7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Zelyah
M y body trembles, and I’m not sure if it’s because I want him or because I want to get away from him. He holds me tightly against his chest like he already anticipates my next move.
“You disabled my cameras and left when I told you not to go anywhere without my permission.” My body vibrates, but it’s no longer from pleasure.
“You can’t keep me as your prisoner!” I repeat more forcefully, practically shouting the words through gritted teeth, my entire body tense with outrage. I know that it may cause a scene, but at this moment I’m too angry to care.
“Oh, but I can.” He chuckles and kisses me lightly on my neck. What is this guy doing to me? Is this some type of punishment for seducing other men? I was just trying to feed.
Everyone at the club stares at us with lust-filled eyes. They’re still dancing, but a faerie always has that natural power of attraction, I suppose it’s the same as a Succubus in a way.
“This is what we’re going to do.” His voice lowers to a sensual tone. “I’m going to bring you back in for questioning, and I’m going to lock your ass up.”
Over my dead body. I turn to face him, staring right into those turquoise eyes. I nearly stumble backward, but of course he has a tight hold on me. This man is perfect. I fucking hate the fae. Why do they have to be so irresistible?
“Agent Cooper,” I purr, and he drops his gaze to my lips. “I’m surprised you found me so quickly.”
His being able to track me so easily means that I have to cover my tracks better. I’ve always been so careful, so structured about covering my trail. For him to have found me means I got sloppy. This failure is unacceptable. I can’t afford to underestimate him. I’ve relied too much on my skills at deception up until now. But it’s clear I need to be even more vigilant going forward and take my precautions to the next level. From this point on, I must be hyper-aware, triple-check every action to ensure nothing can be traced back to me. I won’t let my guard down again. This man may think he’s cornered me, but I will show him just how untraceable I can become when properly motivated.
He gives me a chilling smile before saying, “I have my ways. You can’t ever escape me.”
Escape, escape, escape, runs through my mind. His words are frightening. I don’t want to be locked up. I can’t be, and yet—
“Agent Cooper, if you want me all to yourself, all you gotta do is ask.” I’m playing with fire, but I love the thrill of it. I run my finger down the side of his face. He clenches his jaw tightly.
I hate that he makes me feel a certain way. I want to use my powers of seduction on him so badly, but I can’t. If he knows, then I’ll definitely be locked up forever. I brush my fingers against his lips and push onto my toes. He lowers his gaze. Maybe I don’t need to use my powers on him. When our lips nearly brush each other, I kick him in the balls.
He tightens his grip on my hand, and I wonder when the hell they moved from my waist as I try to run. His fingers finally slip, and I walk fast to the doors. I think I’ve made it when he grabs my neck and turns me around to face him.
“Like I said, Zelyah, you won’t get away that easily.” He speaks firmly, emphasizing each word with the authority of someone absolutely certain of the outcome.
He drags me out the door and right past the security guard to his car parked right in front of the club. I guess you can do that when you’re an FBI agent. He opens the car door and shoves me toward it.
“Get in.”
I try not to pout, but I’m angry I wasn’t able to escape his clutches. Maybe if I was able to use my powers, I’d have been able to escape, but I have to tread carefully with this agent.
“Now Zelyah, if you try to leave again, I’ll chain you to my bed.”
My whole body shivers and he has a self-satisfied smirk, not knowing the real reason my body responded that way. He believes he’s handling a Shifter, unaware he’s dealing with a supposedly extinct species. My kind, Succubi, were thought to have faded into myth, and our existence been talked about as an old wives’ tale. If he knew the truth, the hunt would never end.
We drive in silence for the remainder of the ride. I’m drunk full of energy trying really hard to contain it. His attention is elsewhere, his eyes glazed and distant as if lost in daydreams about how to torment me more.
His phone rings, and he snaps back to reality. “Agent Cooper,” he answers. “Yeah, we’re almost there. We had to take a small detour.”
He looks at me and narrows his eyes. I’m still a little salty he found me so fast. I roll my eyes at him and face the window. It’s still dark outside the car windows, and the glowing dashboard clock reads just past 3 a.m. We’ve reached the rougher part of town, full of decaying buildings with broken windows and crumbling walls covered in graffiti tags. The whole neighborhood has an ominous, threatening atmosphere this late at night.
As we cruise deeper into the run-down area, my enhanced senses pick up traces of those living here, the unwashed bodies, the magic crackling in the air, the lingering aroma of spices and strange herbs. This place has a sizable supernatural population hidden among the decaying streets. To an outsider, it would simply seem eerie and dangerous. But my nose detects the creatures lurking behind shabby doors and boarded windows. Everything about this area sets my instincts on high alert, warning me that we have ventured into very sketchy territory.
“I thought you were bringing me in for questioning?” God, I really need to learn how to keep my lips shut.
“I want you to look at the body first.” His dismissive tone says it all, he isn’t going to question me.
When we park, I undo my seatbelt, but before I can get out, he reaches across me, puts his hand on the door and leans in.
“Don’t touch the crime scene or anything around the house. Keep your hands to yourself.” I look down at his hand, wanting to swat it away from me. When he leans close to me, his minty breath trickles down my neck, and my breathing becomes faster.
“Anything else?” I cross my arms and glare at him.
“If I find you’re the killer . . .” His voice is soothing, completely opposite from the conversation we’re having. “I’ll torture you like you’ve been torturing these women.”
I want to say that he already knows I’m not the killer. I want to tell him that he saw me at the club, but it’s pointless. He’s just accusing me of being the killer because I defied his rules. Logically, since he tracked me to the club, there’s no way he thinks I’m responsible for a kill all the way out here.
“Agent Cooper.” I face him again, but this time we’re closer. There’s no height difference. Our lips are aligned, and I wish I could use my powers on him. Make him succumb to my will. Make him do whatever the fuck I want.
Someone knocks on his door, startling us both away from each other.
“Agent Rodriguez,” he says as he leans back to his side, opens the door. He tosses a hoodie my way, the fabric soft and new. I catch it, noticing the words “FBI-SU Visitor” emblazoned on the back. Clearly, he expects me to wear it. I stay inside for a minute trying to shake off the effects the agent seems to have on my body. I slip the hoodie on, feeling its warmth envelop me. I stay inside for another minute, trying to shake off the effects the agent seems to have on my body.
When I open the door and get out, everyone watches me. I can’t tell if it’s the allure I have, or if it’s because they all think I’m the killer. Agent Cooper and his partner don’t wait for me, they walk right in. I jog to catch up to them. It’s even more chaotic here. People are split into small groups, talking, taking pictures, and collecting evidence from the body. My feet seem to move of their own accord, carrying me closer to the gruesome scene. Before my mind even registers what I’m doing, I’m pulled back by an older man wearing a scowl.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asks.
“She’s with Agent Cooper,” another agent informs him.
“Ah, the possible suspect.” I try not to cringe at his words. There is nothing to be afraid of. I didn’t do it. “Did she come here to gloat?”
“Leave her alone, Agent Brown,” Agent Cooper says, towering over the shorter man.
Agent Brown looks up with a sneer, his fists clenching at his sides. A muscle in his jaw twitches as he meets Agent Cooper’s stare. Despite the height difference, Brown stands rigid, chin jutting out. His nostrils flare, and a vein in his forehead bulges angrily. Tension rolls off the two men in waves as they eye each other. Agent Cooper’s imposing frame looms over Brown, yet he shows no signs of backing down.
Agent Cooper adds in a lower, possessive tone, “She’s with me. She’s helping me with this case.”
Seeing the animosity simmering between them, their mutual dislike is obvious. There’s an unmistakable note of claim in Agent Cooper’s voice when he declares I’m assisting him.
“Whatever you say, Agent,” the man grunts.
I wonder what beef these men have. Why do they hate each other so much? Surely, I can’t be the cause of this much hostility. There has to be something more. I haven’t taken a good look yet, so I walk closer to the corpse, and when I lay eyes on her familiar face, my stomach drops. I know this girl.
Is someone messing with me?