Chapter 15
Clare took out her compact and checked her reflection.
Her lips were rose pink, her wig was a dark sleek bob. It looked totally real, but it made her head itch like crazy. Her eyes were dramatically accentuated with dark liner and thick, mascara-laden lashes.
She was wearing a skirt and blouse in brighter colors than usual, which made her look sophisticated and professional, and way more stylish than she normally did. The only problem were the high-heeled pumps, which pinched her toes ferociously.
Even so, she couldn’t help a wicked little wish that Oliver could see her like this. How she’d love to see his expression change, his eyes darken, that muscle in his jaw tic. The expression he’d worn at the PD annual ball when she’d sashayed in wearing that red dress and their eyes locked.
As if he would eat her alive.
Gods, she couldn’t think of that without a shiver of lust riding through her.
Keep your mind on the task.
She thinned her lips. Snapped the compact shut and shoved it into her purse.
Then, with a deep breath, she made her way up to the front entrance of the plush building in Motham’s central trading area. These offices were among the most expensive in Motham to lease. Humans4Monsters didn’t lack money, for sure.
Emmaline Shaw, when Clare had talked to her on the phone, had sounded so charming and friendly, it was hard not to warm to her. She wondered if this was how the other humans had felt—flattered, and special.
Clare mentally rehearsed her character once more as she took the elevator.
She was Anna Greenwood, youngest daughter of a High Tween family.
(The Greenwoods really did exist, but they had so many children Clare reckoned no one would know if she added herself to the list.) As Anna, she was looking for any form of administrative work, wanting to find her feet in Motham, and get to know folks.
Happy to work for any species, naturally.
In reception, a smart feline-looking woman, probably a cat shifter, sat at the desk typing.
Clare gave her fake name with confidence and took a seat, and within a moment a curvaceous human appeared, with thick russet hair piled haphazardly on top of her head and big green eyes.
Her suit was emerald green to match her eyes, and sparkly earrings glittered on her lobes.
She rushed over, all smiles. “Oh, you must be Anna, how lovely to meet you! Come on in.”
Well, Emmaline Shaw wasn’t quite what she’d expected. What had she expected? Someone more sophisticated, perhaps? But this woman was bubbly and vivacious, and made you feel immediately at ease.
It was hard to imagine anything sinister about her at all.
Looks can be deceiving.
“Coffee, tea, or a cold drink?” Emmaline asked. “Or I can get you lemonade if you prefer. I make it myself.” She gave a pretty pout.
“Then lemonade please,” Clare said. Gods, supposing Emmaline spiked the lemonade.
Don’t be silly, nothing’s going to happen straight away.
“I’ll get Selina to bring us a glass. Why don’t you have a peek at the storyboard of our successes and make yourself comfy?”
There were photos on a big board on the wall. Matched clients and companies. The heading, in glittery letters, read:
Humans4Monsters
Success stories
Dozens of humans who’d been happily matched with top Motham Companies grinned back at her, next to a range of monster employers. There was no sign of Natalie, or Edward, which was interesting. Perhaps missing humans was bad for publicity.
Emmaline bounced back in with a waft of floral perfume. “Selina will bring the refreshments shortly.” She sat down and flicked through the CV Clare had given her. “Wow, your work history looks great, Anna. And your references are off the charts.”
“Thank you. You’re welcome to call my previous employers to check them,” she said confidently—they had fake employees lined up at the police station to answer.
“Oh sure, we can get on to that later.” Emmaline put down the paperwork, placed her elbows on the desk and leaned her chin on her fists, popping her eyes wide. “I just want to get to know what makes you tick, Anna, what you love doing. Your hopes and aspirations.”
As she talked, Clare found herself warming to her alias, a high-Tween girl who felt ignored by her huge family, where the men were favored and the women were supposed to wait for a nice husband.
She relished explaining how she’d finally rebelled, suffocated by Tween’s repressed conservative ways.
As she spoke, Emmaline smiled and nodded and made little grimaces of sympathy.
Clare almost began to believe her own rhetoric.
“Oh, I love this story, go you,” Emmaline cooed when Clare finally stopped talking, clapping her hands.
“I have so many companies that will want to snap you up. Motham is on the up and up, and we are forging ahead with contracts between human employees and Motham businesses. Soon the old guard will fall. Wait and see. Humans will no longer control Motham.”
The old guard will fall. That was interesting wording, Clare thought. “You mean the Council of Towns?” she asked lightly.
“Yeah, all those stuffy old men. They really have no idea that a tsunami of change is about to hit them. But enough of me enthusing. Let me tell you how we go about things here at Humans4Monsters. Firstly, I’d love to invite you to a cocktail party we host every couple of weeks.
It’s a kind of meet and greet for new human residents of Motham and monster business owners. ”
Clare felt her heart thudding with anticipation.
“The next one just happens to be tomorrow night.” Emmaline’s manicured hand held out an invite, identical to the one Clare had found in Natalie’s underwear drawer.
“I do hope you can make it. We’ll introduce you to so many influential monsters in the business world, and it’s a great way to get to know who’s who in Motham City. ”
“Sounds wonderful,” Clare murmured. “Where’s The Den?”
“It’s a private club in The Motham Tower complex.
You won’t have heard of it, it’s very hush-hush.
The events are hosted by my boss, who owns several different enterprises here in Motham.
He is a very private man, super wealthy, but reclusive.
His greatest pleasure is to welcome new humans to the city, people I cherry pick for him to meet.
If he chooses you, you’re pretty much guaranteed a fantastic job. ”
“Chooses me?” Clare gave an ingenuous smile.
“Oh, I don’t mean, you know, in a sleazy way. If he chooses to mentor you and personally match you to an employer.”
“He doesn’t meet with every new human you have on your books?”
“Goddess no, darling, only people I recommend. And you, darling, are top of my list, because you are an absolute gem, Anna. Now, more importantly, have you got a cocktail dress? I do know a very good designer if not.”
Clare held her breath. So there was a reason she’d brought that red dress back to Motham, why she’d hung it in the back of her wardrobe. At the time, she’d thought she was torturing herself, but it would be useful after all.
“I do actually have a lovely dress. But out of interest, who is the designer you had in mind?”
“Vlad Kominsky. But… if you have a dress… That’s fine.”
“I think I have heard of him,” Clare murmured. “Vampire?”
“Yes, a lovely guy. And so talented. I send people to him if they haven’t got a gown to wear, but clearly you’re perfectly equipped.” Emmeline beamed at her. “You are going to do so well here, Anna, I can tell by your vibe. Before you know it, you’ll be running your own business, just like me.”
“I’d love to reach your level of success.” Clare super-glued a smile to her lips.
Emmeline squealed and jumped up. “Oh, I love you already. Do you mind if I give you a hug?”
Taken aback, Clare could only nod. Immediately she was engulfed in an embrace. Emmaline’s curls smelled of apple blossom. So wholesome. As she pulled away, something scratched Clare’s cheek. “Ouch,” she said.
Emmaline looked perturbed. “Oh hon, that’s my earring, it’s got a little jagged piece on it. I should get it fixed, so sorry.”
As Clare walked out, she rubbed her cheek.
There was a tiny drop of blood where that stupid earring had scratched her.
She wiped it away, then checked the card.
The scalloped edges, the elegant gilt writing and Emmaline’s name scrawled across it as if she’d signed it herself were all identical to the one in Natalie’s underwear drawer.
Full of panache and confidence, with three little kisses at the bottom.
Interesting that Emmaline had suggested Vlad’s dress shop. It would have intrigued her to go visit the vampire. But no. She was going to wear her own red dress. The one that had sat in the back of her wardrobe, taunting her, for three years.
She wanted to thrust that night back in Oliver’s face.
She’d damn well make sure he saw her wearing it before she set off on her mission.
She’d even insist he place the tracking devices on her.
Which meant he’d have to touch her skin, feel the silk of her dress, the same dress he’d so desperately pushed up her thighs.
He’d have to recall how he’d abused her trust and ghosted her in the cruelest way possible.
She knew he’d desired her that night.
She sensed that he still did.
Well, fuck him. Let him suffer like he’d made her suffer.
How she would relish the expression on his face when he saw her. Off to mingle and flirt with wealthy Motham monsters in that very same red dress.
She smirked as she strode off down the street in her kick-ass heels and her smart suit.
It was payback time.
“So I have the green light to attend the cocktail party?”
Clare let her gaze pan across the team, gathered to hear her debrief on her first foray into undercover work. She barely let her eyes rest on Oliver Hale. She didn’t need to, his energy was like a black cloud as he lounged over by the window.
She could barely stop her lips from twitching.
Today, the tally for seriously pissing off each other was in her favor.
Doyle: 1
Hale: 0
“If you’re prepared to attend that party, we will likely gain a lot of intel, so yes, you have my backing,” Saul said. Clare wanted to bound over and hug his big green body.
Trent nodded. Beth nodded.
Grayson Lighfoot had joined them today. Crouched in a corner, he rumbled, “As long as we have backup close by and we use the wiring devices we’ve perfected at Tower Security, then yes, I agree, I think we could very well glean a lot from Clare attending the event.”
All eyes were now on Oliver, who remained silent.
“Hale?” Grayson raised his brows.
He stood with his arms crossed hard against his chest, head down as if deep in thought, but Clare knew it was to hide how pissed off he was.
When he looked up, that telltale tic bunched the muscle under his beard. His lips thinned into a hard line.
Yeah, he’s so pissed.
“I’m thinking,” he growled while everyone waited. Finally, “You’ll need to be armed.”
Clare’s brows shot up. “I can’t take a gun in there, sir. If that got noticed it would put me at more risk.”
“Pepper spray then, in your purse.”
“I won’t need it, sir, not tonight.”
“How do you know?”
“I have a hunch.”
“Ah yes, your hunches. Very scientific.”
“Professional intuition is a science in our line of work. Sir.”
She saw his biceps bunch as he squeezed his folded arms tighter against his chest. An alarming spark of lust lit up her pussy. Damn it, when Oliver Hale was pissed at her he was hell sexy.
And what’s more, for once in his life, he wasn’t being logical. The slightly perplexed frowns from the other monsters in the room confirmed as much.
“I agree with Clare, being armed is not necessary on this first trip. She’ll be wired, that’s enough,” Saul said.
Oliver grunted and stared at his perfectly shined shoes.
He’s worried for your safety.
Stop kidding yourself.
But the truth was, she had softened a tiny smidge toward him since he’d attempted that rudimentary apology the other night in the bar. It wasn’t much, but it was better than never acknowledging how badly he’d treated her.
She glanced at Oliver from under her lashes. He was chewing at his lip, looking almost petulant. For a being who was over two centuries old, he was behaving like a sulky teen.
“You think I can’t carry off being a seductive woman? Is that it, sir?”
His head jerked like she’d slapped him. His eyes blazed into hers, and surely the others must have noticed, because they all shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
For a long moment there was silence. Then Oliver purred, “Detective Doyle, I’m sure you can carry off anything you choose. Let’s get on with making the plan foolproof, shall we?”