knowledge or consent. It was a major hot-button issue for her.
Better to pour on the sugar a little if she wanted Stanley’s help. Just a smidge.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” she said, extending her hand and pushing a smile onto her face. “I’m Eden.”
He eyed her warily and then slowly and visibly relaxed. He shook her hand. “Great to meet you, Eden. I do appreciate a woman with an outgoing personality. Please have a seat. Champagne?” He raised another glass.
That wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m with Darrak,” she said.
He audibly gasped. “Oh.”
“You know who that is?”
“Of course I do.” He swallowed hard, then forced a shaky smile to his thin lips. “Why didn’t you say so to begin with? Any friend of Darrak’s is a friend of mine.”
“He’s not my friend,” Darrak noted. “I’ve never met him before face-to-face. But it’s good to know my reputation precedes me.”
“Where is he?” Stanley’s gaze shifted nervously around the room.
“Close. But he sent me to talk to you.” Stanley didn’t know she was possessed. It was best to keep that fact tucked away for the time being. “I need to talk to your boss. It’s urgent.”
Stanley cleared his throat and sipped on his own glass of bubbly. “That’s going to be a problem, I’m afraid.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“He’s gone.”
“Gone?”
He nodded. “He left town the other day for an extended vacation. He’s recovering from some, uh. . recent injuries. . and needed the time alone to recuperate.”
He was gone? How could he be gone? Her chest felt tight. She’d hoped this would go smoothly tonight.
“Where did he go?” she asked, her throat suddenly thick.
“He didn’t say. He really wants to be alone right now. He’s all Greta Garbo. Knowing him, though, it’s somewhere with palm trees and drinks served in coconuts, but I don’t know the exact location. My boss is super secretive about everything in his life. Maksim doesn’t even want anyone to know his first name.” Stanley paused. “Whoops.”
“Maksim, huh?” Eden tried to remain calm. “I need to get in touch with him. How do I do that?”
“You don’t. Sorry.”
“Darrak is not going to be happy,” Eden said, not liking that she felt the need to resort to veiled threats. Then again, this guy hadn’t made a fabulous impression on her so far, so scaring him a little was okay with her. “You don’t want an archdemon to get angry with you — all talons and sharp teeth and, um,
Darrak sighed. “I’ll leave any horny jokes alone. Way too easy. And sadly accurate at the moment.”
Stanley swallowed and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. “Trust me, I don’t want him to be angry. But there’s nothing I can do. If Darrak wants to disembowel me because of this, it’ll be a waste of his valuable time.”
“You think he’d disembowel you?” Eden asked. Stanley seemed all too ready to jump to the conclusion that Darrak was just as dangerous as Ben thought he was.
“Of course.” Stanley lowered his voice. “He’s an
“I promise not to disembowel him,” Darrak said. “The cleanup’s a real bitch. We should just go now.”
“Just relax,” Eden said to Stanley. The guy looked ready to wet himself at the prospect of infuriating Darrak.
“I can’t relax. Sex is the only way I can unwind, and you totally blew that for me tonight.” He breathed deeply and downed the rest of his drink. “What’s Darrak’s problem anyhow? Must be something major. If he’s looking for a wizard master to help him and his girlfriend—”
“I’m not Darrak’s girlfriend,” Eden said firmly.
“His bitch, then.” He flippantly waved his hand. “Whatever you are.”
Darrak snorted. “He called you my bitch.”
“I heard him.”
“What did you say?” Stanley asked.
“I’m not Darrak’s bitch.” She hissed out a frustrated sigh. “So what you’re saying is talking to you is a big fat waste of time, is it?”
“If all you’re looking for is my boss, then yeah. But if you’re looking for something else”—he placed a hand on Eden’s thigh—“then I might be able to help.”
She looked down at his hand. “Do you have a death wish?”
Stanley removed his hand. “You’re a difficult woman to love. No. No death wish. Although I have to say I’m probably in the minority around here. Anyone coming to this club who doesn’t have any magical protection is asking for trouble.”
That piqued Eden’s interest. “Are you talking about the murder last night?”
“Among other things.” He glanced nervously around the crowded club. “That’s seven now, including the reporter.”
She inhaled sharply. Stanley may not have been helpful in contacting the wizard master, but did he know something about Graham’s murder?
“I thought the other women only went missing. Do you really think they’re dead?”
“Once you disappear from here, you don’t come back.”
A shiver went down her spine. “So where do you go?”
“We really shouldn’t talk about this.” He scanned the room, his face paling. “The walls have ears.”
She touched Stanley’s leg to get his attention again. “You think it’s someone who works here doing the killings?”
He licked his lips. “It’s possible. It’s connected to Luxuria, that’s all I know right now. I wouldn’t come here at all, but I can’t seem to stay away. Wish I could.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just what I said. I’d like to go to other clubs, but I keep coming back here. So does everyone else. Ninety percent of the people you see here return nearly every night like clockwork.”
“Really?” She glanced around. She’d had friends who enjoyed going out on Friday and Saturday nights to let off a little steam after a long week at work, but to go to a singles’ club more than that? Seemed excessive.
And expensive. The drinks here were way overpriced.
She needed to know more. Darrak didn’t want her investigating anything to do with Graham’s murder, but how could she resist a little prodding into things? She owed her old friend that much.
“Look, Stanley,” she began, “I know you don’t want to get involved, but if you’re a regular here, maybe you saw something suspicious—” She stopped talking for a moment as something occurred to her.
The other demon had been here last night just before Graham’s murder.
Of course. It made total sense. That demon had to have something to do with this. What other reason would a demon have for hanging out at a singles’ club?
“What?” Stanley prompted.
Two people making out next to her jostled Eden’s arm, and she moved out of their way, scooting down the couch to sit closer to Stanley. “Did you see a demon here last night?”
“Eden,” Darrak breathed. “We need to leave. Come on.”
Why was he trying to stop her from learning more? If she had a chance like this to find out more, shouldn’t he encourage that? She could dampen him so he didn’t get in the way, but she wasn’t ready to do that yet.
“A demon.” Stanley swallowed hard enough for it to officially be considered a gulp. “Yeah, I saw him. The demonic energy emanating off him was hard to miss.”
Her heart drummed so hard against her rib cage that she felt it in her ears. “Do you think he has anything to
