Chapter 9
Storm looked toward Syn, “I will collect Zachary and a couple others that will be helpful. Can I count on you and the boys joining us tonight? We’re going to be introducing ourselves to several master demons and I’d like to make an impression.”
“Why them,” Angelica asked still avoiding Syn.
Syn felt his mood darken considerably. He had just touched her so deeply and yet she was still stubbornly rejecting him. She was so busy lying to herself that she refused to see the truth, much less feel it. He closed the distance between them not giving her the one thing that she wanted… space.
“Our boys are powerful and just crazy enough to walk into a nest of demons and be able to walk back out without a mark on them,” He said just to provoke her.
Angelica looked over her shoulder at Syn and started to correct his statement about exactly whose boys they actually were, but the second their gazes locked she stilled. No… she couldn’t trust herself to be rational with his demented way of thinking right now.
Turning her attention back to Storm she announced, “I’m in, what’s the plan?”
“We will keep the fighting to a minimum tonight if at all possible,” Storm said not so sure Syn would allow Angelica anywhere near the auction. If he did allow it she would be a great asset, but if she got hurt… Syn could be their downfall.
“We already have Lacey and they know it. I’m sure Ren gave every demon connected to her mark a serious headache from that backlash, but you see… they have someone I want, so the trade will go as planned. We’ll also get a look at some of what we’re up against and vice versa. It just depends on who is strong enough to get past our PIT teams as to who we get to see and how dangerous the situation becomes.”
“Do you know of a particular path you do not want crossed,” Syn asked cryptically. He was all for Angelica fighting right now but with the mood he was in… he wanted to be her target not a room full of master demons with a god complex.
“That I do,” Storm said, glad that Syn had taken the decision out of his hands. “There is a subway that used to run directly underneath the building, and though the subway has been rerouted… the tunnels are still there. It would be to our advantage if they were not breached until our business is completed inside the building.”
“So whatever is coming through those tunnels is a game changer,” Angelica acknowledged as she headed toward the office door. “Fine… I need something powerful to take my frustration out on.”
Syn arched an angry eyebrow and vanished from the office the second the door slammed behind her.
As Angelica made her way up the stairs, she looked over her shoulder a number of times to make sure Syn wasn’t following her. When she felt disappointment at not finding him there, she sighed wishing he would stop toying with her.
Did he seriously think that by saying the same thing over and over again it would just somehow magically become true? No, he struck her as being smarter than that so why had he chosen her to torture? She had never met him or his boys before, much less forgotten about being their mother.
Her steps slowed when the flashback of a little boy hugging her rushed across her mind’s eye. She’d had the same vision before when she’d seen Kane in so much pain. Had Syn somehow planted the memory inside her mind or was it really something she had forgotten?
Reaching up with one hand, she rubbed it across her burning eyes. Worrying about Syn’s delusions was exhausting her. It was probably a good idea for her to take a nap before heading to the tunnels for the evening since she’d stayed out all night removing barriers some of the demons had erected to keep PIT teams out of their area.
Entering her bedroom, Angelica paused and slowly closed the door behind her. She could feel Syn’s presence inside her room even though she couldn’t see him. She desperately wanted to ask him what the hell he’d done to her downstairs in Ren's office but saying anything would bring him out in the open and she just didn’t have the energy for that right now.
Stepping over to the bed, Angelica quickly removed her shoes and slid under the covers before undressing the rest of the way leaving only her bra and panties. She wasn't going to give her invisible stalker the pleasure of a show. She closed her eyes and prayed sleep would come fast but wound up tossing and turning unable to get comfortable.
She gritted her teeth knowing at least one thing that was keeping her awake. With nimble fingers she quickly removed the bra. Whoever had invented those uncomfortable things should have been strung up by the first one. Satisfied that she now felt more comfortable she sank deeper into the pillow.
Several minutes later Angelica sighed. She could still feel him watching her and could almost swear that he was within touching distance. Giving up, she angrily sat up not caring if the cover pooled in her lap exposing her breasts. Her lips parted to tell him a nice hot place to go besides her bedroom but before she could say anything, the sleep that had been so out of reach suddenly claimed her.
Syn became visible next to her on the edge of the bed, his hand still glowing and less than an inch from her head. He quickly caught her and gently laid her back down on the pillow before pulling the cover up and over her.
He had used his power to put her to sleep for a reason. She’d been right to ignore him for now because he wasn't in the mood for yet another rejection coming from her lips. He crawled into the bed beside her and pulled her back against him.
Syn sighed knowing he deserved every rejection she gave him but the poison on the end of the blade still tested his temper… a temper he had spent thousands of years trying to suppress.
***** Vincent clenched his teeth keeping in his scream of agony as another underling dug its claws into his skin and ripped through it. He’d returned from sharing his information with Lacey and had begun preparing for tonight’s festivities when several demons had barged into his room. Before he’d even had time to grab his weapons, he found himself strung up by his wrists with thick rope and was now being used as a bloody scratching post.
It hadn’t taken him long to figure out who was behind the intrusion as another demon joined in on the fun. Masters’ replacement, known only as David, approached him with a savage punch to the face.
“What did you tell her?” David demanded quietly.
Vincent frowned as he felt a couple of the teeth he’d just spit out being replaced by new ones that were pushing their way through his gums. Needless to say, he understood exactly why babies cried when they were teething. It hurt like hell.
Already tired of this nonsense he growled, “I only told her about the auction. She said something about wanting the deal to include my freedom but I informed her that was impossible because I knew you wouldn’t go for it. As far as I could bloody well gather she was all for trading the soul orb tonight.”
David narrowed his eyes and brought his face so close to Vincent’s that their lips were almost touching. “Then explain to me why and how she had her demon mark removed. Who does she know with that much power?”
Vincent couldn’t control his smirk as the information set in. Now he understood why the demon was so pissed. A little human girl had outwitted him. Looking at the demon through swollen eyes he said in his most bored voice, “She got rid of it? Good for her. As for whom she knows… I’d say it’s someone much more powerful than you.”
That bit of sarcasm cost him when David took a step back and his black eyed underlings came forward again to see how long it would take them to flay him alive. Vincent still stubbornly refused to apologize for the insult. David was definitely vicious by any standard and would probably kill him several times without blinking… for all the good it would do.
David watched from a few feet away enjoying the show immensely. “It is a pity that your body would not accept my demon’s mark because of your ability to purge such impurities from your flesh,” he sighed disappointedly.
His thoughts turned inward. If Vincent did bear the ring’s demon mark, then he would simply release him for a little while so that he could run to his lover. The ring would track Vincent and the girl’s movements. As it stood right now, the only thing that bound Vincent to the ring was the deal he’d made with the demons when they’d first caught him stealing from them.
That first deal had cinched Vincent’s binding to the ring with the promise that if he ever broke the deal then when the demons caught him they would rip his body apart and make him a casket of concrete for all eternity. Vincent had been so disillusioned with life at the time that he had thoughtlessly agreed to the deal.
The demons within the ring had always granted Vincent special favors, though he doubted Vincent understood the true meaning behind that. It was in a demons blood to try to corrupt something so pure and the fact that Vincent’s gift was to purge impurities from his body made him one of the purest beings to walk the earth. Yet Vincent chose to surround himself with demons.
Vincent swallowed the pain knowing his one saving grace was the fact that even David understood that if he wasn't at the auction tonight there was no way in hell any deal he made for the soul orb would hold up. Lacey would take their precious trinket and hide… and with the demon mark gone, this time they wouldn’t be able to find her.
His thought process was interrupted when a cold gentle hand cupped his chin and Vincent looked up at David’s visage. The demon was indeed beautiful, which was the trademark of a highborn original who had so much power that he hardly bothered using it.
His blonde hair was so light that it looked almost golden silver. Usually, the long floor-length locks were flowing over his shoulders, but today they were pulled back into a long thick braid. David looked almost feminine if you took away the fact that he was around six and a half foot tall and built like a college athlete. His complexion was perfect, no blemish to be seen and every hair in place.
At first glance, no one would know David was a demon unless they took a very close look at his eyes. Now in the dim light of the room, his electric blue eyes appeared almost normal but every time he moved them, they narrowed into cat-like slits that almost resembled a snake’s. In his opinion, even the most beautiful of demons had a high creep factor if you looked hard enough.
Vincent let his head fall back when one of the pet vampires that David had a fetish of keeping bit down on his shoulder and started sucking like he was desperate for the life giving blood.
The way David treated his pets, the poor thing was probably starved and it wasn't like he could be turned into a vampire… he’d been bit before. Just like with the demon mark they had tried to brand him with, his body obviously healed the vampire virus because he’d always woken up still human.
Vincent flinched when the vampire was jerked away from him without warning causing its teeth to take a chunk of flesh with it. He cringed when the mistreated vampire hit the wall hard enough to send the much needed blood he’d just consumed spraying across the room. He looked away tired of feeling sorry for the monsters.
“It’s almost time Vincent,” David said in a gentle voice. “I think you are telling me the truth about not knowing Lacey’s plan to remove our mark.” He waved a hand and the ropes vanished leaving Vincent to suddenly crumple to the floor. “But know this… if she does not show up tonight, you will be the one to pay the price.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you,” Vincent said kneeling in his own pool of blood. Maybe it was time to take them up on their offer of a concrete casket. He was tired and could use the damn rest.
“Now, go heal and get yourself cleaned up,” David ordered without mercy. “I cannot have my favorite thief standing at my side looking like a tenderized piece of meat for anyone who shows up hungry.”
He’d sent out the announcement of the auction by dispersing shadow demons in all directions and for the last several hours had been receiving private requests from many master demons throughout the city. He counted on them showing up during all hours of the day to make arrangements and many of them would be staying throughout the night.
A greedy smile pulled at David’s lips. By allowing them to bring their own items to trade, he was being privy to all of it… including some very powerful secrets. He was also making sure that certain demons were not present during the time slot specified for the soul orb because that was the most powerful object of them all.
Vincent winced and slowly pushed himself to his feet when David and his underlings left the room. The torture had been a bitch but it was worth it just to see the pompous demon actually lose his composure for a moment. He would have laughed but resisted the urge knowing it would only hurt right now since he was sure several of his ribs were broken.
Lacey had managed to do something to ruffle the original’s feathers and he was sure the other demons in the ring that shared ownership over the bloody mark were just as angry. Served them right, the cocky bastards.
He rubbed his wrists to get the circulation moving in them again and couldn’t resist the grin that spread across his face. It was amazing how much pain he could handle but then… dying a thousand deaths had a way of taking the sting out of it. It wouldn’t bother him if she didn’t show up tonight. He could handle the repercussions.
“Good show love,” he whispered as he slowly made his way back into the shower.
***** On her way back to the desk from helping a middle aged lady find the mystical wrinkle cream, Gypsy paused for a moment in front of the window to search the street. It was strange but it looked like the traffic had died down drastically from just a little while ago. Normally, traffic was heavy this time of the day and it wasn't even dark yet, although the thick rain clouds overhead did look a bit threat ening.
She frowned at the two demons that were still stationed across the street from the shop. Nick had pointed them out to her earlier in the day but he’d said that they were probably just there to intimidate Lacey into going to the auction. Obviously, the fact that Lacey wasn't even here had completely escaped their notice which let her know demons weren’t as smart as she’d once feared.
So far they hadn’t caused a problem with any of her customers and for that she was thankful, although just like the traffic… her customers had also died down and that was starting to send up red flags. Noticing one of the demons turn his head to look at her, she decided to forgo the sightseeing and quickly headed back toward the front counter.
“That’s the fifth Rolls I’ve seen drive by today,” Gypsy said conversationally as she passed by Nick who was leaning against the wall where he could keep the store and the demons in his sights.
Nick gave the demons a bored glance before following her across the store. “Well, the museum is just down the block and around the corner. Some of them are probably going to the auction. But even if they’re not… since when is seeing a Rolls on Rodeo Drive a strange occurrence?”
“It isn’t,” Gypsy admitted. “I guess I’m just a little antsy about Lacey. After everything you told me you overheard them talking about this morning, plus everything she admitted to me of doing… I can’t help but worry.”
“She’s your cousin,” Nick shrugged, “and I didn’t see any reason to leave you in the dark about what was going down. I didn’t tell you to make you worry about it though. Between Storm and Ren… those two won’t let anything happen to her.”
Gypsy gave him a small but very heartfelt smile to show him that she was glad he was here with her. “Thanks for not hiding it from me,” she said honestly. Wanting to change the topic, she nodded out toward the floor of the shop, “It’s usually more crowded than this and it looks like something is up with the traffic as well. Where is everyone?”
Nick had a feeling that question also had something to do with the auction but instead of adding that little fact to her already overly worried mind, he smirked and leaned over the counter toward her. “I can think of a few things to keep you from getting bored.”
Gypsy couldn’t control the blush that rose to her cheeks, “Nick, I didn’t say that we don’t have any customers at all. They will see us.”
“Oh, so you think talking to me in public might stir up gossip or cause a scene?” he inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“No, no,” Gypsy said with wide eyes and waved her hands in front of her, “that’s not what I thought at all.”
“Ah, so you thought it was something else,” Nick teased her and came around the counter, cornering her. “What’s on your mind Gypsy girl?”
Gypsy's lips parted and she felt a thrill as he stalked her, causing her to back up into the small alcove created by the tall shelves Nick had recently placed at the end of the counter. Now she had to wonder if he’d put them there on purpose. She sucked in a sharp breath when he leaned in close, their bodies almost touching. He lowered his lips to her ear and her eyes nearly closed when he made a sexy purring sound, tickling the sensitive skin and making her shiver.
“We can’t,” Gypsy whispered, “what if a customer needs me?”
Nick grinned when, despite her words, her small hands slid inside his trench coat to rest on his hips. “Then we’ll pick up where we left off once you’re finished… and I’d advise you to be quick about it,” He informed her seductively.
When his teeth nipped at the lobe of her ear, Gypsy tilted her head back and purposely pulled him closer praying to god he was finally going to kiss her. As luck would have it, the bell over the door jingled making her flinch back a couple inches from him.
Nick leaned back out of their hiding spot to glare at the person who dared to enter the shop right now. His glare died down when he saw Jewel stop just inside the doorway and arch an eyebrow at him.
“Hello Nick,” Jewel said with a grin.
Hearing a girl’s voice call Nick's name, Gypsy shot out from behind the shelf only to become trapped in Nick’s arms. She spun around to face the store, wincing at the counter that was now digging into her belly. She wiggled her ass to try and get Nick to back up then blushed when he only pressed harder against her. Oh, he was being a very, very bad kitty.
“Welcome to The Witch’s Brew,” Gypsy exclaimed with a bright smile and heat in her flaming cheeks as her gaze zeroed in on the blond. She remembered Jewel from the other night when Ren had teleported her and Nick to the park clear on the other side of the city. Nick had called up Jewel and Steven to give them a ride back to The Witch’s Brew after Storm had taken Ren away.
“You remember Jewel… Steven’s mate,” Nick whispered in her ear then smirked in male satisfaction at the jealousy she hadn’t been able to hide.
Jewel smiled and shrugged, “It seems that I’m the only one that could make it past the front door.”
Gypsy frowned and jerked her gaze from Jewel toward the door. She immediately recognized Kat and her brother Warren, along with two of the guys from Night Light.
“Can we come in?” Kat asked with a grin as she pointed at the sign on the door.
“No, we’re about to close,” Nick growled earning him a soft elbow in the stomach from Gypsy.
“Of course you can,” Gypsy said with a smirk.
“And here I thought nothing would ever separate us,” Steven teased Jewel as he came up beside her and slipped his arm around her trying to hide the fact that the barrier had actually rattled him.
Gypsy could see the love shining in Steven’s eyes but she still didn’t know if mate stood for girlfriend, wife, or what. They actually made a very nice couple and she felt a little guilty for being jealous just because the girl had said Nick's name so sweetly.
Kat approached the counter smiling at the brooding look Nick gave her. “Did we come at a bad time?” she pouted playfully at him.
“Like that would make you leave,” Nick remarked giving up his hold on Gypsy when he noticed Warren motioning for him.
Kat watched as her brother headed out from behind the counter and toward the others. Good… maybe he would keep Quinn distracted for a few minutes.
“Do you have any more of that scent masking spritzer?” she asked as quietly as she could manage.
Gypsy shook her head and leaned forward a little bit understanding it was a secret. “I’m completely out. A nice but slightly strange man bought every bottle I had just a couple days ago and took a troublesome painting off my hands while he was at it.”
“Damn,” Kat muttered to herself and silently wondered if Alicia would have any left over from where she used to hide from the bodyguards her brothers had put on her.
“I’ve got more on order so it will probably be here in a couple days,” Gypsy explained. “It should arrive before Halloween. Most everything else you ordered has already been picked up by Nick.”
Kat nodded, “Okay, I’ll call you to check on it later in the week.” She glanced around the store seeing that Steven and Jewel were already filling the few customers in on the evacuation alert and ushering them out the door.
“It looks like that’s not the only reason you stopped by,” Gypsy said a little nervously as the others finally approached the counter.
“And they’re saying it’s a gas leak?” Nick asked choosing to go around the counter to stand beside Gypsy.
Warren nodded, “Chad said that the police are in the process of blocking off most of the streets within a four block radius of the museum and telling everyone that they’re still trying to find the source of the leak. They have already turned the blame on the fact that we’ve had so many small earthquakes lately.”
Nick raised a dark eyebrow, “That’s actually a brilliant idea since they need everyone to steer clear of the demon hotspot tonight.”
“They are broadcasting the news about the gas leak on the TV and radio stations as we speak,” Quinn supplied as he wrapped his arms around Kat. “For safety reasons, they want as few people on these streets as possible.”
“That’s why business has slowed down,” Gypsy concluded and wondered again just how much danger Lacey had gotten herself into.
“We were already out this way and wanted to check and see if you needed anything since you’re in the red zone,” Warren admitted.
“Yeah, we do need you to do something,” Nick said. “Go find someone else to check on because we’re fine.”
“Translation… leave me the hell alone so I can spend time with the girl I am trying to make my mate,” Steven supplied.
“Shut the hell up,” Nick yelled.
“Why? He’s only telling the truth,” Kat chimed in and winked at Gypsy to let the girl know they were only giving Nick a hard time.
“As you can see, no one can enter the store unless they are pure human or have an invite, so this is probably the safest place on the grid,” Nick pointed out refusing to blush at their taunts. Hardening his voice he added, “Need I remind you that I am heavily armed and in a store that is full of weapons?”
“And on that note we will take our leave,” Warren said with a smirk. “Make sure to lock up and don’t leave the shop unless absolutely necessary.”
“Thanks dad,” Nick countered playfully. He was suddenly in a much better mood now that he could see their backs.
“We won’t,” Gypsy promised feeling butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of being completely alone with Nick for the rest of the afternoon… and night.
“You two stay safe,” Jewel called out as they left.
The bell over the door jingled once more as it closed before everything was silent.
