Fragmentary

by LeAnn Mason

  No longer was she in shapeless clothes with limp hair and a generally unkempt appearance. In her place sat a woman with radiant skin, vibrant eyes and pink lips. A woman not hiding her figure but embracing it in a lovely white sheath dress. Yes, her eyes still cast downward, and her limbs still twitched, but she was emerging. Who was to say that she wasn't capable of it, especially in extreme circumstances? An abusive mother, a predatory male. What else could set her off? That was if she was our perpetrator. I still seemed to be the only one with that theory at this point, no matter how sound the conclusion was. It seemed outward appearances and circumstances could sway even the seasoned investigator.

  A totally ladylike snort escaped as I watched Devlin mess with his lady locks again as he and Cara talked and ordered drinks. Even though we were only about ten feet from the couple, it was fairly difficult to hear much of anything other than the pulsing bass line. The vibrations were so heavy the glasses on the table jumped every time it hit.

  I was thinking this might be the first time that music would actually give me a headache, wincing as a particularly long tremor threatened to relieve the table of our refreshments. This was excessive, the music lost in all that bass.

  “Have you been here before?” I basically yelled the question at Holden, knowing that was the only way he'd hear me. He, on the other hand, did not have that problem because he pushed his thoughts to me to speak.

  Only on cases. The deep timbre of Holden's rich voice resonated within my skull; his thoughts didn't need to be yelled for me to hear them. It was actually easier to blend in here. It is so loud that it wasn't odd that I didn't talk.

  “Isn't it though? I mean, people come here to mingle, don't they?”

  He shrugged, his eyes vigilantly watching Devlin and his possibly-a-serial-killer date.

  “How did you not stand out? A gorgeous guy sitting alone in the corner all night is bound to be suspicious.”

  I danced.

  “You danced?” I was trying to wrap my head around that, mouth gaping as my mind slowly worked. “With women? Doesn't that usually involve words?”

  The dancing doesn't. He paused and finally cut his fake eyes my way. I got more than a few slaps after the dancing was done and I didn't talk. Didn't stand out here; emotions run high. Aren't you supposed to be listening? This is your first surveillance assignment and on a woman you think is a murderer.

  Well, that was a way to slap me back to reality. “Right. This is work. Not a date. Thanks. I'd forgotten.” I tried my best to tune back in to Cara and filter pertinent information. Did her thoughts confirm her outward unease? Was she capable of murder?

  About the time our server brought us our next round of drinks, Devlin was dragging his girl out onto the dance floor as a mix version of a song I knew well flooded the speakers. It sounded different like this, and if I could focus on more than my teeth clacking painfully each time the bass landed, I could probably tell if I liked it.

  We should probably follow them out, try to maneuver into a spot close to them so you can hear your target.

  “Do we have to?” I knew I sounded like a twelve year old whining about having to do homework, but I really did not like to put myself on display, especially when so much of my… self was already on display. “I seriously suck at dancing. There will be no sexiness in my moves. You know that I’ll most likely find a way to end up on my bum with everybody staring.”

  My pleading was doing nothing to deter Holden in his quest to stay close to Cara. He dragged me behind him much as we’d just witnessed Devlin do to his distressed date. I had no idea why he’d bring her here. Someone as submissive and non-confrontational would surely hate it in a crowded room filled to the brim with people high on the thought of sexual gratification with some – often random – person, I’d guess. This is exactly the situation that her horrid mother had wanted to keep from happening because there was no way Cara would go unnoticed on that dance floor.

  I hadn’t thought the sounds emanating from the speakers could disorient me more than they already were, but as Holden pulled me to his front at a little hole in the writhing dancers, my entire body pulsed with vibrations. Yes, I was totally going to pretend that the music was the cause of my wobbly knees and pounding heart. We were working after all…

  The thoughts of work… of Cara… of a murderer, fled my mind as Holden’s warm hand slid around my hip to splay across my lower back, the steadying push only pulling me closer to him, my hands lying on his hard chest, though I had no recollection of moving them there. Though the eyes that watched me weren’t blue or silver, and the face was all wrong, I still knew it was Holden, and he still captured my complete focus. Then he started to move. His strong, jean clad leg pushed between mine as he began a sensual dip to the floor, the hand and leg acting as guides for my body to follow.

  I was Jell-O. His to mold.

  I had no idea how long the haze lasted, only that the song was different when a none-too-soft push from the side waylaid my focus from Holden’s dance of seduction. “You wreak havoc on my control,” I complained breathily.

  He bent to nuzzle my neck, delivering slow kisses from my neck up to my jaw as his answer filled my head, dark with lust. At least I can return the favor.

  This was such a bad idea. Another body check successfully burst my horny haze long enough to gain some perspective. I gripped Holden’s shoulders and looked around under the guise of dancing. Cara and Devlin were surrounded by people, some vying for his attention and some for hers. He looked to be reaching the end of his rope as foreign hands roamed his body, returning even after he’d removed them.

  Masculine hands reached for Cara, causing her to flinch and Dev to growl. He looked to be focusing his efforts on getting Cara away from the wandering limbs of others pulling her from the dance floor. Naturally we followed but hung back as good spying dictates. I thought I caught something in Cara’s thoughts as she was both groped and manhandled, but with all the commotion around us – between us – I couldn’t be sure.

  Then we were clear of the crowd, of the dance floor that was like a mating call. The hormone haze I'd been doused with lifted, leaving only sweat and a racing heart in its wake. I also realized that I really had to pee.

  Seeing that Dev and Cara were back at their table, I figured I could take a moment to locate the, most likely unhygienic, facilities and relieve myself of this floating sensation that had made itself known. I tugged on Holden's hand, which still clenched mine, and shouted at him that I needed to find the restroom. He was kind enough to point me in the right direction, literally.

  I veered from our path back to the booth, trying not to get run over by those still caught in the haze while simultaneously avoiding drinks in unreliable grips. The stickiness of the floor was something I couldn't avoid and didn't want to think too hard about. I had a feeling it was more than spilled spirits attempting to trap my feet like it was tar and I a dinosaur. See, I paid attention in class.

  After a short walk down a hall, which was thankfully free of the stroke inducing lightshow of the main floor, I found a door marked with the telltale stick figure with a triangle indicative of my goal. As I pushed open the door, I was greeted with a near spitting image of what my mind had conjured for the space.

  There were several black stall doors along the left wall, a row of sinks along the right, and dingy black and white checkered flooring to top off the cliché look. The smell was icing on the cake. A pungent stew of all things the body could produce, all mingling and vying for the title of most offensive.

  I quickly found an empty stall and did my business while avoiding contact with anything connected to this room. Relieved, I zipped up and opened the stall and nearly walked into a wall of Amazon warrior woman. Whiskey colored eyes, seeming to have a flame writhing within their depths, looked at me with a rage I couldn't place.

  “Excuse me.” I attempted to ease around the exotic woman, only just noting the angry and wholly unfamiliar tone of her mind.

&nb
sp; This was not Cara Jenks.

  CHAPTER 26

  “WHY ARE YOU WATCHING me?” the imposter growled and stepped into my altered path, cutting off my avoidance.

  “I'm just watching out for Devlin.” I tried again to pass.

  “Devlin is not your concern,” she said haughtily, all trace of timidity gone from her posture, her features… from her mind. This couldn't be the same woman, or else she was an amazing con.

  “What's going on Cara? Why do you seem so different?”

  “I’m not Cara.”

  Well, that was a confirmation of my observations but… she was Cara. At least, the woman we’d thought was Cara Jenks.

  “Oh, okay. Are you related? Sisters? We haven't met with you this week, I'm Nathalee Dae. Enforcer.” I extended my hand in formal greeting though I really didn't want to spend any more time in this offensive room or with this woman that I couldn’t yet predict. Her thoughts had me on the defensive. The derision marking her face was something I'd liked to have attributed to the olfactory overload, but her mind told a different story. Her disdain was for me.

  “Look, I don't know what I've done to offend you, but I'd like to leave this room at some point, and I need to reach the sink first. Wash some of this nastiness away before heading back to my date. Would you mind…?” I peered around her, making my intention doubly obvious. “Please.” I was done with questions and politeness.

  “Leave me alone. Leave Devlin alone.”

  It was an order. The crazy lady thought I was going to obey her like that was the only action here. “Lady, I have no idea who you are, but I'm not leaving Dev alone and definitely not alone with you.” I tried one last time to step around her, getting one step before her arm snaked out, her hand wrapping like a python around my throat, eyes again flashing with a fire seeming to be alive in their golden depths.

  I fought against my natural inclination to fight or to panic. Panic was definitely bubbling, but I needed to be able to think while I still had the opportunity. I had no weapons. This was only a surveillance mission, and my clothes left no viable hiding spot for life saving items. Shit.

  “You need to let me go. Now.” I rasped, stupidly proud that my voice didn’t waver with my mounting heart rate.

  She squeezed. Just a show that she was in control, not me, before she replied. Bringing her face nearer to mine menacingly she seethed, “Why should I?”

  “Because I’m an enforcer. Devlin’s partn—” the words cut off as nails bit into my arteries, causing me to sputter. Apparently mentioning Devlin was risky. She had a great hold on me, and I needed to talk my way out of this before it escalated… again. Luckily, I still had feet on the ground, so even with her show of dominance, I wasn’t without options. I kept my arms loose at my sides to be used if I couldn’t get her to release me willingly. “You have no cause, you will be hunted. And for what? Because I was watching you in a public place? You can’t lose it like that. I get that you’re Primal, that your emotions run high, but what was your plan? Kill me?” I shook my head, or rather, attempted to. Her hold didn’t allow for much movement.

  I ran through my dirty fighting arsenal: throat, eyes, gut, groin, knees and feet were my best targets. It wasn’t lost on me that I was in the same position I’d only thought I’d been in early this morning. A position Holden had been in as a child, only he’d had it worse. Much worse.

  I gasped and nearly fell to the floor when her hand suddenly left my skin, this being about the last place I wanted to end up on the floor. Blood rushed my head, making me dizzy while I dragged in a burning lungful of air. Rubbing at my neck, I stood back to my full height. “So, now we can talk.”

  A knock had both our heads snapping toward the closed door. If it had been a woman, she would have just walked in instead of announcing herself to possible occupants. Nope, mentally I heard Holden out in the hall. The knock hadn’t been his though.

  “Care? Nat, are you guys all right?” Dev’s deep voice, muffled by the heavy door, didn’t mask his concerned thoughts. He knew something was up. Didn’t help that he knew I suspected his girlfriend of murder. He didn’t know that I’d basically just confirmed that she definitely could have done it. She had the capacity. Never mind the fact that she thought she was someone else right now. That her mind was definitely not the one I’d encountered previously. I wanted to figure out how.

  “Can I wash my hands now?” I asked bitingly as I once again took a sidestep to go around the gladiator woman in my way. “This place is nasty. I’d like to leave it. The boys would like us to vacate as well, I think.”

  She looked a little baffled, brows pinched as she watched me wash up. Her thoughts still battered me with aggression and possession for Devlin. Hadn’t she noticed I was with someone else? Our little display on the dance floor should have been sufficient to waylay her belief that I wanted her man, right? Drying my hands, I made a sweeping gesture toward the door. “After you.”

  Giving me a narrow eyed, assessing, look, Cara – or whoever she believed she was – turned on her wedged heel and strode toward the barrier between us and our men, her pristine white ensemble no worse for wear after our encounter in the bowels of Hell. Pun again intended. Pulling open the door, we were greeted with the worried faces of Holden and Devlin who both stopped pacing the crowded passage as the door creaked open.

  “Everything all right?” Devlin searched the woman’s face like he was afraid I’d taken some shots at her in the poor excuse for a ladies room. I wasn’t sure if I should feel offended or smug. If Dev actually believed I could damage this warrior woman, then maybe he had a little more faith in me than I’d previously thought.

  My pride deflated like a popped balloon when his thoughts indicated that he believed his girl to be too passive to assert herself and would allow herself to be injured. I snorted as I pushed past the reunited lovers, knowing just how wrong he was. I really wished I could communicate telepathically to one of them right about now. It’d be great to pipe up about the psycho in our midst. “C’mon. Let’s get acquainted.” I stopped and pointedly looked at Dev. “Maybe we can get to know…” I moved my stare to Cara. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get your name while you had your fingers wrapped around my throat.” I batted my eyes ingenuously.

  “You know— wrapped around— what are you talking about?”

  Both Holden and Devlin were all kinds of mystified now, their eyes flitting from me to the other woman.

  “Let’s get back to the tables, and we can have a little heart to heart.” I waved them over and began walking toward the dark booth in the corner Holden and I had been occupying.

  Nat, what happened? Are you all right? What’s this about hands on your throat?

  I grabbed Holden’s hand and pulled him with me. “I’ll explain in a moment.”

  When we reached the table and took our seats, Holden sat next to me, Cara and Devlin across the booth, Dev and me at the outside; he didn’t want me with easy access to his girl. I rolled my eyes. The good thing about his seating arrangement was that she wouldn’t be able to slip out easily. I folded my hands in front of me expectantly and gave her my attention. “So, who are you?”

  “What are you talking about? Geez, Nat.”

  “Shut up, Dev and look at her. Talk to her.”

  He turned his body so he faced his date. “What’s she talking about?” He looked her over, noting her rigid posture, her shrewd eyes that no longer cast downward in avoidance. “What’s going on Cara?”

  “I’m not Cara,” she seethed as she cast narrowed eyes around our group. “Cara is weak. Cara is broken. I am Ember, raised from the ashes of the pathetic, smoldering remains of Cara.”

  “Well… all right, Ember. Have you or Cara been dating Devlin?” I asked tentatively. I needed more information. We all needed to keep this conversation going. A suspect interview on the down low, as it were. Would the boys keep with the program? I tried to convey my thoughts on the matter, through several shifty eyed looks and raised eyebrows, wit
hout being too obvious. I was with Primals who hadn’t seemed to need the neon arrows. I hoped this situation would be no different.

  “Ember?” Dev pulled her attention again. He seemed to be good with more information. Those striking amber colored eyes swung to look at him, softening immediately. This one definitely had a thing for Devlin. Maybe we could use that. “Ember, why did you tell me your name was Cara?”

  I thought he’d grasped it, but his mind was conjuring up reasons why this woman would impersonate another. I didn’t think that was the case. The aggressive beat blaring from the speakers was making our conversation more of a controlled yell of information than light pleasantries. This was a horrible place to gather verbal information. Why were we doing this?

  “I didn’t. You met Cara first, started seeing her. In fact, you and I haven’t had nearly enough time together,” she purred seductively, her blunt nails raking slowly down Devlin’s buttoned shirt as she quirked a brow and bit her lower lip. Wow, I needed to take notes. That stuff was gold. No. No being impressed by the wack-a-doodle, Nat. I chided myself.

  “Okay, so when did we meet?”

  “The night we stayed in,” the woman said. She was definitely working her charms on my mentor.

  “Why that night?” I butted in.

  Annoyed, she moved her attention to me. Full bore. This was the Amazon warrior who matched her exterior. This was the woman who would kick ass and take names even if all you’d asked for was a name. She didn’t like me. At all. Considered me a threat. Should I be flattered?

  “Because Cara could never take the wheel on seduction. Once she let Devlin take care of her, get to know her, she wanted to impress him. Keep him, but sex scares her.” She shrugged. “She needed me.”

  “Why would she need you to take over intimacy with her boyfriend?”

  The boys had been eerily quiet so far, letting Ember talk. Letting me fish for answers, but Devlin was finally grasping that the woman who sat here with us hadn’t been who he thought. He’d start spouting soon. He was going through the night alluded to in his head, seeing things I just didn’t want to. Ugh. “Dev, could you please, not?”