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Chapter Four
Skylar
Inside, I felt like I was breaking apart. Outside, I kept my expression impassive and watched as the enforcers dug through the remains of my apartment. I wanted to cry over losing Lola. I also wanted to find the killer and gouge both of his eyes out before finding a very painful way to kill him. Or her. Or them.
The thought of vengeance was the only thing keeping me from losing my shit in front of the enforcers. I glanced over at the male I’d met earlier. I still didn’t know his name or what the fuck he was. He wasn’t in charge, which surprised me. Based on his actions at the motel, I thought for sure he was someone high up.
In the better light inside my ruined home, I could make him out better. He was tall and broad and probably very muscular under his jacket. His square jaw and sharp cheekbones were covered in black stubble that was darker than his chocolate brown wavy hair. He was handsome, that was for sure. But it didn’t excuse his behavior.
I looked him up and down, letting down my guard enough to feel his magic. It pulsed and crackled in an unstable way, making my heart race. There was something dark and dangerous about him, though that shouldn’t come as a surprise from earlier.
The thing that did surprise me was the shiver of tingles that raced right down to my core when I opened myself up to his magic. I gasped, startled, and I had to turn away from him. In a strange way, it felt intimate, as if by opening up and sensing his magic, I had somehow exposed part of myself.
I locked down my senses, not wanting to risk that experience again. This man wasn’t my friend and he sure as hell could not be trusted. I had to guard myself around him. I looked back at him, this time without extending my senses.
There were codes we followed in the supernatural world. One that superseded all the different races was that you didn’t fuck with free will. He stole my ability to talk about what I had done tonight, which was bad form no matter where you grew up.
He might have prevented them from locking me up but he was also the reason I wasn’t going free. With a simple statement, he could get me off the hook and out of this. Instead, he stood there, watching his coworkers dig through my belongings. Or what was left of them.
Deep brown eyes flecked with gold, locked on mine and I quickly looked away. My face heated. I was totally busted staring at him and I was sure he thought I was checking him out. I had to admit, he was attractive. Okay, fine, if not for the uptight clothes and scary as shit magic, I might actually be interested in him.
He’s tall, dark, and handsome in a broody, mysterious asshole kind of way and I know that under different circumstances, he’s exactly the kind of bad news I’d run right into. There is no way that’s happening now, though. Had we met in a bar, maybe I could have overlooked the whole enforcer thing for a tumble in the sheets. But taking my voice and eliminating my alibi was unforgivable.
“I’m Elias.” He had one of those unforgettable voices. Smooth, steady, and commanding. I hated that the sound of it sent a ripple of pleasure through me.Stupid sexy voice.
“Enforcer Elias?” I asked.
“Just Elias is fine,” he said.
I stared at him, waiting for him to break my gaze. He didn’t. He held it, looking back into my eyes as if challenging me. Then he smiled. “This is where you introduce yourself.”
“You already know my name,” I said. “You’re in my apartment and have apparently decided to play some kind of twisted game with my life.”
“I’m sorry about tonight, I am,” he said.
“Not sorry enough to fix it?” I demanded. “You have the power here to make it all go away.” I glanced at his hands, recalling the gold sparks. “And probably a lot more power than anyone else in this room.”
“Skylar, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re avoiding all the important stuff.”
“Yeah, I do that,” he said.
“Unbelievable. Why not just let me go to jail now? Why go through the charade?” I asked.
“Because you and I both know you didn’t kill Lola Vega,” he said.
My throat tightened and the tears threatened again but I didn’t want to cry in front of this asshole. “Again, you could fix that right now.”
He shook his head. “I won’t. But I will help you clear your name.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to explain…” I can’t finish the sentence, my voice stolen from me once again. I stamped my foot on the ground like a frustrated child. “You have no idea how maddening it is not being able to say something.”
“You don’t know anything about maddening,” he said.
Clacking and banging sounds came from the hall and I turned to look out the door. Elias grabbed me, gripping my upper arms with his large hands, he pulled me away from the door.
The touch was brief, but both of my arms felt like they had gotten too close to a fire. He dropped his hands, but the heat from his touch remained after the men with the gurney walked past us.
