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Naomi winced in sympathy. “Need help carrying anything?”

Ella’s shopping bag crinkled as she readjusted its position. “I’m good, but thanks. Well, aside from these pants”—she touched the pair still hanging over her shoulder—“I can’t find anything I like.” She twisted her mouth. “I’m gonna check out the discount area. What about you?”

Naomi flicked a look at the tees draped over her arm. “I’m fine with just these. I’ll need to try them on, though.”

“Go ahead; I’ll keep hunting.”

While Ella headed to the discount area, Naomi strode into the unmanned changing rooms. She slowed her pace as she searched for an unoccupied cubicle. Hooks scraped a rail up ahead as a curtain was shoved aside, and then out walked Draya.

Oh, how awesome.

The blonde went still, tension creeping into her muscles and turning her jaw into a hard line. An ugly gleam in her eyes, she clung tight to a hanger she held and presented Naomi with a fake smile. “I heard about you and Luka,” she said, an edge to her voice. “Congrats.”

“Thanks,” said Naomi, her demon liking the banshee’s obvious annoyance.

“You know, I never would have predicted that he would fall victim to a siren’s song. I thought he’d be tougher than that. Stronger than people like Iain. Life continues to surprise me.”

Naomi almost rolled her eyes. “If you need to tell yourself that’s what happened . . .”

“It’s the only thing that could have happened,” Draya snapped. “Nothing else would explain Luka claiming you. He has never once spoken of taking a mate. When his lair members at the casino sensed that I was interested in him, they all warned me that he didn’t do permanence.”

“Lots of people don’t. Until they do. Until they meet someone they want to keep in their lives.”

Draya gave her head a small shake. “Your song has him under its spell,” she insisted, several emotions swirling in her eyes—irritation, bitterness, resentment, and . . . embarrassment?

Naomi frowned. She’d expected jealousy; classic woman-scorned glares. Draya, though . . . “You have the look of a person who feels they’ve been outwitted.”

Draya’s head jerked. “What does that even mean?”

“I think you know exactly what it means,” said Naomi, the pieces falling into place. “He was just a mark to you, wasn’t he?”

“A mark?” Draya tittered, dismissive, but more tension filled her frame.

“I knew someone like you once. She would choose a guy who she decided would make a good provider of luxury and diamonds and all those things. Once she’d used him up, she would move on to another mark.”

Draya’s eyes flickered.

“You meant to bag Luka, intended to get whatever you could out of him. You got the job at Infernal so that you could get close to him and learn his patterns, likes, dislikes; so you could question the staff there about him to learn even more. You also tried milking Ella for information about him, the kind that would allow you to profile him to some extent. Then you would have fashioned yourself into whatever you thought would make him keep you around.” It all made sense now.

The blonde forced an exaggerated huff, but her discomfort was clear. “That’s quite a theory.”

“And utterly accurate, I’d say. You set out to swindle him, basically. Except it didn’t work. He didn’t want you.”

Draya slammed a burning stare on Naomi. “Oh, he did. He likely still does. But he got distracted by your song. Well, he may have been snagged by it, but it won’t have worked on his entities. They’re not so easy to kid. They’ll press him to end the relationship.”

Naomi pointed at the brand on her throat. “Does it really look like they want to fight Luka on this?”

Draya’s eyes narrowed. “How did you manipulate the entity into marking you?”

“I didn’t. Dagon acted of its own accord. As did Belial and Abraxas when they branded me.” But of course the woman would think Naomi had conned them somehow. “You see, I’m not like you. I don’t seek to play men. Fact is, I don’t have to.”

An indignant flush crept up Draya’s neck and into her face, while her ears reddened.

“Your plan would never have been successful, by the way. Luka’s too smart for that. He would have picked up on all the red flags. He would have sensed your game, and he would have put a fast end to it. In short, you chose the wrong target.”

Draya’s lips flattened. “You could be right. But then you also could be wrong. So if he dumps you at some point in the future, I’ll slide back into the picture. And I will have him. I’ll show you how securing a mark is truly done.”

“Not my style.”

“Oh, come on . You’re a siren. It’s what they do. Choose, seduce, trap, exploit.”

“No, it’s what you’d do if you were a siren. I’m no user.”

Draya let out a fake laugh. “Of course you are. Willingly or not, you’re as much a manipulator of men as I am. I’m just honest about it.” She looked Naomi up and down. “You’re too much of an uppity, cowardly little bitch to admit it.”

A feminine sigh drifted through the air. “Really, Draya, you hate your job so much that you want to get fired?” asked Ella. “Because that’s what will happen after this.”

Both Naomi and Draya looked at the redhead.

“Not an issue.” Draya jerkily tugged at the hem of her floral blouse. “I was planning to quit anyway.” With that, she marched out of the changing rooms.

Rolling her eyes, Ella crossed to Naomi. “I take it she’s upset that Luka claimed you?”

“Not for the reasons I would imagine you’re thinking,” said Naomi. “She was never really interested in him as a person. He was her mark. She’d intended to hook him, use him, and then eventually drop him.”

“Ah. So that’s what she meant by the whole ‘you’re as much a manipulator of men as I am’.”

“Yup.”

Ella sighed. “He isn’t going to be happy that she got all up in your face like that. You are planning to tell him, right? Because if you don’t, I will. He’s your mate. It’s the kind of thing he should be made aware of.”

“I know.” It would totally feel like tattling about the mean girl at school to her parents, but she’d sworn to him that there would be no more secrets. “When I see him later, I’ll tell him. He’ll probably just do what you did and roll his eyes.”