11. Eve is Not a Toy
Eve is Not a Toy
I’d had a crush on Micah Saint James long before he saved me the night my world shattered. Back then, he didn’t hide out at his castle, or even at the Coven estate in the middle of prime NYC real estate.
The feeds were obsessed with the Billionaire Playboy Vampire or the Vampire King, as he was coined by the media.
The girls at my school would gossip about him and whichever supermodel, or Park Avenue Princess, or Hollywood star he was seeing, imagining what it would be like to be those women.
I happily joined in, wondering what it would feel like to kiss him, to have him feed off me.
For him to fall in love with me and make me immortal.
But although he was in the spotlight at events like gallery openings and charity balls, he never shared anything about his personal life. There was not a single interview with him anywhere.
Never in my wildest fantasies did I ever imagine I would meet him, let alone live with him. But the groundwork in my mind was already laid for me to read into our relationship more than there was. I shouldn’t have laid all the blame on him for his rejection when I took things too far.
I need to be honest with myself after all this time. He may have handled the whole situation badly, but I painted myself as the victim and hid behind my anger so I wouldn’t have to own up to my part in it. Seeing him again is making me reassess everything in the most uncomfortable way possible.
All these thoughts I bring with me to the meeting the next morning, like an ancient guillotine, ready to drop.
Vincent Rodriguez’s house isn’t exactly neutral ground, but it’s the closest thing to it.
He won’t come to Police HQ, the Weres won’t set foot near the Coven, and although Micah would have gone into Pack territory, neither Jake nor Janus would agree to meet at the other’s Pack HQ, or let a powerful Vampire near them.
Having them all in a room together will be difficult enough to navigate, but we also haven’t informed the Captain about this meeting.
Jake is still officially charged with murder, we’re about to consort with a known criminal and share sensitive information with him and his men, and involve both the Vamps and the Lycos.
If this goes badly, Tim and I could lose our jobs, along with Ruby.
And what Ruby found in the autopsy early this morning is a game-changer.
Captain Buchanan will have the report as soon as he gets to the office.
And when Tim picked Ruby Blue and me up from the hospital morgue half an hour ago, we quickly filled him in on the way.
Glancing around a more formal version of the sitting room where we interviewed Vincent three days earlier, I have to admit it’s the perfect place for this meeting.
The furniture has clearly been adjusted to suit our needs; couches and chairs strategically forming a square around a low table, with enough space between each to tell me the head of the Rodriguez Cartel has prepared for the worst. Against one wall rests a large sideboard with coffee and tea, along with water, an array of soft drinks, and plenty of high-end alcohol.
Vincent’s two sons are talking in low voices across the room, next to bi-fold glass doors overlooking a garden and sloping yard to the side of the mansion.
We’ve already interviewed them, and I can see they’re packing beneath their suit jackets.
I have to assume their pieces don’t hold regular bullets.
They would definitely have access to the same kind as the police, strategically developed to take down both Weres and Vamps.
The silver tips on the end dissolve into a Lyco’s bloodstream, incapacitating them, while the rest of the bullet doesn’t do any more damage than a regular round.
For Vamps, the silver tip also dissolves, but that part doesn’t affect them.
It’s the wood, acting like a mini-stake, that in theory stops them long enough for other actions to be taken.
At worst, or best, depending on your point of view, several bullets through the heart can kill a Vamp.
At least, a newer one. With both Lycos and Vamps, the best bet is to empty the entire clip before taking other measures.
Ruby looks intrigued by Vincent, and they’re soon deep in conversation.
He’s smooth, debonair, the consummate host, and looks like any well-off businessman in his designer pants and shirt.
His sleeves are down today, hiding his tattoos.
His sons hover close by, obviously wary of the entire situation.
Despite coming straight from an autopsy, Ruby Blue looks stunning in high-waisted cream slacks and a pale pink wrap-around sweater, her hair in a tight bun. I can’t help smiling as Vincent charms her.
I’ve chosen to wear tailored black pants and a light green shirt. The weather is moving into fall, and although I miss the heat of summer, I can still get away with light clothing and layers.
Tim avoids looking at them, but he’s had plenty of opportunities to ask Ruby out, and I’m not about to step into it.
I’m already on edge. After filling Jake in as much as I could last night, I made sure he understands that unless Evan’s murder is linked to Jason’s, the charges against him will stand.
I also warned him not to jump to any conclusions about the young Were’s body being found in Devil’s Edge territory.
Someone is playing a game, and none of us know the rules or how to win.
Adding to the minefield these two murders already are, the tension of having a cartel boss and three apex predators in the same room, with the natural animosity between species, and this meeting could get ugly fast.
Ignoring my partner’s cautionary look, I grab a coffee while we wait. I don’t believe in too much caffeine, and I know Tim is just as on edge as I am with this meeting. We’re going way off script, and he’s more comfortable following the rules.
Jake arrives first, followed closely by Janus, who looks to be in his forties but is probably around eighty.
Fast healing and mutated DNA mean Lycos have extended lives.
Not immortality like Vamps, but if they’re careful, they can live several hundred years.
The Devil’s Edge Alpha is average height, not much taller than me, but all compact muscle.
Dressed casually in cargo pants and a t-shirt, his face is hard, brown eyes cynical and shrewd.
I’ve met Janus several times, as has Tim, in our roles within the PPS. Part of why I wanted this Squad is to build ties between the police and Paranormals, even those I instinctively don’t trust.
The two Alphas nod coolly to each other. Jake has made an effort, either for me or to make the point that he’s Alpha, by wearing a light blue shirt over stone-colored chinos, his golden-brown hair neater than usual. I know he’s more comfortable in t’s and jeans.
He automatically heads toward where I’m standing beside Tim, but I subtly shake my head. Here, I’m Detective Sinclair, not his girlfriend. Vincent shakes hands with them, his sons hovering behind him, assessing the Alphas for any hint of threat.
‘I assume you didn’t kill Jason,’ Vincent says bluntly to Jake.
Jake smiles, showing his lengthened canines. ‘You assume correctly.’
‘Just needed to get that out of the way,’ Rodriguez smiles in return, at ease in his domain, even with Weres who could rip him apart before his sons could draw their guns. ‘I’m sorry for the loss of your Packmate.’
‘Eve will find who killed them both,’ my boyfriend says with complete confidence.
‘That’s why we’re all here.’ Janus cuts in, his voice gravelly as if he’s swallowed stones.
I wasn’t sure what stance Janus would take, and I’m wary of any unknown piece of an equation, but he clearly wants his Pack’s involvement in Evan’s murder put to rest.
I’m about to remind them it will be a team effort when the atmosphere shifts.
Power ripples out as Micah appears, counterpoint to Tim and me, and Jake, Janus, and Vincent. I can’t tell if he stepped out of the shadows or moved so fast it only looked that way. It’s mid-morning outside, but going from a car to the mansion would take him less than a blink.
Micah stands casually with his hands in the pockets of his black pants, his matching jacket perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders, face a neutral mask as his midnight eyes sweep the room.
His shadows twine across his shoulders and down his arms like a silent threat.
A reminder that he’s unmatched in power here.
‘Jake Monroe,’ my boyfriend says, breaking the silence, hand outstretched in offering.
Micah doesn’t move a muscle. He’s looking at me, and I feel every ounce of his gaze pinning me in place.
‘Evangeline’s current boyfriend,’ he drawls in a way designed to get a reaction. He doesn’t even bother looking at Jake.
A growl rips from Jake’s throat as if he can’t stop the visceral reaction of staking his claim. I hide my surprise at his lack of control and shoot Micah a disapproving look.
He holds my gaze, and I find myself trapped in it as he sweeps his eyes slowly over me. ‘You look stunning, Evangeline. Almost as good as you did last night. It’s a shame we never got to dessert.’
Heat floods my face as I bite my tongue.
I want to remind him I’m a goddamn detective, and this is my meeting.
He’s baiting me by using my full name, reminding Jake that he knew me first. But to react would only make this worse, so I steel my spine to ignore it and gather professionalism around me like a jacket.
Jake’s claws punch out, and Micah gives a low laugh that spills over my skin. I want to ask him what the hell he thinks he’s doing, baiting my boyfriend when this meeting is already loaded with enough traps waiting to spring. He’s also undermining my role and the authority I need to have here.
I note the Rodriguez boys standing behind their father, hands now firmly on their guns. Tim is alert and ready beside me, Ruby seated safely behind Vincent and his sons.
I feel as if I’ve dissociated from my body as night ripples from Micah, and Jake bristles, baring his teeth and claws. The animosity between them is like a live wire.
Ruby gives me an I told you so look, which I also ignore.
‘You had your chance,’ Jake grinds out, canines on display, taking a step toward me. I realize he’d expected me to stand beside him as his girlfriend. But right now, I’m Detective Sinclair, and he needs to be reminded of it. As does Micah.
‘But I have eternity for more,’ Micah finally looks at Jake and smirks.
Janus is grinning as if it’s Christmas. I need to step in before he makes it worse.
If Micah kills Jake, Janus will have a clear run at being Alpha of both Packs, getting his wish to combine them and hold all the power.
Weres are strong and heal fast, but Micah is the oldest Vamp I know of, and I’ve only seen a fraction of his power.
I doubt he would take it that far, but until now, I hadn’t thought he would taunt my boyfriend.
I would have left him out of it if I’d known it would go down like this.
They’re both acting like spoiled children fighting over a toy.
I’m the toy.
And I’ve had enough.