a cat. She hadn’t felt this loose-limbed in oh...about forever.
“So what are you complaining about?”
As she caught sight of herself in the small mirror over the treatment room’s sink, Evangeline had to admit to herself she had no answer.
* * *
As the original founder of the Archangel, Michael Stavros had a firm policy. Hire good people and leave them alone to do good work. If you found a gem, you had to respect their genius and leave them alone to do their best work in their own way. Alternatively, if you ended up hiring someone who was lazy, stupid or worse, both—fire their ass on the spot.
Although he and Gabe hadn’t adopted every practice their father employed in his own brand of management, some rules of business were immutable.
Hiring good people was essential.
It was why he’d been so drawn to Evangeline. Her work—and her passion and enthusiasm for that work—had stood out above all else. It had him hiring her on the spot and it had been the thing that kept her on staff even after he discovered her past. If the woman was a Hunter, she was a damn fine actress.
Because in nearly a year, all he’d ever observed was a woman obsessed with the look and feel of his property and very little focus on anything else.
Madelina interrupted his thoughts. “Mr. Stavros. The things you requested are ready.”
“And Evangeline?”
“She’ll be out momentarily.” Madelina hesitated for the briefest moment—at odds with her normally tart tongue—and Rafe’s gaze sharpened on her.
“Yes?”