“Busy little bee, aren’t we?”
“Nero is going to Hell next Friday.”
“Well then, I suppose we’ll be going to Hell on Friday and heaven on Saturday. Mark your calendar.”
Chapter 24
“How did you come across that information?”
“
This
is a game love,” he said, tapping the board. Then he reached for my hand. “This is not.”
“Nero wants to start a war, Simon. This isn’t just about him taking on the Mageri—it’s bigger. He’s holding others taken by force, like
me
. I don’t really care if you tell Justus the facts I found out on Nero, but don’t tell him you got it from me. I’m sick of being on the grill. I’m going back in and I need your help. You’re the smarty-pants around here, and you’ll have better questions. I can’t do this without you.”
Okay, so I was inflating his ego just a tiny bit, but the great Simon Hunt needed a little inflating now and again.
Simon slumped in his chair, speaking in a heavy accent, which was usually the case when he was nettled about something. “If I find out you were snogging for information, I’ll have a real problem with that. Yes, I will.”
“I need your total commitment. If not, then you can piss off.”
Simon’s slang was rubbing off on me, and not in a good way.
“I
suppose
that sodding Chitah of yours put you up to this.”
“He knew nothing of it, but he’s got my back. Do you?”
Simon’s lashes looked like a Venus flytrap around his pale, brown eyes. “Clever girl. I’ll help, but you must tell me
everything
.”
“If you’re with me then it’s all the way, and you may not like what you hear. I want your word that you won’t tell Justus where you got this information, and especially how I got it.” I tapped a finger on my rook and waited for his answer. Simon had to be in the know; it was his nature. But I also had to find out if I could trust him independently.
The chair creaked as he locked his fingers behind his neck and leaned back.
“I give you my word, now spill.”
I did, and with no hint of emotion; no need to play out the drama. Simon ghosted when I mentioned the whipping. He said Sensors were valued for their ability to transfer sensory experiences, and most preferred monetary gain to favors. Knowing Simon, he was no stranger to this either. Breed bartered, and everything had a price tag.
He ran a hand over his mouth several times.
“I was ready to walk out of there,” I said, “but when he offered to pluck an emotion, it seemed like a harmless trade. I never knew places like that existed. I thought it was just something in the movies.”
“Exactly what kind of movies have you been watching?”
“I need help with clothes—appropriate clothes—so I can blend in. Do you catch my drift? I looked too much like Bo Peep having a beer at the bar, and apparently there are a lot of men with a Bo Peep fetish.”
“
That
is a definite yes.”
I frowned at his enthusiasm.
“You behave like you do in this game, Silver, thinking without planning. You could really get hurt.”
Simon smirked. “Life is punctuated by moments, not station or title. Sometimes the little guy has the best move. The king may be important, but he’s always on the run and needing protection. Soldiers are strong because they make smart decisions and work as a team. Justus protects you like a King, but his intention is to make you a soldier.”
“If you tell me there’s no ‘I in team’, I’m going to shove this rook up your nose.”
“Tell the Chitah that I’ll be the third wheel. If they cuff his paws to the wall, then you’ll be on your own without a backup. Think ahead to avoid traps. Sometimes you have too much moxie for your own good.”
“The club rule is that you have to participate. Are you sure you really want to do this?”
“That’s my condition, love. Take it or leave it.” He moved the pawn up a space. “Checkmate.”
“You win.”
***
The next Friday, I went to visit my favorite Englishman for game night. Justus groaned when I bragged about our plans for an all-night Godzilla marathon, but I knew he was glad to be rid of me. He liked to go out and get his freak on, whether he’d admit it or not. Every man has needs, and his were never satisfied when I tagged along. Maybe I
was
a little mean to the women, but it irritated me that he didn’t have standards.
Simon became my shopping guru, taking me to the only store in Cognito that would color my cheeks crimson. By the fifth outfit, I caught on to Simon’s little game. He dressed me in scandalous outfits—knowing I wouldn’t approve—just so he could file the image in his “mental picture drawer” for later recall.
Cheeky bastard
.
We rode down the elevator to meet Logan outside. The leather pants made a sound when I rubbed my sweaty palms over them.
“Stop fussing. You need to look comfortable, like you always wear leather.”
“Easy for you to say, this is just another night on the town for you. I feel like I should be saying
trick or treat
.”
“I’ll take the treat, although I never did turn down a trick.”
“Always have a comeback,” I said, imitating Justus.
“I learned from the master,” he pointed out. “Remember, leather wants to be worn; it craves the feel of your body, so be sure to treat it nice and it will put on a good show.”
“Yes, but was the thong necessary? No one is going to see that,” I grumbled.
Simon winked. “All or nothing, love.”
“I hate you.”
“Helen of Troy may have had a face that launched a thousand ships, but you have the body that will launch a thousand—”
I clamped my hand over his mouth.
The pants were tight, low-rise, and paired with a shirt that was an open invitation in the back. I tinted my lips whore red, and the boots had three inches of lift. Simon wagged his tongue when I emerged from the bathroom, and doused me in cheap perfume. If my mother got a glimpse of me, she would have made advanced reservations to roll over in her grave when her time came.
“Good evening, Miss Behave.”
She wrinkled her nose as the little dog bared its teeth. “It’s Beatrice Havers, and that’s Miss Havers to you, young man.”
Simon shot her a sexy wink. She turned up her nose and gave a disgusted sigh, but I could see a twinkle behind her eyes that told me she adored the attention.
“Simon, you are so rude,” I whispered.
“She loves it,” he assured me. “Every woman should remember that they were once naughty little vixens. I’ve seen a picture of her back in the day; she was a hot little number.”
“I didn’t know you went for the cougars.” I made small kisses in the air.
“Jealous?”
I laughed. “Absolutely.”
Simon pinched my hip as we strutted through the lobby like a couple of punk rock sex kittens. We were a spectacle, and I laughed when I noticed his dimple. He was proud of his little Frankenstein.
“
Geez, Louise
!” Logan said, eating me up with his eyes.
“Not one word.”
Between the two of us, I wasn’t sure whose outfit was more shocking. Logan wore matching leather pants that fell even lower than mine, showing off the V-cut of his abdomen. He also wasn’t wearing a shirt. My eyes returned the gesture, appreciating every line of his svelte body. His normally soft locks were tangled, hanging in small clumps that were thick and unkempt.
Logan towered over me with the confidence of a king. Except tonight, I was a little bit nearer to his face in my heels. A buzz of nervous energy rippled through my fingertips for just a moment.
“Soak it in; take your mental snapshot, but let’s go,” I said, waving a hand.
He caught my wrist and I looked up at him. “You look lovely in anything, but I don’t like the perfume.”
“Simon picked it out. What’s wrong with it?”
He twisted a lock of my hair between his fingers and held it under his nose. “It’s too strong. I can’t pick up your scent.”
“Oh, so
that’s
it,” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t enjoy my heavenly smell?”
“That’s not it.” There was a sharp edge to his tone. “I don’t like that it will take me longer to track you.”
Logan was uneasy, and I stroked his arm reassuringly. “Let’s go, Mr. Cross.”
I jumped into the backseat and Logan flicked a glance at me. He expected me to claim the seat beside him, which Simon happily took. I needed to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of seeing Nero. After my pitiful confrontation with Brandon, a fear was sprouting inside of me that I might freeze up again.
The car pulled to a stop outside of the club and the engine shut off.
Logan turned around and put a strong hand on my knee. “I won’t let anything happen to you, female.”
I’m not sure why, but that comforted me. “Eli is our backup plan if Nero doesn’t show. I don’t want you stalking after him in the bar.”
We waded through an anxious crowd inside the sticky, hot club. People stood shoulder to shoulder.
I jumped when I heard the crack of a whip. Logan tightened his grip on my hand and led me down the hall. Someone reached out to touch me, and Logan pinned him against the wall in a heartbeat. He turned and nodded at me to go without him.
A girl in a red halter top snatched Simon by the collar and dazzled him with her showy lips. He lingered in the hall, and I moved on to the bar alone.
Breed bars differed from human ones. The magic was a heavy molasses in the air—charged with energy from those who were different—like me. It’s dizzying the first time you experience it, but after a while, it feels natural. A man with long brown hair streaked with blond strolled by, holding a handful of colorful lollipops. I recognized him from my last visit and he smiled, handing me a bright red one. I swiveled around in my chair, tore off the wrapper, and popped it in my mouth.
Excitement poured through me. Did everything always have to be about Nero? I needed to cut loose, dance, and let my hair down. What I really wanted was to just follow him home and find out where he lives. Maybe I could break into his house. I leaned forward excitedly, thinking up harebrained schemes.
“Bartender, bring me the whole pitcher!” I shouted, twirling the candy in my mouth.
“You’re sure to be the hit tonight,” Simon remarked. He leaned in with a low whisper. “Stay visible and don’t go wandering off. I’ll move in and take over the conversation.”
“You just do that.” I played with his earlobe and he slapped my hand away. “Simon, you’re such a prude. The girl wearing scotch tape for a blouse almost mounted you in the hall, but you would rather babysit me. I’m
so
tired of people watching me like a child.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Maybe if you quit acting…”
His eyes narrowed on the white stick poking out of my mouth.
“Bloody hell!” Simon exclaimed, pulling the sucker out. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to take candy from strangers?”
My lips were numb and tingly. “What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal,” he said, twirling it between two fingers, “is that it’s been spiked by a Sensor.”
“Well he can spike me anytime.”
Simon grabbed my jaw, squishing my cheeks as he wiped a napkin over my tongue.
“It’s called a sampler because they imprint some of their magic on it to heighten your emotions. It’s how the Sensors give you a taste of their wares. Stay away from the vodka. I don’t need you knackered to boot.”
He stuck out his tongue and swirled the sweet candy over it. “Looks like this one got rid of your inhibitions; it’s a good thing you didn’t suck on that all night.”
“Don’t leave the room, and try not to dance on the sodding bar.”
Simon bit into the candy, dropped the stick on the bar, and slipped away. The bartender set a frosty glass of beer in front of me and I swallowed a mouthful, leaving a lip stain on the rim of the glass. Bodies moved beneath flickering strobe lights on the dance floor as a techno beat was steadily thumping. Would I be able to sneak Sunny into a Breed bar? Then again, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. She would love the action and strong personalities, but they might eat her alive. I hated the prejudices that existed against humans.