Ricky
Adjusting the collar on his shirt so it popped up, Ricky then proceeded to tuck the ends of the shirt into his black trousers. On most people, the black on black would have been severe, but Ricky had learned a long time ago that dark colours suited him. As a teen, he had rebelled against his mother’s orders for him to cut his hair, dress presentably, and become all that being the heir to the coven’s seat on the council entailed. So, he’d gone out of his way to do the opposite of what his family wanted.
Ricky shoved his arms into the suit jacket. He never bothered with a tie, simply left a button or two undone. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he flinched. Though his hair was still long enough for a ponytail, Ricky was embarrassed that he’d lost control of his newer powers and managed to singe off a good chunk of it. Tucking a stray strand behind his ear, Ricky proceeded to tie the shoelaces on shoes so shiny he could see his reflection in them.
Making his way out of the bedroom in the apartment P.I.T. had commandeered for tonight’s little mission, Ricky paused. Melanie was milling about, fixing up the computers and syncing them up with the surveillance gear. Her back to him, he allowed himself a second to drink in the sight of her. Fiery red hair spilled to just beneath her shoulders, her bare arms as pale as they were when she’d had a heartbeat. Her jeans were moulded to her like a second skin, and Ricky shook his head to rid his mind of all the deliciously dirty thoughts that had popped in.
Melanie pivoted in his direction and stopped, and his pulse raced as she ran those green eyes over him, delighted that she had such a reaction to him. If Derek hadn’t been sitting in the same room, he’d have tried to charm her. It’s not that he hadn’t done so in front of Derek many times before, but everything was different now; everything had changed.
“Ricky, I’ve never seen you look so formal.”
Ricky flashed her a grin. “Trust me… when I woke up today, I had no plans to be this sexy. But hey, shit happens.” Melanie narrowed her brow as she considered him.
Suddenly uncomfortable under all the scrutiny, which happened to be totally unusual for him, Ricky muttered, “At least it’s not a fuzzy purple jumper or some multi-coloured floral pants.”
“Am I missing something?” Melanie asked.
“Let's just say Ricky has some unusual friends,” Derek commented, his tone full of amusement—a tone that had become a tad more frequent since he’d met Ever.
“Yeah, they are totes out of this world.” Ricky snorted as he remembered a night not too long ago in a dingy, backstreet bar.
“That's a story I so gotta hear!” Melanie exclaimed.
“Another time, Melanie. Definitely another time.”
All amusement fled her face, and Ricky knew it was getting to her, him calling her Melanie rather than the pet nickname he’d given her a couple years ago. Distancing himself from her, giving her time to adjust to her new life as a vampire, was in her best interests. She’d realize that soon enough.
She grabbed a pin from the table and made to come over to him, but stopped. They hadn’t been this close in a while. Ricky, for all the good it did him, tried to calm the beating of his heart as he saw her roll her shoulders and take a step forward.
That’s my girl.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled at his jacket and attached a silver pin to the front of it. Remaining as still as possible, he winked at Derek over Melanie’s head. Ricky knew his partner was making sure both he and Melanie were safe and sound, keeping a watchful eye on how they interacted with each other. No doubt he was reporting back to Caitlyn.
It was as if they couldn’t believe how well Melanie had taken to her vampire life and worried that each moment could be the time she lost it. Looking at her right now, Ricky didn’t see what they were worried about.
She patted the pin once and glanced over her shoulder. “Pretty snazzy bit of tech. We will be able to see and hear what’s going on around you, so try and keep the line of sight free.”
“Yes, boss.”
Shaking her head, Melanie picked up a small earpiece and handed it to him. Their fingers grazed when he took it from her, a spark of electricity making her jump back.
“Um, put that in your ear and you will be able to hear us at all times.”
He peered down at her, his eyes going to her T-shirt. It was a dark shade of red with a picture of a popular TV star on it. “W.W.B.D.?”
“It’s a Buffy the Vampire Slayer tee. It’s ‘What Would Buffy Do?’”
“Isn’t that like blasphemy or some shit?” Ricky said, laughing.
Melanie put her hands on her hips. “No, it’s funny and ironic.”
Ricky had no answer, but he continued to stare at her, hoping he could ease some of the tension in the room.
“You’re staring,” she muttered.
“I’m thinking.”
“No, you’re staring at my boobs.”
“In my defence, they're nice boobs. Really nice boobs.”
“I'd smack you, but I think you'd like it.”
“Baby, you know me so well.”
Ricky strode away from her before he did something stupid like kiss her, because damn, he wanted to. Derek gave a little shake of his head, to which Ricky just shrugged. He knew Derek enough to know he wasn’t miffed, maybe just a little puzzled.
“So, where’s my backup for tonight?”
“I’m here.”
Both Ricky and Derek spun around. Erika looked about as comfortable as a priest in a strip club. Her dark brown hair was pinned back in some weird yet elegant twist that women liked to do. Her dress, a navy blue, one-shoulder thing, might as well have been painted on her skin, and her ensemble was finished off with a pair of heels that, to Ricky, looked painful to walk in.
“If you two don’t stop staring, I’m going to shove one of these evil heels though your eye sockets.”
Ricky handed her an earpiece and held out his hand. “Milady.”
Erika scowled but took his outstretched hand. They left the others behind, Caitlyn having taken a seat on the window ledge to keep an eye out for them. Erika never spoke as they made their way down the corridor, into the elevator, and then out into the foyer. When they paused at the entrance to the apartment building, Ricky nudged her with his shoulder.
“Watch your six.”
“Right back at ya’, pretty boy.”
Ricky smoothed down his jacket and headed outside. Erika would give it five minutes before she followed after him. The air was crisp with a hint of frost. He loved this time of year. But then again, in Ireland, you sometimes experienced four seasons in one day.
Crossing the street, Ricky glanced up at The Crown of Midnight, a newly refurbished hotel that catered exclusively to the supernatural community. Thanks to Melanie, Ricky’s name was already on the guest list, so they entered and followed the elaborate signs to the ballroom. Stepping inside, Ricky cast his gaze around the room.
Crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, a melody of gold and white. Tables were sprawled out across the dance floor with black satin tablecloths draped over them.
Ricky took a glass of champagne that was offered to him and sipped it before muttering, “Caitlyn, is this what a Saturday night was like for you in regal France? Because, dude, this is so out of my league.”
“But in your suit, Ricky, you could fit in as an aristocrat.”
“Yeah, if he keeps his mouth shut,” Melanie quipped in his ear.
“No way he could pass for civilized once he starts to talk.” This time it was Derek who joked into his ear.
Ricky slugged back the champagne and mumbled, “Everyone’s a goddam critic. You do realize that one day, after being mocked all the time, I’m gonna snap. I’ll totally redefine workplace rampage.”
“Luckily,” Melanie whispered in his ear, “most of us are now pretty hard to kill.”
Shaking his head, Ricky grabbed another glass of champagne and began to walk around the room. The lights were dimmed to provide a romantic aura, and soft music was playing in the background. He turned his body as he studied the room, allowing those in the command centre to get a glimpse of the guests.
Ricky watched in amusement as Erika strode into the room. Heads turned immediately in her direction but sharply looked away after she returned a fierce glare.
“The object of this mission, Erika, is to attract attention, not scare it away.”
“Go deep-throat a cactus.”
He chuckled, glancing around the room again as a tall, dark stranger glided over to Erika. Ricky’s interest was piqued. Erika may have been scowling harder than she was before, but they looked at each other a little too long to be just friends. Ricky began to make a smart remark when he heard a voice behind him that sent ice shooting into his veins.
“Richard?”
Ricky slowly turned around. His stomach lurched as his eyes met the pair of pale brown eyes he knew so well. His heart leapt into his throat, and the air in his lungs suddenly emptied. He wanted nothing more than to get out of the room.
“I knew it was you.”
He couldn’t get his mouth to work; the words would not form on his lips. The person he avoided most in the world now stood in front of him looking as beautiful as she always had. The complete opposite of her brother Fionn, Sadie stood before him in a grey jumpsuit, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. His eyes fell on lush, red lips that he had kissed on numerous occasions and that had tasted every inch of him.
“Sadie.” Anger laced his tone, he couldn’t help it. Even the sight of her incited violence deep inside him.
“How have you been?”
“Fine. You?”
He ignored the voices in his ear—Derek asking if he was okay and Caitlyn explaining to Melanie who Sadie was. Even the sound of Melanie’s growl did nothing to temper the anger that sparked inside him. He felt the crackles of electricity on his fingertips.
“I’m well. It’s been a while.”
“What—it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, or a while since I came home to our house and found you in bed with the alpha of your pride two weeks before our wedding?”
Sadie blinked at the venom in his voice. “I made a mistake, Richard. If you had allowed me to explain, to tell you my side, then the wedding could have gone ahead.”
“You really think I would have married you after you slept with someone else? Woman, you’re crazy.” He leaned in closer, ignoring Derek’s plea for him to calm down. “Tell me, Sadie, did you mourn Kyle when Fionn ripped out his throat? Or were you just sad you no longer got to sit on the throne?”
“You were never this cruel, Richard.”
“People change, Sadie. Life does that to people.”
Sadie wiped a tear from her eye, and Ricky almost felt sorry for her.
“I never meant to hurt you. I loved you; I still care for you.”
“If you love someone, you could never hurt them like you broke me. I went on a three-week bender, and if not for Derek I probably wouldn’t be here now. Do you have any idea what it’s like to see the person who was gonna be your wife fucking some other man in your own bed? No, but I do. It took all the strength I had to walk out the door and not kill you both.”
Ricky closed his eyes, the memory playing in his head.
He shut the car door, whistling as he took the steps two at a time. Quietly, Ricky slipped inside the front door, hoping to surprise Sadie. He’d arrived home early from a seminar in Clare and couldn’t wait to see her. The lights were out; maybe Sadie was in bed. A smile played on his lips just before he opened their bedroom door and everything in him shattered.
Sadie lay in their bed, her head thrown back in passion as Kyle, the alpha of their pride, slid in and out of her. As if she had sensed him, Sadie’s eyes sprang open, and she tried to push Kyle off her. Ricky stood, unable to move.
“Ricky, it’s not what it looks like!”
“So what, you fell and accidently landed on his dick?”
Sadie scrambled out from under Kyle, who sat there with a smug grin on his face that Ricky wanted to punch.
His fists clenched, and magic slipped from his fingertips. Not worth prison… so not worth prison. That’s what Ricky kept telling himself.
“Please, Kyle, just go. I need to talk to him.”
“No, Kyle. Stay where you are. You can have the cheating bitch.”
He’d wanted violence, but reason told him his job was too important to end up in Spike Island Prison for double homicide. His fist slammed out so hard he cracked the plaster on the wall, and then he rushed out, Sadie screaming his name as he bolted from their home. Anger coursed through his veins, and he needed to get away from them both before he forgot he was a cop.
Ricky left all his belongings behind and fled the home he had built with Sadie. He drove his car at breakneck speed, stopping at the first bar he found and proceeded to drink the place dry.
It was Derek who had come for him, Derek who had taken him home, and Derek who had kept him alive—especially on the day he and Sadie were supposed to have become husband and wife. Sadie had never told her family why the wedding had been called off, just that it had been. They’d blamed him, of course, but Ricky hadn’t said a word… mostly out of embarrassment. He’d nothing to explain, and if they needed someone to blame, then let it be him. Even after what she had done, Ricky had cared enough to protect her from the shame of being a cheat.
“Richard?”
“Look, Sadie. I’m not here to drag up the past. Good luck finding someone. I don’t have it in me to wish that you end up happy. I really don’t.”
Sadie made to reach for him, and Ricky jerked back. He really didn’t think he could keep his shit together if she touched him.
“I am sorry for what happened between us, Ricky. Please, there’s something I have to tell you. There’s something you need to know.”
Ricky set his empty glass down on the table in front of him. “I really have no interest in anything you have to say to me. Goodbye, Sadie.”
He all but Usain Bolted out of there, pushing open the doors to the smoking area and rushing outside to try and remember how to breathe. Bracing a hand against the wall, he fought against the bile in his throat.
“You okay, mate?”
“Five by five.”
He heard a snort of laughter from Melanie over his Buffy reference, and it made him smile, even just a little.
“There’s a few people here who would like to claw out Sadie’s eyes for you.”
“She’s not worth breaking a nail over.”
Derek chuckled, but it was a strained sound. “You okay to get back to it?”
Ricky straightened, opening his mouth to answer Derek, when the door to the smoking area opened. A tall blonde in a knee-length skirt came into view and smiled at Ricky.
“Getting some air?” she asked, her voice full of liquid confidence.
“Trying to get away from my past. Problem with living in Ireland is you’re bound to run into an ex every now and then.”
The woman curled her lips and stepped into the light. Ricky thought she was ridiculously gorgeous. Every woman had imperfections—something that set them apart from everyone else—but this woman appeared to have none.
“Alas, I’m afraid that’s not something I can fix. Perhaps if you take on the full package, we can ensure to exclude any former lovers you may have.”
Giving the woman his most charming smile, he asked, “Do you work for ParaMatch?”
“Darling, I own it.”
Made sense.
“Katherine Smyth.” The woman held out her hand to Ricky, and he raised the back of it to his lips.
“Ricky Moore. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Mr. Moore, I find it hard to believe that someone as charming as you finds it hard to find a woman willing to spend time in your company.”
“Ricky, please. And as I said, the past has a funny way of making it hard for someone even as charming as me to find an honest woman.”
Katherine braced a hip against the wall. “So that’s the kind of woman you want? An honest one?”
“Well, it would also help if she were as beautiful as you are, Katherine.” He almost purred the words, though he felt sick knowing Melanie was listening.
The CEO of ParaMatch gave a throaty laugh. “I like you, Ricky Moore. Maybe I’ll hope that I can snap you up myself.”
“I should be so lucky.”
A head popped out of the open door and called Katherine away. As she walked inside she cast a look in his direction and held out a business card with instructions for Ricky to give her a call.
Once she had gone, he muttered, “That was a stroke of luck.”
“I have to say, that was smooth, Ricky.” Caitlyn’s words were not teasing, merely simple admiration of his skill.
“And now we have an in. I better get back inside and see if Erika has killed anyone yet.”
“We lost her for a bit, so check and make sure she’s okay.”
“Roger.”
Ricky slipped back into the room, searching for Erika. He found her standing, cheeks flushed, in the corner of the room, but other than the sulking face, she looked fine. Thankfully, Sadie was nowhere to be seen.
Ricky gulped as he let his eyes roam around the room. The killer wasn’t here. He could feel it in his bones. Ricky pulled the business card from his pocket and twirled it around in his fingertips. At least they might have an in.
Time to go rescue Erika from herself.
And try to shove painful memories from his mind.