by Deanna Chase
I was still reeling from his assumption that I’d prostitute myself out. But then, why wouldn’t he think that? The other Phoebe had worked there for four years, albeit against her will. From Allcot’s perspective, it was the last place I should be asking to work. I bit back a wince, realizing my mistake. I wanted to be there so I could help Dax. But I needed to come up with something else fast, or Allcot was going to get suspicious of my motives. “I just want to keep an eye on the girls. Make sure they’re safe and treated right.”
“I have bouncers for that,” he said, crossing his arms over this chest.
I rolled my eyes. “Bouncers? You mean your vampires who don’t have any idea what it’s like for those women to leave themselves vulnerable to paying customers? They might be fine for when shit really goes down, but they won’t be helpful when one of the girls gets a creepy vibe from someone or needs emotional support or advice on how to handle a tricky client. They won’t understand what a woman needs to survive this industry.” My tone had become soft, almost pleading. “I do. I can be the person watching out for them.”
“You want to be the dorm mother,” he said, finally understanding what I was getting at.
“Yeah, something like that.”
He considered my proposal for what seemed like forever, both of us just staring at each other. Finally he asked, “Does this have anything to do with Marrok?”
“No.” The lie rolled off my tongue effortlessly. He was the entire reason I wanted to be there. Though if I was planning on staying in this reality, I would be more than happy to use my Void skills to keep the customers in line. It seemed like a much worthier cause than hanging around the plantation, weeding the flower gardens.
“Fine,” he barked out. When he spoke again, his voice was full of venom. “But if I hear one word about you and Marrok, I’ll kill him. You understand?”
A chill crawled up my spine. He meant it. There was no doubt about that. I had single-mindedly put Dax in very serious danger. Still I nodded, because if I didn’t, it was likely Allcot would just kill Dax anyway. I was going to have to be very careful and make sure no one saw us talking beyond the polite niceties of a business owner to an employee. It would be tough, but I was well skilled at undercover operations. I’d just have to look at this in the same light.
“Good. Now that we have that settled, come here.” He pointed to the space right in front of him. “It’s time I collect my payment.”
“Payment?” I scoffed. “And what’s that exactly? If you’re thinking you’re getting a blow job, think again. I’m still not comfortable having your hands on me.”
“There’s no need for me to touch you if you’re giving me a blow job,” he said, his eyes on fire with lust now.
Shit. Stop it, Phoebs. The more I sassed him, the more turned on he seemed to get. “No thanks,” I said flippantly. “I’m not in the mood.”
He reached out, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me toward him. I had little choice but to let him. One hand circled my waist while the other caressed my jaw.
I felt nothing, thank the gods.
Or at least I didn’t until he lowered his head and scraped his teeth over my pulse. My entire body flushed with heat, and my eyes closed at the erotic sensation.
“You like this,” he breathed into my neck.
There was no point in denying it. I was certain the vampire could smell my reaction like a dog scenting steak on the barbeque. But that didn’t mean I wanted to like it. I jerked away from him and clamped my hand over my tingling neck. “This… isn’t going to happen.”
“Maybe not today,” he said with a cocky smile that made my stomach churn with unease. “But soon, my love. You’ll forgive me and you’ll be back in my bed, begging me to bite you.”
I visibly shuddered. The memory of his fangs in my neck both excited and horrified me. I was a vampire hunter, for fuck’s sake. Letting one bite me was not going to happen. Not again.
He let out a low chuckle, moved in closer again, and before I could make my escape, he dropped a light kiss on my temple, whispering, “You’ll come for me soon, love. I know you and I know what you need.”
Then he turned and was gone.
My blood ran cold. Was this what my life would be if I never got back to my reality? Years of fending off Allcot, or worse, giving in to him when he used his mesmerizing vamp powers on me? My skin crawled with the realization that my suspicions were probably correct. Life here would get really sticky, really fast. There wasn’t any time to waste. I just prayed that Seth made it back sooner rather than later. He’d slipped into our world early in the morning, promising he’d track the other Phoebe, and one way or another, he’d bring her back. The fierce determination on his face had done little to comfort me. We both knew that my counterpart was just as powerful as I was, and if she didn’t want to leave, Seth was going to have a bitch of a time forcing her. The only saving grace was that Seth was powerful too. I just hoped they didn’t kill each other in the process.
The Red Door was quiet in the early morning hours. The sun was just making its appearance in the hazy summer sky, but the humidity was already thick and oppressive. It was going to be the kind of day that just drained the energy right out of every living body. But I didn’t care. I was free of Allcot for the moment, and because everyone except Dax was still asleep, I had him all to myself.
“Need some help?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
Dax’s muscles flexed as he hauled in a couple of boxes of booze. His head jerked up at the sound of my voice, and a pleased smile claimed his full lips. “Good morning, Phoebe. What brings you here this fine morning?” But even as the words slipped out of his mouth, his eyes narrowed as he peered past me. “Is Allcot here?”
“No.” Thank the gods. I’d gotten a ride with Pandora, who had gotten up early to head to a farmers’ market. She’d said something about being first in line for the organic blueberries, or was it strawberries? I wasn’t sure.
“He let you out of the house?” Dax asked, surprised.
I’d been surprised too when he’d agreed. But I wasn’t going to argue. “Yep. I’m going to work here now.”
Dax’s eyes darkened and his mouth tightened, his entire body going taut. “What did you just say?”
“Dax, calm down. It’s not a big deal—”
“The fuck it isn’t! The entire reason you’re with that asshole was so that you could get out of here. Now he’s whoring you out? That’s unacceptable and a breach of the contract. Does Seth know? What does he have to say about this? Or is he so far up Allcot’s ass that he doesn’t care?”
His rant was so impressive, I hadn’t even thought to stop him. But now he was glaring at me as if I’d done something wrong. “Chill out, big guy,” I said, placing my hand gently on his chest. “No one is forcing me to do anything. I’m here to make sure the girls are taken care of. You know, make sure no one gets out of line and that they have someone to talk to when a sensitive matter comes up.”
Dax’s eyebrows pinched together as he stared at me in confusion. “Allcot asked you to keep an eye on the girls?”
I shook my head and smiled gently. “No. I asked him to let me.”
“Oh.” His shoulders relaxed, and he regarded me with something that looked a lot like appreciation, or maybe it was admiration. It was hard to tell. “I see. That makes some sense. You know what it’s like to work here. You can relate.”
I couldn’t. Not really. But that was a story for a different day. “I just want to be helpful. To them and…” I glanced around, checking to be sure we really were alone. Then I lowered my voice and said, “And to you. Listen, Dax, if there was a chance someone could break that spell that binds you here, would you want them to do it? Even if it meant betraying Allcot and you had to leave New Orleans for your own safety?”
He let out a surprised bark of laughter. “Are you kidding? Fuck yes. You got someone in mind?”
I nodded slowly.
Suspicion crept into his
gaze and he shook his head. “No, Phoebe. You can’t. It’s too dangerous. I won’t let you put yourself in that position. Allcot will…” He cleared his throat. “You know what he will do.”
I wanted so badly to say What if I said I’d be leaving too? But the truth was my doppelgänger would be back, and to everyone else, nothing would’ve ever changed. “We could make it look like someone else helped you.”
He blinked down at me, hope and fear and something else passing through his eyes. His voice was raw and full of emotion when he said, “You know he’ll never believe that.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know that. If we can break the curse, we can figure out how to keep my involvement hidden.”
“I won’t let you. I’m not leaving here while you’re still trapped with him,” he insisted.
My heart nearly broke in two. This man, the one who mirrored the man I loved in every way that mattered, loved my doppelgänger so much he was willing to give up everything for her. But what had she tried to do for him? Did it matter to her at all that he was trapped here because he was trying to protect her? That wasn’t something I was going to get answered, and likely the truth was far more complicated than I would care to admit. I sucked in a fortifying breath. “What I want to know is, if you knew I’d be safe and you had a chance to break free, would you take it? Don’t analyze this or come up with scenarios why it won’t work, just tell me your truth.”
It took him a while to answer, but when he did, he said, “If I was positive you’d be safe, then yes. I’d break free from here and never look back.”
16
“Where is he?” Dax said the moment he strode into the healer’s office.
Leo quickly stood. “Imogen is with him in the back.”
“Let’s go.” Dax took the lead, ignoring the protests of the receptionist.
“Sir, you can’t go back there,” she said, running to catch up with him. “The exam rooms are private.”
“We’re with the Arcane,” he said and knocked once on the closed exam room door.
“Come in, Kelly,” Imogen called from the other side of the door.
The receptionist brushed past them, giving Dax a glare and poking her head in. “Two men from the Arcane are here.”
“Thanks, Kel. Send them in.”
Kelly grimaced and whispered to Dax and Leo, “This is completely against protocol. Next time let me ask first.”
“Sure thing,” Leo said, smiling down at her. “It’s just been one of those days, you know?”
Her expression softened. “I get it.” Then she brushed her fingers over his arm before she glided back down the hallway.
Dax rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t have pulled the charm out five minutes earlier?”
Leo shrugged one shoulder. “It helps to be good cop when you’re around, biting people’s heads off.”
“Dax?” Imogen called. “Is everything all right? Is Phoebe okay?”
The man on the table flinched when Imogen said Phoebe’s name.
Dax ignored the healer’s question and walked over to the patient. “Hello. Are you Lincoln Frost?”
“Who wants to know?” the shifter growled.
“Sorry,” Imogen said, sliding off her rolling stool. “Lincoln, this is Dax Marrok and Leo Shepard. They work for the Arcane, and I’m sure they’re here to ask you about your attack.”
“We are,” Dax said, never taking his eyes from the man. He held his hand out. “Thank you for speaking with us today, Mr. Frost.”
The shifter glanced at Dax’s hand but made no move to take it. “I haven’t agreed to do anything, Mr. Marrok.”
Dax sighed and pulled up a chair. “Do you mind telling me why you’re reluctant to file a report about your attack?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because my attacker works for you?”
Dax felt a growl rumbling in the back of his throat, but he swallowed it. His reaction was due to Phoebe’s actions, not the shifter’s reluctance. Hell, Dax would be wary too if he was in the other man’s shoes.
“I’m here to get to the truth, Mr. Frost. I assure you, we’re taking this very seriously. If Agent Kilsen is behind an illegal attack, she will be brought in.”
“Phoebe did this?” Imogen whispered. “Oh my god.”
Leo made some sort of confirming noises.
Dax peered at the guy. His coloring was gray and he had the gaunt look of a man who wasn’t long for this life. He just prayed that Imogen was able to reverse the wolfsbane poisoning. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Sure. Your girl attacked me. I was leaving work and had just stepped off the elevator into the parking garage. She came out of nowhere, punched me in the kidney, and then stabbed me with a fucking needle. Ten minutes later, the world was spinning and I was puking my guts out. Now I get to take these fucking herbs for the next year and hope the wolfsbane didn’t fuck up my heart. Then there’s the silver particles. They’ll keep me weak for the next several weeks, so life is just going to be peachy after I tell my boss I’m going to miss work for the next month.”
Dax glanced at Imogen for confirmation.
The healer nodded.
Fucking hell. Attempted murder. “I hope you have a full recovery, Mr. Frost. Wolfsbane and silver—that’s a powerful combination.”
“No shit,” the man muttered.
Dax pulled out his notebook. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask a few more questions.”
“There’s really nothing else to say, but go ahead.”
“Have you ever met Agent Kilsen or seen her before today?” Dax asked.
“Not in person.” He shook his head. “I’ve seen her in the papers though. She lives with that fairy who runs a nonprofit, right?”
“Right.” Willow had a charity that’s sole mission was to raise money for the new supernatural hospital project in New Orleans.
“Yeah, anyway. Us wolves like to keep tabs on the witches in the city. We all know who she is.”
Dax narrowed his eyes at the man. He himself was a shifter, and while it was true he knew who all the witches were, he only knew because it was part of his job. “Why, exactly?”
“One has to know in case they get jumped on the street,” Frost said dryly.
“Does that happen often?” Dax’s tone was matter-of-fact, but inside he was seething. He hated the way the man was sneering about witches. At the same time, he hated that Phoebe had proven him right. But most of all he hated that he had no idea why Phoebe had attacked the man.
“What? Witches attacking shifters?”
“Yes, that.”
“No. At least not that I know of. But it used to. We always figured it was just a matter of time before we became targets again.” Frost leaned back against the wall and pressed his hand to his chest. “Damn. I need to sleep for a week.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Imogen said, rushing to his side and pushing a needle into his arm.
Frost let out a sigh of relief and gave Imogen a pleased smile. “You sure know how to treat a man.”
She patted him on the arm. “You just keep resting.”
Dax wondered again why Phoebe had targeted the shifters. His comment about witches fit with the pack’s previous prejudices. It wasn’t crazy to think they still harbored those feelings. But as far as Dax knew, they hadn’t acted on them or given Phoebe any reason to attack.
“One last question,” Dax said.
“Just this one,” Imogen said, frowning. “He really does need his rest.”
“Sure.” He turned his gaze on the ashen man. “To the best of your knowledge, has anyone else in your pack had contact or any altercations with Agent Kilsen?”
“I can’t speak for everyone.” He yawned and his eyes started to water. “But not that I know of.”
Dax flipped his notebook closed, held his hand out to the man, and said, “Thank you for your time. I appreciate your cooperation.”
This time Frost reached out and shook Dax’s hand. His grip was surp
risingly strong for a man who’d just been poisoned. “A word of advice?”
Dax raised his eyebrows and waited.
“Bring in your girlfriend sooner rather than later, otherwise the pack will take matters into their own hands.” He jerked his hand away and let out a snarl.
Dax stared him down, unwilling to take the bait. Of course they knew he and Phoebe had a relationship. They were keeping tabs on the witches of the town, and Phoebe and Dax weren’t taking any pains to keep the information hidden. It did explain why Dax didn’t socialize with them though. If they were still harboring their witch hate, they weren’t the type of shifters he was interested in knowing. He did find it curious the shifter made a point of issuing a threat.
“Thanks for the warning.” Dax glanced at Leo and jerked his head toward the door. “Imogen, if I can have a word?”
“I’ll be right out,” she said.
Dax and Leo left the room.
Leo’s face was full of apprehension and he opened his mouth to say something, but Dax put his hand up, stopping him. They definitely shouldn’t be talking about the case at Imogen’s.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Dax said.
“Right.”
The door opened and Imogen walked out, carrying a chart. Her lips were pursed and she looked like she’d just eaten something sour.
“Are you all right?” Dax asked.
“Fine,” she said sarcastically. “You do your best to keep a shifter from dying on your exam table and he repays you by grabbing your ass. But sure. I’m good.”
Leo pushed off the wall and made a move to head back into the room, but Imogen stepped in his path, cutting him off.
“I handled it. I might have also mentioned that Allcot is an investor in the clinic and that he doesn’t take kindly to shifters harassing the healers.”
Leo snorted.
Dax’s lips twitched. He liked a woman who wasn’t afraid to put a jackass in his place. “I bet he loved that.”
“Let’s just say he’s not super pleased a clinic supported by a vampire might have saved his life. That one appears to have some very strange ideas about the hierarchy of supernaturals.”