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Chapter Nine

Sutton

I looked up as Magnolia walked into the clinic for her shift. There were only so many healers in the city, and we all kind of did a rotation.

The witch was an exceptional healer, and a friend; she was also the alpha hellhound’s sister-in-law. I’d been avoiding the clubhouse even though Fern had assured me that Jagger had gone back to Hell for an unspecified amount of time.

I was glad. It didn’t hurt at all , and I’d keep telling myself that until it stuck. Him leaving again just made it easier for me to forget about that jerk.

“How was your shift?” she asked as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

“The wolf shifter in room seven threw his pudding at me, so that was fun. Apparently, he doesn’t like pudding.”

A wicked smirk curled Magnolia’s lips. “Did he now? I’ll be sure to pay him special attention.”

I laughed. “I think it’s fear. A clinic, especially to shifters, can seem utterly foreign.”

“Don’t you dare feel sorry for him,” she said. “The assholes in this city need to start appreciating what Jack’s done for them, what we do for them. They’re damned lucky.”

“Agreed.” I chuckled. “I’ll leave him in your capable hands, then.”

“How you doing?” she asked before I could walk away. “Haven’t seen you outside of work lately.”

The video of my humiliation had gone viral.

The wolf who’d been standing with Jagger had taken the video down, and I guessed I had Willow to thank for that.

Draven, the alpha of the Silver Claw Pack, was mated to Iris, another Thornheart sister, but it had unfortunately been too late.

It was already out there and shared thousands of times on Nightscape.

I shoved down the pain and smiled. “I’m fine.”

“Glad to hear it.” She motioned to my hair. “Love the new look, by the way. It’s hot as fuck.”

Mags was good people, and I appreciated her trying to make me feel better. “I felt like a change,” I lied. I’d been living with the blunt bob for the last week and I still hadn’t gotten used to it.

“Well, it looks awesome, even with pudding in it.”

My hand flew up to where she pointed, and my hair crunched under my fingers. I groaned.

Mags chuckled. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”

I lifted my hand to my hair again as I walked out.

Thankfully, Phoebe had been able to fix the hack job I’d done of it when she got home from the conclave.

Which I very much appreciated. But I’d kept what had caused me to drunkenly hack off my own hair and what I had learned about Luke to myself.

She hadn’t pushed when I told her I didn’t want to talk about it, but she wouldn’t let me shut her out forever.

Eventually I’d have to tell her something.

The Jagger stuff I would tell her about when that time came, but what was going on with Luke, well, I wasn’t sure that was a good idea, not yet anyway.

Generally, bad guys and gangsters didn’t like you talking about their “business,” and the more people who knew what was happening, the higher the risk to everyone involved.

Not that I didn’t trust my coven, I did. But I also wanted to protect them.

There was no point freaking everyone out. I had an appointment with the bank in a few days. If I could get a loan, I could get this all cleared up and no one would have to know. Luke could come home, and things could go back to normal.

He’d called the night before last and said he was safe. He just needed to lie low for a few more days, then hopefully this would all be sorted out.

I unlocked my car. My tub was calling me, preferably filled with bubbles. It’d been a long shift with one seriously difficult patient. I just wanted to wash the pudding out of my hair and not think about all the crap in my life?—

Someone grabbed my shoulder and jerk me back roughly.

“I’d strongly advise you not to scream,” a rough voice said against my ear.

I was spun around and came face to face with a tall male with sharp features and dead eyes. His gripped my shoulder tighter, and my internal alarm bells wailed.

I tried to pull away, but he held on tight. “Let me the hell go.”

He grinned, and the sight sent ice sliding down my spine. “Now aren’t you a pretty little thing.”

My heart pounded out of my chest and fear gripped my throat, but I tried not to show it. “Do I know you?”

“How remiss of me. Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Poe, and I’ll be your escort this evening.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you?—”

“Apologies, I am again getting ahead of myself. We have a mutual friend, you and I, and, well, he’s been a very bad boy. My boss would like to have a word with you about this mutual friend, and hopefully we can come to some kind of mutually agreeable arrangement.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now you need to let me go so I can get into my car.” I tried to pull from his grip.

Poe’s fingers dug into my flesh. “Now, now, sweetheart. You’re getting yourself worked up.

I would highly advise you to stay calm and do what you’re told.

I’d really hate to have to hurt you.” He leaned in closer.

“There are only two ways this is going to go down. You either come with me like a good girl, nice and quiet, and we’ll all have a pleasant little chat, or we do things a different way, a way that you won’t like”—one of his hands slid up the side of my throat—“but I will, immensely.” His eyes flashed.

Oh yes, this creep wanted me to do it the hard way. This sick, twisted asshole was enjoying every moment of the power he held over me.

Combat magic, darker spells to cause harm, didn’t come easily to me.

After all, I was a healer. Those kinds of spells weren’t readily in my repertoire.

I did have one I’d practiced after what happened to me, but even that was difficult.

Regardless, I had to try. If I could get away from him, I could run inside.

I let my magic flow through me, building and growing as best I could in my panicked state while frantically looking around the parking lot for help, for anyone to help me, but there was no one.

“Let’s go,” he said and started pulling me around to the other side of the car.

It wasn’t enough power, not nearly enough, but I fired my magic at him, letting it pulse through me into his hand.

He jerked and growled but didn’t release me.

His chuckle grated over me. “That all you got? Aw, sweetheart, I’m kind of embarrassed for you.”

I scowled up at him.

Excitement filled his eyes again. “So, I take it we’re doing this the hard way?”

There was no getting out of this, and fighting would only make this worse for me. “Fine, let’s go see your boss.”

“Shame. I was really hoping you had a bit more backbone.” He snatched my keys out of my hand, shoved me into the passenger seat, and shut me in.

I didn’t bring Boo with me to work, thank the goddess, at least he was home safe with Pheebs.

Poe got in, started the engine, cranked up the stereo, and tore out onto the street.

I gripped my bag so tightly my knuckles ached as he drove farther and farther away from Ashborne house, taking streets I’d never been down, in a part of the city I’d never ventured to.

I’d expected him to take me to Seventh Circle, where most of the demons above ground were permitted to reside—as long as they toed the line and followed the rules; namely, don’t mess with humans.

No killing, torturing, or eating them. If they behaved, they were left to their own devices.

Instead, we drove until we reached the edge of Roxburgh and headed for a big old house right out of a horror movie.

It was surrounded by acreage and trees that stood like a huge misshapen army of spindly monsters lining the long driveway and ready to pounce.

Gravel crunched under the tires as we rolled to a stop outside the front of the house.

Poe got out of the car, strode around, opened my door, grabbed my bicep, and marched me up the stairs.

The main door opened before we even reached it, and the demon who stood inside was as tall as Poe and just as freaky looking.

I didn’t know what kind of demon he was, but he had the same dead eyes and sharply angled features.

Only when this one smiled, he flashed viciously pointed teeth.

Poe had obviously filed his down to appear more human.

I doubted the creepy one staring at me as Poe led me inside ever left this place. He couldn’t pass in the human world, not with those teeth.

The walls were a deep hunter green and there were small ornate lamps on the walls, glowing pale yellow and doing little to illuminate the space.

My boots thudded against the deep red rug swirled with black and gray.

It looked expensive and good if you needed to disguise, I don’t know, blood stains, for example.

I shuddered. Whoever lived here was playing at being the Lord of the Manor instead of the demon thug he actually was.

We stopped at a set of doors, and Poe knocked lightly, respectfully, on the dark wood.

A harsh voice called from inside, telling us to enter. The urge to pull away from Poe’s tight grip, to run, to get the hell out of there, was hard to control. My flight instincts were in full red alert. Poe opened the door and dragged me in after him.

The room was just as dim as the entrance and main hall but not so dark I couldn’t make out its contents.

My gaze instantly went to the male standing in front of the fire.

His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stared into the flames while the silence stretched out between us.

The cold and unwelcoming vibes that filled the room made me tremble.

“What am I doing here?” Panic had settled in, and I was struggling to breathe properly. My vision washed with red and my claws slid from the tips of my fingers as I transformed, I was honestly surprised it hadn’t happened earlier.

His head jerked my way, a sneer on his very unpleasant face as if my voice offended him in every possible way.