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

by Kristen Painter

  “Fine with me. We’ll talk more when this is all said and done, yes?”

  “Yes.” Gage heard Romero speaking to someone else, then a few clacks of a keyboard.

  “Freight entrance is ready to receive your packages. I have a car waiting to take you to the airport and a jet that will get you to LaGuardia. Anything else?”

  “Just my thanks.”

  Romero cleared his throat. “It’s not entirely my place to say this, but I’m saying it anyway. You just about killed that woman when you left.”

  “I had my reasons.” Reasons he’d be able to explain to Romero and the rest of the higher-ups very soon.

  “I’m sure you did. But break her heart again, and you’ll have me to deal with. Understood?”

  Gage smiled at the man’s protectiveness. It was good to know someone was watching out for her. “Understood. I will not screw this up twice.”

  He glanced in the rearview mirror at Minka’s sleeping form. So long as she gave him that second chance.

  Minka woke up strapped into an airplane seat. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re on a jet to New York,” Gage answered. He lounged in the seat beside her. All the shades were pulled down. “How do you feel?”

  “Not as bad as I expected. How long was I out?”

  “Almost five hours. We’ll be landing soon.”

  She straightened and did the math. “It’s daylight. Why aren’t you asleep?”

  “Too much to do. We’ll have time to sleep when we get in. No point in hitting Blackwell’s place until after dark anyway. Besides, I have supplies to get. Waking up a vampire who’s been entombed this long…” He shook his head. “It’s a major job.”

  “You need blood,” she whispered.

  He nodded. “Not only do I have to be well fed, but I have to go in with enough to bring him back to consciousness.” He put his hand on Minka’s arm. “I assumed you’d want to come with me after what you said about finishing this together. If I was wrong about that, I’ll put you on a flight right back to Vegas as soon as we land.”

  “No. That was the right decision. I want to help.” The truth was, she wanted to be with him. She’d enjoyed having him at her side again. Being a team. She’d missed it more than she’d realized.

  He smiled, then his expression went back to serious. “I’ll have to bring in a few of the other Gotham City Collectors. This isn’t a job you and I can do by ourselves.”

  “I’m cool with that.”

  “You’re going to have to hang back when we bring him around. He’ll be ravenous. Possibly feral.”

  “I get it. You don’t want me to be his first meal.”

  Gage looked into her eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “It’s your show. I’ll do whatever you say.” She glanced around the plane. No sign of Blackwell. She cringed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t see Blackwell. Did you kill him?”

  Gage smiled and shook his head. “He and the Alchemist are currently in Romero’s capable hands.”

  “Really? I thought for sure—I’m really glad you turned him over.”

  “Well, you promised you’d go out with me if I did. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  “What?” She blinked at him. “I don’t remember…wait a minute. Actually, I do remember that.” She bit her bottom lip. “I guess I have to go through with it now.”

  “Damn right you have to go through with it.”

  “Aren’t you going to be busy with Caleb?”

  “Yes, but once we get him out of there, he’s not going to do much for a couple days but feed and heal.” Gage traced the curves of her knuckles with his index finger. “You and I will have plenty of time for that dinner. And to get reacquainted.”

  The intercom clicked on, saving her from replying. “Please prepare for landing.”

  She tugged at her seat belt, making sure it was secure. “How are you going to deal with the sun being out? I don’t think cabs have UV-proof tinting on the windows.”

  He grinned and settled back in his seat. “It’s all taken care of. You’ll see.”

  They stayed quiet until the plane landed and pulled into a private hangar. The pilot came back on to give them the all clear. The lone flight attendant, an SCC employee with a little fae in her judging by the shape of her ears, opened the door and connected the rolling steps.

  Minka climbed down and admired the sleek limo waiting for them. She turned to Gage as he was descending. “I see what you meant by taken care of. Nice ride.”

  A driver jumped out to greet them, a small, mustached man in a suit and cap. He had the swarthy complexion and blocky muscular build of one of the earthier types of supes. He grinned broadly. “Ma’am, Mr. Hudson.”

  Gage answered him. “Hey, Franco. Thanks for meeting us. I’ve got the door.”

  “No problem, Mr. Hudson.” Franco got back in the limo.

  Gage laughed as he came up behind her. “What did you think? We were going home by bus? New York isn’t any less sophisticated than Vegas. We might actually have you beat in that department. We’re less flash, more class.”

  “Whatever.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I thought maybe we’d take some kind of shuttle to the terminal, then stick to the subway system.”

  “Speaking of, in the last year the GCC has improved on that method of transportation.”

  She shrugged. “A subway is a subway. How much better can it get?”

  “A lot.” He opened the limo door. “The Dark Line is a rather exceptional achievement.”

  She got in and waited for him to join her. “What’s the Dark Line?”

  “It’s a completely separate system that uses abandoned tunnels and tracks, but is run and maintained by the GCC. It’s a supes-only line.”

  “Okay, that I’d like to see.”

  “That can be arranged.” He winked at her.

  The glass divider slid down, and the driver turned around to speak to them. “Where can I take you, Mr. Hudson?”

  “My house.” Gage gestured toward Minka. “Franco, meet Minka Winslow, Sin City Collector and the world’s most beautiful pixie. Minka, this is Franco Sartucci, Gotham City Collector and the best getaway man and troll you could ever want on a job.”

  Franco tipped his hat. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Winslow.”

  Troll, of course. “You, too, Mr. Sartucci.” She couldn’t help but smile at Gage’s most beautiful comment, even though she wasn’t one to be swayed by such over-the-top compliments.

  Franco shrugged. “Franco, please.” He grinned. “I’ll have you to your brownstone soon as I can, Mr. Hudson.”

  Gage nodded. “Soon is good. Fast is better.”

  Franco laughed as the divider slid back up. “Is there any other way?”

  Gage settled into his seat with a sigh. “I’m beat.”

  “Sleep if you want.” She resisted the urge to touch his leg. “I know it’s hard not to when the sun is up. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “You let me sleep on the plane, didn’t you? No, I don’t mind a bit.”

  “Thanks.” He tipped his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.

  Daysleep for a vampire happened quickly. There was no snoring, no soft rise and fall of the chest, just the sudden cessation of all movement. It was like he’d gone to stone. She was used to it now, but when they’d first gotten together, it had freaked her out. Made her feel like she was sleeping next to a corpse. After learning how fast he could come out of that deep, motionless sleep when threatened, it stopped bothering her.

  But it hadn’t stopped her from becoming a little protective of him when he was like this. It was his most vulnerable state. Because of that, very few vampires ever let anyone around them during daysleep. His willingness to succumb to it around her was a sign of trust.

  Trust she didn’t know if she could return. She turned her head and watched the city go past, lo
sing herself in the argument of whether or not to give him a chance to redeem himself, until Franco pulled into the alley behind Gage’s brownstone.

  Memories came flooding back. She hadn’t been here in so long, but it all looked the same. The last time she’d been in this house, they’d been a couple. In love. With not a hint of trouble ahead. Except, even then he’d been keeping the secret of Blackwell from her.

  Nothing about this situation was easy.

  She put a hand on his knee and shook it to wake him. “We’re here.”

  His eyes flickered open. “That was fast.”

  “You did tell Franco fast was better.”

  They said good-bye to Franco and ran for the door, even though there was enough shade in the alley for them to get into the house without Gage having any issues.

  Once inside, Gage switched on a few lights in the otherwise dark interior. “Is this weird?”

  “Being here?” Being surrounded by his things, his scent. Their memories.

  He nodded.

  “Yes. A little.” She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.” It kind of was, actually. “I’m fine.” For a pixie, she was becoming rather good at keeping her true feelings inside. “You going to crash?”

  He made a face she couldn’t quite read. “Yeah, after a quick shower. You…need anything?”

  She plucked at her bloodstained tank top. “Same. A shower. But I know where everything is.”

  He smiled sadly. Or maybe he was just tired, and she was reading too much into it. “Yeah, I guess you do.” He started up the stairs to his bedroom, then paused. “I moved your stuff into the spare room. Otherwise, everything’s in the same place.”

  “I didn’t realize I’d left anything here.” But of course she had. They’d come here for weekends now and then. Enough time that she’d kept a few things here to make impromptu trips easier. And he’d kept them. Maybe not in his room, but still in his house. “Thanks.” She pointed toward the kitchen. “You have anything to eat?”

  “There’s at least cheese and crackers. Probably olives. I always have that much. You can order something if you want.”

  “I’ll rummage.” She hesitated. “Do you want to feed now or before we go to Blackwell’s?”

  “Before. I’ll be up in plenty of time to get ready. I’ll send a few texts now to Collectors I know will be willing to back me up, but everything else I’ll handle after I get up.” With that, he headed upstairs.

  She walked into the kitchen, her mind going in a hundred different directions. Her stuff was still here. She opened the fridge. Half a jar of olives. Some kind of preserves. And a single block of cheese with enough mold that it didn’t look intentional.

  If he was entertaining other women, wouldn’t there be food here? And wouldn’t they wonder about another woman’s clothes and toiletries, even if they were kept in another room? There wasn’t a single sign of another woman either. Not an empty bottle of wine in the recycling, not a note card saying thanks for the great evening, not a forgotten-on-purpose earring in the catchall bowl by the entry.

  Was it possible he wasn’t seeing anyone else? Or maybe he was just having a dry spell. Or too busy trying to find his brother. She went with that as she checked the pantry. The crackers were expired, but she found a bar of chocolate behind the box. Good enough. She ate it on the way upstairs.

  The master bath had a big, luxurious shower, but she wasn’t about to go into his bedroom. The other bathroom was fine. She ate the last of the chocolate as she cranked on the water. After it steamed up, she shed her clothes and climbed in.

  Hot water had never felt so freaking amazing. She stayed in a little too long, finally hopping out to wrap herself in one of Gage’s thick white towels. She towel-dried her hair, then wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at herself.

  What the hell was she going to do about Gage?

  The bottom line was she still loved him. She could forgive what he’d done to her now that she knew the circumstances. But could she ever trust him again?

  With a sigh, she scooped up her discarded clothes and headed for the spare room to get dressed.

  The door to Gage’s room was only a few feet away. She crept forward and put her hand to the door. It wasn’t fully closed. She nudged it open half an inch. Enough to see him in the dim light from the hall fixture.

  Her heart constricted at how beautiful he was. The sheets were tangled about his waist, revealing his bare chest. The remainder of him was probably equally undressed if he still slept the way she remembered. One arm rested above his head, making his body look like a mile-wide stretch of muscle. She pushed the door open a little farther.

  Her soul ached with how much she’d missed him. Hating him had hurt just as much as him leaving her. Being in his house was like stepping back in time to when everything had been so, so right between them. It was too much—the sight of him, the memories of what they’d once been and the painfully raw hope of what they could be again. Longing erased her better judgment. She was about to do something incredibly stupid, and she didn’t care.

  She padded softly across the floor, dropped her towel and climbed into bed next to him.

  Gage came awake the instant the mattress moved, but didn’t budge, didn’t open his eyes, didn’t shift. Nothing that might disturb Minka and make her change her mind. She curled up next to him with her head on the crook of his arm. In a few minutes, she was asleep.

  Only then did he open his eyes. She’d left the hall light on. Enough of it spilled into the room so that when he turned his head a fraction, he could see her. Blond hair spilled across his arm. Her face was downturned, her eyes closed so that the curves of her lashes just shadowed her cheeks.

  The clean scent of soap surrounded her. His fangs ached, not with the desire to feed, but with the need to possess her. The rest of his body followed, awakening to her presence as though he still had a right to her. He wasn’t foolish enough to think that her presence in his bed gave him any kind of permission.

  She shifted, her lips parting slightly to let out a soft sigh. Was she dreaming of him? The sheet slipped off her shoulder. He already knew from the parts of her pressed against him that she wore exactly the same thing he did.

  Nothing.

  He straightened his neck and stared at the ceiling. She’d gotten into bed with him and fallen asleep. She hadn’t woken him up, hadn’t made any request of him. She probably just hadn’t wanted to be alone.

  No matter her reasons, she damn sure wasn’t his anymore.

  He’d done plenty to make certain of that.

  What had motivated her to get into bed with him? Fear? She’d drifted off too easily. Old times’ sake? She wasn’t the nostalgic kind. He hadn’t really thought there was a chance for them. Until this moment.

  Whatever her reason, he wasn’t going to do anything to make her leave. If she wanted something more from him, that move was up to her. Although once she made it, he’d be happy to take things from there.

  He fell back into daysleep with a grin on his face, a fantasy in his head and a soul-deep longing in his heart.

  As Gage woke, he stretched out his hand in search of Minka, but didn’t find her. He opened his eyes and pushed to his elbows. He was alone in the bed. Had he dreamed that she’d joined him here? Her scent lingered, so he doubted it.

  Based on the coffee he also smelled, she was awake, too.

  He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and checked his messages. To the man, every Collector he’d called on was coming to help. He sent them a quick text back, then a longer, private one to Sergei, his GCC manager. The Russian was a much older vampire and the one who’d sired him, Caleb and Blackwell. Sergei would know exactly what it would take to bring Caleb back. His help would be invaluable.

  Gage threw on a clean pair of jeans and jogged downstairs. He found Minka in the den on his computer, sipping from a large cup of takeout coffee. She wore one of his T-shirts, her bare legs crossed beneath her, and her hair was wrapped in a messy knot he
ld in place by two pencils. He couldn’t imagine her looking any sexier than she did in that moment.

  He leaned against the doorframe and enjoyed the view for a moment before he spoke. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She gave him a quick glance, her gaze lingering a second longer than necessary on his bare chest before going back to the computer screen. She set her coffee down. “You sleep okay?”

  Now she was just toying with him. He went along with it. “Great. I had the most incredible dream.”

  “Did you?” Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

  “Yes.” He strolled forward to sit on the edge of the massive mahogany desk. “I dreamed a beautiful woman slipped into bed with me.”

  She kept her eyes on the computer, but her mouth made a little shape that meant she was pretending not to be interested. She had been in bed with him, she just didn’t want him to know about it, which was why she’d left before he’d woken up. She sighed like she was bored. “Sounds like a pretty typical male dream.”

  Two could play this game. He sighed with longing. “This wasn’t just any dream. This woman was…amazing.”

  “That so.”

  “Skin like sweet cream. The kind that makes a man’s mouth water.” Her cheeks showed a hint of color. He continued, “And the most perfect ripe strawberry of a mouth.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Did you start reading romance novels in the last two years? Or cookbooks?”

  He decided to go in for the kill. “And her hair. She had this glorious mane, soft and silky.” He drew his fingers across the span of wood between her and the computer. “And the color of this desk.”

  “What?” That got her to look at him.

  He laughed so hard he couldn’t speak for a moment.

  “You’re awful, you know that?” She swatted him with a nearby magazine, then tossed it on the desk and picked her coffee back up. “And your hospitality sucks. I had to go out and get this.”

  “I hope not dressed like that.” If she had, he wouldn’t be surprised to find men camped out on his doorstep. “If I had known you were coming back with me, I would have stocked up on all your favorites.”