Savage Shifters Box Set, page 168
His mouth slid down her neck, where his tongue licked.
Then his fangs grew, and he pierced her skin immediately.
The scent of blood exploded in his nostrils faster than the taste hit his tongue. Her blood pulsed hard because of the pleasure, but also because of her surprise at what he was doing. She straightened, pushing against him, hand reaching back for his hair as he sucked. She moaned out loud, not understanding what he was doing but obviously liking it.
No, she was loving it.
He sucked some more, listening as her moans turned slower and lower. He waited it out as she stopped grinding against him, the taste of her blood filling him up. He wasn’t necessarily hungry, but it had been a while since he’d had blood, and the familiarity of it almost felt like home.
Almost.
Finally, she went limp in his arms, and he easily took her weight and carried her to bed.
“Jade, can you come here? You know the room number. Door’s slightly open.”
Silence filled the other end before some soft grumbling occurred, after which there was silence again. He began searching the room, starting from one corner and going to the other. Footsteps sounded a few minutes later, and he looked up.
Jade’s eyes were focused on the unconscious Evita, a frown marring her lips.
“Do you always do this to women you have sex with?”
“Do what?”
She tilted her head at Evita. “Drain them of blood after sleeping with them?”
“I didn’t drain her of blood. Just sucked enough to get her in that unconscious state. And I didn’t have sex with her.”
“Well based on the moaning and the things she said...” Jade trailed off, her cheeks reddening as she realized exactly what she was about to say.
Thoroughly amused, Jison raised a brow. “She said what? What exactly did you hear and what did you imagine?”
To his surprise, the once-complacent ex-princess glared at him. “Nothing. Why am I being called here?”
Jison shrugged. “Do your thing.”
“My thing?”
“Go compel her. Make her forget everything. The camera didn’t capture my face, so it’s best not to leave traces here.”
He made a move to keep searching but noticed that Jade wasn’t moving from her position. In fact, she was almost frozen in place, eyes focused on Evita.
“Jade?”
“I don’t compel anymore.”
The statement was dropped like a bomb, hanging between them. He stared at her, shock hitting him when he studied her expression and realized she was telling the truth.
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I don’t.”
“Why?”
“It’s frankly none of your business.”
Tone slightly frosty, but ever so polite. Oh, yeah. Her back was up.
“It is my business,” he pointed out. “We’re on a mission together, and I kind of need that compelling thing you do. It will make this whole heist super successful.”
“It will be equally successful without it,” she shot back. “You said yourself that the camera couldn’t see your face. Plus I know you—you have ways to make yourself invisible to attention if need be. Use that. I’m not compelling her.”
The firmness in her tone, along with the underlying steel, told him they would be arguing all night if he kept contradicting her. Jison inwardly sighed. There was something she wasn’t telling him about her energy, considering it was one of the most stupendously powerful he’d ever encountered in his life: a few words spoken, and then whatever she said would be followed to no bounds by the receiving end.
But she was right. It was none of his business, even while curiosity bubbled over inside him.
Jison shrugged. “Fine. Might as well help me search, now that you’re here.”
Her body, which had been vibrating since he started asking about her compelling skills, eased off into calm. There was soot on her nose, which made him wonder where the hell she’d hidden while he'd been busy seducing Evita. Jade nodded her head and proceeded to search, and he called out the areas he hadn’t touched yet to make it easier for her.
Their search was filled with foot shuffles and random items being moved, though for the most part, they were quiet. Because Evita took a suite, it was bigger than usual and contained more hiding spaces, making it important to search every nook and cranny to be sure they didn’t miss anything. Jison was just about to search the balcony area in case the package was hidden in some potted plant when a triumphant mutter came from the bathroom.
A few seconds later, Jade was walking out and holding up a wet, sealed plastic with a parcel inside. She wiped it dry and started putting it in her coat pocket, but he snatched it from her.
“Hey!”
“Better to check now,” he said. He took the parcel out, opened it with a sharp finger. There were folded papers inside. “What exactly are we looking for?”
“Documents,” she said.
“Containing what?”
“Information about possible illegal portals.”
“Hmm.” Illegal portals were a huge no-no, considering the human world wasn’t supposed to know about the magical world, and vice versa. That was the purpose of shifters like their boss, Dean—to keep the peace and secrecy, to make sure the two worlds didn’t collide.
“I was expecting a USB inside the parcel, but maybe they actually took the time to write the information down.”
“Which is pretty pointless and lazy, but we’ll see.”
“Hurry. Open it.”
“Relax.”
Jison opened the folded papers one by one, studying them—trying to find something to point to the fact they have the right package, like embossed letters and such. Obviously ready, Jade took out a UV penlight, which she pointed on each paper he held out. But it was no use.
“This is...this can’t be,” she said in disbelief. “This has to be a mistake. This can’t be it.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, inclined to agree.
Except it was.
The papers were blank.
Chapter 263
“It looks like we’re left with two options: either Evita smoked the meeting area and got duped anyway, or that smoke had been the men’s doing after all...and Evita just thought she got lucky.”
Neither of the options sat well with Jade, even while she tried to remain calm about it. In her mind, it equated to one thing: that her mission had failed.
Her first failed mission since she started being a spy for the human world.
Two days later, and she still wasn’t over it.
They were sitting in a gallery office—Dean’s art gallery office, to be precise, right at the center of SoHo. His was one of her favorite art galleries in the neighborhood, considering his taste in art was more on the quirky side, with pieces that weren’t famous but contained richer histories and stories behind them.
Of course, some of those items were also magical, either used as portals to connect to the other world or as weapons by varying creatures.
In the office were five people: lion shifter and leader Dean Williams III, wolf shifter and part-time tech guy Kasper Diether, wolf shifter Bobby Matthews, and the ever-different Jison Welsh—part vampire, part siren. She’d never quite figured out how that happened, and he didn’t seem inclined to share.
“I’m sorry for failing and not noticing that it was the incorrect package,” Jade started. Maybe she was the only one because Jison looked as calm as ever.
And Bobby couldn’t be bothered, what with all the bandages on his leg.
Dean waved her off with nod. “It’s fine. These things happen. We just have to get to the real package.”
She hesitated. “Am I still part of this mission, then?”
“Of course you are. But you still need a partner.”
She looked at Bobby, who had a frown on his lips as he stared back at her. He had his arms crossed and was generally looking grumpy, as if he’d rather not be here. She couldn’t blame him.
“How long are you going to be off your leg?” she asked hopefully.
Bobby shrugged, his expression turning more sour. “I don’t know. My shifter healing abilities are slow with this one.”
“He got hit by a truck,” Jison reminded, eyeing them both. “He wasn’t watching where he was going.”
“I was trying to avoid one of the men spotting me,” Bobby argued, tone growing indignant. “The truck came out of nowhere. It was a hit and run, and I’d have been dead if I were human.”
“Impressive,” Jison intoned coolly.
This time they eyed each other, which made Jade want to throw her hands in the air. Instead, she turned to Dean, who was pretty much just waiting for her to look at him.
“So the men still have the package,” she concluded.
“Possibly,” Dean murmured. He didn’t bat an eyelash during the whole meeting, which was one of the distinct qualities he had: strong, cool, perhaps just a tad bit bossy. “Kasper, nice of you to join us, by the way. Have you tracked the men’s location?”
Kasper nodded his head, violet eyes twinkling. He had a casual handsomeness that contradicted Dean’s more formal one, and Jade wondered why all shifters had to be good-looking.
No, scratch that: almost all supernatural creatures were good-looking, except maybe the goblins.
“We’re dealing with non-magical creatures here, so it was fairly easy. They’re no longer in SoHo, but they’re close. They’re in Manhattan now. They’ll be flying to Europe in a few days. After that, I won’t be able to trace them that easily.”
“Then we’ll get them before they leave,” Jison said.
“We?” Bobby echoed.
“Of course. Jade needs a partner. You’re out of commission. More missions for me.”
“I don’t need a partner,” Jade protested. “And stop aggravating Bobby.”
“So pointing out facts is aggravating now?”
Unfortunately, Jade had no answer to that, realizing he was right. Bobby just sat glaring at the vampire-siren, who appeared close to putting his feet up on the table with how relaxed he looked.
Before anyone could explode, Dean was speaking again.
And while it was what Jade expected, she wasn’t sure she liked it.
“Jade, you’re going to have to work with Jison for a little bit. Get a disguise. Then get that package for me.”
* * *
“Good morning, Mr. Miller! It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I’m so glad you came today!”
The cheerful, overly perky voice would have made Jade cringe, especially knowing it was coming from her throat. But she tried to see this as a show, one where she needed to perform well to make her character believable.
Judging by the surprised look on the man’s face, it was working.
A quick glance in the hall’s wall mirror gave her a glimpse of her look again: pencil skirt, starchy white blouse, and hair coiffed to perfection. The hair was a wig, of course, but she was pleased with how natural it looked. She adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose. When she smiled her bright smile, she knew her braces gleamed enough to blind the man.
She also knew there was no missing the tiny diamonds in them, which was how people perfectly described the real estate woman: spick-and-span, with glasses and diamonds for teeth.
And an attitude that could put the sun into retirement, apparently.
“Miss Elsa?”
Jade nodded her head, standing up and holding out a hand. John Miller—one of the men in the meeting with Evita from a few days ago—looked at it for a few seconds before reaching out and taking it.
She made sure to pump extra hard, letting her enthusiasm show.
“Yes, Elsa Mann. It’s a pleasure, a real pleasure! Come, sit, sit!” She gestured to the seat at their small round table, which was as intimate as they came. That was deliberate. John obviously was still unsure, even while his formal attire and combed back hair told her he’d prepared for this meeting. It helped, probably, that Elsa Mann’s reputation as one of the finest real estate agents was good enough for people not to be deliberately rude to her.
John sat down.
“I’ve already ordered for us, hope you don’t mind,” she said, beaming and letting her braces show again. “I’ve been so excited to meet you.”
He blinked. “You were?”
She nodded fervently. “Oh, yes. My source said you’re a very wealthy businessman with lots of assets in your name, so I take it as my pleasure to be able to talk to you about more properties you might want to acquire. You’re interested in purchasing a castle, aren’t you?”
The wonders of technology and Kasper.
“Yes, I am. Do you have any here?”
“Unfortunately, SoHo isn’t about castles but about the beauty of art. It’s like the moonlight.”
“The...moonlight?”
Jade eagerly leaned forward, eyes solemn on his. “A subtle, elegant glint that makes it truly shine. The sun makes the moon shine, and the art makes this neighborhood shine. Don’t you agree?”
“Er...I suppose. That makes sense.”
She beamed again. “Great! Oh, the food!” she exclaimed, pointing at a waiter with trays of plated food for them. “Let’s eat before it gets cold. Then we can discuss the list of castles I have gathered for you.”
“But I’d rather—”
“Eat first,” she said firmly, leaving no room for arguments. She made a show of forking her salad and making hmm-ing noises as she chewed, exaggerating just how lovely the food tasted. In her mind, she was already wishing for a good, juicy burger. “We’ll discuss later. Food getting cold is akin to art getting neglected. Don’t you think food represents art, too? The plating, the arrangement...so artful!”
He speared on his food without saying a word, frowning down at his salad.
“Wow, you sound really annoying. How long have you been practicing this act?”
Jade ignored the male voice in her ear, which hadn’t made a sound until now. She knew why: because Jison was busy heading towards John’s room, while John's partner was out and about and John was down here in the lunchroom with her. It was the only opportunity they could find, particularly since these men carried guns and explosives—and smoke devices, just like the one they used on Evita. The five other men were no longer with them, making Jade deduce that they were just hired thugs.
Which meant there were only two original men in the deal.
She tried to find ways to communicate with Jison without sounding obvious—maybe include it in her nonstop chatter with John, who was obviously trying to keep his patience. She forked more salad, shoving it in her mouth.
“I’ve been in the real estate business for years now, but it’s only recently that I’ve perfected the art of selling castles,” she bragged. “Castles are a tricky thing because everyone wants to have one, but no one wants to live in one. Are you planning to purchase for display, Mr. Miller?”
“It depends,” the man muttered.
“Wow, just recently, huh?” Jison murmured. “Sounds legit. Anyway, I’m in his room now. They’re messy men sharing a suite, and it looks like they had their share of booze and women last night. This might take a while.”
“Castles sell like hotcakes, so it’s best to hurry and find the right one fast. Luckily, I’m here to help you out,” Jade chirped.
“Fine, fine, I’m hurrying.”
“But don’t rush it so much that you’re not thorough in your hunt,” she said sweetly, eyes on John—gleefully getting the message across to Jison. “Do you want something more to eat? A big, sturdy man like yourself must eat a lot!”
Thankfully, while John was obviously annoyed with her, he didn’t walk out on her. Maybe it was because she toned it down a little bit. Or maybe it was because she actually knew what she was talking about, considering her hours of research and lack of sleep just to have a semblance of the knowledge the actual Elsa had—an Elsa who suddenly got diarrhea and couldn’t make the trip today.
But minutes turned into an hour, and she started getting antsy. That feeling settled into dread when Jison spoke again.
“I’ve searched everywhere. It’s not in the room. I'm out of it now.”
“Do you perhaps have someone else interested in buying a property?” Jade asked, hoping Jison got the message.
John answered, and Jison did, too.
“I’ll go check. I’m going to...”
Jade happened to look up when he trailed off, and her eyes locked in on Jison as he casually walked past her. He only glanced at her, but there was no missing the flash of surprise in his green eyes before he turned away and looked calm again. Oddly enough, it had her shoulders straightening further, a hint of pride.
“Jesus, Jade.”
“Hmm?” she said, pretending to listen to what John was saying.
“I didn’t recognize you. Holy shit. That’s some serious disguise.”
“Thank you, that’s quite a compliment,” she said.
“It is?” John asked in confusion.
“Yes.”
But maybe it wasn’t, really, because the man was now frowning at her. Jade did her best to focus back on the conversation, though it was mostly a lost cause as John politely said he would call her once he was ready—the usual line of people who didn’t want to rudely back out.
Jade watched him go, staying where she was.
“Talk to me,” she murmured. “Did you—”
“Shit.”
Jade sat up, distractedly thanking the waiter when the tab was brought to the table. “What?”
“Is John still with you?”
“No. The package isn’t with the partner?”
“No. I just bumped into him.”
Damn it.
“John's not that far. I’ll go see to him.”
“Jade, that’s not a very good idea,” Jison warned.
But she was already ignoring him as she took some money out, placed it on the table and hastily got out of there before she could even get some change. She grumbled about that inwardly, considering how she learned how valuable money was in the human world and how she didn’t have a lot of it.
There was no time to think about it now, however, so Jade pushed it out of her mind as she walked out of the restaurant and towards the elevators. Because she couldn’t possibly catch him if she rode another elevator, and she was sure he wouldn’t let an insistent Elsa in, she went for her next option: the stairs, which was a bummer as the man’s suite was located on the twelfth floor.
