Dagger slipped in quite a bit of tongue for a guy in his condition. Yeah, he’d be fine.
As the kiss continued, the barbs around my ribs gave a tiny squeeze, but whatever had gone down, it sounded like he’d done a lot of good today, and it definitely looked like he deserved a little mercy.
He finally pulled away, and his eyes met mine. “You’re thinking I got my pussy ass kicked again, right?”
Sitting up, stretching my arms out wide, I replied, “Depends. What do the other guys look like?”
“Guy, not guys. And you should see him.” Dagger’s tone sanklow, the growl rasping rough as sandpaper. “Cause he damn sure can’t see you.”
I jerked my head back a fraction. “This was mortal combat, one on one?”
“Yep. With a vamp sleaze.”
“A single vamp managed to do all that to you, by himself?”
He nodded, wincing slightly as Bryce plucked another wooden shard from his back with tweezers, swabbing it and layering the wound in gauze, bandage, and medical tape. “He was using some kind of Fae magical armor. The stuff made titanium look like toilet paper. Our clash came right down to the wire.” He hit me with a sullen smile. “You almost got your wish today. No more pain in the ass twin to deal with.”
Those words sliced deep. Would I have been happy if I’d woken up to the news of Dagger’s demise? No, never.
I wanted to tell him he was wrong, and that I’d never wish him dead, but the answer stopped on the tip of my tongue, glued solid.
Instead, I replied, “Fae magic? How can that even be possible? That lot keeps their spells tighter to their chests than one of Gigi’s sparkly bras.” I looked at Serenity who tutted and rolled her eyes.
Dagger laughed and came to my defense. “He’s right though, Cowgirl. Other species learning to use Fae magic, or even stealing it, is impossible. The Fae draw their magic from the void, and only their species can access that realm. Some corrupt Fae must have gifted it to our dear departed vamp.”
“Any idea who?” I asked. If there was a Fae out there arming vamp gangsters with the world’s most powerful magic, they had to be dealt with.
My fangs tearing into their windpipe would solve the problem, my jaguar growled.
I tried not to let him know I agreed.
Dagger shook his head. “No, but whoever it is, I’m lining him up for a closed casket send off.” He gestured with his eyes to a scuffed,brown leatherbound book on the coffee table. “Conrad’s notes on Serenity. Found it in the Marchand feeding den. It mentions a male Fae a couple of times, but no name. He does call him ‘flame-haired’ so we at least know he’s a redhead. But that’s not rare among Fae.”
I picked up the notebook and began flicking through the crinkled pages. The elegant handwriting mostly conveyed lust-filled sleaze at first, obscene references to how much he liked touching Serenity, how it seemed to empower him, and his frustrations at the owners of that particular feeding den, for their restrictions on how far patrons could go with the girls. My inner predator was snarling, ready to kill at the thought of his slimy hands on her. I took a deep breath and tried to stay rational.
“Serenity, do you mind if I read some of this aloud, so we can discuss it? I don’t want to upset you though.”
She padded across and planted a firm kiss on my lips. “We’ve all had a flick through it, but I don’t have a giant jaguar’s eyes to read between the lines. Maybe you’ll pick up on something we haven’t? And I’m not ashamed for any of you guys to hear about my past.” She combed my hair with her fingers, her eyes drinking in mine. “In fact, I think it’s best you know all about what I’ve been through, if you really want to know me fully.”
I squeezed her hand and returned the kiss. “You’re tougher and braver than anyone I’ve ever known, me included.”
She kissed my hand. “And you’re the tough guy with a marshmallow heart.”
Dagger smirked. Serenity frowned hard at him. “Which is what makes me love him so much.”
My heart did a flying leap, and my body wanted to follow, but I just raised my eyebrows. She said she loved me! I squeezed her hand, drawing her gaze back to mine, and at first, she looked almost as surprised as me. But then her mouth quirked in a precious smile hidden from the others, the lines of her lips loaded with unspoken words that I knew she’d save for later tonight.
I kissed that beautiful mouth to let her know I understood, that I cherished the moment, and as I drew back, I murmured, “Love you too,” just for her to hear.
“Well,” Dagger barked, having missed the moment between me and Serenity. Not that I thought he would’ve minded—he seemed to have accepted the shared mate bond much more than I had. “What’s it say?”
Clearing my throat and opening one arm to let Serenity slide into my lap and lean on my chest, I skimmed the journal, looking for anything helpful. A dozen pages down the line, it became more than just a pervert’s ravings. One page in particular stood out. I read it for everyone:
The human toy’s blood carries powers that only seem to affect me. After one such feeding session, I arrived back at the coven, feeling a hundred years younger, to discover nobody could see me. Ha! I had some fun fucking with everyone that night.
I could feel my jaguar using my insides as a scratching post, sharpening his claws harder with each sentence my eyes passed over. I coughed, massaging my chest, and kept reading.
The best thing is, I can turn it on and off at will. Should the preacher’s shipments be seized or dry up, I’ll turn my invisible hand to taking what money I need. And not just money or gold, but the precious little gems that lie tucked up safe in bed, blissfully unaware of the apex creature at the window.
