Tempting Evil

not?'

'I have.'

'Then you will know backchat is not acceptable.'

'And if you have read my file, you will know that is one of my more charming personality traits.'

'Riley, shut the fuck up,' Jack said into my ear. 'You do not need to be shoved off the bus just yet.'

I bit my bottom lip to restrain my grin and wished I could remind him that he was the one who'd made Poppy the mouth, not me.

Military guy's expression was less than happy. 'Insolence may be good for the ring, but it will lose you money out of it.'

'You'd dock my pay?'

'It was in the contract.'

'Bugger. Guess I should have read it better.'

His frown darkened, but his gaze moved on. Several of the woman sitting in the back of the bus shifted uncomfortably, and I wondered whether the cause was military guy's fearsome gaze or the realization they might have gotten themselves into more than they bargained for. Certainly I could 'feel' concern in the air—and the mere fact that I was sensing that was a cause of concern for me. Since when had I been able to sense emotions? I'd always been able to sense Quinn's, true, but that was due to the extraordinary connection between us… wasn't it?

'Those of you who have read the contract'—the emphasis left me in no doubt who that particular comment was aimed at, but then, it didn't exactly take a rocket scientist to work that out—'will no doubt be aware that there is one final test on reaching the estate—an obstacle course. If you do not complete this course, you will fail and be returned to the pickup point. If you shift shape during the course, you will also fail.'

'Why no shapeshifting?' I piped up.

He gave me a deadpan look. 'Because that is the wishes of your new employer.'

'So why employ shifters and weres if you don't want them to shift?'

'Why don't you just shut up before I stop this bus and boot you out?'

I shut up.

'Those who make it through the obstacle course will be prepared for the arena. It is hand-to-hand fighting, with some wooden weapons allowed. The winner gets a substantial monetary bonus, and will spend the night with my employer's lieutenants. This is not negotiable, and anyone uncomfortable with this can leave now.'

He aimed that last bit at me, though why was anyone's guess. Poppy was supposed to be half-wolf, and wolves didn't place the same sort of emphasis on sex that many of the other races did. It was just sex, something to be shared and enjoyed rather than hidden behind closed doors and puritanical attitudes.

When I kept my mouth shut, he went on, 'Any injuries received in the arena will be tended to by the contestant. Failure to show up in the arena due to injury will result in the loss of that night's pay.'

These boys were all heart.

'There are two areas out of bounds for all contestants,' military guy continued. 'The zoo, which no one shall enter without proper guidance, and basement levels which contain my employer's personal quarters.'

It also contained the small lab area, which meant getting to Dia's daughter without being seen was going to be doubly hard.

'Anyone found in my employer's quarters, for any reason beyond a personal invite, will be instantly dismissed.'

No mention there of being returned home. I had a bad feeling that wasn't actually an option under those circumstances.

He glanced at his watch, then added, 'We are now going to black out the bus. It'll take approximately one hour to get to the estate. Until then, please sit back and enjoy the ride.'

I snorted softly as darkness fell within the bus. 'Yeah, I always enjoy riding into parts unknown in a pitch- black bus.'

'And I came out of hibernation not so long ago, so black places are not on my list of favorite things at the moment.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'A bear who doesn't like the dark?'

'Oh, I have no problem with the dark, wolf. I just don't like being in it when there's no real need.'

'So you sleep with the light on?'

She snorted. 'Of course not. Nor do I make love with the light on. The wobbly bits look better in the dark.'

I grinned. 'And if you don't like the look of your partner, it's easier to imagine you're with someone else.'

'Hell, yeah.' She paused. 'So what do you think this is really all about?'

I shrugged, and half-wondered why she was asking that question. I mean, she had no idea who was listening in or who I really was. For all she knew, I might be here to sort out any possible spies. But then, bear-shifters, for all their fearsome attitudes, also had a reputation for brutal honesty. Maybe she simply thought that because I was here, in the middle of the bus, that I was trustworthy.

Or maybe she was the plant.

But for some reason, I thought not—and I have no idea why, other than the fact that I liked her. Considering my low batting average of late when it came to picking friends, I really should be taking that as a sign to be more cautious around her.

'I think we have a rich, eccentric recluse who likes to show off to his friends by throwing wild sex parties.'

'But the arena? I like fighting, don't get me wrong, but this seems a little more serious than the stuff I usually do.'

'You fight for a living?'

'I'm a wrestler by trade.'

Well, she certainly had the size for it. And though I'd never seen a bear-shifter in action, she probably had the speed, as well. Real bears could certainly move damn fast, for all their bulk. 'There's a fair bit of money in that, isn't there?'

'If you're good. I don't make half as much as Ginny.'

I frowned, 'Who's Ginny?'

'The tat lady. You must have noticed her in the line earlier.'

Ah—the light-on-her-toes woman. I'd been right. She did fight for a living. 'So you know each other?'

'We work the same circuit.'

Which could have meant anything from they were the best of friends to mortal enemies.

'You're both out of work at the moment, then?'

'No. But for me, this otter is just too good to refuse. It'll give me some decent fall-back money. I might even be able to buy myself somewhere to live.' She paused. In the brief silence, I heard the squeak of seats as the other women moved. None of them were talking. Maybe they were riveted by our conversation.

'So what were you up to when they recruited you, wolf?'

'I've only just come down from Sydney.'

'Why?'

'Things got a little heated up there for me. Thought retreat was better than ending up sitting behind cell bars.'

She didn't say anything, but there was suddenly a decided chill coming from her direction. 'Anything major?'

'Just getting a little light-fingered in the wrong place.'

'A thief.'

She said it in a flat-toned, disapproving sort of way. Not surprising, given the brutally honest tendencies of her race. But her tone also suggested I'd just lost a potential friend. That was sad, because I generally found it hard to make friends, and things had, up until that moment, seemed hopeful.

'When I need to be.' I shrugged. 'A girl's got to live.'

'A girl can get a regular job.'