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Chapter Five
Ryder
I feel Ven tense beneath me as she catches sight of the demon drug dealers. Her lips part and she sucks in a sharp breath. Her mouth is very pretty, petal pink with a full and curvy lower lip that’s wildly alluring.
It surprises me, my attraction to her. I’m young, by demon standards, only just past the century mark. But a hundred years is a long time to be alive. I’ve had thousands of women and men throwing themselves at my feet for decade upon decade. Been there, done that is an extremely literal summation of my life. I still enjoy the power I hold over people, their adoration of me, but I’d long ago lost any reciprocal feelings of attraction. I suppose I’ve become jaded.
But this witch…there’s something about her that stirs emotions I haven’t felt in a very long time. It’s more than her stubborn refusal to yield to my magic. And not just the depth and mystery I can sense within her, waiting for exploration. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
“Okay, so they’re demons,” Ven says, her words vibrating in my ear. “But do you think that has anything to do with Luciana’s disappearance? Maybe they’re always here.”
I shake my head. “I make it a habit to keep tabs on supernatural business around here. And I frequent this club on a regular basis. They’re new.”
Ven steps back, sliding out of my arms. My fingers tingle from where they’d touched her skin.
“But Luciana didn’t do drugs.” She shakes her head. “She wouldn’t have been tangled up in that.”
“Perhaps not, but maybe she tried to interfere,” I say. “My gut tells me it’s a lead.”
“If you’re wrong…”
I lock her in my gaze. “I’m not wrong.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she nods. “So, what’s our move?”
“We need to follow someone who buys the stuff.” I jerk my chin back toward the dealers as another group of people approaches them. “See if we can get them to tell us anything.”
Ven nods and makes her way off the dance floor. I follow, watching as the colored lights from the lasers cut across the pale skin of her back in a criss-cross pattern. I wish we could dance the rest of the night. Dance until we’re drenched in sweat, muscles warm and loose. Music buzzing in our veins, stars in our heads. Then we’d walk down to the beach and rip each other’s clothes off as the sun comes up over the waves…
I shake my head to clear the sudden fantasy. We make our way across the room until we’re close to the demons. I see Ven dart her eyes between them and back to me, and I imagine she’s wondering if I’m wearing a glamour, too. Covering up horns on each side of my head or small tusks coming out of my mouth like these two beauty queens. There are more types of demons in the world than there are species of animals, ranging across a whole spectrum of appearances and abilities. I’d gotten lucky. I don’t have any physical attributes like most demons, just my unusually colored eyes. No doubt because of my human mother.
“Let’s wait here,” I say.
I reach out and touch her wrist to get her attention over the pulsating noise of the club, and I feel a spark of magic run between us. Ven turns to look at me and our eyes meet for a moment. She looks down at her wrist and something moves across her face that I can’t quite read.
“There, look.”
I nod toward another pair of humans approaching the drug dealers. They make a quick exchange, and the humans, a man and a woman, merge back into the crowd. Ven looks back at me, and we follow them.
They head for the exit, and we tail them as they move out onto the street. Compared to the heat from the hundreds of bodies jammed in the club, the night is an icy kiss. Ven lifts a handful of her red hair and piles it atop her head a moment. The moonlight hits her skin, making her seem to glow. I’m having a hard time not staring, which isn’t a problem I usually have. I suck in a deep breath and shake my head to clear it. This witch is really starting to become a problem.
“Ryder!” Ven hisses.
She points as the couple vanishes down a narrow alley beside the building. I need to pull myself together. Reaching out, I take Ven’s hand and we stroll casually past the opening of the alley. I let my gaze dart ever so quickly into the darkness. Then, when we’re out of sight again, I stop and we lean against the building, side by side.
“They’re just utilizing their purchase,” I say. “That alley doesn’t have an exit, so they’ll be out again soon.”
“You’re sure it doesn’t lead anywhere?” Ven asks, looking towards the alley as if she can see around the corner. “We don’t want to lose them.”
“I’m sure. I’ve been down there a few times.” Plus, I can see in the dark. One of my enhanced senses.
Ven rolls her eyes. “Of course you have.”
“Come on, little witch.” I grin. “Everybody likes a good entanglement in a dark alley from time to time. Even you can’t argue with that.”
“I can, in fact.” She crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes at me.
I pivot off the wall so I’m facing her instead of shoulder-to-shoulder. I place my right palm up against the wall, caging her in. “You’re telling me that you’ve never needed someone so badly that you have to have them, right here, right now?”
