Demigod Down (10 page)

That shut him up, but not for long.

“Have you given any thought to the proposal
of the packs?” he asked, hands gripping the steering wheel
unnecessarily tight.

“Nope.” Yes, Blake and I had discussed it in
length, but I wasn’t sharing that with him until I had talked it
over with Grams as well.

He grunted a reply.

“Have you heard anything more on Oklahoma?” I
asked, still curious how they managed to amass so many bodies
without raising any flags.

He sighed and said, “I talked with Dean this
morning, he is going to check his local law enforcement contacts
once they get settled.”

“How is Jay?” I asked softly.

“Doing as well as can be expected,” Logan
answered sadly.

I nodded, turning to stare out the window,
saddened by the pain that Jay was feeling, even if I couldn’t
relate.

The tasting went well. We were seated in a
formal dining room where the servers smiled as they delivered
sample meals to us, careful to keep our wine or water glasses
full.

“I really like the lasagna,” Kass said,
eating another bite.

“The bread is amazing,” I added, shoving
another piece in my face.

“Save some for the rest of us,” Logan
reprimanded as I kicked him under the table. “I think I got bit by
something.”

Kass rolled her eyes as Darren slung an arm
over her chair.

“Your favorite meal is next,” he teased.

“Are you calling me fat?” Kass asked, tears
brimming in her eyes.

“Shit, no baby, not at all,” he said,
stroking her back.

“Kass, you are still hot as shit,” I told
her, squeezing her arm.

She nodded as the servers delivered cheese
cake slices, brownies, and several other desserts I couldn’t
name.

“Wow!” I said, clearly impressed as we dug
in.

Finished with the meal and with Kass toting a
massive amount of paperwork, we walked outside into the full
darkness. My stomach was blissfully full.

“Based on dessert alone, I like them and I
eat a lot of dessert,” I told Kass smiling.

“You don’t think going with the first one is
too soon?” She asked, opening her passenger car door.

“Not if you like them,” I answered as she
nodded, engrossed in scanning the contract and other paperwork.

Reaching over, I hugged her goodbye, “Let me
know if there are others.” I said smiling.

She nodded before slipping into the car.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Darren and Logan who
had their eyes glued to the dark alley behind us.

“Shifters,” Logan growled lowly.

“Trouble,” Darren said, closing the car door
and locking it.

Kass tried to open her door but I shut it
with a hip leaning against it in warning. She wasn’t dumb and
picked up on my unspoken command.

Slowly they emerged from the shadows with
their clothing stretching at the seams as their inner beasts pushed
to the surface ready and eager to fight.

“Don't kill them,” Logan warned me.

“You must be joking,” I groaned. “They are
here for your head. They need to be put down or more will come and
aside from those important facts, no one comes after me or mine.” I
growled lowly.

“She's right, beast master,” taunted one of
the goons with a dragon tattoo on his neck.

“Of course I'm right,” I said cockily. “You
should leave if you value your life.”

The leader scoffed. “Hell no. We waited this
long to be sure the freak would be with them when we killed Logan.
I'm done waiting. What do you see in the whore Darren? She that
great a fuck?” He snarled.

I laughed and said, “The best you will never
have.” I was going to enjoy this. My first instinct was to rush
into their group slicing and dicing but as Logan and Darren beat me
to it, I hung back to protect Kass, After all, glass can be
broken.

I didn't expect the jump from behind or a
strong arm choking off my airway. My feet flew off the ground into
the body behind me. Using my momentum, I swung my feet between my
attackers, launching him head over heels. That's when I saw it was
a female.

“Bitch,” she hissed at me, her eyes glowing
as her nails lengthened into talons.

“This bitch is going to kick your ass sweet
cheeks,” I taunted, smiling moving in the limited space between the
cars.

“Demon whore,” she snarled. Rolling my eyes,
I missed her lunge around my middle, landing on my back hard
against the pavement.

Before she could sit up, I blasted her with
my elbow to the top of her head. Dazed, she tried to push back,
freeing my back so I could slide my hidden dagger out and cleave
off her head in one swoop.

“Demon whore one, shifter zero,” I
congratulated myself, standing back up.

Logan’s hands had sprouted claws and Darren’s
shirt and the skin underneath was sliced down the back, as I
watched the wound healed itself. Shifters, they sure can take a
beating.

Breaking glass followed by Kass’s yelp had me
bounding over the car’s trunk, driving my knife deep into the back
of a shifter bent over reaching into the car for Kass. I twisted
the blade before withdrawing it and the fool who had gone after
Kass.

Darren plucked him from my reaches, removing
his head by sheer strength alone.

“Show off,” I muttered, looking around,
finding the brothers had dispatched the rest with ease. I was not
going to admit to being slightly jealous or itching for another
fight.

“You need to beef up your security,” I told
Darren rubbing the back of my head, picking asphalt out. “Clearly
your marriage solidifies my role in the packs and there are those
who don't want that.”

Darren nodded, preoccupied as he checked on
Kass.

I sighed, checking the time listening to the
sirens approach. “I suppose we have to stay for this one.” Settling
my weight against the bumper of Darren’s car, Logan settled his
substantial weight next to me.

“It’s possible they just don’t want her,”
Logan grumbled.

“Watch yourself Logan.” I said, turning to
him, “I will pull out of this pissing contest and let the cards
fall where they may.”

He slid closer the battle high evident in his
swirling caramel eyes, “I don’t need your protection.” He sneered
his breath warm on my face.

I scoffed, “Right, just like you don’t need
me to plan your wedding, or arbitrate your disagreements. Face it
asshole, you need me more than I need you.”

The sirens were getting closer as I clenched
my hands around my blade. Logan pulled back, “You should probably
hide that again.”

I turned away, wiping the blood off on the
fairly clean shirt of a dismembered body before re-sheathing the
blade on my lower back.

Logan was still watching me, but I refused to
give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.

Several police officers filed out of various
vehicles taking in the bloody scene before them slowly.

“Olivia!” Mercer called my name behind
me.

Turning, I smiled, “Hi Mercer, long
time.”

Adjusting his tweed suit, he ran a hand over
his short blond hair, letting out a low whistle. “Trouble following
you?” he asked, pulling out a pad from his jacket.

I shrugged. “Not me exclusively,” I
answered.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” Mercer
suggested and I nodded, relaying the story.

At some point, Mercer had stopped taking
notes and was just staring intently at me.

I sighed, leaning against the trunk of the
car. “Grams has already updated you on the shifter drama,” I
guessed.

Flipping his notebook closed, he leaned next
to me into the spot where Logan had vacated, watching the officers
work. “Yeah, she has.”

I sighed, rubbing my eyes. “How are things
between you two?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

Mercer shifted uncomfortably as a smile
played over his lips. “I’m glad,” I said softly.

He turned to face me, surprised by my
unexpected words.

Punching him lightly on the shoulder, I
teased, “You break her heart, I’ll break your face.”

His color drained.

“That was her poor attempt at humor, Mercer.”
Logan said, having finished his interview.

“Let's go Logan. I have a date tonight,” I
told him, leaving Mercer watching me uncertainly.

Once we got into the car, I looked over at
him, “Don’t ruin my fun,” I warned him.

He jeered, “I think I’ve provided plenty of
entertainment tonight.”

I sighed and said, “If it’s not the vampires,
it’s the shifter. I miss when life was less complicated. I probably
need to kill more people, send a strong message.”

“You are unstable,” Logan muttered, heading
back to Blake’s.

“Not new information,” I informed him.

At Blake’s, I took the stairs two at a time
wanting a hot shower to try and ease some of the kinks out from
landing so hard on the pavement.

I didn't make it to the shower but stopped
dead in my tracks by what Blake had laid out on the bed for me.

He turned, “You are home early.”

“Got jumped by a group of shifters.” I
answered absentmindedly as my eyes stayed riveted to the black silk
dress with intricate beading that lay on the bed.

“Do you like it?” he asked uncertainly.

“It's amazing Blake,” I said smiling. “Thank
you.”

He nodded smiling, “I have a few phone calls
to make before we head out.”

I shook my head as he raised a questioning
eyebrow. I approached him. “No phone calls,” I whispered, breathing
in his clean scent.

“If you insist,” he growled, throwing me over
his shoulder.

This was a working dinner, but I didn’t care
if Blake was watching the visiting vampire elders more than me.
Work was work and I knew that better than most.

“Need any help?” I asked as he twirled me
effortlessly on the dance floor.

He smiled, bringing his attention back to me,
“Am I that transparent?” he asked, blue eyes sparkling.

Leaning into his strong body, I shrugged.
“Hopefully just to me,” I answered feeling his arms snake around me
protectively, drawing a sigh from my soul.

“How was your day?’ he asked, lips brushing
my ear.

I groaned. “Difficult, I am being dragged
into the turmoil in the shifter nation and I don’t know if I should
let myself or stay out of it,” I finished, pausing to take a breath
before continuing. “If Kass wasn’t marrying into the mess, I would
probably steer clear of it entirely.” I groaned, resting my head on
his shoulder as he turned to watch the vampires again.

They were dressed to impress, with brand
names I couldn’t begin to pronounce draping their bodies in
revealing contours and soft colors. The venue itself was
awe-inspiring with stone floors, gold inlaid tapestries, and
servers bustling about everywhere.

“Maybe you are better at politics than you
give yourself credit for,” he answered sweetly, bringing a small
smile to my lips.

I heaved a sigh, “Doubtful.”

We spun around the floor again, coming to
pause again by the same group.

“You never did tell me what the occasion
was,” I asked softly, not really expecting an answer.

He stiffened under my fingers at my question.
Quickly I added, “You don’t have to either.”

His relaxed posture was faked and I hated
myself that he had to pretend with me. He had an open gauge into my
emotions since we were intimate together and my shields no longer
protected him. I was clueless as to what was driving him
lately.

“Family problems,” he said, pulling back as
the music ended with a slight grimace on his lips.

I nodded, not pushing for an answer terrified
I had already pushed too far.

A gently laid hand on my shoulder had me
turning to one of the beautiful vampires we had been spying on.
Dressed in a skintight red strapless dress, she had turned heads
before her dark eyes landed on Blake. Her pale skin was accented
lovely by her long dark hair pulled into a loose bun with thick
tendrils floating about her face and neck.

“If I may intrude?” she asked in accented
English.

I smiled, taking a step back and feeling
inadequate in my black dress, my fading red hair falling around my
shoulders.

“It would be an honor, Angelina,” Blake
answered smoothly.

Another hand on my hip had me spinning around
to the male counterpart of the female who had enticed my date.
Equally dark eyes peered at me with a depth of cruelty I knew well.
These vampires were from an older cast that believed all other
species were far below them.

“You have a lovely pet, Blake,” he commented
and I kept my shoulder loose with my facial expression unchanged.
Blake wasn’t the only one who could pretend.

I would love to kill them both, but based on
their accents I had no claim to foreign vampires, even if they did
break a law. The local vampires were responsible for keeping them
in check. I suppose that made more sense why Blake was here.

I looked back at him, conveying my
understanding with my blank look and slight nod that could easily
be confused as reverence.

“May I partake in a dance with her?” the
stranger asked, his hand still resting on my hip.

“Of course, Gabrielle,” Blake answered
smoothly, drawing the red woman into his arms. Jealously shot up my
spine and only years of hiding my emotions kept it under my skin.
Blake caught it though.

Gliding us away from Blake and Angelina,
Gabrielle was silent as he peered into the green depths of my eyes
with his hand on my hip firmly. I tried to play the part of pet,
but I’ve never been great at downplaying my naturally bitchy nature
and I felt it rising to the surface, ready to give hot pants a
go.

“You are an interesting choice in a pet,” he
commented, breaking our eye contact, with a shifter that would have
been a win for me. Here I doubted it. Vampires were a crafty,
clever breed of supernatural.