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CHAPTER FOUR
Music pulsed from inside the Devil’s Playground. The nightclub was hopping for an early Saturday afternoon. Larry stood sentry outside the entrance. As always, the bouncer looked ready to break your windpipe if he disliked the way you breathed.
“What’s with the crowd?” I asked. “Is Kane throwing twenty-dollar bills at people?”
“There’s a battle of the bands today.”
That explained the smattering of passenger vans in the parking lot.
“The one up next is from the Pacific Northwest and rarely travels to the East Coast, so every fan in the midAtlantic seems to have turned up.” He craned his neck to look over his shoulder. “They’re due to start in ten minutes, so you might want to get in there before it gets too loud to talk.”
He knew me too well.
The lounge was crammed with people. They seemed more interested in getting a spot close to the raised platform than dancing to the current techno beat. It seemed that Larry was mistaken; it was already too loud to talk .
As I elbowed my way to the bar, I spotted Josie on the balcony that overlooked the main floor. She leaned her forearms on the railing as she scanned the crowd for any potential problems. She scowled at the sight of me. Guess she found one.
I waved. “Hey, bestie,” I mouthed.
Her eyes narrowed.
I slithered through the cracks in the wall of bodies until I reached the counter. Dantalion and Alessandro manned the bar. There was no sign of Kane.
“I didn’t expect to see you today,” Dantalion said, cheerful as ever. “I assumed you’d be recovering from your big meeting. How are you feeling now that you’ve had time to process the visit?”
Two bright diamonds had been forged in the fiery pits of hell and I was looking at one of them. The grand duke’s capacity for genuine care and compassion never ceased to amaze me. Given his background, he should’ve been stringing up people in the room by their intestines. Instead, he was serving them cocktails with sunflower toothpicks.
“I’m home and alive, so I’m feeling pretty good overall.”
“We feel pretty good about that, too,” Alessandro said.
No surprise there. I’d recently saved the incubus from an involuntary stay in Helheim, the Norse land of the dead.
Sunny leaped onto the counter between us and trilled.
“Nice to see you, too,” I said, greeting the chimera.
The catlike creature padded closer for a scratch behind the ears. Like all the best warriors, she knew my weaknesses.
Alessandro wiped down the section of the counter where she’d stepped. “Sunny isn’t supposed to be up here during business hours.”
The chimera turned the dark half of her face toward Alessandro. From this angle, she had the coloring of a regular orange tabby .
“You know she understands you, right?” I asked. “You can tell her yourself.”
The incubus took a step back from the counter. “Oh, I know she understands me, which is why there’s no way I’m giving her a direct order.”
I smiled at Sunny. “Are you intimidating the new recruit?” I gave her head an affectionate pat. “Try to be nice. I’m sure Kane doesn’t want to hire yet another bartender.”
The strong scent of cologne sparked a coughing fit. A body jostled mine, shoving my stomach against the hard edge of the counter. “One more drink before we start,” a gravelly voice said.
I turned to observe the olfactory offender. “I know middle-aged women are invisible in this society, but this is ridiculous.”
Dantalion attempted to smooth over the incident. “Lorelei Clay, meet David Jordan. He’s in the band.”
Alessandro poured him a shot. “Last one, bro, or you might forget the lyrics.”
David sucked down the clear liquid, smacked his lips, and looked at me. “You remind me of someone.”
Alessandro snorted. “I doubt that. She’s one of a kind.”
David leered at me. “What a coincidence. So am I.”
Sunny hissed violently at him, prompting David to hiss back. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up as a burnt kebob.
A woman squeezed between us, apologizing profusely. Her bright blue hair was shaved on one side and her nose sported a silver stud.
“You’re cut off, Jordan.” She swiped the empty glass from his hand.
“Don’t worry, Grace. You’ll only have to put up with me temporarily.”
“Our regular bassist couldn’t travel with us, so David’s subbing for him.” Grace grimaced. “Lucky us. ”
Dantalion jerked his chin up, to indicate activity behind her. “Looks like they’re ready for you.”
“Time to earn your keep.” Grace slung an arm along David’s shoulders and steered him toward the raised platform.
“That guy is a walking biohazard,” Alessandro said.
Dantalion cut a glance at him. “He drinks that much?”
“No, he smells that much.”
“Agreed. My nostril hairs are still recovering,” I said. “Where’s the boss?”
“Downstairs,” Dan said.
“If he’s hosting a slumber party tonight, any chance I can score an invite?” Alessandro asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Dantalion laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Sorry,” I told the incubus. “Kane and I have sworn oaths of monogamy.”
“Too bad,” Alessandro said. “The two of you could keep me supercharged for a long time.” He sauntered to the opposite end of the bar to serve a couple of unruly fae.
Dantalion observed me. “What’s wrong?”
I snapped to attention. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
“Your face. You look like the keg of your favorite beer is about to get kicked.”
I inched closer to the counter, debating whether I ought to tell Kane first. Then again, Dantalion was a great duke of hell. He’d be as knowledgeable as Kane on the subject of Lucifer’s cufflink.
The live music kicked off, which meant our conversation would be private, although I’d have to strain to be heard. I withdrew the trinket from my pocket and placed it in the palm of his hand. “Recognize it? ”
All the color drained from Dan’s face. “Where did you get this?”
“A little bird.”
Dan shoved it back in my hand. “Put it away, please. I don’t want to look at it.”
I stuck the cufflink in my pocket. “I take it we should be concerned.”
“If your little bird found that in Fairhaven, then yes, we should.”
“What makes you certain?”
“I’ve seen it up close many times.” He paused. “At one point, Kane wore the impression of it on his cheek.”
“Impression? Like Lucifer hit him so hard, he left an imprint of the cufflink?”
“Worse.” Dantalion closed his eyes, as though the memory was too painful to mention. “Lucifer branded him with it. After we escaped, Kane was able to find a healer to remove it.” The demon’s nostrils flared. “I knew this day would come, though I tried my best to prevent it.”
“I know, and so does Kane.”
Dantalion’s gaze lowered. “I suppose you’ll be presenting that to His Highness now.”
“That’s the plan.”
His lips compressed to form a thin line. “I would rather be gone when that happens.”
Alessandro stuck his head into the conversation. “Whatever it is, just deliver the bad news and then immediately distract him with sex. Works like a charm.”
“In that case, I’m glad you’re the one delivering the news,” Dantalion said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The demon’s concern was palpable.
I gave Sunny one last scratch behind the ear before I went in search of my immortal beloved. Lucifer didn’t seem like the careless type. Knowing the history of the cufflink, I now wondered whether it had been left deliberately as a subtle threat. It pained me to be the one to poke that old wound.
The doors clicked open one at a time, allowing me to pass through without raising a hand. I silently thanked Dantalion for the advanced notice.
By the time I reached Kane’s inner sanctum, the former prince of hell stood ready and waiting by the door with a cocktail glass in each hand. I breathed in his familiar scent of musk, sandalwood, and pine.
“Sweets for my sweet.” He handed me a glass in a gallant gesture.
My eyes widened at the sight of the fancy drink topped with whipped cream. “Chocolate martini?”
“Even better. Mudslide.”
“Dessert in a cocktail glass. Right up my alley.” I licked the whipped cream. “What’s in it?”
“Vodka, ice cream, heavy cream, Kahlua, and Irish cream.”
“That’s a lot of cream.”
“Alessandro requested that I add it to the drinks menu, so we made a test batch. I wholeheartedly approved and thought you would, too.”
“Oh, I wholeheartedly do.” I took a sip and moaned.
“You just reminded me, I also bought new sheets.”
My gaze slid to the gray-blue sheets covering the massive bed. “Aw, they’re a pretty color.”
He inched closer to me. “They certainly are. They match your eyes.”
“Dessert in a fancy glass and new sheets. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
He brushed the hair from my eyes. “Do I need a reason to spoil you?”
The mudslide went down my throat as smoothly as the name suggested. Kane regarded me with a wolfish grin. “Lorelei Clay. The great devourer. First of her name. ”
“Sorry, it’s that delicious.”
“No need to apologize to me. I could watch you swallow all day.”
The alcohol warmed my insides. “Don’t tempt me.”
He gestured to the leather loveseat. “Ready to tell me about the meeting in more detail?”
I perched on the edge of the cushion and raced through the highlights of my visit to The Corporation’s headquarters, too distracted by the cufflink currently burning a hole in my pocket to give the rehash its proper due. I decided to let the effects of the alcohol sink in before I broke the bad news.
“The waterfall was a nice touch,” Kane remarked. “It was probably designed to mimic the Falls.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that, but yes. I bet you’re right.”
He sipped from his glass. “I was certain they’d try to keep you there.”
“And what would you have done if they had?”
“I had a plan.”
“One you care to share?”
“Not at the moment, no. I’m too distracted.”
“By your new signature cocktail?”
He set his glass on a coaster on the coffee table. “By your close proximity.” He slid his hand through my hair to cradle the back of my head. “You smell…”
A shrill sound cut through the sexual tension.
Kane sighed. “I beg your pardon. This is an emergency.”
“You can’t leave me hanging. Otherwise, your last words to me might be that I smell.”
Calmly, he lifted his phone to his ear. Loud noise erupted from the phones along with Alessandro’s voice. “You’d better get up here, boss. Things are getting dicey.”
“Why are you calling from Josephine’s phone?” He shut his eyes and rubbed between them. “Never mind. I’m coming. ”
“Need a hand?”
“Several, it seems, but you should stay here and relax. This isn’t your domain.”
“I believe you’ll find that all of Fairhaven is my domain.”
He started toward the door. “You’re the guardian of the crossroads.”
“Exactly. And whatever’s causing a ruckus up there might’ve come through it.”
This time he didn’t argue. I followed him upstairs and to the security door.
Kane brushed his fingers against mine. “For the record, you smell like peppermint.”
The door opened, and we spilled into the boisterous nightclub where chaos reigned. The band had either been incredibly good or incredibly bad, depending on your point of view. The crowd’s energy was at a fever pitch. A chair flew past us and smashed against the wall.
Kane tutted. “That’s a designer piece.” He scanned the busy room. “Do you see Josephine or Dantalion?”
I looked up and pointed. “There.”
Josie climbed over the rail of the balcony and jumped in a prostrate position. The crowd screamed with delight as the vampire landed in a cradle of willing hands.
“Somehow I don’t think she’s focused on keeping the peace,” I said.
Kane’s jaw unlocked. “This is very unlike her.”
Smiling, I watched as Josie was passed across the dance floor like a precious parcel. “She seems to be enjoying herself.”
The vampire tilted up her chin and locked lips with the blue-haired bandmate, Grace.
“Yes, I can see that,” Kane said, not sounding nearly as amused as I felt.
My gaze snagged on Dantalion. The demon was trying to break up a fight between two robust men. One of their fists was the size of a roasted turkey leg.
A nail-biting screech drew my attention to the other side of the lounge where a woman was twirling so fast, she’d formed a human tornado. Debris flew across the room, pelting patrons.
“I’ll take care of her,” I offered.
“Allow me.” Kane sprinted toward her before I could argue. He slowed as he approached her, resisting the strength of the wind. His arm sliced through the whirling dervish and landed on her shoulder. The wind ceased abruptly. Tossing her head back, the woman laughed uproariously.
Alessandro appeared beside me. “It’s got to be drugs, rights? Nobody acts this crazy if they’re not high on ecstasy.”
I spotted trouble brewing between two vampires. They circled each other, each waiting for the other to strike first. “Be right back.”
I bolted toward them. Despite their laser focus on each other, their eyes were glazed. Maybe drugs were the culprit.
“I need to ask you to leave the premises,” I said, moving to stand between them.
Neither one reacted to my request. Their gazes remained locked on each other, solely focused on each other’s movements. One of them howled, prompting the other one to yip in response.
“This is ridiculous,” I yelled. “You’re not even werewolves!”
They paid me no heed. The taller one shoved me aside, and the vampires collided. I darted forward, ready to break up the fight, except they were no longer ready to tear each other’s throats out.
They were kissing each other’s throats.
Alrighty then.
I spun around to see where else I might be needed. My gaze landed on Kane in the middle of the dance floor. With his suit still in pristine condition, he held back a minotaur with one hand and a muscular horned demon with another. Blood streaked down the horned demon’s face, and I realized one of his horns was broken and currently in the minotaur’s possession. Kane issued a command I couldn’t hear, and the minotaur chucked the horn at its owner. Desire sparked in me. Kane looked like a god among men, standing in the midst of all that chaos and brutality, unaffected. In charge.
His whisky-colored eyes locked on mine and the spark ignited.
Sunny zipped through the tangle of legs and appeared beside me. I held up a finger. “Absolutely not. Do not involve yourself in this. We can handle it.”
The chimera lowered her head, seemingly disappointed.
There was an abrupt change in music, and Vivaldi’s ’Spring’ pumped through the speakers, which seemed to have a calming effect on the crowd.
Kane stormed over to Alessandro and me. “What in the devil happened?” he demanded.
Alessandro shrugged. “Got me. The band finished playing. Everybody seemed happy, and then all hell broke loose. I assumed Josie would do crowd control, but next thing I knew, she was hanging from the rafters like a circus performer.”
Kane pivoted to locate his head of security. The vampire sat in a nearby chair, rubbing her head. She looked up at us, her eyebrows drawn together. “Did I crowd surf?”
Alessandro laughed. “You were awesome. I’ve never seen you go nuts like that.”
She scowled in response. “I need painkillers. My head feels like it’s in a vise.”
Alessandro retrieved a travel-sized bottle from his pocket and tossed it to her. “My emergency supply. ”
She caught it in midair. “Thanks.”
Dantalion joined our huddle. “I apologize for not getting things under control. It happened so fast.”
“Magic?” Kane asked.
“If it was, I didn’t feel it.” The great duke rubbed the nape of his neck. “Not everyone was affected. I saw people leave when the first fight started.”
“Maybe this is why the band is so popular,” Alessandro suggested. “They get everybody’s juices flowing.”
Dan appeared unconvinced. “They were good, but they weren’t that good.”
Kane observed the lounge. “If anything changes or you see something suspicious, call me immediately.”
Josie gave him a weak salute.
The touch of Kane’s hand on my back reignited the earlier spark. He seemed to share my physical response because his hand migrated lower.
“You looked like a true goddess out there,” he said, as we descended the staircase to the lower level.
I cast him a sidelong glance. “Are you saying I don’t look like a goddess the rest of the time?”
He whirled toward me, pressing my back against the wall as he towered over me. “You radiate power and beauty every second of every day. It’s intoxicating.” His lips hovered dangerously close to mine. “I’d like to taste you now, if that’s agreeable to you.”
My stomach clenched as I anticipated his next move. “Oh, it’s very agreeable.”
His lips ghosted mine, sending spikes of desire through me. They pierced my breasts and thighs. The sensation was so intense, I half expected to see tiny bubbles of blood if I bothered to look.
Not that I would bother .
His mouth demanded more, and my lips parted to welcome him. He tasted like honey and grapefruit.
We tumbled through the door to the lair and nearly fell across the threshold in our effort to cling to each other. I gripped the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. My fingers found the scars on his back from his time in Lucifer’s clutches and traced them, a map of the pain he’d endured.
“Do they hurt?” I asked.
“Not when you touch them. With you, I’m whole again.”
“I’m not a healer, Kane.” I was a goddess of death, quite the opposite.
He cupped my face in his hands. “You see me as I am and accept me. That alone has helped me heal more than I can ever express.”
His words ripped all the air from my lungs. His lips. His scent. Every bit of my body burned for him. Being with Kane was like being consumed by the sun. Bright, hot, and unyielding.
We didn’t make it to the bed, which was fine with me. Mattresses were overrated anyway.
Only much later, satiated and exhausted, did we crawl under the new sheets to finally sleep. I had to admit, I enjoyed falling asleep in his arms as much as I enjoyed the earlier gymnastics.
I awoke the next morning to the aroma of fresh coffee. I stretched my arms over my head and opened my eyes. Kane’s side of the bed was rumpled and empty.
“Breakfast is ready if you’re hungry.”
“Always.” I swiped my discarded clothes off the floor and pulled them on before I joined him at the table.
He sprinkled hot sauce on his eggs. “This is very domestic of us. Shall we bake a cake next?”
“Can’t. We used up all the frosting last night.”
“I thought that was whipped cream. ”
“It was, until we emptied the can. The frosting was after that.”
His mouth tugged at the corners. “Never mind. You taste much better than a cake anyway.”
As much as I hated to ruin the vibe, I knew it was time. Last night had spiraled out of control quickly. I couldn’t leave the lair without sharing Birdie’s treasure.
“What is it?” he asked, seeming to sense the change in mood.
“There’s something I need to show you.”
“That sounds ominous.”
I removed the cufflink from the pocket of my pants. “I wish I could say otherwise.” I set it on the table in front of Kane. “One of Birdie’s crows brought this to her.”
Kane didn’t react. For a fleeting, hopeful moment, I thought we were mistaken.
“Birdie gave this to you?” he asked carefully.
“Yes. She wanted to make sure we took it seriously.”
“Cufflinks are essential to a good suit. They should always be taken seriously.”
I snatched it off the table. “Birdie warned me you’d say that. Act like it’s a nonissue.”
“Because it is a nonissue. It’s the equivalent of finding a penny tails up.”
I scoffed. “Please don’t treat me like I’m an idiot. This is more than that and you know it.”
He reached for my trinket-free hand. “Lorelei, please. If Lucifer was here, I would know it.”
I shook the cufflink at him. “What if this is him, letting you know? What if he left it to be found because he knew you’d recognize it?”
Kane’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
“You had a healer mend the mark it left on your cheek,” I continued. “Why not have them remove the scars on your back, too?”
“Because I never want to forget.”
“As if you could ever forget being tortured by Lucifer and his minions.”
He averted his gaze. “Not that. I never want to forget what I, too, was capable of once upon a time.” He waved a dismissive hand at the cufflink. “We need to stay focused on The Corporation. This isn’t the time to let ourselves be distracted by old scores that will never be settled.”
“Lucifer is every bit as dangerous, and I highly doubt he’ll bring a box of donuts when he shows up.”
Kane smirked. “They really won you over with that donut, didn’t they?”
“The Boston cream was out of this world.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get the answers you hoped for, but I’m relieved they let you go without a fight.”
“For now.”
He rubbed his temple. “And I’m sorry our time together was interrupted by all the insanity. I would’ve preferred the sex without the drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.”
My brain rolled to a stop. “It was crazy, wasn’t it? Even Josie acted strangely.” Not straitjacket crazy, but she was a vampire. Her crazy was bound to look different. At least she didn’t bite anyone.
Kane’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”
“Chief Garcia came by to see me. She’s investigating an incident.”
“Isn’t that her job?”
“Yes, but she felt it necessary to share the details of this one with me. A local man went nuts out of the blue and was taken to a psychiatric hospital. No history of mental health issues. No family history. No drugs. Nothing. ”
“And you think last night might be connected to her investigation?”
“It’s possible. Richard Horton was human, so the effect could’ve been worse for him than the supernaturals here yesterday.” Shame rushed through me and heated my cheeks as I remembered the chief’s accusation. I held out my hands and studied them. “What if I was somehow involved without realizing it?”
“Involved how?”
“The chief asked if I’d driven Richard Horton mad as some form of punishment.”
Kane’s mouth dropped open. “Lorelei, you did not inflict madness on an entire nightclub without noticing. You weren’t even upstairs when it happened.”
“But I was here. What if I passed Richard Horton in the store and accidentally brushed against him? Triggered something?” It was one of my worst fears, the kind of problem Pops had warned me about.
“I highly doubt you had anything to do with either incident. Your presence last night was a coincidence. Besides, this is the Devil’s Playground. This was hardly the first outbreak of reckless behavior we’ve experienced.”
“But Josie,” I said.
“Yes, there is the strange matter of Josephine. I’ll speak to her later.” He reached across the table and brushed his fingers against mine. “Whatever this is, it isn’t you. I know it.”
“If it’s a rogue god on the loose, I can’t even blame Aite this time,” I joked.
Kane smiled. “I’m glad you can finally say her name without those tiny lines forming between your eyebrows.”
Aite was the reason I’d had to find and remove seven deities in their animal forms from Fairhaven streets. It was only when I released the creatures from The Corporation’s collars and set them free that the town returned to normal. Despite her initial troublesome behavior, Aite took an arrow intended for me; it was a debt I could never repay.
“Promise me you’ll beef up your security, if only to make me feel better.”
Kane ran his thumb across my cheek. “Anything for you.”
“Thank you.” I brought Kane’s hand to my lips and grazed his knuckles.
“Careful,” he said with a lazy grin, “or we might end up needing to get dressed again.”
He was right. I forced myself to rise to my feet. “Try not to miss me while I’m gone.”
“You’re never truly apart from me.” He tapped his chest, the spot directly over his heart. “I carry you with me wherever I go.”