“You about done?”
“I am.” In an instant, all humor vanished from his tone. “Because, on your three o’clock there is a caterer with a definite bulge on the left side of her sash.”
“If I grope another stranger and end up pulling out a tampon, I’m shoving it up your nose.” Even as I made the idle threat, I swiveled on my heel to give my—usually—stealthy lift maneuver another go. To my great relief, this time it went off without a hitch. Allowing me to palm a silver bullet with two glass cylinders embedded in it, loaded with Lupine fatal wolfsbane.
“Yahtzee,” I muttered and quickly stuffed it down the bodice of my gown.
“You got the prize. Now, for the second act, may I suggest moving this up to the roof? It’s a full moon. Without a doubt, there will be a wolfie presence up there, itching to howl.” And just like that, Bash’s confident, capable tone was replaced by one of stuttering self-doubt. “Wait… was that supernaturally racist? Am I feeding into unflattering stereotypes? Shit. There’s still so much about supes I don’t know.”
These were the moments that always made me smile. The ones where Sebastian’s training slipped enough to reveal the adorkable goofball beneath. Grin still in place, I weaved my way back through the crowd to edge up alongside Lannister. If he even noticed I left, he didn’t let on.
Bumping his elbow with mine, I tossed my hair from my eyes and offered him what I hoped read as a come hither look and not that I was suppressing the urge to knee him in the nuts. Which I very much was. “Here we are at, quite possibly, the most epic party ever, and you’re standing there looking like someone pissed in your Cheerios.”
Tipping up yet another two-fingers of amber liquid, Lannister turned his back to the bar and rolled his eyes at my comment. “Is it a dhampir trait to be so tragically uncouth, or is that merely a failure on your part?”
Dragging my tongue over my top teeth, I imagined myself delivering a palm strike directly to his windpipe. Granted, the maneuver would be pointless on a dude that doesn’t breath, but it would feel really damned good.
Once again reading my thoughts, Bash chimed in. “This guy deserves a silver-laced enema.”
Snorting an incredibly unladylike laugh, I covered my mouth with my fist. “Sorry, but that was really spot on.”
I was talking to Bash, but Lannister didn’t know that.
With his lips pursed in disdain; Lannister’s gaze traveled the length of me. “Of course, you wouldn’t pick up on the derogatory nature of the comment.”
This asshole needed to be brought to his knees. And I was going to take great pleasure in doing just that. It took a Herculean effort to force a passable smile while jerking my head in an inviting gesture towards the stairs. “I know you wanted to leave, but there’s a rooftop bar that’s supposed to have an amazing view of the city skyline. What do you say? Can we at least take a peek before we jet out of here?”
Lannister pushed off the bar counter with the same level of exuberance as a teenager tasked with cleaning his room. “Whatever will make this night go faster. Maybe I can find someone good to eat along the way.”
“Fuck it.” Bash relented. “Let’s chuck this whole plan and stake this asshat. I’ll make up a reason he's a national security risk, and we’ll say we had to take him down for the sake of mankind. Which probably isn’t far from the truth. For all we know, this guy could be causing an outbreak of Vampiric-syphilis. One way or another, the world would be a brighter place without him in it.”
Chapter Four
Sure, I was there to bring down a criminal and get a taste of sweet vengeance, but that didn’t change the fact that the view from the rooftop was breathtaking. The glittering lights of New York twinkled in the distance like glittering diamonds set against the sapphire cloak of night. As for the rooftop décor, that was pure art with its sleek and trendy modernism. The bar itself was a slab of porcelain stone, carved into a spherical masterpiece. Sunken conversation areas surrounded it. Three sides were lined with luxurious cushions, and in the center of each area was a table with a plane propeller beneath its glass. And, of course, what would the night be without a fire show? A dragon-shifter and warlock entertained the oohing and ahhing crowd by morphing the dragon’s fiery breath into the shape of birds, butterflies, and other fantastical creatures.
It was stunning… really. My attentions, however, were locked on the Lupine specimen prowling from the bar to a cozy little couch where not one… not two… but three feline shifters eagerly awaited his return. Not that I could blame the randy looking vixens. Mix Taylor Lautner’s smile with Joe Manganiello’s abs and magnetism, and you’ll get a taste of what Wolfie McStudpup was working with.
He was perfect… and I didn’t mean as eye candy. Although that didn’t hurt.
“Get us a seat, and I’ll handle the drinks.” Not waiting for Lannister to answer, I strolled straight for the bar on a trajectory that would deliberately cross the wolf’s path. Arm straight down to my side, I let the bullet slip from my fingers. It bumped against the fabric of my gown, slowing its descent to the ground. The muted snap I heard when it landed made my stomach lurch at the possibility that one of the miniscule glass vials had broken on impact. My intention was not for anyone to get hurt in any way. Unfortunately, if I wanted to implicate Lannister—and not myself—for being in possession of the bullet, I had no choice but to hold my head high and keep walking.
“One club soda with lime, and one of whatever your signature cocktail is,” I requested of the unicorn bartender, whose gorgeous cotton candy-colored hair had me rethinking my own ‘do.
“One Designated Driver Special, and a Revenge of the Unicorn coming up.” She winked.
Distracted by what was about to unfold behind me, I managed a tight-lipped smile of acknowledgment before turning around with one elbow propped on the bar. Lannister had settled into one of the conversation areas, only to have his attention stolen by something or someone on his phone. Little did he know, only a few yards behind him, the toe of McStudpup’s Louis Vuitton shoe connected with the bullet, sending it skittering across the floor in front of him. Gnawing a hole in my bottom lip, I watched his brow furrow at the flash of metal a second before he crouched to pick it up.
Instinctively, I sucked air through my teeth, fearing what might come. I wasn’t wrong. The second his fingers closed over the silver casing; the tendons of his arm locked in rigors of pain. Teeth gnashing to suppress an anguished yelp, a growl escaped from between his lengthening incisors.
“What the hell is this?” Rocketing up to his full, menacing height, McStudpuppy pinched the bullet between blistering fingers. “A casing laced with wolfsbane? Is this a joke? A threat? Which of you cowards is behind this?”
As an undead citizen, Lannister had no blood pumping through his veins. Still, he somehow seemed paler as his head swiveled in the direction of his manufactured weaponry held up for all to see. Blinking rapidly in a nervous twitch barely held in check, his crimson gaze flicked around the room. Instinct snapping out his fangs, his pupils dilated into bubbling cauldrons of threat.
Both our drinks in hand, I cut through the stunned crowd to Lannister’s side. “Something wrong, lover?”
“Shut up at once, you half-blood twit,” he hissed. “Must you draw attention this way with your pointless yammering?”
“Stand on top of the bar Coyote Ugly style,” was Bash’s helpful suggestion. “Let’s see if we can get this blood-bag so riled up he pops.”
Appearing as if from nowhere came a wavy-haired hero with an ice-blue stare and easy smile. Keeping his voice at little more than a whisper, he slathered on the charm to soothe the agitated wolf. Even as he spoke, those eyes—the crisp color of a Nordic winter—searched the crowd for traces of guilt or motive.
In his frazzled state, I expected Lannister to break. For his façade to crumble and reveal him for the murderous piss-ant that he was. But that was my blind hate talking, blatantly disregarding the fact that he had a few centuries under his b
elt to perfect his slimy techniques.
In a rather shocking plot twist, he turned his attention my way, leaning in with surprising nonchalance. “I’m not sure I took the time to tell you how lovely you look tonight. What a horrible oversight on my part.” Even as the utter bullshit tumbled from his lips, Lannister kept his gaze locked on the bullet. “As exquisite as that dress is, I can’t help but ponder how much more appealing it would be in a heap on the floor of my penthouse.”
“I am totally judging you for being even remotely interested in him.” Bash injected into the nightmarish moment that had Lannister’s knuckles tracing up and down the length of my arm.
Bile scorching up the back of my throat, I fought the urge to pull away as Lannister dipped his head to let his lower lip tease over mine.
“Let me worship your body as I should have done the moment I laid eyes on you.” While his throaty whisper was convincing, I was well aware he was using me as his shield. Surely he couldn’t look guilty if he was over here getting freaky.
While I was longing for a silver nail to plunge straight into his heart, fate took a different approach and offered him a reprieve. With his arm around the wolf’s shoulders, the staff member guided him downstairs, most likely to further investigate the matter.
In a blink, Lannister pulled away. His hand jerked off my arm as if he had been tainted by the contact. “Let’s go. Now. I’ve had about as much partying as I can take.”
Chapter Five
Hands clamped in a vise grip around my wrist; Lannister tugged me down the stairs towards the exit. If he got me outside, it was all over. We would be zipped back to where the silvery slip of light had transported us from the sidewalk in front of his penthouse. Thereby ruining my plan and allowing him to go back to hiding behind his privilege and stature.
This was a man who didn’t care who he hurt. It was time for some karmic retribution.
Planting my feet, I snatched my arm out of his hold. “Wait! Is there a reason we’re running like a torch while a pitchfork wielding crowd is chasing us?”
As he spun on me, his face morphed, making him look more monster than man. “Because very shortly, they could be. There are matters at play you know nothing about. That said, I am leaving. Whether you decide to accompany me is completely up to you.”
While I glanced from the bathroom door to the tarot card readings being done in one of the glowing privacy cubes, my mind raced in search of a way to stall him. Out of brilliant ideas, I threw the Hail Mary tactic. Seizing his forearm, I tugged him to me and dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If someone is after you, they aren’t going to let you get to that door. Not knowing the instant you step outside you’ll vanish. They’ll make a move before then, which means you need to be at full strength for any incoming attacks. When is the last time you fed?”
Pulling back, he blinked my way as if seeing me for the first time. “It—it’s been a day or two.”
“You need to feed.” Clapping my hands on his shoulders, I turned him towards the sea of bodies ebbing and flowing around us in an electrified current. “There are plenty of beings around here. But make sure they are a willing donor, The Proprietor won’t take kindly to any forced feedings.
“There isn’t time,” even as the argument formed on Lannister’s lips, his fangs stretched with ravenous hunger. “We should run while we can.”
Playing the part of the little devil on his shoulder, I whispered against his ear. “Half vamp and hungry vamp against a crowd of shifters, gargoyles, and every other magical creature imaginable? We don’t stand a chance unless we arm ourselves in any way we can.”
“You’re right.” The tip of his tongue teased over the tip of one fang. “I must feed. What will you do?”
Letting one shoulder rise and fall in a shrug, I opted for blatant honesty. “I’m going to see if I can find us another way out of here.”
Lannister’s lecherous gaze wandered over the curves of a lanky blonde. “Twenty minutes, meet me here by the stairs, or I’m leaving without you.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ll be waiting.” Turning on my heel, I felt the fabric of my gown swish around my ankles in my determined stride for the bathroom. This time, I didn’t care who saw me talking to myself. “Bash, you there?”
“I am, and it looks like our plan has been thrown into overdrive. I don’t like this, T. It’s getting too rushed and risky. Do I need to remind you—for the millionth time—of what will happen if you’re caught with a murder weapon in there?”
“I won’t get caught.” Letting the bathroom door swing shut behind me, I marched down the alley of stalls, pushing open each door as I went. In the large handicap stall at the end, I found what I was looking for: a heating duct up by the ceiling. Latching the door behind me, I unsnapped the skirt of my gown, letting the fabric fall in a pool at my feet. I carefully positioned it in front of the toilet to make the space look occupied. Beneath the glitz and glamour, I wore a lycra body suit that clung to my curves like a second skin. “Have you been able to find a blueprint of the building in town records?”
“I have. If you follow the duct work down, there’s an abandoned subway tunnel beneath the building. I can go down through the cellar here and meet you there.”
Planting one foot on the toilet seat, I pulled a bobby pin from my hair and used the curved end to unscrew the vent cover. “See? Nothing to stress over. We have plenty of time.” My words morphed into a grunt as I heaved myself up into the duct work and wriggled forward in an army crawl. Pausing over one of the vents, I glanced down to make sure I remained undetected by the supes below. I was positioned directly over one of the privacy cubes where a woman was squaring off with three beings over her prime real estate.
“Get out of my cube.” Leaning towards the woman, the point of his nose mere inches from hers, a dude emanated dark power emanated that had the undeniable scent of a fae.
From behind the woman stepped a mammoth of a man who managed to be impressive even from my awkward vantage point. Power seemed to seep from his pores. A curious glow built around them, a haze seeping out to cover the area surrounding them and the dance floor.
Somewhere in the midst of it, the fae relaxed, his brewing darkness all but erased. “What is this?”
The hero of the moment adopted a tone as cold and unyielding as a dagger’s edge. “Normally, I’d make you apologize—”
“Uh, Teigen?” Bash interrupted the mesmerizing moment. “If you would rather sit and watch this scene play out, I am totally for it. It’s by far the best plan you’ve had tonight. But if you want to continue on your suicide mission, I need to remind you that time is of the essence.”
Grumbling my annoyance, I wiggled onward. “You know it’s really a shame that tonight had to be about destroying Lannister. This really does look like a hell of a party.”
Bash took a beat of silence before answering. “It doesn’t have to be. It never did. I get that this guy hurt you, T, but—”
“Enough!” Batting one hand, I sliced my way through a spiderweb. “Stop making this sound like it’s nothing more than a personal vendetta. He’s the job, Sebastian. You know that. We were assigned to bring him down.”
A huff of disagreement crackled over the line. “If this was about the job, we would have taken the intel we gathered and arrested him. You know, through the proper channels we have been trained to implement.”
“Okay!” I relented, my voice echoing off the stainless steel duct work. “So I wanted a little payback! What’s wrong with that? The guy is a dick, Bash. Need I remind you of the many observations you’ve made today proving that?”
After a beat of silence, his tone softened with something that sounded like regret. “You’re amazing, Teigen. Without a doubt, one of the most incredible women I’ve ever met. Maybe instead of trying to punish a guy who was never truly deserving of you, you should focus on finding one who’s worthwhile and would do anything to be with you.”
“Did you have someone in mind yo
u wanted to fix me up with?”
Bash cleared his throat, choking out the words around audible embarrassment. “Well… I mean… I was trying to make a point. But… ahem… yeah, I’m sure there are… lots of guys who would… you know.”
For a beat, I thought he was going to say himself. And, I couldn’t say I hadn’t considered it. Sebastian had a brilliant smile that could light up any room and emerald eyes the shade of a grassy meadow. Add to that his waves of strawberry blond hair and toned physique, and there was no denying he was a delectable snack… for the right woman.
But, he was my best friend.
Crossing that line could cost me something that was far too precious to lose.
Wetting my suddenly arid lips, I resumed my crawl. “That’s a sweet sentiment, Bash. And I’ll make sure the next one meets your approval. Pinkie swear.”
Our conversation lapsed into silence as I punched open the vent in front of me and immediately fell to the floor with a humph.
Landing hard enough to knock the air from my lungs, I rolled to my side and gasped for breath. Bash appeared in a bend in the tunnel, his face set in a concerned frown. “Not your most graceful entrance. You okay?”
Accepting his offered hand, I dragged myself to my feet. “I landed on something furry. If it wasn’t dead before, it is now.”
Glancing around me, Bash cringed.
“Don’t tell me what it was,” I wheezed. “Never tell me.”
“I’ll take it to the grave.”
“Got the gun?” I asked, doing the best I could to brush off the dust and grime covering me.
“I do. But before you take it… don’t.” Dragging his palm over the scruff of his chin, his gaze pleaded for me to reconsider.
“What do you mean?” Even I heard the uneasy tremor that snaked between my words.
“You take this, and you’re giving in to hate and vengeance.” Tendons of his jaw flexing, he shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I hate to see you reduce yourself to that. Because, you’re so much more than that. Damn it… you’re amazing.”
The Monster Ball Year 2 Page 55