Chapter Seventeen

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Standing in the VIP glass box of the hellhound racing stadium a few evenings later, Devon put a hand to her fluttering stomach. Floodlights illuminated the large oval dirt track that had just been prepped for the next race—one in which Tanner’s hound would partake.

She turned to face the girls and Keenan, who were relaxing on the row of leather seats. “God, I’m so nervous.”

An announcement was made over the intercom only moments ago, informing the spectators that the race would soon begin. Lots of people milled about the tiered grandstands, private boxes, and spectator area overlooking the track. Gambling addicts often frequented the place, but they weren’t the only attendees. There were also couples on dates, clusters of women having a girls’ night out, and even groups of men casually discussing business ventures.

“Tanner’s hound will be fine,” Harper assured her, perched on the edge of the seat directly beneath the ceiling fan. “It always is.”

“Yeah, and if hellhound racing wasn’t so brutal and rife with cheating, vicious motherfuckers, I’d be a lot less tense.”

“You’ve been edgy all day,” said Khloë, slurping on her soda and pointedly ignoring that Keenan—who was on bodyguard duty—was frowning at her.

“People keep looking at me.” Devon scratched at her arm. “I don’t like it.” Which was why she was glad to be in the private box. It was sweet with its comfy seating, multiple TV screens, floor to ceiling view, and personal server who came and went.

Raini smiled, dipping a nacho in the cheese dip. “Well of course you keep getting funny looks. It’s not every day that a hellhound claims a hellcat, is it?”

No, it wasn’t. Tanner had instructed members of his lair’s Force to pass on the news, so it hadn’t been long before it became widespread. And it was clear to see that most were stunned.

Harper and Raini had been just as shocked when she told them. Khloë, however, had nodded and said, “I knew the canine would pull his head out of his ass sooner or later, now where’re the donuts?”

If the girls had possessed Devon’s sense of smell, they’d also know that she now wore his scent on her skin. Literally. The smell of Tanner was faint, but it was there, and no amount of soap would wash it away. That kind of thing happened sometimes with demons, but only when they were intimate on more than one level. That was why her scent was now embedded into his.

“Your feline is definitely okay with this?” asked Raini.

“Very okay with it, which surprises me. It wasn’t so long ago that it was directing lazy snarls his way. There was no aggression or malice in them. Just plain exasperation.” Devon’s brows lowered. “Now it’s sort of smug. But not smug that it has a mate. It’s something else, I’m just not understanding it.”

“Huh.” Harper twisted her mouth. “You don’t think your feline was testing him, do you?”

Devon tilted her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Well, hellbeasts look for strength in their partners,” the sphinx pointed out. “They tend to test them to be sure they’re worthy. Your demon would have known how interested you were in Tanner, and it would have sensed his interest in you. But it would also have considered any inaction on his part to be a show of weakness, right?”

“Right,” Devon agreed.

“So, maybe it started driving you to find a mate merely to see what Tanner would do about it. Your demon would have needed to know you were important enough to him that he’d push aside all his bullshit to have you. It would have needed to be sure you’d be his priority and that he’d be someone it could trust to give you what you needed.”

“That would explain your feline’s current mood,” said Raini. “It’s smug that its plan paid off.”

A smile tugged at Devon’s mouth. “That ruthless little shit.”

“It’ll always be ruthless when it comes to your well-being.” Harper shrugged. “That’s just the way our entities are.”

“What I really like is that you won’t have to worry about any other people trying to kidnap you.” Khloë slyly took one of Raini’s nachos. “The broker’s dead, so the deal is void. Whoever’s behind it—and I agree with Tanner’s theory that it’s probably Leticia or one of her vexing spawn—might make another move of some kind, but I doubt they’ll be able to recruit someone into helping them. Not now that Tanner’s made it clear to God and everyone that you’re his.”

“Whoever it was must have been responsible for the damage to your apartment,” said Keenan, stretching his legs out in front of him. “That seemed more like a feminine tantrum than a masculine one. Was there something in your living room that could have set them off? Like a photo of you and Finn together?”

Devon bit the inside of her cheek. “There were a few pictures of my mother in the framed collage I’d hung on the wall. There was also a pretty vase that Finn once bought me. It came with the bunch of flowers he sent for my birthday.”

“Maybe Finn also sent one to Leticia, Reena, or Kaye and they recognized it as a gift from him,” Keenan suggested. “Whoever it is, they’re probably of the view that you have no right to anything from him. Seeing your mother’s face on your wall would have exacerbated whatever anger or spite they were feeling.”

Khloë licked salt from her finger. “I think Kaye’s our guy. Well, girl. She wants Daddy to spend all his money on her. And she’s petty enough to have a tantrum like that.”

Harper nodded. “Whoever it is, I don’t think they’ll like that Tanner’s claimed you, Dev. Not just because it’ll make it harder for them to get to you. But because they resent you; they won’t want good things happening for you. How do Gertie and Russell feel about it?”

“They didn’t sound all that surprised,” replied Devon. “My dad asked me to hand the phone to Tanner. I don’t know what he said—I’m guessing it was a threat—but Tanner’s mouth twitched, and then he assured my dad that he had no need to worry.”

“Have you told Adam yet?” asked Raini.

“Yep. I called him after I spoke with my parents. He said, ‘interesting development.’” Devon had heard the smile in his voice; sensed he was happy for her. “Then he made me promise to bring Tanner for dinner next weekend.”

“Is Adam planning to switch to my lair like you?” Harper asked. “You are planning to join my lair, right?”

“I love being part of Jolene’s lair. Always have done. But it’s not like I won’t still see everyone or that I’ll be far away. Plus, being in the same lair as you again will be no hardship at all. And I’d be an asshole to not consider how hard it would be for Tanner to switch. It would be a much bigger deal for him than it would be for me, so I don’t mind compromising on this. I just feel shitty leaving the people I love behind.”

Harper grimaced. “Yeah, the feeling isn’t a great one. But you know you’ll still be as welcome at their homes as you were before. That’s what’s important.”

Sighing at Khloë, Keenan asked, “You gonna take that off yet?”

The imp frowned. “What?”

He gestured at the empty cup she’d earlier balanced on her head to prove how good she was at it. A cup she’d clearly forgotten about.

“Oh! Right!” Khloë grabbed the cup and threw it in the trash can.

They all swerved their heads as the door swung open. A devastatingly good-looking male strolled in, all swagger and smolder.

Khloë beamed. “Teague!” She handed her soda to Raini and then rushed over to the male hellhorse who was also her anchor. The guy was no less unstable than Khloë. But then, his kind were wild. Hellhorse racing was even more brutal than hellhound racing.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He pulled the imp into a tight hug. “I was just talking to Knox and Levi, they told me you were in here.”

“Did you bet on Tanner’s hound?” asked Khloë, looking at the ticket in his hand.

“I only ever bet on the best.” Teague greeted each of the girls and then gave the other male in the room a cool look. “Keenan.”

“Teague,” the incubus greeted, his voice even.

Teague’s gaze swung to Devon. “Heard Tanner claimed you. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it or not.”

“It’s true,” said Devon. “He—”

The door opened again, and Knox and Levi stalked inside.

“Thought you were never gonna get your epic ass in here,” Harper said to her mate.

Knox’s mouth quirked. “And miss Tanner’s demon run? I think not.”

A bell rang, and Devon’s stomach dropped. “Shit.” She blew out a shaky breath as she turned to the window, and the others all fanned out around her. The outdoor crowd cheered as eight hellhounds fluidly stalked onto the dirt track, all kingly and impressively well-built.

It was easy to recognize Tanner’s hound due to the scar on his muzzle. It was broader than the others, but those extra pounds of sheer muscle never slowed it down. His hound was a regular winner. Which was no doubt why, according to the electronic boards scattered around the stadium, it was favorite to win.

The hellhounds positioned themselves on the track, growling and snapping their teeth at each other. Corded with muscle and exuding confidence, Tanner’s hound braced its legs wide apart and held its head high and proud.

Small fires suddenly sparked to life in random places on the track. Hot, oily pits appeared in others. But it was the sporadically placed puddles of boiling water that concerned her most—they apparently burned like holy hell.

Yeah, nothing about a hellhound race was easy or straightforward. Which was why she wasn’t reassured by how badass, superfast, and agile Tanner’s hound was. Especially when there were some dirty, cheating bastards out there.

Another bell rang, and the hellhounds burst to life. They galloped across the track, kicking up dirt and leaving clouds of dust in their wake. Tanner’s hound fell into fourth place, its pace fast and steady.

“It’s got this, it’s got this.” Bouncing lightly on her toes, Devon cheered the hound on. The whole thing was so intense, her heart was in her throat.

The hellhounds leapt over fires, swerved around oily pits, and neatly avoided the bubbling puddles. They also body-slammed and bit into each other’s flanks as they warred to take first place.

Inside the box, Devon and the others urged Tanner’s hound on. Outside, spectators chanted names, shouted words of encouragement, and cursed any hellhounds that tried to cheat.

Oh, and they did cheat. One mercilessly shoved a competitor straight into a sticky pit. Another leapt onto the back of the hellhound in front of it; sending it smack bam into a bubbling puddle and using the body as a bridge to avoid it.

Tanner’s hound kept its focus firmly on the race, but that didn’t stop it from almost ripping off the ear of its competitor when said competitor tried tripping it up.

As Tanner’s hound skated into third place, Devon grabbed Harper’s tee. “It’s closing in on the others.”

Harper put her fist to her mouth. “It can do this. It can so do this. Come on, come on!”

Raini slapped her hands to her cheeks as the hellhound behind it chomped down on its tail. “Oh my God, what a little fucker!”

Tanner’s hound roared but didn’t slow down. Didn’t retaliate. It just kept on running, its legs a blur as it rocketed along the track.

The voices of the spectators became louder and more frantic as the hounds approached the final part of the track. Which was right around the time that Tanner’s hound veered around a pit and picked up speed, hurtling into second place.

Khloë danced from foot to foot. “Second! It’s second!”

An orb of hellfire whizzed through the air and smashed into one of the other hounds, almost sending it skidding off the track. Then another ball was hurled. And another. And another.

Devon snarled. “Whatever sicko came up with the idea that the spectators could shoot at the hellhounds in the last section needs—Motherfucker!” she cursed as an orb smacked into the head of Tanner’s hound. Its pace faltered ever so slightly, but it kept on going.

Harper patted Devon’s arm. “See, the hound’s okay. It’s fine. The track-people allow the orb-throwing because they like that the race is—”

“Pretty much anyone’s race, yeah, it makes it more exciting,” finished Devon. “But I don’t have to like it.”

She almost jerked back when a ball of hellfire hit Tanner’s rear leg so hard that it was a sheer miracle the leg didn’t crumple beneath it. Even more amazing was that the hound put on a burst of speed, its paws thundering along the dirt track … and bolted into first place.

The whole room exploded into applause as it crossed the finish line.

Devon literally jumped up and down. “It won! The crazy fucking canine won!”

Most of the spectators outside cheered and bounced on their feet. Others roared in annoyance, crumpling their tickets.

Smiling so hard her face hurt, Devon put her hand to her chest and let out a relieved sigh. “Okay, this is just far too intense for me. I don’t think I’ll be coming again.”

Harper snorted. “You always say that, but you always come back.”

Totally true.

It wasn’t long before Tanner joined them in the private box. He made a beeline for Devon, even as he accepted congratulatory nods and back-pats from the others. “Hey, kitten. Did you miss me?”

“You mean when I was hurling balls of hellfire at you? Yeah, missed every time.” She went easily into his arms. “How’s your head?”

“All right.”

“And your leg? It looked like those orbs hit you pretty hard.”

“I’m fine.” He pressed a long, lingering kiss to her mouth. “You hungry? I need something to eat, I’m starving.”

“Tanner, you have a visitor,” Levi called out, his voice carefully neutral.

Devon turned toward the open door … and stiffened at the sight of Eleanor standing there.

Tanner growled. “The fuck?”

Eleanor raised her hands in a gesture of peace. “I’m here to apologize.”

“Apologize for what exactly?” he clipped, crossing to the doorway with Devon at his side.

“For pushing you both so hard,” Eleanor replied. “I genuinely hadn’t thought anything serious would happen between the two of you. If I had, I wouldn’t have—”

“Wrecked Devon’s apartment?”

Eleanor gave him a somewhat haughty look. “I’m not so petty as to anonymously vandalize a woman’s home merely because she stands in the way of something I want. I did, however, see the extent of the damage.” Her gaze slid to Devon. “I went to your building that day, intending to talk with you. I’d considered making you a generous financial offer if you’d back away from Tanner at least temporarily.” She slanted him a quick look when a guttural growl rumbled out of him.

“Then what?” prompted Devon.

Eleanor’s eyes sliced back to her. “The front door was open when I arrived, and I noticed that the lock was busted. I walked in and saw the mess. I also have an idea of who caused it. That’s the main reason why I’m here. I don’t want you for an enemy, Tanner. I’m hoping that giving you this information will ease any hard feelings between us.”

He lifted his chin slightly. “What information?”

“As I was walking up the stairwell toward Devon’s floor, I saw somebody coming down. They were coming fast, looking somewhat frazzled.”

“Who?”

*

Clenching his phone tightly, Tanner paced the VIP box as he relayed Eleanor’s information to Jolene. Devon leaned against the wall, staring off into the distance, looking deep in thought.

“What was Eleanor’s excuse for not coming to you sooner about this?” Jolene asked.

“She said she hadn’t considered that Reena could be responsible for the ransacked apartment because she hadn’t known there was any connection between Reena and Devon,” said Tanner. “But when she heard from someone earlier today that Finn Moseley was Devon’s father and that her relationship with Reena was rumored to be a very rocky one, it made Eleanor wonder if the sentinel could be responsible.”

Jolene hummed. “She may be right. You will be interested to know that I found Ryder Flanagan. Sadly, he’s dead, so there’s nothing he can tell us. Someone slit his throat from ear to ear. I found no connection between him and Sheridan, but I did find one between Reena and Sheridan. Turns out he’s a cousin of Reena’s ex-partner.”

Tanner ground his teeth. “Finn failed to mention that.” The guy had failed to pass on a lot of info. But then, they weren’t always totally upfront with him either.

“It’s possible that he didn’t know,” said Jolene. “If he did, I imagine he kept it to himself for fear that we’d point the finger at Reena. He won’t want to believe that one of his children could have anything to do with this. And who could blame him for that?”

Tanner twisted his mouth. “I think we need to have a long conversation with Reena.”

“I agree, but she’s a sentinel. She’s strong and well-protected. We can’t just pluck her off the streets the way we did Lockwood. Unfortunately.”

“I heard from a member of my Force that she frequents the Underground sports bar near the mall,” said Tanner. “I’ll give the owner a call. If Reena’s there, we can go have a friendly chat with her.”

*

Nose wrinkling at the feel of the sticky hardwood floor clinging to the soles of her shoes, Devon followed Tanner further into the dim sports bar while Jolene took up the rear, passing crowded tables and a long bar lined with wooden stools. The scents of yeasty beer, cigarette smoke, and greasy food tainted the air. Waitresses zigzagged around tables, carrying trays, while one was poking at a patron who seemed to have passed out.

The bar was dingier than most, boasting scarred wooden tables, waning neon signs, old-looking pinball machines, and lots of empty glasses that had yet to be collected. The mirrored wall behind the bar reflected the sports paraphernalia that hung crookedly on the wall opposite.

Most patrons were facing the TV, avidly watching the football game and yelling at the screen. Others sat talking and laughing and glugging down beer.

The sounds of a table being upended and glass breaking were soon followed by the bartender yelling for a server to intervene. Honestly, it wasn’t a place she’d expected to find Reena, who’d always seemed too hoity-toity to even consider entering a dingy sports bar.

As the neared the rear of the space, there was the sound of a ball smacking into another, so it was no surprise to see a row of pool tables. It was, however, a surprise to see Reena hanging near one of them with her fellow sentinels, twirling a pool cue. She was also holding the neck of a beer bottle between two fingers. Hmm, no colorful foo-foo cocktail for Reena.

There appeared to be some playful shit-talking going on, but Reena wasn’t part of it. She was merely listening, a half-smile fixed on her face, seeming more relaxed than Devon had ever seen her. Huh.

As if she felt the weight of someone’s gaze, Reena looked their way. And tensed, smile fading. With a put-out sigh, she set her bottle on the high table beside her and leaned her cue against the wall. She murmured something to one of the guys who was munching on a hot wing. He only nodded, and then she headed toward Devon, Tanner, and Jolene.

Jaw hard, Reena folded her arms as she came to stand in front of them.

Jolene’s smile was all teeth. “Reena, always a pleasure.” Although she was no longer Devon’s Prime, they’d decided to let her take the lead, since Devon’s new Prime couldn’t be with them.

“What do you want?” the other female asked, annoyance written all over her features.

“I was hoping you could answer a question for us,” said Jolene. “See, we’ve wracked our brains trying to understand … but the answer just eludes us.”

“If you have questions, you should talk to my father. He’s Prime of the lair; it’s up to him what he does and doesn’t share with outsiders.”

“True,” said Devon “But I doubt he’ll have the answer as to why you wrecked my apartment.”

Reena froze, then quickly forced a disbelieving snort. “Why would I even go near your apartment?”

“Don’t bother playing games, Reena,” Tanner warned. “We have a witness who says you came running down the stairwell of Devon’s building. A witness who then went up to Devon’s apartment, only to find that it had been ransacked.”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Reena maintained, eyes flickering.

“It proves you were there,” said Devon, sounding dangerous even to her. “Maybe you’d like to explain why that is.”

Reena lifted her chin. “I don’t have to explain anything to—”

“Do not be under the mistaken impression that your being female will keep you safe from me,” rumbled Tanner. “I could kill you where you stand and think nothing of it. Nor would I give a hint of a fuck how pissed that made Finn. He wouldn’t be the first Prime to come at me—they all died, too.”

“Be smart, Reena, and tell us what we wish to know,” said Jolene.

Reena’s nostrils flared. “I went to see her that day, yes,” she told the Prime. “I wanted to ask her some questions about the conduit, Sheridan. You were vague to my father, and I suspected you were holding back. But when I got to her apartment, I found the front door wide open. I rushed inside, saw the mess in her living room, and thought someone had taken her. I called my father and asked if he’d heard from her. He said he’d just gotten off the phone with her, that she was at the airport.”

“He didn’t tell us you went to her apartment,” said Jolene.

Reena cheeks flushed. “He doesn’t know. I didn’t tell him, because I knew what it would seem like. I knew people would suspect I ransacked the apartment. It wasn’t me.”

“What was it you wanted to know about Sheridan?” Devon asked. “Were you curious about if he’d mentioned you? Because he did know you, didn’t he? He was your ex-boyfriend’s cousin. You failed to mention that as well.”

“Because I knew you’d think I had something to do with this. I didn’t.” Reena clenched her fists. “I wouldn’t come up with some messed-up plot to have you kidnapped so I could force my father to release Asa. I mean, what possible reason could I have for wanting him released?”

“We all know that Finn never would have made the trade. You could have then killed me and made it seem like it was his fault for not releasing Asa.”

Reena’s jaw hardened. “I don’t want you dead.”

“Because you care so much about her,” Tanner deadpanned.

Reena ignored him. “I don’t like you much, Devon, that’s true. But there are lots of people I don’t like. That doesn’t mean I want them all dead. All I ever wanted was for you to stay out of our lives—that’s it.”

“And this would have ensured I was no longer in your life, if only the kidnap attempts had worked,” Devon pointed out.

“I didn’t vandalize your apartment, and I didn’t play a part in any scheme. You’ll all see that for yourselves when my father finally gets a name out of Asa. He won’t give up until he does.”

Just then, Eric sidled up to Reena, bringing with him the scent of cloying cologne. “I just wanted to check if everything is okay over here,” he said.

Reena took a centering breath. “Everything’s fine, Eric. We were just discussing the investigation.”

Eric didn’t look convinced, but he nodded at them in greeting. “It’s good to see you all again. I heard you two claimed each other,” he said to Tanner and Devon. “Congrats.”

Reena didn’t pass on that same congratulations. She just looked at the floor. Maybe Devon should have been hurt by that but, honestly, she was beyond caring.

“Can I get you a drink? You’re welcome to join us.” Eric gestured at the pool table with his thumb.

“No, thank you,” said Jolene. “We’re leaving now. You know, Reena, I wouldn’t have thought this was your scene. It makes me wonder what else we don’t know about you.”

Something flashed in Reena’s eyes. Unease, perhaps?

“Come on, kitten.” Tanner took her hand and led her outside. “You all right?” He didn’t like the strained smile or barely-there-nod she gave him. It had to be downright dispiriting to hear your own sibling tell you they didn’t want you in their life when you hadn’t done a damn thing wrong.

Devon glanced over her shoulder at the bar. “If anyone asked me if Reena drank beer, played pool, and hung out at places like this, I’d have laughed in their face.”

“Same here,” said Jolene. “She always came across as very high-and-mighty. Yet, she looked right at home in there.”

“So, do you believe her?” asked Devon.

“That she wasn’t the one who went crazy on your apartment?” Tanner pursed his lips. “My gut says she was telling the truth, but it’s clear that she’s very good at deception. I doubt her own parents would guess that this is how she sometimes spends her free time. They’d probably be appalled.” Tanner went to speak again, but then Knox’s mind touched his, buzzing with frustration.

We have Patrick Stephens’ location, said the Prime.

Tanner’s mouth snapped shut. Where is he?

A cemetery in Ohio. He was killed—and mutilated—a week before Mattias.

Which makes Stephens the first victim,Tanner realized, silently cursing to himself.

The killer has to be Royal Foreman—there’s no one else left. He hasn’t returned Muriel’s body to her home. I can’t think of where else he’d put her.

Tanner rubbed at his jaw. Is Larkin still struggling to locate him?

Yes, but she’ll find him. She always comes through.

A thought occurred to him. What if it isn’t Foreman? What if the reason Muriel’s body is nowhere to be found is that she’s the one who’s been doing the killing? Foreman could be her last intended victim.

Knox paused. She seemed to be genuinely grieving her brother’s death. Then again, she also seemed to be genuinely sure that Dale, Harry, and the others couldn’t have been involved in anything. I’ll have Levi look at what was happening in Muriel’s life over the past year to see if there’s anything that could have acted as a trigger.

Tanner gave a satisfied nod, even though his Prime couldn’t see it. As a child, she was too low on the power spectrum to be able to subdue people or cause heart attacks, and I’ve never known her capable of altering her scent, but she may have grown in power as she aged and developed other abilities. I’d like to think she’s not the killer, but my instincts won’t let me dismiss the idea. And his instincts had never let him down before.