All day long, I waited for Nor to call us into his office.
And all day long, he neglected to do so, leaving me fuming at my desk, sensing Iris’s eyes on me. Her desk was right across from mine. I kept my gaze averted from her. My work sat untouched on my desk, reports unfiled, and unmoved. My mind kept going back to last night and what happened.
And the bounty hunter. Her cold blue eyes haunted me in my sleep. For once something different entered my sleep instead of what usually was there waiting to torment me. No, not just her eyes. The dream started out simply enough. I’d been dancing with Iris, but then her face shifted into that of the bounty hunter. I’d spun her around and around the ballroom as chaos erupted around us, but neither of us cared. Then she’d come in closer, and I was granted a second opportunity to kiss her. Until the dream suddenly ended with her body pressed to mine.
This morning when I awoke, the notion of going to the Underground alone to see if I could find her was almost enough to make me call into work to say I was going to be late. But my gut told me she wouldn’t be out in the open.
So I came to the office and endured an hour of listening to Iris trying to talk to me again. Wanting to know what was going on with me. Why I’d said what I did last night. Then when she began to ask about the bounty hunter, I abruptly got up and went to fetch myself coffee, waiting for her to get the hint.
By four in the afternoon, my anger had me ready to barge into Nor’s office when his voice sounded from his office.
“Rafael, Iris, my office. Now.”
“Bout bloody time,” I muttered and violently pushed back from my desk.
“Are you going to talk to me at all?” Iris asked, falling in line beside me.
In answer to her question, I said nothing and merely walked into Nor’s office.
He asked Iris to shut the door. Once it was closed, he motioned us to the small conference table in his office, though he remained standing.
“Simplest version possible, tell me what happened last night. I’ve been getting calls all day long from the reapers saying we were illegally in their residence and instigated a mass panic, injured quite a few of their guests. Oh, and lest I forget, that we caused significant damage to their home. Rafael? Explanation for what should have been a simple snatch and grab?”
Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms and glowered at Iris. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Nor’s brow rose. “Iris?”
“It’s not my fault. That woman who was with Liam ruined everything,” she snapped.
I scoffed.
She scowled. “It’s true so don’t you dare sit there and blame this shit on me.”
“You’re the one who decided to go off on your own!” I shot back then shifted my glare to Nor. “And when were you going to tell me she was coming back? Or you planned on sending her along as backup?”
Nor’s brow rose even higher.
I added a hasty, “Sir.”
“You two worked together when she was here last time. What’s the issue?”
My jaw clenched painfully. “Issue? The issue is we cannot work together.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What?”
Nor folded his hands on the table, eyeing me hard. “You’re leaving me no choice. You refuse to work with anyone else I assign you, so I’m going to make you work with your old partner. If nothing else, at least I know Iris can handle herself around you.”
“And nearly get herself killed because she’s too worried about impressing me.”
Iris huffed, shaking her head and muttering about obnoxious demons under her breath.
Nor scolded us both and asked for one of us to tell him exactly what happened.
When Iris simply continued to glare, I ran through the night from start to finish, leaving out any unnecessary details. When I got to the part about finding Iris with Liam, unconscious, Nor frowned in disappointment, but waved for me to go on. I told him about Liam’s strange fangs and the woman.
“Who was she?” Nor asked. “This bounty hunter I keep hearing about?”
“No,” I replied, hiding my surprise at my lie. “I’m not sure who she was, but she was after him. Had gotten close to getting him, then ran off after the chaos at the house erupted.”
“Is she a threat?”
“Unknown, sir,” I said.
“Fine. Keep an eye out for her. Liam Manchester is on the loose, and we need him found and brought here ASAP. Rafael, Iris, you both are going to stay on this case and work together to track him down. You will work together,” he repeated, emphasizing each word. “Understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Iris said immediately.
I considered arguing, but from the way Nor eyed me, arguing was not an option, not this time.
“If you insist, sir.”
“Good. I’ll take care of the reapers. I suggest you two get a move on investigating any more known associates of Liam Manchester. See if you can find out why he’s not exactly normal anymore. Someone must know something.”
Iris stood and made for the door, but I stayed right where I was.
She gave me a look. “You coming?”
“I need a word with the boss first.”
She frowned, but left, slamming the door behind her, leaving me alone with a disgruntled Nor.
“If you’re going to yell at me for bringing her back, get it over with. I have a mountain of paperwork to get through.”
“You—wait, you brought her back?”
“I told you, at some point, you would have to open up to someone, and in all the time I’ve known you, Iris is the only person I’ve seen you associate with. At all.”
“I talk to others,” I muttered.
He laughed.
“You do realize we dated, and it did not end well?’
“Yes, as much as you all seem to think I don’t notice things, I know very well what occurred between you two. I suggest you grow up and get over it. She is your partner for this case. It’ll be good for you to work together again. Who knows? Maybe the time apart will turn out to be good for you.”
“I think I hate you right now.”
“I won’t take it personally.” He sighed as he stood, walking back to his desk. “What concerns me more is what Liam Manchester has gotten himself into. If there’s some strange magic at work in Nashville, I want to know.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” I said, getting up.
“And this mystery woman of yours, see that if she shows her face again, you bring her in. I want to learn what she wants with the mage. I do not like having an unknown player in the field, not now, when shit seems ready to hit the fan.”
As I told him I would, I knew I wouldn’t.
I exited his office, went back to my desk, and waited out the last half hour of the day.
Iris stood as soon as I did, ready to leave. She followed me to the elevator. It was the most uncomfortable ride out of the building, and once outside, I turned right, waiting for her to leave me alone.
“What are your plans tonight?” she asked.
“Staying in.”
“You can’t shut me out forever. We have a case to work together.”
“And we’ll work it, but not tonight. If you’ll excuse me, I have some other matters to see to this evening. Goodbye, Iris.”
Thankfully this time she took the hint and backed off.
The rest of the walk home was peaceful and quiet. Iris would keep trying through the weekend. That’s who she was, and sadly I’d probably have to give in and meet up with her sometime, to get a good head start on the case.
We sure weren’t going to meet at either of our places though. That was asking for trouble, and with my luck, she’d read something into it. Claim I was leading her on, showing feelings I was not actually feeling. I’d hardly felt anything real, not in years.
And that was exactly how I wanted it to stay.
At my apartment, I dropped my coat and messenger bag full of files on the chair by the door, locked it, then headed to my bedroom to grab some jeans and a t-shirt for a quick shower.
Warm water poured over me. Too bad it couldn’t wash away the anxiety weighing on me now. Or the haunting images of a past I’d never be able to escape. I washed my black hair around my horns, letting steam fill the bathroom as I turned the water up, making it hotter and hotter. Standing under the spray helped keep my anger in check, and eventually, I turned the shower off and stepped out. A towel covered the mirror in here, and I was quick to dry off and dress, tugging on my tight shirt and jeans and shaking out my hair like a beast. Some days it seemed I was turning into one, especially while chasing down assholes, of late.
But this mage, instinct told me I was wading into unknown waters without any understanding of how complicated it was about to get. Tonight, I’d glance over the files again, drink a beer, and see if there was anything I missed—
My ears twitched at the quiet shuffle of steps.
Walking to the kitchen, but stretching my senses, I took a deep breath in,
The strange scent had me pausing at the fridge. My pistol was in the bedroom, but I kept a spare under the kitchen sink.
Something about the scent was familiar and teased my nose. It wasn’t flowery by any means, but… sharp in a way. Crisp. Apples?
The realization slammed into me, but I remained calm. Casually, I took out a beer and backed toward the sink, popping the cap off. Tossing it in the sink, I reached my other hand down, grabbing for the gun.
“There’s no need for weapons,” a familiar voice said from the living room.
Not about to listen to the woman who broke into my place, I aimed the revolver loaded with silver bullets at the figure standing near the windows. No lights were on, but that voice teased me. Beer in one hand and gun in the other, I slowly came around the counter. Instinct said I already knew who it was, but how had she found me or gotten in here? And why? Was she after me now? Instead of the mage?
“Or you can aim a gun at me. That’s fine too. Mind giving me a drink at least?”
“What’s your poison?” I found myself asking, not sure why I wasn’t yelling at her to come closer, so I could cuff her for breaking into my apartment.
“Tequila, but I’ll take whatever you’ve got. Think we’re both going to need it.,” she replied.
I took another three steps and with the back of my beer hand, flipped on the living room lamps.
The woman from the reaper mansion cursed and squinted against the sudden onslaught of light.
“You. How the hell did you get into my apartment?” I shook my head as the question I should’ve asked first popped into my head. “How did you find my apartment? Who are you?”
“How about I get that drink then we can sit down and chat.”
I aimed the gun at her, but all she did was arch her brow at me.
“Seriously? Alright, tough guy. Do you want to see if I’m armed? Here,” she said, slowly removing her jacket and tossing it over the armchair. She spun around so I could see, but it did little to put me at ease. “Not armed, and if I was here to hurt you, I could’ve done it while you were in the shower.”
Glowering at her, my eyes darted to my bathroom. “How long have you been here?”
“How long have you been home?”
“You followed me home?” I growled.
She smirked.
“I fail to see what’s amusing here. Who are you? I won’t ask again.”
Her face, I was sure when she’d been running away from me there was a scar on her face, but it was absent. Had that all be in my head? Maybe she wasn’t the bounty hunter, after all.
“Put the gun down, and I’ll tell you.”
Most normal beings appeared more concerned when a gun was aimed at their head, but not her. Scar or not, this had to be the same woman. The bounty hunter. Her scent was the same beneath the heavy stench of magic. Her hair was the same. The way she moved. Her voice… so why hide her true face from me?
“Look, I’m here because I think we can help each other, so can we just talk? Please?”
Her face was throwing me off. If I tilted my head, it seemed to shimmer. She was using a charm again. Wondered if that was why I hadn’t noticed her following me and made me second guess what she really looked like. But those dark blue eyes, they were exactly the same as I remembered. Whatever she really looked like might be a mystery, but those eyes, I’d know them anywhere. They held the same cold, hard stare I saw last night.
“Fine.” I tucked the revolver in the back of my jeans and walked back to the fridge. “I’ll listen to what you have to say, but I deserve a name first. I’m not about to promise not to arrest you at the end of this conversation.”
“Whatever makes you happy, Fed,” she said in a tone that told me quite clearly, I would not be taking her anywhere.
As I pulled a second beer from the fridge, popped the cap, and handed it over, I said, “Rafael.”
“Mercy,” she said. “Thanks.” She chugged half the beer in one gulp and smiled. “What? Never seen a woman drink before?”
“Don’t get out much.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me.”
Growling usually warded people off, but all she did was smile wider.
“You know nothing about me.”
“Right, sure I don’t. Oh, you know what I do know?” she said, tilting her beer at me. “How much you suck at catching the people you’re after. You and your damned girlfriend ruined my night big time. Just wanted you to know.”
“Not my girlfriend,” I snapped.
Her brow rose as a hint of longing appeared in those cold depths. My gaze flickered to her lips, and I shifted, not sure what game I was playing here. Whatever it was, I was already losing.
“What?”
“Nothing. Could’ve fooled me the way she was clinging to you before she went after Liam.”
So she had noticed us. Interesting. Knew I’d never fit in at that ball. “Are you going to get to the part where we can help one another, or should I just arrest you now for impeding my investigation?”
“Sure. Resort to threats.”
I started to reach around for the gun, and she held up her hands.
“Alright, just don’t get your panties in a bunch.” She drained the rest of her beer.
I scowled at her, waiting for her to finish so I could decide if I was going to arrest her anyway.
“So,” she said, setting the empty container down. “You and I seem to be after the same guy.”
“Liam Manchester. Mage.”
“Yeah, I read a file on him, too,” she remarked. “But I’m guessing you are hitting a wall in finding anyone to give you more intel on him?”
I said nothing, sipped my beer, waiting for her to go on.
“Look, you have resources I don’t, and I have contacts that will never talk to a Fed. Ever.”
“I could arrest them.”
“Right, sure. Have fun arresting half the Underground, the rest of them will clam up, and then Liam will get away. Very, very far away.”
“So what’s in it for you?” I asked, failing to see how this was going to benefit me.
“Liam’s a bad guy. Bad guys show up on my radar.”
“Because you’re a bounty hunter who takes people in for money. Isn’t that right?” I expected her to lie.
Instead, she bobbed her head.
“Feds won’t pay you for helping me bring him in, and I will be bringing him in. Not you.”
She chewed on her cheek as her eyes narrowed and that charm shimmered across her face with her annoyance.
“If you think I’m going to help you find him, so you can profit from it, you’re out of your mind. We need him.”
“For what?”
“That is official business you are not privy to.”
“Ok, fair enough… so how are you going to find him?”
I shrugged, finishing off my beer. “We have our ways.”
“Which is code for you have no idea.” She rapped her knuckles on the counter, almost seeming nervous.
I sensed it had nothing to do with me. Last night at the ball, I assumed she was nothing more than a greedy bounty hunter after money, but there was a desperation about her I hadn’t noticed. It rivaled the magic she used, and the charm shimmered again.
Who was this woman? If she was coming to me, she had to be in some sort of tight spot. Otherwise, if she was the hunter I’d read about, she would be chasing down Liam on her own. Something was off about this case, and from the way she nervously picked at the beer bottle label, it had to do with her connection to Liam.
“Why don’t you just be honest with me and give me one good reason why I should agree to you helping me?”
“Honesty? That’s what you want from me?”
“Is it hard?” I snapped, losing patience quickly.
Despite the badass bravado she put on last night—and right now—a sliver of fear chased away the coldness for a moment. Then she turned away from me. Her hands were on her hips as she shook her head. “No. The chances of you believing me aren’t that high.” When she turned back to face me, she was wringing her hands, and the charm slipped again.
Once more, I caught a glimpse of her true face.
“Liam Manchester… he’s gotten into something dangerous, something that could hurt a lot of people.”
“Does it have anything to do with why he tried to take my partner as a donor?”
“I don’t know. And something tells me you don’t either.”
“I’m still not hearing why I shouldn’t just go after him on my own. You’re a bounty hunter. You’re in it for the money. You talk of him hurting people, but if I get my hands on him, I can stop others from being harmed even more. That is more important than you making a payday.”
I was certain the cold in her eyes made the temperature drop in my apartment. I wondered what she was again. Witch. That would make sense since she was using charms.
“Did you ever think this is personal for me?”
“You’re lying.”
“Yeah. You caught me,” she snapped, and the charm shifted again. “I risked my life last night to track him down in a house filled with reapers, because I’m that suicidal. You know what? Never mind. This was a shitty idea. If you want to find him on your own, have fun, but don’t blame me when your partner ends up in his clutches again. Or he kills you both.”
She was already at the door when I snatched her arm and spun her back around, much as I had last night.
She ended up trapped in my arms, against my chest.
Her eyes slipped to my lips, her breath catching.
Time slowed in that instant, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears. Her struggles to get away suddenly stilled as she leaned closer.
But then my arms fell away, almost numb.
She staggered back, toward the living room.
“Just stop for a second,” I managed to grunt. “This mage, he did something to you. Didn’t he?”
Her crossed arms and how she chewed on her cheek again. That was all the answer I needed.
“Did you report him?”
“No. It was a long time ago,” she whispered. “Doesn’t matter anyway. You’ll never trust me enough to work with me and I… I don’t think I can trust you either. This was a stupid idea.”
The longer we stood there staring at each other, the more I didn’t see a greedy bounty hunter trying to make money. Instead, this woman was someone who’d been beaten down, who had seen some shit in her life. Who’d been hurt and broken. She was just like me beneath the sharp tongue and sarcasm. This mage, I needed him brought in, so we could get to bigger fish. She needed him arrested to mete out justice for whatever he did to her.
“You’re right,” I said quietly. “Trust is not going to be easy, but I’m willing to accept your help if you’re willing to accept mine.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re serious?”
“Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”
“Well then, you got plans tonight?” she asked, walking around me to the door.
“Not exactly. Why?”
“No time like the present.”
She was at the door again when I took her arm. Gently, this time.
She glanced up at me. “What is it now? We have people to track down, wasting time, tick tock.”
“What do you really look like, Mercy? What are you?”
“Wow. You’re very blunt.”
“Comes with the territory,” I muttered. “The other night after you got me out of there, I saw your face. Your true face. And the way you moved… if we’re going to work together, I’d like to know who I’m dealing with. As for me, I’m a bit obvious.” I pointed to my horns and was graced with a crooked grin that twisted my gut in a not so unpleasant way. “So?”
She hung her head with a curse. “You’re going to see it one way or another.” She swiped her hand across her face, and as the charm faded, the real Mercy came into view. “Happy now?”
The scar I barely caught a glimpse of the other night was in full view now and appeared worse than I’d thought. Magic caused it. That I could tell without even asking. From the way she’d gone off about Liam, I assumed he was the reason she felt the need to hide her face, needing to get close to the bastard so she could take him down for whatever he did to her.
“Can we go?” She crossed her arms, looking anywhere but my face.
“Yeah. Give me a second. You want your jacket?”
“Oh, yeah, right.”
I disappeared into my room to retrieve my boots and leather coat and a holster for my revolver. As well as to grab my pistol. If we were going to the Underground, I was going to be prepared for anything. She might not have told me what she was, but from the scar at least, I knew for certain she was the bounty hunter who kept popping up on our radar. The one that half the criminals we brought in were more afraid of her than of us.
As I grabbed my cell, I considered texting Iris and giving her a head’s up, but I’d already lied to Nor about the mystery woman. For now, I’d keep our new working relationship to myself, seeing as I had no way to know how long it would actually last. Besides, this wasn’t going to be anything but a means to an end. As soon as she led me to Liam, I’d find a way to ditch her.
A growl erupted in my throat, and I paused, wondering where that came from. There could be no staying with her. And yet… the idea of not ever seeing her again had my blood boiling, almost on the verge of a rage. What had she done to me?
After I regained control of myself, I exited my room to find her waiting at the front door, coat on, and looking even more dangerous than she had in that perfectly fitting gown and boots last night.
She looked me up and down. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Who are we going to talk to?”
“You’ll just have to wait and find out.” She led the way out.
I locked the door behind me, reminding myself to add a few more bolts to it this weekend.
As for the weird nagging in my gut that I was getting in way over my head with Mercy?
I tried to quash it.