Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Knox’s main office within the Underground was quite close to Urban Ink, so it was mere minutes before Tanner arrived. The space was sleek and modern with a large window that overlooked the combat circle. There was ample seating with the desk chair, sofa, and cozy chairs—all of which were upholstered in rich Italian leather.

Tanner tipped his chin at Larkin. Sitting near the window with her cell phone wedged between her ear and shoulder, the harpy raised her brows at him in greeting as she chatted to whoever was on the other end of the line.

Looking up from where he was seated behind the executive desk, Knox gave Tanner a short nod. Papers, memos, and stationery cluttered the surface. There was also a top-of-the-range computer, printer, and copier machine.

Tanner took the chair opposite Knox. “Where’s Levi and Keenan?”

“They’re on their way. How did things go with Finn?” After Tanner gave him a rundown of the meeting, Knox added, “He might not be a father to Devon, but he cares for her in his way. If Asa is hiding anything, Finn will find out.”

Finally ending her call, Larkin gave Tanner a half-smile. “Morning.” She took a sip from her takeout coffee cup. “I heard about what happened to Devon. Knox said you took her home last night. How is she?”

“A pain in my ass, same as always.” Tanner leaned back in his seat, making the leather creak slightly. “She’s also alert, which is good, because there’s a possibility that whoever hired the incantor might make another try for her. I’ve stationed Enzo and Lex outside the studio.”

Larkin’s eyes widened a little. “I’m sure Jolene already has people watching it.”

“She does, but they’re hanging near the hotel opposite the building, out of sight.” Tanner had spotted them easily enough, though. “In other words, they’re happy to use Devon as bait. I’m not. Moving onto lair matters … Any issues last night?”

Knox shook his head. “Not one.”

Tanner blinked. “Seriously?”

“Not even a case of vandalism or drunken teens,” said Knox.

Well that was new. Despite that Knox ran a very tight ship and showed no mercy to any who crossed him, such peace among lair members was rare—they were demons, after all. It was in their nature to push, rebel, and take risks. Still, they were usually careful not to do anything that would require the sentinels to intervene, since that often meant the punishment would be severe. As such, the Force managed to resolve those small issues just fine.

“I have a feeling our lair is going to be on its best behavior for a while,” said Larkin. “News of what happened to Devon will travel very fast, and people will figure Harper is seething about it; they won’t want to do anything that would attract her attention while she’s in a violent frame of mind. With any luck, it will also discourage whoever hired the incantor to back off from Devon.”

“It would be the smart thing for them to do,” said Tanner. “Especially since she now wears my mark.”

Larkin’s brows flew up. “How the hell did you get her to agree to that?”

“It wasn’t easy. Nothing with Devon ever is.”

Knox’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t mention this last night.”

“Mention what?” asked Levi as he and Keenan strode into the office.

Knox waited until the two sentinels were seated before he explained, “It would seem that Tanner has marked Devon.”

Levi looked at Tanner, his brow creased. “I could tell that you wanted to, but I didn’t think your demon would go for that. Or that Devon would, for that matter.”

“Your hound likes her?” Keenan asked him.

Tanner made a face. “It finds her tolerable.”

Keenan snickered. “Coming from your demon, that’s undying love.”

“On a completely different topic,” began Knox, “we need to discuss the matter of Harry’s death.”

“I visited the crime scene with Larkin after you headed to Jolene’s house last night,” said Keenan, eyes dulling. “I’ve seen a lot of bad shit in my time. I’ve been responsible for a lot of bad shit. But what happened to Harry? That wasn’t just cruel, it was sick.”

Larkin nodded. “Especially with the way the killer posed him like he was a damn doll or something. The killer was most likely one of Sloan’s sentinels.”

“Most likely,” Tanner agreed, eyes dancing from Larkin to Keenan. “Do you either of you know if any of them has the ability to alter or cloak their scent?”

Keenan shook his head.

Larkin pursed her lips. “I’m not sure. I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows, but we have to bear in mind that most demons don’t make all their abilities public knowledge.”

True, but … “If we don’t check, we won’t know. So, what else is on the agenda for today?”

They spent some time discussing what needed to be done—including making important calls, investigating complaints made by business owners within the Underground, and chewing a certain demon’s ass out for starting a bar fight that resulted in a whole lot of damage. Said demon would also be expected to cover the costs of those damages.

Tanner looked at Larkin. “I can give Harper a ride home from work, as usual. But the evening is going to be a busy one for me. If she needs to go anywhere—”

“I’ll take her,” Larkin assured him.

“Do you need one of us to go with you to see Maddox?” asked Keenan.

“It’s best if you don’t. A group would look confrontational.” Tanner pushed out of his chair. “I’ll get going. Call if you need anything.”

“Before you head out,” Larkin began as he walked away, “there’s something you should know.”

Pausing, Tanner glanced at her over his shoulder and saw that she was staring out of the window. “What?”

“Well, Eleanor’s waiting for you near the entrance of the combat circle.”

Tanner swore under his breath. He did not have the time, patience, or inclination to deal with her. But then, he never did.

Leaving Knox’s office, he descended the stairwell of the small building and yeah, there she was. She gave him a bright smile that lit up her face and could probably stop traffic. There was no denying that Eleanor Owens was astoundingly beautiful. Violet eyes. High cheekbones. Long, silky auburn hair. Sensual mouth. Hourglass figure. He’d soon realized that she wielded that beauty like a weapon. Used it to charm, manipulate, and disarm people. It often worked.

“Tanner, I’ve been waiting for you.” Her expression molded into one of mock reprimand as she playfully tutted. “You didn’t answer my calls.”

“I had nothing to say. Still don’t.”

Her smile didn’t falter at his flat tone. “Let’s take a walk.”

Tanner blocked her arm when she tried to link it through his. “There’s nothing for you here, Eleanor. Go.”

Her eyes hardened. “Why are you being so stubborn? I come from a long line of strong, powerful hellhounds. My family would make good allies. I wouldn’t refuse you access to your child or—”

“Eleanor, you already gave me this speech. It made no difference the first time you said it, and it’s not going to change things now either.”

“You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t have any inclination to start your own line. You’re an alpha hellhound who’s centuries old, for God’s sake. I’d wonder if maybe you were gay, but I’ve heard enough rumors about you from women—all good, by the way—to tell me that isn’t the case. Is there another woman in the picture?”

“I’m not gay or in a relationship. I’m just not interested.”

“What about your hound? Surely it wants to start its own line.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Given your age, I find that hard to believe.”

He shrugged. “Believe whatever you want—it doesn’t change the facts.”

She sighed. “Look, I’ll be going into heat again in exactly three weeks—”

“Then you’d better find yourself a male you think is a worthy father for your child. That male isn’t me.” With that, Tanner skirted past her and stalked off.

If Eleanor wasn’t so focused on the physical qualities he possessed, she’d have noticed that Tanner wasn’t what anyone would call father-material. He’d been just a toddler when he was placed in Ramsbrook House. He didn’t remember his own father, and he’d never had anything even close to a father figure while growing up. He didn’t know the first thing about parenting.

Despite that he was a sentinel, he wouldn’t make much of a role model. Ramsbrook hadn’t been a stable environment to grow up in. The staff hadn’t been cruel or abusive, but they’d been incredibly strict in an almost military fashion. They hadn’t been warm or affectionate. Hadn’t given out hugs or comforting words. Hadn’t tolerated any rule-breaking, no matter how small the rule happened to be.

You didn’t bother crying, because you knew nobody would come. You didn’t bother reporting your problems to the staff, because they’d trivialize or outright dismiss those problems. You didn’t dare show any attachment to an object or person for fear that that would be used against you during punishments.

His experiences there had shaped him into a person who even he could admit was riddled with issues. A person who was uncommunicative, volatile, highly private, and disliked relying on people. Someone who was very protective of his possessions, found it difficult to share, and who found it even harder to trust or take people at their word.

He also didn’t easily connect with people, just as his hound didn’t easily form attachments to places, things, or people. The only people that he and his hound had ever let close were Knox and the sentinels—their shared experiences had bonded them in a way that nobody outside of Ramsbrook could possibly begin to understand.

So, given how fucking messed up Tanner was, he honestly didn’t trust that he or his hound would be able to truly form an attachment to their own child. And they had no business fathering one until they were sure that wasn’t the case.

*

“I still can’t believe you let him mark you,” said Raini later that day.

Tightening her grip on the brush handle, Devon turned to her. The succubus was staring out of the window at Tanner, who was talking with Enzo and Lex. He’d obviously come to escort Harper home, just as he normally did near closing time.

Plenty of people had spotted the mark on Devon’s palm throughout the day. Some had merely raised their eyebrows. Others had made passing comments like, “A hellhound marked a hellcat—well that’s new.” News of it would no doubt circulate through the Underground like wildfire, just as news of her kidnapping had.

Devon sighed. “I told you, Raini, it wasn’t that I let him do it. I didn’t think it would work for obvious reasons.”

“But it did work,” Khloë pointed out, wiping down the reception desk. “And if it will make a difference while there’s someone out there who wants to get his hands on you, I’m good with it. Besides, the mark’s kind of cute.”

“Cute but pointless if his demon isn’t completely invested in protecting Devon,” said Raini, “and it damn well better be. Tonight, you’re going into Maddox Quentin’s club, which will be full of his people. If they all converged on you, you’d be on Shit Street.”

“I still think Grams should take me along, but she’s being stubborn,” said Harper, tidying her station.

“She’s being smart,” Raini corrected. “She has no choice but to deal with this her—”

“I know, I know.” Harper sighed. “I accept that, but I don’t like it. You can’t make me.”

The bell jingled as the door swung open. Tanner prowled inside, muscles bunching and rippling in a way that almost made Devon shiver in delight. But then he gave her that taunting grin that pricked at her patience.

“Hey kitty cat,” he said in that deep, gritty voice. “Have you missed me?”

Devon gave him a mockingly bright smile. “Of course I have. What’s your name again?”

The corner of his erotic mouth hitched up. “You don’t have to be embarrassed that you’re so obsessed with me—these things happen.”

She ground her teeth, tempted to swipe out with the brush and knock him off his feet. “If I could just Photoshop your personality, I’d be a much happier woman.”

Chuckling, he slid his gaze to Harper. “You ready?”

“Almost,” the sphinx replied. “We can give Devon a ride home, right? Her car is still out of commission.”

He nodded, turning back to Devon. “I’m always here for you when you need a ride, kitten.”

She almost blushed at the sexual innuendo. “My, my, aren’t I the lucky one?”

“I’d say so, yeah.”

Once she and Harper were ready, he escorted them out of the Underground. He took Devon home first, promising he’d return at 9pm and pick her up on the way to Jolene’s house. All three of them would be riding to Maddox’s club together, apparently. Whoopdeefuckingdoo.

After dinner, she took a long, hot shower and dried her hair before slipping on her favorite black dress and high heels—perfect club attire. The dress accentuated her cleavage and dipped low at the back.

It was a little before 9pm that Tanner’s mind touched hers. I’m outside, kitten.

God, it so wasn’t fair that even his telepathic voice was like a carnal stroke to her senses. I’ll be down in a sec, she told him.

When she stepped out of the building moments later, he unfolded from the car, all graceful menace and dark sensuality. And her libido had a mini orgasm or something. Well, in her defense, how did you brace yourself against that kind of concentrated sex appeal? It simply wasn’t doable.

He opened the rear passenger door as he blatantly raked his gaze over her, his eyes broody and hooded. The all-too-familiar sexual chemistry sparked to life and thickened the air, making little bumps rise on her flesh. “Well, now,” he said. “You—”

“Don’t talk, pooch, you’ll just mess everything up.”

But, of course, he taunted her throughout the journey to Jolene’s house. No sooner had he beeped the horn than Jolene came striding down the path with her eldest son, Richie. They appeared to be squabbling about something.

Shit, Devon hadn’t thought her Prime would bring Khloë’s father along. Hey, Richie was a great guy. A talented artist who could recreate any painting—hence why he made most of his money selling counterfeits. Jolene often called him a “fixer.” If something was broke, he’d mend it for you. If something of yours had gone missing, he’d find it. If you needed an alibi for the police, he’d give it to you.

He could also break the bones in your body with a stray thought. Which might have been cool if he didn’t lose control of that ability when he was pissed off. Really, he wasn’t the ideal person to take along to what would no doubt be a highly tense situation.

Richie opened the rear passenger door for his mother, saying, “Well, see, this is what happens when you don’t listen to me. You’ve known me since I was, what, born—you really should have known what I’d do.”

“I don’t need an army,” Jolene gritted out.

“Probably not. But just in case you do, we’ll be close by.” He gestured for her to hop inside the car. “You have somewhere to be, remember.”

With a regal huff, Jolene slid into the car. “I should have put you up for adoption.”

“Yeah, so you always say.” Rolling his eyes, Richie gave Devon a quick wave and then shut the door.

Returning the wave, Devon asked, “Everything okay, Jolene?”

“No. That idiot is paranoid that Maddox is going to pull something. I vetoed him coming along, so now he’s insisting on hanging close to the club with a large number from our lair.”

Tanner pulled onto the road. “It’s fine so long as they stay outside. Like I said to you on the phone earlier, the smaller our group, the better. Maddox will talk with a small group. If a large bunch of us go in there, Maddox will see it as confrontational.”

“It would also make me seem weak to have lots of backup, I know,” said Jolene. “Have you told Maddox that we’re coming?”

“No. But I don’t think he’ll be surprised to see us there. News of Devon’s kidnapping circulated fast. Given his rep, he’ll know we’ll consider him an obvious suspect.”

The drive to Maddox’s club—which was aptly named, the Damned—was relatively short. Unlike most demonic clubs, it wasn’t located within the Underground. Tanner parked at the far end of the lot and then led both Devon and Jolene to the club. There was a long line of people waiting to get inside, so it was clearly popular. The bouncers instantly recognized him and unclipped the red rope, allowing the three of them to pass. Well that surprised her.

“Are you and Maddox friends or something?” she asked as they walked inside. It was dark, loud, and jam-packed with people. Strobe lights flashed and sliced through the fog-filled air. Patrons crowded the dance floor, moving to the beat that was so intense Devon could feel it through the soles of her shoes.

He put his mouth to her ear, and she just about suppressed a shiver at the feel of his cool breath. “No,” replied Tanner. “Like I said, he and I have an understanding.”

Jolene glanced around, her mouth set into a thin line. “Now what?” she asked, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the thumping music.

“Now we find ourselves a table and sit down,” said Tanner. “Maddox will see us from the window of his office overlooking the dance floor; he’ll come to us.”

Devon frowned. “What makes you so sure of that?”

“Maddox is a control freak. He’ll know why we’re here, and he’ll want to take control of the situation. He’ll approach us before we get the chance to ask for an audience with him.”

Devon managed not to tense when Tanner put a hand on her bare back, his fingers spread out to take up as much skin as possible. The move was nothing short of possessive, but she didn’t comment. Now wasn’t the time. They needed to be focused on the matter at hand.

He found them an empty table not far from the bar and they ordered some drinks—none of which were alcoholic. All three of them wanted to have a clear mind.

Devon was halfway through her orange juice when someone caught her attention. She gaped. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Tracking her gaze, Jolene sighed. “I suppose we should have expected this.”

Standing a few feet away, Khloë did a double-take that was totally false. She sidled up to their table with Raini, who was acting equally shocked.

“Well, what a coincidence,” said Khloë, sliding onto one of the empty seats. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Taking her own seat, Raini beamed at them. “My, don’t you look pretty, Devon.”

Tanner sighed. “You didn’t have to do this. Devon’s safe with me.”

“She’s safe with or without you,” Raini told him. “We just wanted to be here in case things went tits up.” She set her glass on the table. “I like this place, even if I am baking hot.”

Fanning her face with her hand, Khloë said, “There are a whole lot of humans here. Poor oblivious humans who don’t realize they’re surrounded by predators. I’m so used to having nights out at the Underground that I didn’t—”

A shadow fell across their table. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Devon looked up at the male standing in front of them. This had to be Maddox Quentin. Wow, no one had told her the guy was hot. Like blistering hot. Tall, dark, and humming with power, he emanated sex, strength, and danger—a lethal combination for any demon.

He inclined his head. “Tanner, good to see you again.”

“Maddox,” the hellhound greeted simply.

“And just who have you brought with you?” Maddox looked at Jolene and said, “Ah, Jolene Wallis. I’ve heard much about you. Some good. Some bad. All entertaining.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Jolene.

“You should.” Maddox’s gaze drifted to Devon and sharpened. “You must be the hellcat I’ve heard so much about today.”

Devon felt him then. Like cold fingertips probing at her mind, testing her defenses. “You really shouldn’t do that.”

Tanner let out a low growl. “Don’t, Maddox. You fuck with her, you fuck with me.”

Maddox didn’t seem concerned by that. He gave a careless shrug and then studied the other two she-demons. “Who are your other friends, Tanner? The little one has the look of a Wallis.” His eyes narrowed on Raini, and then those eyes were glittering with heat. “A succubus. A powerful one. What’s your name?”

Raini lifted her chin. “I don’t see how that matters.”

Maddox stared at her long and hard, and then his mouth very slowly canted up in what could have been amusement. He turned back to Tanner. “Let me guess, you’re here to ask me if I brokered the deal that got your hellcat kidnapped.”

Tanner tilted his head. “Did you?”

“No.” Maddox took the seat beside Raini. “I hadn’t even heard through … shall we call it the broker grapevine … about the deal. If I had, I’d have contacted Knox with the information, since the hellcat is a close friend of his mate.”

“Why? You have no loyalty to Knox,” Devon pointed out.

“Very true,” said Maddox. “But I like it when people owe me favors. Having Knox Thorne owe me one? Yes, that would appeal to me. But as the guilty party in this case didn’t try to contact him about the deal, I’d say you’re looking for a broker who—for one reason or another—wouldn’t have any interest in extracting a favor from Knox.” His eyes drifted back to Raini, who met that stare just as boldly.

Tanner studied the male in front of him, unsure whether he believed him or not. He’d long ago learned that Maddox was a terrific liar. “And, off the top of your head, just who wouldn’t have an interest in doing that?”

“There’s always Roth Lockwood. Knox did torture him and then kick his ass out of your lair, after all. I’m not saying it wasn’t deserved. I’d have done much worse to someone who was selling information about my lair to other Primes. But Lockwood now loathes Knox with a passion—he wouldn’t want anything from him, would he?”

No, he wouldn’t. And Roth would sooner set himself on fire than give Knox any information, whether he’d receive something in return or not.

Maddox looked at Jolene. “Lockwood has also had run-ins with your son, Richie, so he’d probably get a petty kick out of doing something that would annoy you. I’m not saying it was Lockwood. Just that he’s someone you might want to take a closer look at.”

Tanner narrowed his eyes. “It’s not like you to be so blunt.” The descendant often talked in circles. “Getting info out of you is usually more like dragging blood out of a stone.”

Maddox shrugged. “Maybe I’m not in the mood to play.”

“Or maybe you want something.”

The guy’s mouth kicked up into a smile that unapologetically said, “guilty as charged.”

“Here’s something you might find interesting. You know that one of the areas I excel in is gathering information. People frequently hire me to find intel on others. Three months ago, a male hellcat came to me requesting a dossier be done on Devon Clarke. He said he was looking for potential female hellcats to breed with, and he considered her a prime candidate. It’s not uncommon for people to do such a thing, so I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

Devon stiffened. “Who was he?” The question was a whip.

“If you want me to break client confidentiality, you’ll need to give me a good reason,” said Maddox.

Jolene clenched her fists. “I’ll destroy you right where you sit if you don’t—that’s a good reason.”

Maddox’s smile widened. “It is. But I don’t fear death.”

Devon sighed, exasperated. “You already know what you’re going to ask for in exchange for information. You probably thought it up before we even got here, figuring we’d come talk to you sooner or later. Why not just say it?”

“Direct.” Maddox gave a short nod. “I like that.” He slowly leaned forward and rested his clasped hands on the table. “You do have something I want.”

Tanner bristled. “You’re not getting anything from her.”

“You think I’m going to demand a sexual favor?” Maddox looked affronted. “No, Tanner, I don’t operate that way. And I have no taste for unwilling women.” His gaze sliced back to Devon. “What I want is very simple. I want a few ounces of your venom.” He dipped his hand into his pocket and then placed a small vial on the table in front of her. “You give me the venom, and I’ll give you the name of the person who requested the dossier.”

Devon cast the vial an uneasy glance. “What do you want the venom for?”

“That’s not important.”

“If it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t want it.”

A smile touched one side of his mouth. “I have my reasons, and those reasons are my own.”

Tanner growled. “You can have some of mine.” He went to grab the vial, but Maddox snapped his hand around it.

“I don’t want hellhound venom. I want hellcat venom.” Maddox raised a brow at her. “Well, what will it be, Miss Clarke? Just how badly do you want that name?”

Very badly, but … I’m not comfortable giving him my venom when he could use it to hurt someone, Devon told Jolene.

He could hurt someone easily enough without your venom, Jolene pointed out, so I’m not sure he intends to use it that way. He might just like to collect such things—he wouldn’t be the first demon to do so.

True. And she didn’t really have much choice if she was going to get that damn name, did she? Grinding her teeth, Devon held out her hand for the vial.

Maddox gave it to her. “Right decision.”

It was easy enough to secrete the venom—she could do it at will. She placed the open vial beneath one of her fangs and filled it with a few ounces of venom, as requested. She capped it and then held it out to Maddox, but she didn’t let go until …

“Hugo Sheridan,” said Maddox. “He’s not very powerful, so he shouldn’t give you any trouble when you question him. He’s from Michigan, but I don’t know his address. I’d imagine you can find it out for yourself.” Maddox pocketed the vial. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Clarke.” His gaze darted to Raini. “You still haven’t told me your name.”

“Haven’t I?” the succubus asked airily.

Taking Devon’s hand, Tanner pushed to his feet and edged around the table. “We appreciate your cooperation,” he said, though his words were somewhat stiff.

Maddox inclined his head. “There’s no rush for you to leave.” But he wasn’t talking to Tanner, he was talking to Raini.

The blonde stood and moved away from the table, but she looked at him steadily. “We have somewhere to be.”

Maddox pursed his lips and rose to his feet. “Pity.”

Raini turned to leave, but then her knees buckled, and she stumbled backwards. Her hand flew to her head as she let out a loud gasp—there was no pain in it, only shock.

Devon whirled on Maddox, about to demand to know what the hell he’d done, but he was staring at Raini, appearing utterly stunned.

Drawing in a long breath, the succubus lowered her arm and looked at him, her eyes flickering nervously. Devon glanced from one to the other. What the fuck?

“Well, well, well,” said Maddox, looking nowhere near as cool as he sounded. “Now that was a surprise.” But the shock seeped away from his gaze and was quickly replaced by what could only be described as a dark sense of ownership. And then Devon understood. Ah, hell.

Raini made a beeline for the exit. She wasn’t fleeing, no, she was marching out of there like she had beef with the world at large. Devon followed her closely, sensing that Khloë, Tanner, and Jolene were close behind.

In the parking lot, Devon touched the blonde’s arm. “You okay?”

Raini shoved a hand into her hair. “I just needed to get out of there.”

“He’s your anchor, isn’t he?”

Raini swallowed. “Yeah, he’s my anchor. And he’s a guy who does cruel shit like broker the kinds of deals that get hellcats kidnapped. And he might well have brokered the deal that was made for you. He said he didn’t, I know, but he’s not a person whose word I’d ever trust.” She gave a bitter laugh. “And, as my anchor, he’s supposed to be someone I can trust above all others. What a fucking joke.”

Devon exchanged a worried look with Khloë. Maddox Quentin … hell, Devon wouldn’t want someone like him for an anchor. Then again, she wouldn’t want Knox for an anchor, but he’d been supportive and loyal to Harper even before they began their little fling that turned into a mating.

Jolene put a hand on Raini’s shoulder. “Take a breath, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be fine. I can’t say for sure whether Maddox will want the anchor bond or whether he’ll pointedly avoid you like the plague—some controlling males like him go one way, some go the other. Just know that we’re here for you and …” She trailed off with a sigh as something in the distance caught her attention. “That boy is a pain in my ass.”

Devon tracked her gaze and saw Richie heading their way.

“Hey, Pops,” said Khloë.

“Hey, trouble.” Richie curled his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and lifted a brow at Jolene. “Well, what happened?”

Jolene quickly brought her son up to speed.

Eyes hard with anger, Richie hummed. “Who do you plan to speak with first? Roth Lockwood, or Hugo Sheridan?”

“We should talk with Sheridan first, since he seems a very likely suspect,” said Devon.

Jolene gave a curt nod. “I agree. But that will sadly have to wait until tomorrow, since he doesn’t live locally. I’ve never heard of him before.”

“Nor have I, which is why I contacted Larkin.” Tanner tapped his temple, indicating that he meant telepathically. “She’ll do some digging and get the information we need on both Sheridan and Lockwood. With any luck, she’ll have it by the time I’ve dropped you off at your place.”

But, sadly, that wasn’t the case.

As he parked outside Jolene’s house, Khloë and Raini both thanked him for the ride, said their goodbyes to Devon, and then slid out of the Audi. They lived close to Jolene, so it made sense for all three of them to pile out at the same time.

Lingering, Jolene said, “Contact me the minute you hear from Larkin.”

“Will do,” Tanner told her.

She gave Devon a too-quick smile. “Bye, sweetheart.” Then the Prime closed the car door.

Only when Jolene was safely inside her house did Tanner pull back onto the road. “Let’s get you home, kitten.”

A short while later, Tanner whipped the car into an empty parking space in the lot outside her building. He again insisted on doing a walk-through of the apartment, surprised that she—however grudgingly—allowed it. She seemed too distracted to argue with him, as if deep in thought.

He asked her to wait outside her front door while he searched the place, but she headed straight to her living area and plopped herself on the sofa. She was still there when he finished his search and sought her out. She was also staring into space.

“The place is empty,” he told her.

She didn’t look up at him, and her gaze remained unfocused. “Hmm.”

He crossed to her and crouched in front of her. “What are you thinking?”

She double-blinked, finally seemed to see him. “Why would someone want hellcat venom?”

“I doubt Maddox wanted it for nefarious purposes, if that’s worrying you. Unlike hellcat bone, it doesn’t power spells. It’s also not lethal to demons.”

“But it is to humans,” she reminded him.

“Sure, but Maddox is powerful enough to kill a human effortlessly. Many demons like to collect the unusual. I once heard that some even add small amounts of venom to their drinks—sometimes as a delicacy, sometimes in the hope of building a tolerance to it.”

“But if it was something that simple, he would have just said so.”

“No, he wouldn’t have. Maddox is by no means a simple creature. He’d keep something so small from someone just because he can. And he doesn’t explain himself to people.” Tanner paused as Larkin’s mind touched his.

I have the info you need on Roth Lockwood and Hugo Sheridan,the harpy said. Lockwood isn’t willingly a stray demon. He’s tried joining other lairs since getting kicked out of ours, but no Prime will take him in because they don’t trust that he’ll be loyal to them, given that he betrayed Knox. I have his address here. He lives just outside of North Las Vegas. It’s a dodgy neighborhood.

Roth’s brokering business clearly wasn’t doing so well, then. What about Sheridan?

As Maddox told you, Sheridan lives in Michigan. He also works at a veterinary clinic run by humans. Smart guy. Has a few fancy degrees. Lives with a woman he’s been with for almost four years. She teaches at a human school and has a fancy degree of her own. They’re both strays; always have been from what I can tell.

Sheridan’s address?

Larkin rattled it off. I’m guessing you plan on going there tomorrow.

Good guess.His blood buzzed with the urge to hunt. The threat to Devon needed eradicating fast.

“Was that Larkin?” Devon asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I could see you were having a telepathic conversation—it’s not hard to tell.”

He relayed what information Larkin gave him. “I’ll pass it all on to Jolene after I leave here. We’ll pay him a visit tomorrow and find out if he’s really our guy.”

She tilted her head. “You’re not certain it’s him? You think Maddox lied to us?”

“I simply don’t believe in making assumptions. It’s best to be open-minded.”

Devon’s pulse spiked as he took her hand and uncurled it, exposing the mark on her palm. Eleanor had to have heard about it by now, and Devon wondered just how well the woman had taken it. Then again, if this was a regular thing for him, Eleanor might not care much. “How many people have you marked?”

His eyes snapped to hers. “None.”

Sincerely stunned, Devon almost gaped. “None?”

“Hellhounds mark their family members, but I don’t have any family to mark. All the other people under my protection are part of my lair, so it isn’t necessary to make a statement like this to the outside world.” He wasn’t just making that statement to others, though, he was making it to Devon and her inner demon. He could see that his admission had unbalanced her, and it made him smile. “Speechless? That’s not like you.”

Flushing, she snatched her hand back and stood, forcing him to stand and back up a step. “You should go.”

His mouth quirked. “Kicking me out again?”

“You searched the apartment, you can see I’m quite safe.”

“I don’t know about ‘safe.’ This building doesn’t exactly have top-notch security. An apartment recently became free in one of Knox’s buildings. The place is in a good area, and it’s close to the entrance to the Underground. It was designed to house demons, so it has thick walls, unlike here. You wouldn’t have far to travel for work, which would be a bonus. You’d have modern appliances and a landlord that gives a shit about his tenants. This complex is a shithole, kitten, and you know it.”

Devon felt her cheeks go impossibly hot and her stomach curdle with embarrassment. Yes, she knew the place was bad; she didn’t need to have that rubbed in her face. He hadn’t maliciously trampled over her pride, but he’d done it all the same.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d done it yesterday when he first saw the place—she’d been braced for it then, could have shrugged it off. But because he’d made no disparaging remarks yesterday, she’d dropped her guard. Stupid. So stupid.

It was easy for him to pass judgement—he’d probably had centuries to accumulate the money he now had. It wasn’t easy to tell how old a demon was; they moved with the times, adjusted, adapted—it was how they blended. But she’d come face-to-face with his hound yesterday; she’d sensed that it was far older than she ever would have suspected.

“I can take you to see the place tomorrow,” he offered.

“I’m not moving.” Not only because she couldn’t afford to or because she wanted to be near her family, but because she’d be damned if she’d let him interfere in any aspect of her life. He wouldn’t be satisfied with doing it just once; he’d do it over and over and over.

His jaw hardened. “You can’t honestly want to live here.”

“Not all of us can afford to live in swanky condos.”

“And not all of Knox’s buildings are ‘swanky,’ nor are they out of your price range. More importantly, they’re secure.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not moving.”

His growl was low and deep. “Kitten—”

“Didn’t I say that your marking me doesn’t mean you have rights to me? I don’t need you interfering in my life, Tanner, and I won’t fucking allow it.” She pointed toward the door. “Go.”

“I’m not trying to hurt your pride, kitten—”

“My name is Devon. Now get out.”

He swore, low and vicious. “It’s so bad that I want you safe?”

“Why are you still here? Go home, go to your Primes, go to your girlfriend—I don’t care, just go.”

His brow hiked up. “My girlfriend? I didn’t realize I had one.”

“That’s not what Eleanor Owens believes.” And, just as Devon had expected, she was unable to keep a bitter note out of her voice when she spoke the bitch’s name.

His shoulders went stiff. “She talked to you? When?”

“A few weeks ago. She came here. She said that you’re hers, and that I needed to back off. She seemed to be under the impression that I was a threat to your little fling. I’ll bet she’s not happy that you marked me, huh?”

“I don’t care, it’s got nothing to fucking do with her. I never so much as kissed her, let alone slept with her.”

“Then why did she warn me off?”

“She must think you’re the reason why I refuse to father the baby she plans to have, despite that I’ve told her several times I’m simply not fucking interested. Did she touch you?”

Pushing back the shock and pain she’d felt at hearing what Eleanor was offering him—something Devon could probably never offer any male—she replied, “No, she didn’t. Now, seriously, Tanner, get out.”

“Kitten.”

And then she’d had enough. “Just fucking go.” She sent out a wave of dark, thick energy that knocked him so hard he staggered back a few steps.

The weird bastard smiled. “Well, well, well. My kitty’s got sharp claws.”

Fury whipped through her, and her upper lip curled. “I’m not your anything, pooch. You’d better get that through your head, because this possessiveness isn’t going to fly with me. And my demon’s not going to take kindly to it either, considering it’s on the hunt for a mate.”

Devon had seen people stiffen. Seen them freeze on the spot. But she’d never seen someone go literally as still as a statue until right then. He didn’t even look like he was breathing.

His power swept out in a wave that purred against her skin and, oh God, she could feel the depth of his anger. Finally, his muscles unlocked, and he prowled toward her, all menace and intensity. The air felt thick and oppressive with the power that continued to pour off him. It took everything she had to stand tall and not back away, especially while his golden eyes stared down at her, glittering with something dark and dangerous.

A long, low growl rumbled out of him. “What did you just say?”