CHAPTER 10

My warehouse is a massive ten-thousand-square-foot building that has not only state-of-the-art security but is warded against every single creature and magical being imaginable. I don’t think Silas has ever tried to get into it, but knowing the demon, he’d bypass all the wards. I’ve yet to see a ward he couldn’t slip around. And no one can figure out how he does it. Drives Papa crazy.

Dan waits patiently while I deactivate several security measures. I’ll put them back up once everyone is inside in case they do something stupid. They might hurt us, but they won’t be able to escape.

“I still don’t know why you insisted on calling Pierce.”

Grumpy Pants can just be grumpy. “Because, as I told you earlier, Evan knows everyone in Chicago associated with the supernatural underbelly of the city. He’s even met Gloria before. I love you, Officer Dan, but in this instance, being a cop is not going to help us. We need the criminals.”

He purses his lips, his brown eyes flashing fire. He knows I’m right and doesn’t want to admit it.

“Come on in, Grumpy Pants.”

“I’m not grumpy,” he mutters and walks behind me as I enter the building after deactivating the wards. He does look around with interest, however. I’ve had construction done on the place since the last time I was here. The back half is a large temperature controlled vault for storing things that are really fragile like paintings and ancient scrolls or relics of a time long past. I know for a fact there are several items tucked away in there right now.

“It’s empty.” He sounds so shocked I laugh.

“What did you expect, to walk in here and see it piled to the rafters with stolen goods?”

“Yes.”

It was three weeks ago, but Evan and I had a large auction, and we made quite a bit of money. There are only a few pieces remaining that require a more delicate hand. They’re still hot, and if we tried to sell them now, it wouldn’t be good.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“God, no, I’m so glad I didn’t walk into a building full of stolen items.”

And have to look the other way. He doesn’t say it, but it’s there. I’d never have suggested we come here if there was actual merchandise in it for that simple reason. He wouldn’t turn me in, and it would eat him up inside. He’s the good cop through and through. I do my best to not put him in compromising situations.

“I wouldn’t do that to you.”

He lets out a long sigh before coming over to pull me into a hug. “I know. I didn’t mean to imply you would. I’m sorry if it came off sounding like…heck, I don’t know what it came off sounding like, but I heard the hurt in your voice. I hate that you steal things, but at the same time, I understand it. Your father is just as big a thief as you are. You don’t try to steer me away from being a cop, and I decided when you left, I wasn’t going to try to make you be someone you’re not when I found you. I’ve done my best to stick by that. This is who you are, and I love you, all of you, not just the parts I’m comfortable with.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I always choose Dan. He understands I can’t be who he wants me to be and loves me despite that. He loves me for me and not the girl I pretended to be.

My phone rings, and he growls. It’s funny, really. Dan was never the jealous type before, but Evan brings that out in him. He shouldn’t, honestly. Dan is all there is for me. It’s kind of nice to know he can get jealous, though. He always seemed so perfect, but it’s nice knowing even Officer Dan can have a flaw or two.

“Door’s open,” I say and hang up, not bothering to move out of Dan’s embrace. I like it here.

Evan walks in, and his gaze sweeps the warehouse as well. It feels so empty in here, but in reality, the size is deceptive since there’s an illusion spell in place. It’s three times as big as what it appears. The solid wall behind us is hiding the vault. It also helps with the illusion of how small the place appears.

“What’s going on?” he asks, his eyes worried.

“Apparently, Blade has a line on who tried to kill me.”

Those gorgeous eyes of his turn to chips of green ice. “Who?”

I shrug. “We told Blade to bring him here.”

He nods in agreement. “We can control the situation here.”

Dan tenses beneath me. He knows that tone of voice. He’s heard Zeke use it.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” I soothe. “I don’t plan on hurting anyone.”

“Doesn’t mean you won’t.”

True.

“Tell your roommate I’m coming over this weekend and we’re having a movie night while you and Dan barbecue.”

Dan frowns. “I’m getting drafted?”

“Yup. You make better ribs than Evan, but his chicken is divine.”

“It’s smoked chicken, not barbecued.”

“You use a rub on it. That’s the same thing.”

He rolls his eyes, a habit he picked up from me. “There’s a difference.”

“There’s not.”

“Don’t bother.” Dan hugs me tighter. “I’ve had this same argument with her hundreds of times. She just doesn’t understand the intricacies of the grill.”

“You start it, put wood in the smoke box thingy, and then put the meat on. I understand it just fine.”

“What kind of wood do you use?”

“I don’t know.” I give Evan a look that says he’s crazy if he thinks I know anything about that. “I just eat it when it’s done and say thank you.”

“My God,” he whispers, horrified. “How do you deal with this on the Fourth?”

“You’ll find out if we’re still here come the Fourth of July.” Dan grins. “She demands food and just waits until the rest of us cook it.”

“I don’t burn water anymore,” I say defensively.

“I know, baby.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll eat your burned and blackened food all day, even when it gives me food poisoning.”

“That was once!”

“Six times, squirt.”

“I only remember the one.”

“That’s the only time I was in the hospital for three days. The other times weren’t as bad.”

Evan blanches listening to us.

“My cooking isn’t that bad.”

Neither man agrees or disagrees.

“Why are you both trying to hurt my feelings?”

Before either can reply, my phone rings again with Blade’s specific ringtone—Welcome to The Jungle. They better be glad I was interrupted from telling them what I think of them.

“Come on in. The door’s unlocked.”

I disentangle myself from Dan and let my glamour drop. Gone is Rachel, and it’s just me standing there now. Emma Rose Crane, AKA Mattie Louise Hathaway. I’m both and I’m neither. I’m just me. But in this instance, I think being Emma Crane will go farther than just a tattoo artist who’s an exceptionally good thief. The Crane name inspires fear, which can in turn cause people to be more cautious about trying to hurt me.

Walking over to the main door, I wait for the bikers to come inside so I can engage the security system again. Blade walks in first, followed by two men I don’t know, and another one comes in forcing a short guy ahead of him. Poor guy looks terrified. He should be. And not of me or Evan. But Dan. As much as he’s good through to his core, when it comes to me, there’s a darkness that lurks inside him. That darkness comes out when I’m threatened. I’m not sure he even knows it exists, but I’ve seen it. I do my best not to bring it out because it’s not who he is, but who he’s forced to be in order to keep me safe.

“I left most of my guys outside in case…” Blade trails off when he gets a look at me. Gone is the girl with the rainbow hair who’s bubbly and fun. In her place stands Emma Crane. Short, but with a harder edge to her. I look like my mother and my brother with dark brownish-black hair that curls up more often than not. Hazel eyes replace Rachel’s blue ones. My eyes are harder, colder. I may be short, but I definitely bite. As Eric put it once, I might look like a chihuahua, but I bite like a crazed timber wolf.

I smile, and it’s the one full of teeth.

“I thought you said we were meeting Rachel,” one of the bikers protests. “This ain’t her, and I sure as sh—”

“I wouldn’t say it,” I warn, cutting him off.

“Why are the cops here?” big dude asks after a full minute.

“I’m not here as a cop.” Dan steps up so he’s right behind me. “I’m here as her husband.”

“Rat’s a rat,” big dude insists.

“Ignore Jackal.” The man who had followed Blade in comes over to where Dan and I are standing. He’s around six feet or so with dirty blond hair and cornflower blue eyes. Cute, if you like the bad-boy vibe. “I’m Arson, new president of the club. You’re Emma Crane.”

“I am, but I’m also Rachel Maddox.”

He nods, and I get a hint of burnt cherry wood. “Glamour?”

“Yes. You’re a fire demon.”

He laughs, and it reaches his eyes. “I am, but how did you know that? We’ve never met, not even in the shop.”

“You smell like a fire demon. Burnt cherry wood.”

“You know that, but you don’t know what wood goes in a barbecue,” Evan says, disgusted.

“Pierce.” Arson nods to him. “Figured you’d be here.”

He shrugs. “She’s my partner in crime. I’m not about to let some idiot take her out without trying to do something about it.”

Dan shifts, not liking Evan’s tone. I swear, he needs to get over his jealousy. He and I are gonna have a long talk after this.

“Barbecue?”

“We’re doing a big barbecue this weekend. Your boys are invited. Dan and Evan are cooking.”

“You’re not?”

“Not if you don’t want to end up at the ER with food poisoning.” Dan’s face is perfectly blank as he says this. His cop face. Everyone in the room grimaces. Babies.

“Seeing as I know where Evan lives, he doesn’t have the space for a big gathering. How about I open up the clubhouse and you all cook over there?”

“Cool. Now tell me about this fella trying his best to escape.”

The “fella” is only a few inches taller than me, and he has a slight build as well. His hands shake and his brown eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot. It’s a look I recognize. Man is high as a kite on something or other. His Metallica t-shirt is stained and looks more than a little unclean. Good hygiene clearly isn’t important to the little guy.

I stand in front of him, and he looks at me, eyes wild and glassy. He stinks.

“Careful.”

I ignore Dan. I can hurt this man faster than he can even have a thought of trying to do me harm. He’s in no condition to react quickly. He’s too high. The only good thing about him being this high is he’s more likely to tell me what I want to know. The same can be said for druggies and drunks…what you say when you’re inebriated is usually the truth.

“Chainsaw.” My voice sounds very sing-songy.

“Who are you?”

“I’m the bird you tried to kill.”

He leans away, sucking in a breath so fast he starts coughing. His breath hits me in the face, and it’s all I can do to not gag.

“I want to know who hired you.”

His eyes go everywhere but at me.

“Put him on his knees.”

The biker forces him down, and I squat so I’m eye level with him, but he still refuses to look at me. When will they learn you can’t hide from me?

Sighing, I take hold of his chin and force his gaze up. “There’s no getting out of this. One man is already dead. I don’t know if your club did that to shut him up or the people who hired you. I frankly don’t care. That’s not my concern. You, however, are my concern, and you’re going to answer my questions.”

“Are you going to kill me?”

“That’s entirely up to you.” I can feel the darkness creep up, and I don’t fight it. I embrace it. Something else slithers to the surface as well. The essence of the wolf that lives inside me floods my being. I didn’t call on it, but I don’t shut it down either. Instinct brought it out, and I’ve learned to trust my instincts.

“What are you?” Chainsaw whispers, scrambling away from me. “Your eyes…they look like a wolf’s, but not really…”

I laugh softly and stalk after him. “Many call me an abomination. I suppose I am, but I don’t think that’s an insult. It’s simply the sum of all my gifts. It’s who I am.”

I catch him, and he falls backward, away from me. I go down in front of him and take his chin in my hand. He shakes his head, trying to dislodge my hold.

“Stop or I’ll be forced to hurt you.”

Dan clears his throat behind me, but I ignore him. I don’t want to hurt this man. I pity him, but if pain gets me answers, I’ll inflict pain.

“No.” Chainsaw shakes his head violently, and I sigh. I really don’t want to hurt him, but he’s not leaving me options. Fire infuses my hand and burns into his skin. He screams and tries to kick me, but I straddle his lap so he can’t.

“If you stop, the pain stops.”

He tries to fling me off.

Dan mutters something and comes over, going down on his knees behind Chainsaw to hold him in place. Evan takes hold of his feet.

“It’s useless to fight,” I whisper, leaning in close to his ear. “I will get my answers one way or another. I can smell the fear on you, taste it like a salty, bittersweet candy. They tried to kill not only me, but my friend. An employee of RJ’s shop. There are consequences for that, Chainsaw. It’s up to you who pays those consequences.”

“Get her off, get her off!” he screams.

“Does he ever bathe?” Evan asks, disgusted. “I can smell him from here.”

“Uh, Emma, what are you doing to him?”

“Do you really want to know, Blade?”

“Uh…no. Probably not.”

“Now, Chainsaw, pay attention.” I slap the side of his face not being burned. “We know your club was involved in this. I don’t really care about them unless you make me care about them. I just need the name of the person who wanted me dead.”

Dan sighs. “Don’t.”

He doesn’t want me to feed the darkness in me. He also knows that when I want to, no one can lie to me. It’s a trait I inherited from my father. Chainsaw is high as a kite and won’t be able to put up a resistance to my Voice. The darkness that lives in me delights in torturing him, but letting it out into the world won’t be good for me or anyone else.

“Chainsaw, stop moving and look at me.” I put just the barest force into my tone, and he instantly does as he’s told. My hand drops from the side of his face, ending the pain I’d been inflicting. “Very good. Is Carnage involved in setting this up?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Money.”

Of course. It always comes down to money.

“Who did you meet with?”

“A man.”

“Describe him.”

He basically repeats the same thing Blade told me before.

“What was his name?”

“Lorivander.”

Dan looks at me, eyes blown wide for a second before his cop face falls into place.

“Do you know who that is?” Evan asks.

“No.”

“This was a waste of time.”

“It wasn’t,” I disagree. “We have a name. That’s more than we had before.”

“True.”

I glance up to Blade. “Are your boys still outside?”

“Yes, they’re guarding the place in case Carnage rolls up.”

“Shifters, if I remember correctly.”

“Bear clan.”

“Spread the word that if their president doesn’t make reparations to RJ, he’ll deal with Emma Crane.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I crawl out of Chainsaw’s lap and stand.

“What do we do with him?” Evan wonders.

I shrug. “He told me what I wanted to know. I don’t care what happens to him as long as it’s not near my warehouse.”

Arson nods. “We’ll take him back to Carnage.”

I have a feeling he said that more for Dan than anything. He knows my husband is a cop. Dan doesn’t need to know he’ll be dead before he hits Carnage’s turf.

I step back so Blade’s boys can collect Chainsaw and haul him outside.

“I appreciate you doing this, Arson, and I won’t forget it. I do have a warning for you, though.”

“A warning?”

“If my husband’s name is ever mentioned in regard to what happened here, there won’t be a place you or your club can hide from me. No words, no video, nada, or your entire club will die. Do we have a deal? Your club says nothing, and I don’t exterminate them.”

“Of course.”

“You have to say it, Arson. Do we have a deal?”

He’s a fire demon. He understands deals. “We have a deal, Emma Crane.” He simply nods and walks outside, leaving Blade to say his goodbyes.

“Didn’t know you were a shifter.”

“I’m not.”

Smart man to not mention I basically just threatened to annihilate his entire club to keep my husband safe.

“Your eyes be lying, then.”

I smile. “Let’s say I picked up all the traits of a shifter without the messy shifting.”

He shakes his head. “You do be an odd bird, Rachel.”

“Did Arson know I was Rachel before I told him?”

Blade snorts. All the men in my life seem to have picked up that habit. “What do you think?”

“He’d be stupid if he didn’t, and I hope to God you boys didn’t pick up another selfish, stupid idiot to lead you.”

“He ain’t neither.”

“Good. I owe you a favor.”

“You know I’ll call it in.”

“Wouldn’t expect any less.”

“I’ll see you, girl.” He glances to Dan, who’s now standing behind me. “You know how lucky you are?”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t keep her, I’m taking her.”

“I’ll kill you first.”

Blade smiles. “Wouldn’t expect less. Talk to you later, Rachel Maddox.”

I engage the locks and the wards as soon as they leave. The cloaking spell will conceal the warehouse and make them forget where it is as soon as they leave the parking lot.

“Evan, I need you to quietly dig through all your research tomes for that name. I don’t want it bandied about. One person’s already dead, and I don’t want you to take that chance. I’ll have Papa look as well.”

“So, you do know who this is?”

I nod.

“He’s a god,” Dan says softly. “One who’s been trying for a while to destroy her.”

Evan sucks in a breath. “That’s not good.”

“Now you see why she asked you to be careful.”

Evan nods. “I do have some other news.”

“What now?” Dan mutters.

“Michael contacted me. Gloria is prepared to give you access to the bodies.”

I’d almost forgotten about the Master of the City and her problems. One more thing to deal with.

“Set it up. She’ll need to allow the police access as well, but I want to see them first.”

Dan doesn’t say a word. He knows what I do is something I don’t want his division to know about.

“Let’s go.” I wrap myself around Dan and lock up as we go out.

I need a tub of cherry vanilla ice cream and a gallon of orange juice to deal with today.

And Papa.

Zeke is going to go into overprotective mode.

But that’s a problem to deal with after I eat the cherry vanilla ice cream.

Dan puts me in the car and buckles my seatbelt for me.

“You good?”

“Right as rain.”

“Me too.” He kisses me gently before moving out of my space, closing the door and then getting in the driver’s side door. “Food?”

“Taco Bell, cherry vanilla ice cream, and a jug of OJ.”

“Coming right up, sweetheart.”

I know he’ll demand we discuss what happened in there later, but for now, he knows how unsettled I am discovering Lorivander is still up to her games.

We can deal with everything else once we’re all a little calmer.