“You
both are ready. The time of casual fucks is over. Take the leap of fate and find the one.”
Regardless
of all the trash talking, I loved them, but they expected us to give as hard as we got. In my family, toughness and resilience was rewarded. The weak would not inherit the earth. “I really don’t care what you say as long as you get your skinny butts back to Manhattan. We’ve got a major crisis here.”
Mom's
voice got deep and hard, indicating that playtime was over. “There’s no
we
about it. You two have a major crisis. And you will do what I instructed. And each of you is responsible for your assignment.”
My
voice was just as hard. “Don’t you use that Domme voice on me. It doesn’t work.”
“Oh
, don’t you fear, smart ass. One day a Dom will have you scurrying for cover.” She sighed heavily. “I’m bored, sister. Shall we go over the rules of engagement so that we can be done with this tired conversation?”
They
actually cackled in a creepy way. This was trouble.
I
looked at Light worriedly. “We know the rules, Mom.” It was drilled into us since we were young. Golden “do not break” rules and other miscellaneous rules thrown in with a little common sense.
“Quiet
,” Mom barked. A command that was icy and impatient.
I
blinked, gritting my teeth, rearing for a major battle.
Mom
continued. “Rule one, there is no fraternizing with clients. This includes sex, dating, and the fuzzy area in between. We don't shit where we eat. Rule two, don’t mess with the family business. That means do whatever you need to do to keep the client happy. Our reputation is everything.”
Aunt
Lia continued. “Rule three, over promise, over fucking deliver. Our girls are the cream of the crop. We attract and retain the very best. That’s how we've maintained our legacy contracts with those damn awful bluebloods for centuries. Remember that.”
Mom
interrupted. “Rule four, what we promise, we deliver. If it means selling your soul to the underworld, so be it. If it means promising your firstborn, kiss your baby good-bye. Rule five, we don't break up marriages or relationships. Single and available is all we match. We don't care how much money they have or promise. That's off the table, period. Rule Six, break or destroy the business and we will break and destroy you. This is our legacy, and blood won’t mean shit if you two fuck this up. You get me, ladies?” She paused. “These rules are the same ones handed down from generation to generation. When my mother lectured me on the rules, I was just as insolent and resentful as you two. But I learned the hard way that this is what keeps order and structure within the Credence family and among our employees.”
By
the time she was done, I was queasy and more than a little disturbed. This was the major take-no-prisoners Credence test. I felt it in my bones. “I mean, how hard could this possibly be? The escorts have the easy part. All they do is look pretty as arm candy. We do all the hard work.”
Aunt
Lia laughed. “Is that so? There's so much you two smart asses don't know about what it takes to be an escort. Humility. Intelligence. Keen negotiation skills. And submission.” She sighed. “Oh, Ava, how could they not know this?”
Mom
sighed heavily. “This is exactly the reason the escorts don't respect them.”
I
rolled my eyes. “They don't respect us because they know that they can run to you with the slightest complaint about us and you'll take their side. And please don't act like they're rocket scientists or out to create world peace. All they care about is the money.” I wasn't even going revisit the last test. It was an epic fail when Light and I hosted the monthly escort dinner for the first time. Typically, it was an elaborate bonding event my mom and Aunt Lia hosted where the escorts gave the status of assignments and gossiped on which Other millionaire and potential client was in town. Who got mate-claimed. It was just an overall bonding session. But when they found out we were hosting, half didn't show up. And those who did treated us with outright hostility.
Aunt
Lia responded, “And you don't?”
Pursing
my lips before responding, I said, “I'm honest about what I want. I don't wrap it up in pretty bows and hope a man gets it. This is who and what I am. And I know for sure that I'm not looking for a startup man.”
Light
drained her glass. “I can't wait for this explanation.”
I
shot her an annoyed glare. “A man who's starting to find himself sexually, financially, or emotionally.”
Always
the instigator, Light prodded. “Please break it down for me, Storm.”
“I'm
not trying to be a teacher in bed. I want to be taught. I'm not trying to be a man's financial provider. He needs to come to me ready to be an equal partner. And I don't do broken men. Fix your issues before you come to me.”
Light
looked on with awe. “Damn brilliant and hardcore!”
Aunt
Lia responded, “Storm, that's the smartest thing you said during this whole conversation.”
Mom
said, “Don't encourage, Lia. Now, on to the tiny matter of retirement. We decide when we retire. Do you think our mothers just turned over the business to us easily? No, we worked our gorgeous asses off to show that we understood that it was a privilege and not a right. We worked our asses off to prove we understood everything that the Credence bloodline stood for. And when we proved that the Credence business and legacy would not die with us, then and only then was the business ours.”
“Now
it's time to prove the same,” Aunt Lia finished.
Light's
eyes looked like a kicked puppy. “Hey, we work our asses off every day to do just that.”
Aunt
Lia scoffed. “Prancing around the office in designer suits playing Director of Marketing doesn't count, Light. Rolling up your fucking sleeves and dealing with the clients and escorts does.”
I
laughed. Light gave me a middle-finger salute.
Aunt
Lia hissed, “What the hell are you laughing at, Storm? You hide behind your computer all day and night playing Director of Operations. Turning out damn metrics reports that have nothing to do with the reality of our world. Spend five seconds dealing with our escorts and you’ll be tearing out your hair. In fact, how about you deal with our over-privileged clients who think they walk on water. Then you'll truly understand the big difference between what's written in those contracts and the reality of implementing them. Believe me, there's a big, grey, fuzzy area that reality doesn't account for.”
Mom
interrupted. “Three weeks. That's what you two have to prove that you deserve the keys to the castle. It's not a simple task. You'll discover that all on your own. Just one mistake can turn this business into dust. A business that's been in existence since horse and carriages were considered hot.”
Aunt
Lia interjected. “We've got to go, darlings. This year's theme is sexy human sacrifices, and we want first pick.”
My
eyes opened with outrage. “What? You're going to kill humans?”
Mom
laughed hysterically. “See, Lia. This is a prime example of what denying your bloodline will do to you. Turn you into an educated idiot. Storm, if you would have shown the least bit of interest in the craft, you would know that we don't use harmful spells unless absolutely necessary. And it will be absolutely necessary to turn you two into donkeys if you destroy our business.”
“Educated
idiot? I’m not the only one that went to college. You have an MBA. Not that it’s required to wield a flogger.”
“She's
joking, Storm. Don't get your panties in a bunch. It's a BDSM theme,” Aunt Lia responded.
Light
rolled off the couch on unsteady legs. “Great, more sex. That’s all the oversexed hags need. Do you know how many nightmares I’ve had since I’ve seen you at that club with your sexual submissive?” She shivered with disgust.
“Oh
, quiet. Don't be jealous of your mother, baby. I'm finally getting some,” Aunt Lia barked.
Light
leaned against the couch with a flushed face. “Mom, please, you have more sex than I do.”
Mom
snickered. “That's so true.”
I
threw my arms up with frustration. “I give up. They’re certifiably crazy.”
Mom
made kissing sounds. “See you, sweetheart. And don't destroy the business while we're gone.”
The
cell disconnected.
Light
leaned her head against the window. “We're so screwed.”
I
gritted my teeth because our mothers totally plotted out their divide-and-conquer strategy by having Light at one event and me at another so we couldn’t leverage our best advantage. My negotiation skills and Light's people skills. Together, we balance. Separately, we’re a total disaster. But this time, I was determined to step out of my comfort zone. I had to.
“No,
we're not. We can handle this.” I smiled, ignoring the foreboding vibe of disaster floating around me.
I
was seriously freaking out. After several frantic calls to Noah, I found out from his assistant that he was out of the country on some urgent pack business. And my visit to Celina's penthouse resulted in the doorman telling me he hadn't seen her in days.
My
senses were jingling off the hook with a red light flashing that shit was about to hit the fan. I jumped when the sound of ringing echoed throughout the car’s speaker system. I groaned when Light’s name displayed on the console, dreading what I knew was more bad news.
“What’s
up?”
“Are
you there yet?” Light whispered.
“No.
And why the hell are you whispering?”
“I’m
on the terrace, hiding behind a huge potted plant.”
“What’s
going on, Light?”
She
hissed. “I have a hostile tiger on my hands. And do you know why? Because his mother thought it would be a great gift for him to be matched with a nice tigress while he’s in town.” Her voice started rising in an unusual, panicked manner. “But guess what she failed to mention? That he’s already mate-claimed… to a human. A human she hates.”
I
banged on the steering wheel in frustration. “You see, that's exactly why I hate these ‘I want to set you up without your knowledge’ matches. Someone always gets fucked, and not literally either.”
Light
shuffled her cell. “Hold on, it gets worse. I called his mother and politely explained that we’re not in the business of breaking up relationships and that we only match single and available clients, but she’s not having it. She threw a hissy fit, threatening to petition to the Other Council for breach of contract.”
Great,
this night keeps getting better and better. The Other Council didn't typically take small disputes like this, but I'm sure they would reconsider their position once they heard that this was a petition against Credence O. I could just hear the circus music.
I
drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. “Our contract specifically states we only match single and available clients. Just apologize to him and leave the party. I’ll have Reason deal with his mother in the morning and explain the finer things in life. Like the heavy penalty fee she owes us for misrepresenting her son’s availability status and wasting our time.”
“Uh
, Storm, there’s more… but please don’t freak out.”
“Just
tell me, Light.”
“Some
guy named Jeff Hunter just called my cell.”
“And?”
“He claims to be a reporter and he's asking a lot of questions about Celina, like what exactly was her position at our company.”
I
jerked the car, barely missing plowing into another one. “Why is this shit happening?” I pounded the steering wheel with each word.
“What
do you think he’d say if I told him that Celina is a wolf-shifter and one of our top escorts?” She laughed hysterically while I battled the urge to hurl.
“Storm?”
This was bad. The escorts were officially listed on the books as personal assistants. And in the real world, personal assistants didn't make as much money as ours did. “I’m here… I just can’t process the mess that’s unraveling before my eyes.” I swallowed hard. “I just need to focus on what I need to do to save this deal with Ryker. Then we can focus on everything else later.”
“I’m
not trying to add to the drama, but I have a very bad feeling about this Ryker deal. So you better fluff up your hair, reapply your lip-gloss, and hike that dress up to make it happen.”
Normally
, it wasn't my style to use stupid-ass ploys to get over on clients. But tonight, I was going to make an exception. There was just too much at stake not to. “Already on it.” This whole night was really pushing me way past my comfort zone. My idea of Friday night excitement was crunching numbers and going over contracts with a glass of wine and my favorite reality show blasting. I didn’t do parties or social gatherings. “Just let’s get through tonight without either one of us having a nervous breakdown. We’ll deal with everything else tomorrow morning.”
“Storm,
you’re going to be fine. Now go into that party and show them what you’re working with. And don't forget I love you.”
“Love
you too,” I responded before hanging up and pulling up to a palatial estate. Taking a deep breath, I gave myself a quick pep talk before jumping out of my convertible, barely calming my racing thoughts and watching the eclectic guests clearly looking forward to the party. I was so engrossed in preventing myself from running in the opposite direction that I bumped into a tall, olive-skinned, dark-haired man blocking the entrance and checking the guest list. I recognized him from somewhere, I just couldn't figure out where. Beside him stood two burly but well-dressed men in black.
His
blue eyes slowly moved up my body, admiring my barely there dress before stopping at my face. I made a point of boldly looking at his athletic build and chocolate brown hair, then sighing heavily before saying, “Nice.” His eyes flashed from blue to gold then back to blue.
He's a wolf-shifter—what a shame. I'll have to pass on this one.
Smiling
sweetly, I said, “Hello, I'm Stormy Credence.”
He
gave me an easy smile. “Uh-huh. I know who you are. My name is Bones. Ryker's waiting for you.”
I
controlled my nervous twitch at the mention of his name. I heard he was a major ass. I just hoped his friend was a relatively young shifter who was working his way up the pack ladder. It would make it a lot easier to convince him to choose another escort.
“Thank
you,” I responded coolly.
He
smirked before nodding over to security, which grandly opened the heavy mahogany doors.
I
went to step in when he said, “And, Ms. Credence.”
I
looked back at him with an arched brow.
He
continued. “It's going to be a real long night, in more ways than one.” He winked. “If I were you, I'd grab a glass of champagne before meeting Ryker.”
What
the hell? My eyebrows rose. “I'm sorry, what are—?” My jaw dropped when the two guards gently nudged me across the threshold, quickly stepping back outside and firmly shutting the door in my face. Guests’ heads snapped around to look at me as I stood there with my hands on my hips, fuming, listening to their distinct laughter outside. What the hell was so funny? I was so tempted to go back out there and ask them, but I didn't want to make a bigger scene. Something I doubted the dynamic trio of stupid would relish. My feet were glued to the ground when the door popped open with Bones barely suppressing a smirk as he tried to walk past me.
“And
what was all that about?” I hissed.
“Now
if I told you that, this whole thing wouldn't be as fun, would it?” He winked at me before quickly walking away.
I
gritted my teeth. It's confirmed: wolf-shifters are assholes. Smoothing down my dress, I immediately started strategizing and going through all of the information I had memorized. Ryker Alfero was a very unique Other who, before becoming Alpha, was one of the top cardiologists in America. He gave it all up to run the pack and take over his father's very successful businesses. He had no kids and was unmarried, but had plenty of bedmates… humans and wolf-shifters. He was also used to getting what he wanted. This pretty much fit the profile of all of our clients.
Navigating
the waters of renegotiating his escort request would require using skills that I deplored—flirting, fawning, and batting my eyelashes like some ditzy chick. Skills that Mom perfected and used cunningly all with the goal of getting what she wanted. They always worked for her, but I just wasn't used to using my looks and femininity to get what I wanted. Brains were always sufficient, but that wouldn't help me right now. Shifters were very sexual beings. And if I wanted to get anywhere with him, I’d have to work my womanly wiles like a pro.
My
gaze wandered around the ballroom, taking in the well-dressed guests who milled around, sizing each other up like cattle. Little did they know that their party was hosted by one of the baddest wolf-shifters around. Not wanting to look anxious, I grabbed a glass of champagne, keeping my hands from twitching nervously as I weaved my way through the eclectic crowd of humans and Others. I stopped short when I saw Bones talking to an impeccably dressed man with dark brooding looks. I knew instantly that this was Ryker from the way he strolled over to me like some sort of marauding Viking.
I
tried not to blink in shock. He was the opposite of what I envisioned a doctor would look like. He was massive like a MMA fighter. But he was exactly what I envisioned him to be as an Alpha from his well-groomed dark beard and short jet-black hair to the scar across his left eyebrow and the snake tattoo on the right side of his neck.
His
sea-green eyes narrowed as he tilted his head in greeting. “Stormy Credence.” The deep timber of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. Damn, it was sexy.
I
extended my hand quickly. “Ryker. It's wonderful to meet you.”
“Simply
lovely.” He grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips. His green eyes warmed as he looked at me from head to toe, smiling in a slow, sexy way that under different circumstances would even make me give the wolf-shifter a try.
Pulling
my hand away before I did something I might regret, like throwing caution to the wind, I leaned in, allowing my body to slightly graze his broad chest. “And just so we're clear. I’m definitely not on the menu.”
His
strange green eyes narrowed. “Well, that’s a fucking shame. I love the fact that the Credence women are beautiful and come in all different shades of beautiful.” He sniffed the air. “And the rare combination of Fae, Witch, and Wolf does pique my interest.”
Eyes
on the prize, Storm
, I chanted in my head. “Thank you—I think. But I don’t have the ability to shift.”
Thank goodness
.
“I’ve
met Ava and Lia, so I’m fully aware of all their other worthwhile and pleasurable abilities,” he responded with a sensual swirl in his voice.
My
eyes widened. I didn’t know exactly what he meant and didn’t want to if it involved sex.
Please don’t let it involve sex.
I put on my best game face. “So, Ryker.” I smiled. “I can call you Ryker?”
“Darling,
you can call me anything you want.” He growled low and sensually. “And just in case I wasn’t clear, I'm a lover of all women, with a fondness for the charm of the Credence women.”
I
was decidedly warm and tingly and I literally clamped my legs together. Shifters could easily pick up the scent of an aroused woman. Maybe this flirting thing wasn’t all bad. With just a little sweetness, light touching, and then a swoop down for the game changer—renegotiation—I could do this. I could bend like a willow tree. Shit, I was a fucking willow. “And as flattered as I am by your fondness, I don’t mix business and pleasure. It's a Credence O. rule.”
He
growled. “Darling, you would be surprised what you’d do when the right man comes along.”
I
laughed. He was suave, that much was true. “I'm presuming you are that right man?”
“Absolutely
,” he responded sharply.
I
pursed my lips. “Persistent, I like that. But I must insist we keep this businesslike. Now, I would love to meet my new client to discuss expectations.”
His
husky laugh sent a delicious chill down my spine. “Evasion, I love a woman who plays hard to get. Come with me, little witch. He's waiting to meet you.”
I
placed a hand on his muscled arm. “Little witch? It's Stormy. Where I come from, nicknames are reserved for personal relationships. This is business.”
He
tilted his head in that freakishly wolf-shifter way like I was some puzzle that he was very interested in solving. “For now.”
My
eyes narrowed. Wolf-shifters were born with a
what I want, I take
mentality. And I wasn't on the menu. It was time to reiterate the ground rules. “Uh, no… this will remain a business relationship.”
“Hmmm
…” He stepped closer. I fought the natural urge to step back. He crossed his beefy arms, frowning before inhaling sharply. “You're not mate-claimed,” he stated matter-of-factly. “So, I'm not sure what your problem is.”
I
threw my hands in the air. Wolf-shifters were stubborn and thickheaded. And it would be a waste of time to stand here and debate the issue. I just needed to focus on getting this deal closed. Then I could walk away and let Celina handle him and his friend. And I didn't want details on exactly how she did it. What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom as far as I was concerned.
I
arched a brow. “Can I meet your friend now?”