Nexus, page 8
“This isn’t the place for this discussion,” Felicity said bossily. “We shouldn’t be talking about our business in public.”
The werelions gave her almost identical sardonic looks, as if they discussed their jobs in public all the time. Otis changed the topic to make her happy. He began talking about a new restaurant they intended to visit for dinner.
Hugh’s cell phone rang a few minutes later. Theo went on full alert as he listened in. “We’ll be there soon,” Hugh said, then the call ended. “Duty calls,” he said with a grin, pleased that he and his mate had a job to do. They both downed their drinks, then linked fingers and headed for the door.
“We should go, too,” Felicity said, seizing her chance to distance herself from me. “We wouldn’t want to be late for our reservation.”
Otis nodded amiably, then they finished their drinks. “It was good to meet you, Saige,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll get a chance to work with you soon.”
I had my doubts about that, but nodded in agreement. “I’ll see you later,” I said, then turned to the vamps. “Are you heading off, too?” I asked.
“We don’t want to be rude and leave you here by yourself,” Yareli said with stark honesty.
“I’ve got a date lined up,” I told her. “I won’t be alone for long.”
“In that case, let’s take a stroll outside and see if we can find a snack,” Zahir said to his wife with a grin. Vampires could easily ensnare humans, drink a small amount of their blood and force them to forget about it. Most bloodsuckers were careful not to leave their bites in obvious places.
My colleagues vanished into the crowd and I picked up my glass of beer to skull it. When I put the empty glass down on the table, I turned to find the cute shifter standing directly in front of me. He had sandy blond hair and was already getting hard at the prospect of seeing me naked. “Are we going to do this, or what?” he asked.
“Your place or mine?” I retorted.
“I don’t want to wait that long. Let’s get a room upstairs,” he suggested, then took my hand to tug me towards the stairs.
Chapter Seventeen
THE BOUNCER WHO WAS guarding the staircase put his hand up to stop us when we reached him. He was another huge, bearded werebear. “Solicitation isn’t allowed in this establishment,” he said in a deep voice.
“I’m not a ho,” I said with an eyeroll.
“We want to hire a room for an hour,” my companion said, then turned to me. “Do you have a couple of hundred bucks on you?”
“We have to pay to use the rooms?” I asked in surprise.
“This is a classy place,” the werebear said. “It costs money to keep the rooms clean. We don’t let just anyone use our equipment.”
His tone was affronted, as if I’d insulted his personal hygiene. “Okay, fine, I’ll pay for a room for an hour,” I said. If I hadn’t been so horny, I’d have stalked out of the club in annoyance. But I had a cute guy who was a sure thing right in front of me. I wasn’t about to turn down the chance to have sex with a shifter. I’d been wondering what it would be like to be with a non-human. It was time to satisfy my curiosity, so I handed over my credit card.
The werebear scanned it on his work phone, then handed it back. “Have a pleasant time,” he said suggestively, then stepped aside to let us up the stairs.
Another bouncer met us on the second floor. “The second room on the right is available,” she said, pointing the way. Whores weren’t allowed to work in the establishment, but they had no problem with couples renting their rooms, it seemed.
My date impatiently tugged on my hand and I hurried to keep up with him. I had no idea what to expect when he pushed the door open. Whips, chains and manacles flashed through my mind. Reality turned out to be far less kinky. A king size bed sat against the far wall. Instead of sheets, a plastic cover protected the mattress. A chest of drawers stood next to the bed. The drawers were open to display a wide variety of sex toys. A heavy scent of disinfectant hung in the air, making it smell like a hospital room. As far as romance went, I’d give it zero out of five stars.
“I’m Clay,” the cougar said, closing the door and locking it.
“I’m Saige,” I replied, wishing I’d downed a few more beers to make this less awkward.
“I love big women,” Clay said, stepping forward to cup my breasts.
“I wouldn’t call myself big,” I denied as he buried his face between my boobs. “I’m voluptuous,” I added, finding it suddenly getting harder to breathe as he yanked my strapless bra and dress down.
Clay’s mouth latched onto my nipple and his hands went to the hem of my short dress. He pulled it up as he maneuvered me towards the bed. “You have the biggest butt I’ve seen in ages,” he said in approval and sank his fingers into my flesh.
I knew I should have been offended, but desire was rising inside me. Usually, I gave anyone who described me in a bad way a verbal smackdown. Clay seemed to worship bigger girls, so who was I to deny him his fantasy. “Make sure you wear a condom,” I reminded him as he pulled back to strip his shirt off. He had a nice body, if not quite as muscular as I liked.
Leaving me long enough to search the chest of drawers, he held up a condom in triumph. “This is going to be hard and fast,” he warned me, then took his jeans off. While he wasn’t huge in the downstairs area, he was big enough to get the job done, or so I hoped.
The werecougar donned protection, then moved me back until I sat down on the bed. He grabbed hold of my legs before I could scoot backwards, then pulled my thong aside and shoved himself into me. “Oh, yeah,” he moaned, then leaned down to squish his face between my boobs again.
Hooking my calves around his thighs, I tried to get into the mood as Clay thrusted into me wildly. The desire he’d coaxed to life was waning at the muffled snorts and snuffles that came from between my breasts. I closed my eyes and an image of Drake Gilden came to mind. I pictured him standing above me, sliding his shaft in and out of me while he sucked hard on my nipple.
“That’s it, baby,” Clay crooned when I clenched around him. “I’m gonna make you feel so good,” he vowed.
Ignoring him as best I could, I locked eyes with Drake’s golden orbs in my mind. He pinned my hands against the mattress and bent to nuzzle my neck. His teeth scraped against my skin and hot air wafted from his mouth. He was losing control of himself and his inner dragon was coming out.
In my imagination, Lord Gilden’s powerful thighs drove him into me over and over. I could feel an orgasm building and knew it was going to be epic. Then Clay grunted in ecstasy and slumped over me, spent. “I’m not done, yet!” I exclaimed in dismay.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, then pulled out and shoved two fingers inside me. I was close enough to the edge for him to push me over it as his fingers took over from his shaft. While I climaxed, it felt lame in comparison to what I’d been on the brink of in my fantasy. “Was it good for you?” he asked, tone smug like he thought he was a sex god.
“Sure,” I replied, feeling strangely disappointed, despite my orgasm.
“We’ve still got plenty of time left. Do you want to go for another round?” he suggested.
“Why not?” I said with a shrug. Maybe I’d be able to conjure up the fantasy of Drake again and have a mind-blowing climax this time.
Clay couldn’t evoke the same desire that I felt when I pictured Lord Gilden. I had to bring up the image of the weredragon again when the cougar donned a condom for our second round. This time, I lay on my stomach with Clay behind me. It was so similar to my sex dream about Drake that I moaned when he slid into me. He was nowhere near as well-endowed as the man of my fantasies, but my imagination made up for it.
“I’ll last longer this time,” Clay promised and began to thrust into me rhythmically.
My fingers clenched the plastic that covered the mattress and I heard it tear. The shifter slapped my butt and I jerked in reaction. “Do that again!” I ordered and he complied. Imagining it was Drake behind me, pumping hard and fast and spanking my butt cheeks made my lust flare to life.
“Mmm, that’s it, baby,” Clay said, slapping me hard enough to leave welts if I’d been human. It didn’t even sting a little bit, but he didn’t know that. I drowned out his voice and shoved myself backwards each time he thrust forward. This time, he held on long enough for my orgasm to crash over me. Waves of ecstasy pulsed through me as I pictured Lord Gilden’s magnificent body standing behind me. He pumped a few more times, then collapsed onto the bed next to me. “I always please the ladies,” Clay said smugly.
“You sure do,” I agreed, standing up to tug my clothes back into place. I wasn’t about to burst his bubble and tell him I’d been picturing another man inside me. “Well, it was nice to meet you, but I’ve got to go,” I added.
“I hope I’ll see you again sometime,” Clay said without bothering to ask me for my number. Neither of us wanted a relationship. We’d only been after a one-night stand and now it was time for us to part ways.
“I’m sure you will,” I said, then headed for the door.
The bouncers’ noses twitched, no doubt smelling the cougar on me as I sauntered back downstairs without waiting for Clay to follow me. I waved at Lenny, who lifted his hand that was missing a couple of fingers in return, then headed for the exit. All I wanted to do after that epic orgasm was take a shower, make a hot cup of coffee and chill out while playing videogames for a few hours.
While I hadn’t been given a job to hunt down and kill a rogue, I’d still had a good night. I’d met my colleagues and had chatted with them like I was one of them and I’d gotten laid. What else could an elite bounty hunter like me ask for?
Chapter Eighteen
I RECEIVED A CALL FROM Ruen a couple of nights after meeting my colleagues at the Den. “What’s up, partner?” I asked, lounging on my couch and pausing my videogame. It was after one in the morning, but I didn’t intend to sleep for a few hours yet.
“We’ve just been allocated a job,” the vamp said.
“Really?” I asked in shock.
“Why else would I be calling you?” he retorted. “I’m not the type to make inane phone calls.”
“What’s the job?” I asked instead of making a snarky comeback.
“I’ll fill you in when I pick you up,” he said, then hung up before I could ask him how long he would be.
Looking down at my hot pink leggings and ratty white t-shirt, I knew I’d never live it down if I was seen in public wearing this outfit. I ended my game, then hurried over to my closet to get changed. It only took a few minutes to pull on something appropriate and gather my weapons.
A horn honked in the parking lot and I crossed to my window to peer downwards. Ruen’s bland black car was parked next to my orange hatchback. I waved and he deigned to nod in return.
“He’s so warm and friendly,” I murmured sarcastically, shouldering my kill-bag and hurrying to the door before he could lose his patience and drive away. Ruen’s engine was running when I reached his car. I climbed in and he began backing out even before I closed the door. “What’s the rush?” I asked.
“I want to get this job finished before dawn,” he replied, yet drove just below the speed limit when he hit the road.
“What are we hunting this time?” I queried.
“Demons,” was his succinct answer. “Several of them, from what I was told.”
I gaped at him in horror. “What? I thought demons were too dangerous for a newb like me to handle and I’m supposed to hunt down several of them?”
“These targets are the lowest on the demon hierarchy,” the vamp said, enjoying my momentary fright. “I’m sure you won’t have any trouble dealing with them. They have no power in their human forms. Felicity and Otis have wiped out plenty of rogue demons like them without suffering any damage.”
He slid a look at me and I knew I’d just been issued a challenge. “Fine,” I grumbled. “Mom and I took down a few weak demons last year. I’m sure this pack won’t be a problem for me.” We rode in silence for a few blocks, but he didn’t offer me any further information. “What do you know about them?” I asked.
“The location where they’re hiding and not much more.” He was surlier than usual, so I subsided back into silence.
Ruen drove to a neighborhood where people walked with one hand on their wallets and didn’t make eye contact with anyone.
“Are you sure this is the place?” I asked doubtfully, eyeing the decrepit building as my pallid vampiric partner assistant drove past it. It looked like it was about to fall down. Only desperate people would live in a crap hole like this.
“I’m quite sure,” he replied. “I can hear the perpetrators discussing their latest victim,” he informed me. “Believe me, you don’t want to hear the details.” Turning the corner, he drove around the block, then pulled into an empty parking space a hundred yards away from where my targets were lurking.
“It still freaks me out how sharp vamps’ hearing is,” I said with a small scowl.
“Shh!” Ruen admonished me, squinting at the building across the road and several doors down. He listened intently, probably filtering out all the other noises from the apartment buildings that surrounded us. “You need to get in there now,” he urged me. “They’re planning to leave soon to search for their next conquest.”
“Boy, will they be in for a surprise when I knock on their door,” I said as I opened my door to climb out. “The last thing they’ll expect is to have a helpless little woman like me begging for help.”
Moving with spooky silence and speed, Ruen joined me at the back of his black sedan. He rolled his eyes at my description of myself, upper lip lifted high enough to show a hint of fang. “How are you possibly going to conceal any weapons beneath that outfit?” he asked as I delved into my kill-bag that I’d placed on his trunk.
I glanced down at my slinky, lowcut red top that barely covered my bra. “I guess I’ll have to stick a machete down the back of my pants,” I said with a shrug.
“Your leather trousers are far too tight to stick anything down them,” he told me prissily. “How are you supposed to run after your targets if they escape?” he added in a nagging tone.
Heaving a sigh, I studied my black suede ankle-high boots. They only had two-inch heels, but he had a point. “I won’t give them a chance to run,” I figured with a shrug.
Thin lips pinched shut in disapproval, Ruen watched me pull a short, compact machete from my bag. I’d added more weapons to my arsenal, so I’d be ready for anything. I had a small crossbow, holy water, a bunch of silver stakes, knives and other stabbing implements to choose from. My sawn-off shotgun wouldn’t fit, so I might need to think about getting a bigger bag.
Only an idiot would stick a bare blade down their pants. I tried to shove the sheath down the back of my trousers, but was having trouble without a mirror to help me position it correctly.
“Give it here!” my unwilling accomplice snapped and snatched the weapon from me.
I turned my back to him to hide my smug smile. I had a feeling it would become a petty pleasure to make Ruen assist me with duties that he hadn’t signed up for. My smile turned into a grimace when he rammed about six inches of the sheath into my pants. “Ow! Did you have to jam it in so hard?” I complained. It had barely stung when it had scraped my skin, but he didn’t know that.
He lifted his hand and sternly pointed at the apartment building. “Hurry up and get in there before they get away!” he hissed.
Rolling my eyes at his theatrics, I jogged across the road. Only having one weapon ready when facing multiple foes wasn’t a smart move, but I needed the advantage of surprise. There was no way they’d open the door if they saw I was armed. The door might be reinforced like mine was and would be hard to kick down. Besides, I didn’t think I’d need more than one blade, since I was dealing with such low-level adversaries.
The elevator was out of order when I entered the foyer. “Figures,” I said sourly, then began hoofing it up the stairs. While I didn’t have enhanced hearing, one of my talents kicked in. I could feel my enemies four floors above me. There were eight lesser demons and one weapon would be plenty to eradicate them.
I was breathing hard by the time I reached the top floor. Bending over to rest my hands on my knees, I waited for my heart to stop racing. I was glad Ruen wasn’t here to witness this embarrassing scene. He would no doubt get on my case about not being fit enough to keep up with the bad guys. So what if I couldn’t run them down like an Olympic athlete? I had my ways of dealing with scumbags and none of them involved sprinting.
Chapter Nineteen
MY MONSTER RADAR LED me to a door halfway along the hall. Hushed voices came from inside. They seemed to be arguing about something. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, since they were distracted. I tried the handle to find it was locked, so I couldn’t barge in and start swinging my machete around.
“Time for plan B,” I murmured, then knocked on the door.
The voices went silent, then I sensed one of the demons approaching the door. Yanking it open, he looked like a normal, if scruffy human. His hair was short, greasy and matted. It made my skin crawl just to look at it. “Yeah? What do you want?” he asked with a scowl. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that hadn’t been washed in recent weeks, I could smell the foul stench of hell spawn beneath his grime.
“I need help,” I said, faking a distressed tone. “I had a fight with my boyfriend and he kicked me out of our apartment. I need to borrow your phone. Can I come in for a minute?”
Looking me up and down, he shook his head. “Get lost, tubby. Find someone else to mooch off.”
Snickers sounded from his cohorts as he tried to swing the door shut. My hand shot out to stop it. “What did you just call me?” I asked, tone going glacial at his rudeness.
