Page 24

Chapter 24

Saving My Fae Karen

I expected it, but what I didn’t think would happen was watching Phillip swoop in, ready to destroy Cash and fuck the consequences, only for the Dark Fae to rebuke the snarling Hunter without effort. My growling, raging beau was bound to the wall before he could reach us.

And for the first time since I’d met her, Jo visibly reacted to the sight of Cash’s magic. Her eyes widened before her lips thinned. The dark obsidian irises quickly melted to amber glows. She prickled with alarm. I’d never seen her look at Cash the way she was now. Hostility and fear—like she both wanted to escape and fight. But instead, she stood frighteningly still, her gaze sweeping over to me slowly before returning to the light-haired menace next to me.

It happened too fast for me to respond. But as soon as my thoughts came together, I grabbed Cash’s arm and shot a warning glare at him. “You’re really not helping things right now, you ass.”

As if it couldn’t be helped, he shrugged, and Phillip was released from the black magic that had him pinned to the wall. Silence dragged on for what felt like forever. No one seemed to know what our next move should be. Everyone was on guard.

Guess it’s up to me, then.

I put my hands up with a little grin. “I’m not dead, see? All my limbs are still intact. Most importantly, my head is still firmly attached to my neck. I’m basically a returning hero,” I proclaimed to the Austrian who looked close to attacking my overly arrogant savior again.

Granted, snark wasn’t how I’d deal with everyone, but the tattooed Hunter was an entirely different breed. He might be a possessive bastard despite all his claims that he and Nigel had nothing in common, but even he couldn’t ignore a dark joke after escaping death.

The twitch of his mouth told me I’d gotten through to him. Honestly, it was one of the things I loved most about him. No matter how dire, there was always a place for a cleverly timed joke.

Walking over to Phillip and leaving Cash to stay posed like an asshole by the door, I wrapped my arms around the angry Hunter and laid my cheek on his chest, holding him close. His signal of defeat came in way of a sigh.

Go me.

He chuckled to himself when I rubbed my cheek over his chest and stole a cute look at him. The stubborn asshole had already forgiven me. I hadn’t even told him the best parts, but I’d savor this victory first.

His arms were quickly around me before I was crushed against his chest. “You had me scared there for a second, mein Schatz.” His piercing blue eyes landed on me with both relief and frustration. “Don’t think you’ve escaped punishment, but…I’m proud of you. You didn’t die, and that’s cause for cake.”

“Now you’re speaking my language, you gorgeous jerk.”

His heart-stopping smile beamed down at me. I’d done him proud. That Ancient Fae bitch wasn’t a small potatoes villain, and he knew it. I’d escaped someone I shouldn’t have. I’d put my money where my mouth was—or whatever idioms best fit this particular victory.

Maybe after my punishment I’d get a reward. A girl could only hope. The growling way he promised punishment told me that it’d all be in the bedroom, and I didn’t want to admit how much I was looking forward to it.

Pulling away, I finally breathed since arriving. Now wasn’t the time to let my head frolic away with thoughts of being bound and spanked. We still had business to discuss.

Knowing Jo, she’d probably told Phillip enough that he could gather what had happened but not everything. There was still plenty he probably didn’t know. I’d tell him everything I could, and then I’d call Grams and Sloan because their missed calls and texts were like actual weight in my pocket.

Since Grams would only care if I were alive or dead, she’d mainly berate the fact that I was kidnap while applauding my ingenious escape. Her softer moments were far and few these days, especially now that she was on a mission. She’d save the heartfelt declarations of love for when she came home—or maybe not even then.

Sloan would be understanding but upset I trusted Cash at all. I wouldn’t argue with him. He wasn’t wrong. I knew better than anyone else that some liked to keep their friends close and their enemies closer. Still, however misguided Cash’s way of going about our little outing, tonight we got farther ahead than we had in a long time.

We not only picked off another on our list of Lux’s boyband, but we found out the possible identity of One and what the Organization’s goal was. Or at least, where to start looking if we could get the papers I’d taken translated and another Q I didn’t need to add another questionable relationship spiral to the shitload I was already dealing with. Let alone the fact that I already had one sexy guy I needed to smooth things over with, another one in the wind waiting to hear I wasn’t dead, and a very gorgeous situation-ship haunting the corner of the room.

When Phil touched my cheek, I confirmed Cash’s statement with a nod. Wagging my phone in my mentor’s face, I smirked. “Lucky for us, Serine wasn’t smart enough to steal my phone. All the coordinates are safely stored in here.”

“Not that we needed it, love,” Cash added, scoffing. “All in here,” he boasted, gesturing to his head.

Speaking of which…

“There was a map!” I finally remembered.

My sudden excitement took Phillip off guard. “A map?”

“Yes, but…argh, I can’t remember all the bits. I’ll draw what I can remember and some of the beacons. Think they might’ve been targets, but I’m not sure. Give me a few minutes.”

I rushed over to a notepad on a nearby table. Jo watched me, finally smirking after looking like the most dangerous weapon in the room. I ignored her because if I caught that gorgeous gaze of hers, I wasn’t confident I’d remember my name by the time I got my senses together enough to look away. With a grace and artistry I didn’t think I owned, I drew out all the little parts of the map I remembered and then handed it off to Phillip.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make a call—” I started to say before Phillip grabbed me by the face and kissed me like we were the only two people in the room.

“A pixie, love? In this realm?”

“The Fae realm, apparently,” I murmured into my cellphone, tucked into the room I shared with Phillip now that he’d decided I wasn’t safe alone with Cash lurking nearby.

“That’s some luck you have there, darling. A pixie owing you a favor is practically gold to anyone in that realm—and this one, too, to be fair. As you probably remember from your studies, their dust can do just about anything. Far distance travel being one, but even across realms. Handy bit that is.”

“Ah, yes. My studies. Totally remember all of that. Right here in the good ol’ noggin for safe-keeping.” I tried to sound like I knew exactly what he was talking about, but the downside of being surrounded by high-level Hunters was I rarely got away with shit.

“Please tell me that you didn’t release some bottle-imprisoned creature without knowing what it was first,” Sloan admonished with a sigh. “That would be outright reckless.”

“I totally knew what Tinkerbell dude was. Well, at least I figured I could probably take him. Still, even if I didn’t know what he was, I gathered he’d be grateful that I’d released him from his glass prison. So, if you must know, it was a calculated risk I took.”

“V…” I could hear the lecture about to swiftly batter my ear just from the tone he used.

I hated disappointing my gorgeous maybe-boyfriend, but how could anyone digest, let alone memorize, thousands of pages on several realms’ worth of creatures? It was impossible. I barely remembered all fifty states. It wasn’t my fault Grams chose vampires and nothing else. I was busy, okay? A girl deserved a break.

“I can practically hear the excuses your head is making right now,” Sloan added with a little giggle—a giggle that was far too cute for a man who’d ruthlessly beaten me down in every training session we’d had for weeks before bending me over a desk and fucking my brains out.

This devastatingly gorgeous Brit was a damn enigma.

Phillip was suddenly behind me, hands on my hips and lips tracing the curve of my neck and shoulder. “Tell that time-stealing twat to go do his fucking job and leave our little returning hero to me.”

“Oh, sod off, Phil. You’ve had her all to yourself since I left, and I’ve done enough stoking for the night. I suspect in a few days, Theo is going to find himself faced with a full-blown rebellion.”

I looked over at the Hunter with his hands already under my shirt and his teeth scraping my shoulder. A shiver raced down my spine. He’d never bitten me, but the way he stared at my neck lately told me he wanted to. And the sight of his fangs made me wonder if that was the punishment he planned tonight.

I guess I should let him. I mean, I deserved it. No ulterior motive here…

His eyes lifted, and the smirk he gave me was nothing short of diabolical. He’d thought of something, and excited fear crept into my stomach and chest.

“You’re right, mate. I’ve kept our little V all to myself since you left, and it’s about time we shared her a bit.” My eyebrow lifted in confusion before Phillip’s mouth was next to my ear, whispering, “Your punishment, pet. I’m going to tell that saucy bastard everything I’m doing to you, and he’s going to listen. Maybe even suggest a few things. And you’re not allowed to muffle the sounds you make or argue. I want him to hear every bloody second of how good I make you feel. I want it so clear that he can see me fucking you in his own head.”

Before I could retort or complain, Phillip stole the phone and sunk his hand into my leggings, ready to make good on his promise. Or was it a threat? “Evening, mate. Stay on the line, would you? I’ve got a treat for you and a punishment for our naughty girl.”