Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2)(28)
Author: Gena Showalter

“I haven’t a clue.” Falling against the back of his chair, Xerxes scrubbed a hand down his face. “The first time I met her was when she came to the club and Thane offered her my sexual services.”

“I thought I was doing you a favor.”

“You thought wrong, my friend. And now, I have to go.” Xerxes pushed to his feet, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. “McCadden has yet to be fed.”

McCadden was a fallen Sent One who had attempted to murder one of Zacharel’s charges—and still planned to murder the man. Xerxes should have ended the male and saved himself the trouble of babysitting, but killing their former comrade wasn’t an option. So, they kept him locked away.

Xerxes strode from the room without another word.

Bjorn peered into the bottom of his empty glass, his shoulders slightly hunched. “I should be going, too.”

No, Thane wanted to say. Stay with me. But he wasn’t needy. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow.” His friend’s reply was empty, his back ramrod straight as he strode from the room.

Silence immediately enveloped Thane.

Silence. How he despised it. It left him alone with his thoughts, his memories. Scowling, he stood and stepped toward his bedroom, only to stop. The Phoenix was still in his bed. He could go to her, could have her and finally finish them both…but no. He was going to end their association. He wouldn’t welcome her into his arms again.

He strode from his private wing in the spacious building, down the elevator and into the bar. He would find another lover here, and he would forget his concern for his friends and keep his mind off his past.

The moment the doors opened, revealing the darkened cavern with velvet-lined walls, black couches and glass tables, noise assaulted him and he was able to relax.

He prowled through the darkness, patrons in every direction. Some sat at the tables, drinking, snorting ambrosia, while some lounged on the couches in back, leaning as closely as possible into their desired playmate for the evening. Some danced in the center of the room, their hands wandering. He listened to whispered conversations.

“—you’ll like it, I promise. Just try.”

“—relationship material. Seriously. All of the gorgeously hot ones are scum.”

“—really think I’d go for someone like you?”

His gaze scanned…scanned…until finally homing in on the little blonde Harpy Koldo had rejected.

She would do, he decided.

Thane sauntered closer to her. As pink-and-blue light spilled from the strobe and onto her, he could see that she had opted not to cover her luminous skin with makeup. Jewel tones radiated from her, a feast for his eyes.

A feast for all the other males, as well. They gathered around her table, peering at her with abject fascination as she told a story about…the hazards of car exhaust?

He stepped up behind her. “Go,” he told the men with a curt tone that promised severe consequences if he was disobeyed.

Most scrambled away. A few lingered, glaring at him—until he turned the full force of his gaze their way. They hopped up and ran.

The girl rounded on him, frowning. “What’d you do that for? Now my experiment is ruined. Ruined, I tell you!”

“What experiment?”

“To see just how boring I could be and still rock the house.”

She was an amusing little thing, wasn’t she? He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “How about you rock me instead, hmm?”

“Uh, that would be a no.”

“Why?” She’d been willing to give Koldo a lap dance because he had the face of a killer. Thane had the actual instincts.

“You’re just not what I’m looking for.”

A true refusal—or a game? “I can change your mind, female.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but no. No, you can’t.”

Hmm. As he straightened, he caught tendrils of smoke wafting through the air. Smoke that didn’t curl from cigarettes or cigars but from charred wood and fabric. He studied the bar, searching for evidence of a fire. He found Kendra stalking toward him, wearing nothing more than a bra, a pair of panties and the slave bands.

“Thane!” she bellowed. “I knew you’d come down here.”

The crowd parted to clear a path for her.

Bright red hair stood on end, as though her fingers were hooked to an electrical outlet. Her eyes crackled with blazing jade fire, and her skin sparkled enough to rival the Harpy’s appeal. Her arms were lowered, spread, her claws extended and shooting little golden flames onto the floor.

Flames that didn’t die, but grew.

She bared sharp little fangs and spat, “You left me in bed to come down here to play with some dirty street skank?”

“Hey!” the Harpy snapped. “I totally showered today.”

He motioned to the head of security, and the male knew to clear out the room.

Angry voices rose from the crowd, but the Fae he’d hired was good at his job and footsteps soon pounded toward the doors. Thane despised public displays like this, and he wouldn’t stand for it.

Soon, only he and the Phoenix remained.

“I never promised fidelity, Kendra,” he said softly. “In fact, I promised the opposite. You claimed to be happy with our arrangement.”

Her chin lifted in a show of pique. “I was. Things changed.”

“Why?”

She thought for a moment. Obviously she couldn’t come up with an answer that satisfied her, because she stomped her foot and said, “If you think there’s another female out there who will do the disgusting things you need, you’re wrong. I told you. I’m the only one who will ever be able to satisfy you.”

Disgusting, she’d said.

And she was right. But she’d always made him think she enjoyed it.

She’d lied, and he hated liars. “I told you,” he replied smoothly, even as rage kindled. “There are many who can satisfy me. And they have. They will. But not you. Not ever again.” He closed the distance between them, grabbed her by the neck and squeezed just hard enough to make breathing difficult but not impossible.

Her eyes widened with fear.

“You shouldn’t have pricked my temper, female. I will punish you—and I promise you, you’ll wish I had killed you instead.”

CHAPTER TEN

SHE HAD SEEN a monster.

Nicola had beaten back the fear percolating inside her since speeding out of the parking garage long enough to pick up her sister from the hospital, ensure Laila was settled in at home, take a shower to wash off the lotion Koldo despised and walk the aisles at the nearest grocery. Fear she wasn’t supposed to entertain. But as she turned her car into her neighborhood to return home, it finally spilled over—and she couldn’t stop it. Or if she could, she didn’t know how. In seconds, she felt as though she’d downed the most toxic of champagnes, all of the possible side effects converging: light-headedness, upset stomach and ringing in the ears.