Page 15

Love Her Madly

S he’s got to stop fucking doing that, especially in public.

If she doesn’t quit blacking out, there will be many questions asked—ones she’s not ready to answer—and none of us will be able to help her.

Not that she seems inclined to let me help. I can’t get a moment alone with the woman of the hour, which means I’ve yet to explain why I made myself scarce after our tryst. Although, from the looks of it, Tilly’s formed a merry band of companions and acolytes since we last spoke.

That complicates things.

Both doctors are inductees, but the wild woman is unknown. I’ll get Doyle to use his contacts in ICE to find out who this chick is and why she’s here. Tilly’s yet to awaken, and until she does, the situation is far too sensitive for a random girl to be hanging about.

Her awakening is no longer an ‘if’ as the council believed, but a ‘when’. Despite our lack of knowledge about her true lineage, I realize that she’s going to. I can feel it in my bones, and I sure as fuck felt it when we screwed. This woman is no mere human, and why in Satan’s name her awakening hasn’t happened yet, I don’t know.

She’s also goddamned made for me, and it’s hard not to take her over my shoulder and smack that round ass when she gives me sass.

Growling under my breath, I watch as the docs flutter over her. Her weird friend is trying to calm her eagle and the cats because they seem to object to Kali and Hecate standing nearby. I take pity on the Irish girl, whistling low so my hounds will observe from further away. The girl looks at me, squinting her eyes, and it’s like a light goes off in her head. Her grin returns and she dips her head at me.

What an odd woman.

Sauntering over to the bar, I jerk my chin at the bartender, and he scurries over. I don’t tell him what I want to drink—I’m here often enough—but I ask for a cold cloth from the kitchen. He asks me about the line on the Polecats, and I give him enough information to entice, but not be helpful.

If he wants to know actual info, there’s an Internet full of it, and that doesn’t belong to the man taking the bets.

When Henry returns with my Blanton’s and the cool compress, I walk over to the group of people wringing their hands in front of the prone woman. Sighing, I stare at the girl first. “She’s done this in front of you before, right? She did it in school, too.”

Presley and Wolfgang both appear puzzled, but then shoot one another with a glance that says they’re hiding something. Her redheaded friend nods at me, and finally, they give in and do the same.

“It’s never lasted for more than a couple of days, but that was a long time ago. Anyone else have more up-to-date information?”

“Couple of hours,” Wolfgang offers.

“Aye. Never more than a few hours,” the friend agrees. “Maybe we should take those bloody sofas and let her lie down. Seems like you gents could use a chat.”

Arching my brow at her, I nod. “Agreed. I’ll carry her over if you three will oversee the menagerie.”

Wolfgang glares at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who died and made you the sugarplum whisperer, Edgar Boone? Last I heard, you were a ghost .”

As the doctor digs his heels in, I blink, surprised. I wouldn’t say that I’m the most powerful guy in town, but I’m damned near the top of the food chain. I’d think his outburst was a fluke, but the normally tranquil birdman joins him, and the Irish car bomb gives me a smirk. Whatever power Tilly has, one thing she has in spades is the power to pass on her big dick energy to those around her.

“Fine, fine. You two can settle her in, and deal with her animals. I’ll get Henry to rustle us up food and drinks. Benjy will get Amelia to throw a net over where we’re sitting so we can have a private conversation. Good enough?”

The redhead squints at me as she tilts her head. “ Diatírisi, prostasía, yperáspisi… o kyklos den teleiónei ? 1 .”

Son of a hog wrangling shine swiller. I should’ve known. Of course, she has one. They’re always watching, but not this closely. My eyes narrow as I reply, “ I epivíosi enós eínai aioniótita gia ólous ? 2 , sugar.”

“If we’re all done showing our cards before we find a table, may I suggest we retire to a less public space? Seems like there’s going to be a lot of dick swinging, and y’all remember how ‘Nelia hates public spectacles. Nothing gets by that woman,” Presley counters, picking up my drugar like she weighs next to nothing.

Nodding, I whistle for Kali and Hecate, noting the looks they give the prone woman slung over the doc’s shoulder. Their reaction to her was unusual and suspicious at worst. Paired with her black out act, I have ideas, but this squad of misfits Tilly has gathered might help me put some pieces together.

If I can get them to shut the fuck up and do what I tell them.

* * *

“Then we agree? None of us have a clue what she is, and no one’s cheiristís ? 3 knows?”

“I don’t even think Nelia knows,” Wolfgang murmurs. “If they knew, they wouldn’t have assigned a personal Guardian to keep tabs.”

Saoirse—that’s her name—nods. “I’ve been mates with Peanut since they assigned me. She consulted in Europe and Asia for yonks before she got a wild hair. Moved home and started training for the peelers before I could bat a lash. Wish I knew what shitehawk let that go on for yonks without stalling the ball before it hurt her.”

Presley snickers. “I don’t envy the person in Richmond if you ever find out who it was, O’Malley.”

“The biggest problem is that we all know, and she doesn’t,” Wolfgang murmurs. “Whatever happened when she was young that stopped her awakening shadows her memories and perception, according to Saoirse. When Sugarplum finds out we’ve all lied to her, she’ll be furious.”

“Aye,” Saoirse nods. “I don’t have a baldy notion of when we’ll get clearance to spill the beans, but she’ll eat the heads off us.”

Looking at the raven-haired woman still out cold on the couch, I frown. I like her fire, to be sure, but I don’t want to be her enemy. No one does, and not one of us has the pull to fix this problem. She’s come back to the beast's belly, and the people she’s connected with are bound by more than honor to keep her in the dark.

“This fucking sucks,” I mutter, reaching for my glass and tossing it back. “And it’s dangerous. Not having any information puts the entire town at risk of exposure. Why did they let her return?”

The tinkling laugh of the Irish lass echoes off the walls. “The only way to stop this was to act the maggot with Fate, moiraíos syntrofos ? 4 . Sounds like fair play to you?”

Wolfgang shakes his head. “Absolutely not. No one should live their life tied up like breed stock. Certainly not sugarplum—there’s a well of passion screaming to be let loose.”

A grin twists my lips, and I raise my glass to his, clinking them together. “Indeed. What are our next steps, then? We can’t report this conversation, and until the fog lifts, we can’t let anyone trigger events that could get her recalled.”

“Look at you, the disappearin’ man thinkin’ he can order us all around,” Saoirse snorts. “I’ll work on getting meself reassigned. The doctors over there will help manage my girl and the companions. Since you’re an eejit, you get to figure out how to get her to forgive your thick arse.”

The other two snicker, and one cat chimes in with a “Mow!” followed by a honk from that enormous fucking bird.

Just fucking great. Now I’m being taunted by her entourage and her animals.

I thought this week couldn’t get any worse.

“Fine. We agree. Now,” I look at the bespectacled doctor with a smirk. “Do whatever it is you do and wake the lady up. It’s time you show what you’ve been hiding, good Doctor.”

Presley glares at me and nods. “As you wish, Your Honor.”

My lips curve. That’s more like it.

1 ? Conservation, protection, défense…the circle does not end.

2 ? To survive, we must protect the young.

3 ? Handler

4 ? Fated companion