Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Queen of Hearts, Dead Man's Hand, Double or Nothing

by Kristen Painter

  He smirked and punched the button to unlock the car. It beeped.

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, you’re a little broken. But you must like it or you’d change.”

  He stopped at the driver’s door. “I don’t like it. Who would like living a life without physical contact?” His scowl increased. “And how would you suggest I change? I was born this way.”

  “I’m just saying there might be a way around it. Maybe you could get a witch to fix it with a spell. Or a hex. Or whatever. There are witches in Vegas, right?”

  “Yes.” He looked away and shook his head. “But it’s not that simple.”

  “No, I guess it’s not.” She walked around to the passenger side. She’d known not to say anything and said it anyway. What had she expected?

  They got in. He started the engine and pulled back onto the gravel road.

  She couldn’t let it go. “I’m sorry you have to live your life like that.”

  He didn’t reply.

  She slipped down in the seat and put her head against the window.

  “It wasn’t always like this. I was in love once.”

  She sat up, surprised he was willing to share so much information. “What happened?”

  “It didn’t work out.”

  She wanted to smack his stony face. “Well, obviously. Why not? Who was she?”

  “A vampire. Lena.”

  She nodded. “Makes sense. Undead and all that.”

  “Except…” He sighed and furrowed his brow. “It still wasn’t easy.”

  “No relationship is.” Not that she’d really know. Hers never lasted that long. Hard to fall in love with a guy who had no choice but to be a yes-man. “What broke you up?”

  His fingers curved over the wheel, digging in. “She had bad habits.”

  “Such as?”

  “She liked to drain tourists of their blood.” He frowned. “She had to be Collected.”

  “Sweet Zeus. Are you saying you had to—”

  “No. I didn’t do it.”

  Seraphina bit her lip and twisted in the seat. “That sucks.” She cringed. “No pun intended.” She watched, waiting for him to give her a nasty look.

  His expression changed in a way she’d never seen before. His mouth bent oddly, and then the strangest thing happened. He laughed. Loud and booming, it filled the car.

  She joined in, unable to help herself. And, oh my, he was pretty when he smiled.

  He ran a hand through his hair, and his chin jutted forward. “I’m pretty pathetic, huh?”

  “No.” She wanted to touch him so badly it hurt. How did you comfort someone you couldn’t touch? “I don’t think you’re pathetic at all. I think you’ve been dealt a tough hand.”

  “One there’s no undoing.”

  “You just need to find the right woman. Like one who doesn’t kill tourists.” Like her.

  Derision bent his mouth. He clearly didn’t believe her. “Let me just work up an online dating profile then and see who’s willing to risk death on a first date.”

  She swallowed and found her nerve. “I am.”

  Ares knew he’d heard her correctly, and yet, the words took a second to register. “You must have hit your head harder than I thought.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my head.”

  “There is if you think you should go out with me.” His heart was doing strange things. Beating too fast. He took a breath, trying to dispel the unfounded hope that had started winding its way through him.

  She crossed her arms and stared at him. “What’s wrong with me? I’m not ugly.”

  Hell no, she wasn’t ugly. She was stunning. Even with dirt on her face and dried blood at her hairline. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the way you look. You’re beautiful. A blind man could see that. It’s about keeping you alive.”

  “What if I’m immortal?”

  “What if you’re not? There are no do-overs.”

  “And what if I am? Why not answer that question?”

  “Because I…” The muscles in his jaw tightened. Answering that question meant considering the future, and considering the future was something he never did. It hurt too much.

  She finished for him. “Don’t want to get your hopes up?”

  He nodded and kept his eyes on the road. Damn, this woman had great big steel balls to have this conversation with him. No one talked to him this frankly. They were all too afraid. Or just couldn’t be bothered to care. Which she clearly did. He just wasn’t sure why.

  “I get it,” she said. “I do.”

  If she could be blunt, so could he. “Why do you care?”

  “Because underneath that gruff, don’t-touch-me-or-you’ll-die exterior, you’re a nice guy. I think you hide a lot of who you really are because that’s what you’ve been forced to do. I also know that you’re as lonely as—”

  “I’m not lonely.”

  “Yes, you are. You have to be.”

  “And how would you know what I am?”

  Her answer was quieter, her voice less steady. “Because I’m lonely, too.”

  He sneaked a look at her, but her gaze was on the console between them. There was no joy in her face. Nothing there but raw truth. It rocked him to think of her that way. “You’re lonely?”

  She looked up from beneath her lashes. “Yes.” She huffed out a breath. “I’d like to be with someone who really wants to be with me, not because I’m influencing them in some way or because of the good vibes they get off me.” She shook her head. “I mean, I want that someone to be with me because I make them happy, but that happiness needs to come from them, not from me. Oh, never mind. What’s the point? You must get some kick off being lonely. I don’t even know why I bothered—”

  “If you were really immortal, I’d be interested.” A pit opened up in his stomach, and his nervous system went haywire, like he’d lost the ability to protect himself. Like he’d lost all his defenses.

  She gaped at him, openmouthed. “You would?”

  He nodded.

  She angled back around to face the front of the vehicle and smiled from ear to ear like she’d just won something. Which she hadn’t, because he was certainly no prize. “Okay, then,” she said. “I’ll work on figuring that out.”

  Seraphina’s mother being gone didn’t mean they hadn’t had some contact. It was rare and superficial when it happened, but Seraphina knew where her mother was. And figuring out whether or not she was really immortal meant a visit to her mother, something Seraphina had never done. When her mother had taken off, she’d implied that direct contact between them could put them both in danger. Too bad. The time for a face-to-face was long overdue.

  Since Dahlia’s safe return, Javier had been stuck to the girl’s side. He’d decided to take her on an impromptu trip to New York City for shopping and fun, giving Seraphina the time off she needed.

  She hopped a charter and flew to LA, where her mother lived and worked as a life coach. She was in great demand, charged exorbitant rates and seemed happy on the few occasions they’d been in touch, but seeing Cleo in person would reveal the truth. About many things, Seraphina hoped.

  The car Seraphina had hired took her to a gorgeous, gated house in the Hollywood Hills. The visit was a surprise, obviously—Seraphina didn’t want to chance her mother blowing her off with some excuse—but the gate would change that.

  The driver pressed the intercom button and waited for a response.

  “Hello?” The voice had a Latin accent, so not Cleo. Maybe there was a chance for a surprise after all.

  The driver leaned in. “I have Seraphina Kostos here for Cleo Silver.”

  Silver was the adopted name Cleo had taken on as a way to hide from her past. Seraphina wondered how well that had worked.

  “Si, I’ll let you in.” A buzz followed, and the gate swung open.

  A few minutes later, Seraphina was inside, sitting in her mother’s impressive office, waiting for her to appear. It didn’t take long.

 
; Her mother swanned into the room in a cloud of pale diaphanous silks and a crusting of diamonds and amethyst. “Seraphina, my darling, so good to see you.” She held out her bejeweled hands as Seraphina rose from her chair. “It’s been too long, my love.”

  “Yes, it has been.” Which is how her mother had wanted it. Seraphina took her mother’s hands and allowed herself to be air-kissed on both cheeks. “You look well. And very prosperous.” Her long, dark hair was now short and blond, but otherwise, she looked the same as the day she’d left Seraphina.

  Cleo shut the office door, came around to her desk and sat. “This is my place, filled with people who need me and”—she laughed—“don’t mind paying. Not to mention the whole not-aging thing makes them drool over me like you wouldn’t believe. I fit right in!” She smiled brightly. Her teeth gleamed. “What brings you out here? With no notice, you naughty thing.” She threw her hands into the air in a wild, sweeping motion. “I could have planned the most delicious party with more Hollywood elite than you could imag—”

  “Mom.” So like her mother to pretend there was nothing weird about this visit after years of separation. “I don’t need a party.” Or the Hollywood elite. Seraphina had had plenty of brushes with superficial greatness in her life. They weren’t that impressive. “I just need to talk.”

  Her mother’s face fell, disappointment clear. She took a breath. “I knew something had to be wrong if you came all the way out here. What’s wrong?”

  “You realize Vegas to LA is only slightly more than an hour by plane? Never mind. There’s nothing wrong. Not exactly.” Seraphina sat back in her chair. “But I need an answer to a question I’ve been trying to figure out for a long time.”

  “You came to see me to ask me a question?”

  “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  Cleo relaxed, but still looked a bit miffed. “Of course not, darling, I’m always here for you. You know that. What’s your question?”

  Seraphina braced herself. “If my father is human, am I mortal? Or is there enough of your goddess blood in me to keep me alive for the rest of eternity?”

  Cleo’s jaw slowly inched downward. She stared at Seraphina, but said nothing, finally closing her mouth.

  Seraphina ran her thumb over the arm of the chair. “I need to know, Mom. It’s kind of a big deal.”

  “Why? Are you planning to jump off a bridge?”

  Seraphina raised her head. “What if I am? Would I live through it?”

  Cleo huffed out a breath. “This is silly.”

  “It’s not silly. It’s my life.” She tapped a finger on the desk. “I deserve to know. Are you saying you can’t answer the question? Would you rather I ask what you’ve been so afraid of that you’ve made us live such separate lives?”

  Cleo stared at Seraphina, her right cheek twitching. “You’re immortal. There. Happy?” Cleo clearly wasn’t.

  “I am, thank you. And I wasn’t trying to upset you. Just get an answer.” Her stomach did a little trippy, rolling thing at the prospect of what that answer meant for her and Ares. She just hadn’t expected Cleo to react so strongly to her wanting to know.

  The stern expression on her mother’s face was a far cry from the one she’d walked in with. “You can at least tell me why you want to know.”

  Seraphina nodded slowly. That much she could do. “I need to know because of a man.”

  Understanding flickered in Cleo’s gaze. “You want to know if you’re going to outlive him? Sadly, yes.” She toyed with the nine-pointed star that hung around her neck, a twin to the one she’d given Seraphina. “Love is not without pain for anyone, but for us, it comes with the unique torture of seeing those we’ve pledged our hearts to grow old and die while we are left behind to mourn.”

  Seraphina would never have to worry about that with Ares, but she understood her mother’s concern. “Is that why you’ve never been in love?”

  Her mother blinked, her focus somewhere else. The past, most likely. “I’ve been in love…” The distant look suddenly vanished. She smiled, but it seemed forced. “It’s why I’ve never married.” She laughed. “Don’t worry about me, though. I’ve got plenty of male companionship.”

  “I’m sure you do. You’re a beautiful woman and a muse. I bet there’s a waiting list to escort you around town.”

  With a pleased smile, Cleo clasped her hands on the desk top. “I see you’re still wearing the necklace I gave you.”

  “I never take it off.”

  “And you never should.”

  “I know, it protects me from harm.” Seraphina rolled her eyes.

  “That’s right.” All traces of sweetness and light had been left behind. Cleo leaned forward. “Never take it off.”

  A little shocked by her mother’s adamant demand, Seraphina felt as chastised as a child. “I won’t. I promise.”

  “Good.” The smile was back. “How long are you staying? We could do dinner at Jean Luc’s, and I could call some of the girls for—”

  “Thanks, Mom, but I can’t. I’m headed back immediately. The driver’s waiting for me. And Javier expects me back.” Not entirely a lie. And based on the relieved expression on Cleo’s face, it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been. “He’s working on a major commission right now. You know how it is.”

  “Ah, yes.” Cleo stood and came out from behind the desk. “Maybe someday we’ll be able to spend more time together, take a drive up the coast. Have a girls’ weekend.”

  It would never happen, but Seraphina smiled anyway. “That would be great.” She hugged her mother, really hugged her. “I love you, Mom.”

  Cleo pulled back. “I love you, too, darling.” She put a hand on Seraphina’s cheek. “I’m sorry we’ve been apart for so long. I know it was my doing, but I’ve done it to protect you.”

  “I know. I don’t understand it, but I know you mean well.” Seraphina squeezed her mother’s hand.

  “Someday it may all make sense.” Cleo kissed Seraphina’s cheek, a sadness in her eyes that made Seraphina ache for her, but her mother had made her own choices. “Good-bye. Be well.”

  “You, too.” With a wave, Seraphina walked back to the waiting car, thoughts of her mother quickly turning to thoughts of Ares. The idea of being able to pursue a future with him made her barely able to suppress the giddiness boiling up inside her. She was immortal. Ares had no idea what was headed his way. She looked at the time and calculated when she’d arrive back in Vegas. Just before sunset. Perfect. She half-squealed with the unbridled pleasure of it all, stopping herself just as the driver looked at her through the rearview mirror.

  “Everything all right, miss?”

  Seraphina nodded, still grinning. “Everything is grand.”

  Only Ares’s supernatural hearing allowed him to catch the chime of his doorbell ringing over the thumping bass pounding through his gym. He released the chin-up bar and dropped to the floor. “Volume, down.”

  The music faded. It was almost eleven p.m. Another Collection already? He typically had more time between them—it wasn’t that often a life needed ending. It was also a little late for Romero to be sending a messenger to the house. He usually sent them first thing at sunset.

  Didn’t matter. Ares would be happy to take the job. Maybe not happy, but anything to get his mind off Seraphina and what could never be. It was wrong how much he missed being around her.

  He mopped the sweat off his face, threw the towel around his neck and went to answer the door. No point in bothering with a shirt. Whoever Romero had sent, Leo again or someone else, already knew what Ares was. The hourglass tattooed on his chest wasn’t going to come as any surprise. And if that much bare skin freaked the rookie out, it would be a good reminder for him to keep his distance. Ares was in no mood to worry about anyone else’s happiness.

  He yanked the door open. “What have you got for me—” Definitely not Leo. His pulse shot up. “Seraphina?”

  She smiled at him. An amazing sight. “Hi.”

  A mom
ent passed as it sank in that she was actually standing there. “Hi. What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?”

  Her brows lifted. “Can I come in?”

  “Sure, yeah. Sorry, I’m not used to visitors.” He moved out of the way, giving her plenty of space to pass by. Damn, she smelled good. Which was probably more than he could say about himself. He wiped the sweat off the back of his neck.

  “I figured as much.” Her short black mini showed off her incredible legs, making it a little hard for him to concentrate. “Most people don’t answer the door half naked.”

  He glanced down. “I was, uh, working out.”

  She laughed. “I can tell. Javier got your address for me from whoever he originally contacted.”

  Ares nodded, but his concern was building. She hadn’t come here to make small talk. “Is everything okay? Did Dahlia run away again?”

  “Everything’s fine, and no, Dahlia’s still home. Actually, she and Javier are in New York City. I don’t think she’ll be running away again anytime soon.” Her smile widened, and she moved toward him, causing him to step back. Her gaze seemed stuck on his chest. “What’s with the hourglass?”

  He glanced at the ink. “I was born with it. It’s the mark of a reaper.” And the receptacle for the souls he took, but that wasn’t a detail that seemed worthy of being shared. Not that he’d had a lot of conversations about the ink that branded him a collector of souls. “What brings you here?” Whatever it was, he was glad to see her. In a way. Having her here in person only reminded him of how much he wanted her. Of how much he couldn’t have.

  “I needed to see you. I have some very good news.”

  “You do?” His body tightened in response to her sweet perfume and gorgeous grin. She was all he’d been able to think about since leaving her side. Having her in his home seemed like something out of a fantasy. “What is it?”

  Her eyes twinkled. “I went to see my mother.”

  “What? I thought your mother was dead.”

  “No, not dead. Just not in my life. She purposefully distanced herself from me around the time I was seventeen. Said it was for my own good, but to this day won’t tell me much more than that. She’s a goddess. They’re prone to whims and capricious behavior.”