Dulce, everyone is here of their own accord. Nothing is illegal if they enjoy it.” “That’s not…” “Shh,” Knight interrupted and grabbed my arm. Dagan opened the door. “After you.”
This was so not going to be fun. At least it wasn’t a huge place. Once we did a walk through, we could leave. That’s what I promised myself, anyway.
Dagan watched us walk down the hall and retired back into his office. He’d stay true to his word. If he said he’d keep an eye on us, he would. I’m sure the monitors in his office would help.
I noticed a group of about four or so people standing outside the first room on our little tour. Here’s where the “fun” started.
I stepped beside a woman dressed in what amounted to tape-a piece of duct tape across her breasts and across her…lower area. Later on, it would probably give someone a great amount of pleasure…sadistic pleasure…to rip the tape right off her. And I imagined she’d enjoy it too. I winced involuntarily.
The woman smiled, her gaze roving over me and then Knight who stood directly behind me. She was tall- nearly as tall as Knight and attractive with long red hair. “What’s going on in there?” I whispered. The woman leaned down, desire so thick in her eyes, I could’ve cut it. “A woman with three vamps.” Egad.
She trailed an index finger down my collarbone, stopping just above my breasts. I gulped, trying to swallow the disgust wedging itself in my throat. Knight must’ve noticed because he took a step closer to me and slid his arms around my waist.
“Do you want to get a better look?” he asked and grinned down at me, his eyes sparkling. I could’ve shot him.
So, Knight was playing with me? He was going to milk this just as Dagan had. I couldn’t very well say no-talk about destroying my alibi. I turned my attention to the hall as Dagan approached us. Goddamit. “Yeah, that sounds great,” I managed. The woman stepped aside and gave Knight a knowing grin and an equally knowing pat on the ass. “She’s new,” he said. The woman smiled at me again. “Welcome. If you want to…play later, find me.”
“Thanks,” I managed then moved through the open door. There wasn’t a wall or anything separating the room from the hall, so we all just stood along the sidelines and watched.
Well, I didn’t. I’m not sure how I managed, but I stared at the carpeting the entire time.
“Like it?” I looked up at Dagan who grinned, looking like a shark.
I was about to give him a piece of my mind when I noticed the expression of the woman behind him, the tall red head wearing the duct tape. She watched me inquisitively. Her hands ran the length of Dagan’s naked back, and he leaned into her.
“Yeah, it’s great,” I managed.
Knight pulled me against him and dropped his head into my neck like he was going to bite me. I tried to push away from him, but he held me in an iron grasp.
“Don’t blow our cover,” he whispered.
Then he kissed my neck and ran his hands down my stomach. Shivers raced over my skin. My blood was boiling and not with lust. With anger the likes of which I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Well, okay, and maybe a little lust. Either way, Knight was going to get an earful later.
My gaze drifted to Dagan who’d changed places with the woman and now stood behind her. He kissed the woman’s neck, and she melted into him. He started to pull against the duct tape on her breasts. As if he could read my mind, Dagan faced me, his eyes full of sinister deliberation. The woman moaned against him, and before I could take another breath, he ripped the tape.
“Get me out of here now,” I whispered to Knight.
Knight didn’t respond but lifted me up, newlywed style, and took a few steps away from the room. He dropped me and pushed me against the wall, forcing his lips on mine. As soon as his head shielded my face from the onlookers, I exploded.
“What the hell are you doing!”
“Go with it,” he whispered. “I’m getting us out of here.”
He pushed himself against me and I retreated as far as I could into the unforgiving wall. The concrete scratched my naked back, forcing me into Knight’s kiss. Knight glanced at Dagan, smacked my ass, and then started for the door.
Once outside, I slapped him hard against the face. “What the hell was that?”
It had been the first time someone had kissed me since Jack, over a year ago.
Knight gritted his teeth, his cheek red where my palm had let him know exactly what I thought of him. “If not for me, you would’ve blown our cover. Jesus, Dulcie, you were like a school girl in there.” “You didn’t have to kiss me and take advantage of the situation. Groping me like that was uncalled for.” Knight chuckled. “You’re a Regulator, Dulcie. You should know the job isn’t always smooth sailing.” I frowned and started for my car, my legs weak. “Either way, don’t ever touch me again.” “Look, it had to be believable.”
“Whatever.” I unlocked the door and hopped into the car. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten here, but I wasn’t about to leave him in leather pants in a dark alley. “How did you get here?” He shrugged. “I took a cab. I didn’t know how long I’d be here so I neglected to get a rental. I’ll probably get one tomorrow.” “Get in,” I said with a sigh. “You’re offering me a ride?” he asked with a bashful grin. “Get in before I change my mind.” Knight started for the passenger seat. “I’m staying at the Marriott on Evergreen Street.”
I nodded and pulled out of the lot when I remembered I hadn’t brought up Bram’s Chinese massage parlor with Dagan. Damn. Well, now I’d have to make another trip. Double damn. “Well that was basically a waste of time,” I said, wanting to break the monotony of silence. Knight shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It’s all part of the job.” So, he had a good perspective on it. Guess I was impatient. “What’s your phone number?” Knight asked. I threw him a frown. “I’m not giving you my phone number.” “I need to be able to get in touch with you.” He shrugged. “It’s that or I interrupt your pirate dreams again.”
Heat washed over my face like a wave. I dropped my gaze and tightened my hands on the wheel. How freaking embarrassing could this night get?
I gave him my phone number.
SEVEN
The creature had struck again.
In a matter of two days, there had been two more killings. The first, Guy Riley, had been a well-known illegal potions importer who’d been contributing to the delinquencies lining Splendor streets for years. I couldn’t say his death brought me any level of sorrow.
Now, as Trey and I had been called onto the scene of the second killing, I didn’t know what to expect. Guy had been torn up like Fabian had. And like Fabian, his head had been left. Apparently, the creature didn’t have a taste for brains.
Trey handed me a pair of latex gloves and stepped aside, motioning with his arms that I should go ahead of him. Such the gentleman. I stepped over the yellow crime scene tape and blinked against the glare of the portable floodlights shining down the alleyway.
Guy had been killed inside his dark arts store, much like Fabian had been. But this second murder had taken place in an alley behind Guy’s; almost like the victim had witnessed something he shouldn’t have.
“Do they have any idea who the victim is?” I asked Trey, who’d managed to get on the scene a few minutes before me.
He shook his head. “No, I waited for you.”
I nodded and followed the white hazmat-suited A.N.C. forensics team down the alley where they gathered around what I could only assume was the body. At our approach, they separated like bowling pins.
I glanced down at what was left of the body. As with Fabian and Guy, there was no blood. Just a head and a fleshy mound sitting beside the head. The fleshy mound was about the length of my forearm with the white of various bones peeking through the flesh. I squatted down and reached for the pulpy mass before noting the numbered markers set beside the head and rib cage, used for crime scene photos. I glanced up at the forensics team who were still surrounding the body. “Am I good to shift stuff around now?” A man with beady eyes gave me a salute. “It’s all yours.” I lifted the fleshy mass. “Rib cage,” I said to Trey. “That’s what I was thinking too.”
