Page 36

Sutton

Three and a half weeks later

I pulledup outside the Dogwood fights and stared at the building through the rain pelting my window.Lights flashed inside, the sound of cheering muted by the thunder outside.

My knee jiggled as I chewed my fingernail, or tried to, they were all bitten down to the stubs.Here’s hoping the wolves who threw me in the back of that van several weeks ago weren’t here tonight.That would really suck.

This was my third “delivery,” and my heart was slamming into the back of my ribs so hard I was close to passing the hell out.The last two had been relatively easy, quick drop-offs, one at the back of a nightclub, which had felt a bit sketchy but ended up being fine, and the other had been a midnight meeting at a roadside hotel parking lot.After the exchange, Poe had also invited me to try out my product with him, followed by the bed in the room he’d acquired for us.I’d declined and gotten the hell out of there.

Tonight, though, he’d chosen somewhere a lot more public, and he’d also ordered me to look the part.He wanted me to come dressed like acage bunny, his words.I’d wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I wasn’t the one with all the power in this dynamic.

Forcing down my fear, I grabbed the bag stuffed with a whole lot of drugs, climbed out of the car, quickly locked it, and ran through the rain to the main doors.

The big male guarding the door watched me approach, looking me up and down, and the way he looked at me made my belly feel weird, and not in a good way.I didn’t know what the hell dressing like a cage bunny entailed, I hadn’t paid attention when I came here for work, but going by the skeevy look on this guy’s face, I’d gotten it a little too right.

“What’s in the bag, honey?”he asked, reaching for it.

“It’s for Poe,” I rushed out, like I’d been instructed to.

The guy pulled his hand back quickly and jerked his chin up, telling me I was good to go in.

I pushed the heavy door open and humidity and noise washed over me instantly.How was I supposed to find that asshole in here?The place was packed.Gripping the bag tight, I pushed and sidestepped and wriggled my way through the crowd, searching for him.

Someone grabbed my elbow in a firm grip.Lars, Poe’s creepy lackey, scowled at me.

“You’re late.Hurry the fuck up.”He towed me through groups of people, right across the room and around to the other side of the fighting cage.

I expected him to carry on down one of the hallways or something, definitely somewhere more private.Instead, he stopped suddenly, and I almost tripped over my own feet.

“You’re late,” Poe’s rough voice said close to my ear.

I froze, and he turned me to face him.He was in loose shorts and no shirt.His soulless eyes slid over me, and an appreciative noise rolled from him that made me feel nauseous.“Well, now, look at you.Aren’t you a sexy little cage bunny.”

I didn’t acknowledge his gross comment.“What’s going on?Why am I here?”

He shrugged.“Some entertainment before we get down to business.You’re going to watch me fight, then we can make the exchange.”

“I have no interest in watching you fight.Just take the damn bag so I can leave.”

He moved quickly, grabbing me hard and pulling me against him.One arm went around my waist while the fingers of his other hand thrust into my hair.To anyone looking, it might have appeared to be a passionate embrace; in reality, his demon claws had extended, digging into my side, while the ones on the other hand were threatening to gouge my scalp.

“You will watch me fight, like the good little groupie you are, and you will kiss me for good luck before I go in.”

My stomach revolted more strongly.“I’m not kissing you.”

“Maybe your little friend Phoebe would be more amenable?What do you think, Lars?”

The other demon grunted and licked his lips.

“Do you think she’d do what she was told to protect her friends?Or do you think she’d be selfish and stupid like you?”

I wanted to scratch his awful dead eyes out.“Fine.I’ll do it.”

He nodded and grinned, flashing those filed-down demon teeth.“Glad you’ve had a change of heart.”

His name was called to the ring all too soon.His opponent was another demon, smaller than Poe but vicious looking.I hoped like hell he’d kick Poe’s ass.I’d never paid much attention to the fighting when I came here for work, apart from thinking how stupid it was.Suddenly, I was seriously invested.

Poe turned to the cage, then he scanned the room, before his dark gaze slid back to me.I wanted to shrink away from him, but if I fought it, things would only get worse for me and my coven, so I let him haul me up against him, shove his fingers in my hair, and kiss me.