Chapter Sixteen

A little while earlier…

“You’re not going to like it, but I found Tabithia.”

Aeros’ grip threatened to break the steering wheel of the SUV. Slowly, one finger at a time, he eased the tension in his hands.

“Tell me.”

“Evie’s. She just rolled up on her bike with a redhead. They argued a bit outside the shop, then both entered. Five minutes ago tops.”

Five minutes. Five minutes she’d been in Evie’s club surrounded by sex-hungry immortals wanting to hook up—wanting to hook up with her. Sonofabitch.

He was out of the SUV and at the entrance before he registered his feet hitting the pavement. The bouncers both took one look at him and unlatched the door. His hands slapped against wood, nearly breaking the door down on his way past. Two steps inside and a small woman behind a desk gave him one look and motioned to an ornate door. Cool air hit him as soon as he pushed the double doors open. Cool air and perfume, smoke, liquor and bodies.

Holy fuck. He could feel his temperature rising, causing sweat to drench his silk shirt and make the material of his slacks cling to his legs. If she came here often… He couldn’t even finish the thought. His men had discovered Tabithia partied. She often partied for weeks at a time. He’d called her. Texted her aunt. Texted her. No response.

She knew he was coming for her and yet she hid? The music took on a sexual, driving beat and across the crowd he spotted her bright head. A rush of possessiveness flooded him. She looked amazing. Dressed in leather pants that hung low and hugged her hips and thighs with a strip of red curving over her ass and down the inside of her thighs, she looked sexy beyond belief. He’d seen her naked, but this was…this was dangerous sexy. Her back was bare except for the leather top wrapping around her upper ribs. He spotted her tattoo curling up around one curvy hip. Blue flashed when she turned her head, and he squinted at the swirl of colour decorating her neck. She looked ready for sex. Or battle. Either option had his temperature boiling.

A flare of fire heated his blood, warming his already overheated body. He was just about to go grab her and shake the living shit out of her for being here when his vision of her was obstructed. Blinking, he lowered his gaze to meet a woman’s. Short, comely, with purple eyes decorated with blue and black lines that ran into her temples and disappeared in her hair—this woman had to be Evie. She barely stood tall enough to reach his chest, yet she smiled up at him as if she knew a secret he didn’t.

“Evie.”

One delicate eyebrow rose, but otherwise her face remained expressionless. She reminded him of a porcelain doll he’d once seen in a Parisian shop—cold, fragile yet beautiful.

“Very good, Spartan. Most people never see past what’s in front of them.”

He didn’t respond. It wasn’t a question, but he knew she wanted something. Instinct said it had to do with Tabithia.

Through the crowds, he spotted her slim back again. Why was she here? What did she hope to gain here? A man?

Gods help him if she was looking for a man.

“She’s here to try to hide the girl. Should I let her? Hide this witch from a god, and in exchange have her sing for me? Do you think it a good trade, Spartan?”

“Tabithia wants to hide—”

Evie snapped her slim fingers. “Enough. Follow me, and we can both find out why she has come.”

Not waiting on an answer, hell, he didn’t know if he had an answer, he looked over at Tabithia and saw her talking to the woman Ares wanted. For the first time, he examined the woman causing him such hell. A few hands shorter than Tabithia, red hair reaching her chin, she didn’t look Ares’ type. Slender, with small breasts and a tiny frame, she looked nothing like the women the war god brought to his home. Her green eyes flashed, and she tipped her head to the side slightly, considering something Tabithia was saying. She and Tabithia shared blood. The woman was of her coven, then. The resemblance wasn’t too great but there all the same.

“Come, we must hurry. Your woman grows impatient.”

His woman. The tightness in his chest eased, but his fist tightened. When he got his hands on Tabithia, he would prove just how true that statement was.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Tab just knew that wasn’t what she wanted to say, but that was what came out.

Aeros had the nerve to grin and fold his hands over his stomach and cross his long legs out in front of him. He looked incredible—sexy. Dressed in a silk shirt that lay against his hard chest the way she wanted to, he gave her a hot-looking glower and she shivered. His slacks looked expensive and well-tailored and didn’t hide the disturbing bulge at his hips.

She swallowed and glared at his handsome face.

“He got here right after you, Tabithia. I thought, if we were going to negotiate, I might as well have all the players.”

Damn.

Aeros nodded to a gilded, velvet chair. “Sit down, Tabithia.”

Well, fuck. Aeros really, really needed to stop talking.

“Here.”

Unable to stop her legs from walking, she moved across the room and sank back in the chair next to Aeros, settled in, and mimicked his stance down to crossing her legs. Resting back in the chair, she rolled her head to gaze up at him, knowing her lazy posture would no doubt irritate him. If his darkening face was any proof, she’d hit him square.

“Great. So, how was the jungle?”

He sprang up like she’d hit a switch and nearly made her bite her tongue off. His chair hit the floor, and he took one step towards her. “You never answered my calls, or responded to my text, Tabithia.”

She shot upright. “That’s because you didn’t bother to call. Don’t lie to me, you never—”

“Touch her, and you’ll face my wrath, Spartan.” The quiet words spoken so calmly really had some power to them. Even Aeros heard it. He swung his head to look at Evie, and, after a moment, he nodded curtly and reached down to pick up his chair. He sat down with a none-too-subtle grumble under his breath.

Touch her? Tab glanced at Aeros’ dark expression, immediately recognising the anger there. Ah, shit.

“We’re here to discuss a new singer for my club. You’ve not come to my club often and never for more than drinks. Do you feel qualified to bargain with me, Tabithia?”

Well, when she put it that way, no. Next to her, she could almost feel Aeros settle back in his chair. For some reason, she sensed his anger had gone down a few notches. She refused to look at him, though, and concentrated on Evie. Her power was substantial, but Tabithia couldn’t tell if it was Evie’s power tingling through the room or that of the realm they had entered when they’d first passed through the doorway of the club. Either way, Evie packed a powerful punch. Powerful enough to hide Dare from a god?

“Look I got what you need, so… I guess I am qualified. What’s he doing here?”

Aeros slapped his big hand down on his thick thigh and growled. “Tabithia—”

“He’s here to guarantee I can have my singer.”

Aeros turned his head to face Evie, and, wow, did Tab feel sorry for Evie. The captain did not look pleased.

“The witch has to come with me.”

“Tabithia?” Evie asked.

“No, the other.” Aeros blew out a breath, then grinned at her. Gods, his smile was too much. She felt her toes curl in her boots. “I’ve been sent to bring her back to Ares, but I don’t know her name.”

Tabithia swallowed twice before she could manage to say, “Dare. It’s much longer, but I thought shortening it would be easier on us all.”

Evie laughed from behind her enormous desk. “I like it. And she can sing. Amazing that Ares would let her go. But he didn’t let her go, did he? And that, my dears, is why I needed you both here.”

Tabithia peeked over at Aeros’ firm profile and was reassured to see he appeared as confused as she was.

“I need assurances that Tabithia speaks for Dare. That Ares will not claim foul after I set my bargain.”

“Ares wants her back—”

Tabithia sat up. Aeros was acting like a lap dog for that dickwad, Ares. “Ares can go suck an egg. He can’t have her. And you shouldn’t ask for her. I thought you were not into kidnapping women and all that. Protect the weak, right? Hero stuff.” Aeros opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. She wasn’t done. “I am not handing her over, so don’t even ask.” Or order, Tabithia added silently.

Aeros’ dark brows shot down. “Tabithia, you know she needs to return.”

“No, actually, I don’t.” She huffed out a breath and got her heart rate under control before she continued. “She doesn’t need to do anything. If Ares wants to bargain, she might be game. But you’d best know, she has some conditions he is not going to like.” There, she could give him that much at least.

He grumbled a curse under his breath. Obviously, he didn’t think she was giving him anything.

“Look, I saved your talisman—chalice, whatever—fair and square. The woman inside the talisman does not count as part of the deal. Never would have, never will. And for the record, you, Mr Honourable and Trustworthy, should know that.”

When Aeros shot to his feet and pointed a finger down at her, she realised she’d stood up before he had.

“Tabithia, you are splitting hairs here. You know that she—”

A crack like thunder stopped her before she could bite the finger he was waving in her face.

They both turned to see Evie glaring at them. “Enough. Let me get this straight. Tabithia, you were contracted to find and return a talisman?”

Tabithia nodded, but when she sensed Aeros shifting to speak, she said, “Yes.”

“No, she was contracted to bring back what she stole from Ares.” Aeros hitched a thumb in Tabithia’s direction. “She has the woman, and Ares wants her back.”

“Did she hand you the talisman, Spartan?”

Aeros didn’t say a word, but he grumbled under his breath again and finally nodded.

“So, she fulfilled her terms of the arrangement. And—” Evie paused and they all stilled.

Tabithia grinned and sat back in the comfy seat. Dare was singing. And oh, Lordy, was she singing.

Evie stood from behind her desk, facing one of the mini-television sets facing the club. Dare was up on stage, daintily sitting on the arm of a chair with two of the male performers at her feet.

Aeros folded his big arms over his chest. “This changes nothing. Tabithia, you don’t understand. I need—”

As if in a daze, Tabithia heard Evie say, “Doesn’t matter. I accept the deal. She’s safe here. For as long as she needs it, I’ll make sure she’s hidden.”

“Done!” Standing, Tabithia spat in her hand and grabbed Evie’s hand and shook it, grinning. “Now, I gotta scoot. Ladies’ room, you know.”

Evie waved her off, still mesmerised by the song. Aeros practically toppled his chair to stop her, but she made it out of the door and beat him down the hall by sneakily using a spell to untie his fancy shoes. She heard him cursing behind her and something hitting the door. Once she was inside, she let the excitement rushing through her come out in a small squeal.

Aeros. He’d come for her.

Now what to do with him?