Page 47 of V for Vengeance

That information seemed to snap my beau out of his hostility. His eyes jerked over to where Cash stood by the door, preening like he hadn’t been attacked or killed a room full of powerful Fae.

The gorgeous nuisance looked up from his nails and smiled in that casual way of his. “I won’t ask for an apology or a thank you,” he started. When Phillip’s eyes narrowed and the Hunter’s muscles did a lethal dance in plain view, Cash cleared his throat and went on, “I’m more than a little sure Serine was one of the Seven. If I could hazard a guess, the slag was Five. I suspect she isn’t the only Ancient Fae kin working with the Organization. Which explains V’s…particular disposition. In addition to allthat fatuity, V and I procured the evil witch’s possible location from a very close associate of hers. You’re welcome.”

I wasn’t fond of his holier-than-thou tone, but the summation of what we did in one night was enough to put the point across that we’d covered more than just a little ground despite how unorthodox Cash’s approach was. Sure, I was kidnapped, but I didn’t die. Phillip knew the job. I was Target Zero. Everyone and their sister was after me. Kidnapping wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, and tonight hadn’t been the first time, nor would it probably be the last. The fact that he hated Cash wouldn’t matter when having the Dark Fae on our side was clearly to our advantage.

So, I wasn’t worried about what would happen tomorrow. My gorgeous lover slash mentor would continue hating the Dark Fae, but he wouldn’t kick him out—not when he was the difference between getting the next person on the list or not.

After our eyes connected, it was clear Phillip, who’d worn all his gear, was plenty aware of how invaluable Cash was to us now.

I did wonder why I was so wrapped up in what happened to the Dark Fae. Why did it feel significant that Tinkerbell dude took me to Cash with his pixie dust and not someone else? Why did it feel like something shifted between the Fae Karen and I tonight?

Like everything before it, I pushed it down to ponder another night. I’d dealt with enough chaos for the evening; I didn’t need to add another questionable relationship spiral to the shitload I was already dealing with. Let alone the fact that I already had one sexy guy I needed to smooth things over with, another one in the wind waiting to hear I wasn’t dead, and a very gorgeous situation-ship haunting the corner of the room.

When Phil touched my cheek, I confirmed Cash’s statement with a nod. Wagging my phone in my mentor’s face, I smirked.“Lucky for us, Serine wasn’t smart enough to steal my phone. All the coordinates are safely stored in here.”

“Not that we needed it, love,” Cash added, scoffing. “All in here,” he boasted, gesturing to his head.

Speaking of which…

“There was a map!” I finally remembered.

My sudden excitement took Phillip off guard. “A map?”

“Yes, but…argh, I can’t remember all the bits. I’ll draw what I can remember and some of the beacons. Think they might’ve been targets, but I’m not sure. Give me a few minutes.”

I rushed over to a notepad on a nearby table. Jo watched me, finally smirking after looking like the most dangerous weapon in the room. I ignored her because if I caught that gorgeous gaze of hers, I wasn’t confident I’d remember my name by the time I got my senses together enough to look away. With a grace and artistry I didn’t think I owned, I drew out all the little parts of the map I remembered and then handed it off to Phillip.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make a call—” I started to say before Phillip grabbed me by the face and kissed me like we were the only two people in the room.

“A pixie, love? In this realm?”

“The Fae realm, apparently,” I murmured into my cellphone, tucked into the room I shared with Phillip now that he’d decided I wasn’t safe alone with Cash lurking nearby.

“That’s some luck you have there, darling. A pixie owing you a favor is practically gold to anyone in that realm—and this one, too, to be fair. As you probably remember from your studies, their dust can do just about anything. Far distance travel being one, but even across realms. Handy bit that is.”

“Ah, yes. My studies. Totally remember all of that. Right here in the good ol’ noggin for safe-keeping.” I tried to sound like I knew exactly what he was talking about, but the downside of being surrounded by high-level Hunters was I rarely got away with shit.

“Please tell me that you didn’t release some bottle-imprisoned creature without knowing what it was first,” Sloan admonished with a sigh. “That would be outright reckless.”

“I totally knew what Tinkerbell dude was. Well, at least I figured I could probably take him. Still, evenifI didn’t know what he was, I gathered he’d be grateful that I’d released him from his glass prison. So, if you must know, it was a calculated risk I took.”

“V…” I could hear the lecture about to swiftly batter my ear just from the tone he used.

I hated disappointing my gorgeous maybe-boyfriend, but how could anyone digest, let alone memorize, thousands of pages on several realms’ worth of creatures? It was impossible. I barely remembered all fifty states. It wasn’t my fault Grams chose vampires and nothing else. I was busy, okay? A girl deserved a break.

“I can practically hear the excuses your head is making right now,” Sloan added with a little giggle—a giggle that was far too cute for a man who’d ruthlessly beaten me down in every training session we’d had for weeks before bending me over a desk and fucking my brains out.

This devastatingly gorgeous Brit was a damn enigma.

Phillip was suddenly behind me, hands on my hips and lips tracing the curve of my neck and shoulder. “Tell that time-stealing twat to go do his fucking job and leave our little returning hero to me.”

“Oh, sod off, Phil. You’ve had her all to yourself since I left, and I’ve done enough stoking for the night. I suspect in a few days, Theo is going to find himself faced with a full-blown rebellion.”

I looked over at the Hunter with his hands already under my shirt and his teeth scraping my shoulder. A shiver raced down my spine. He’d never bitten me, but the way he stared at my neck lately told me he wanted to. And the sight of his fangs made me wonder if that was the punishment he planned tonight.

I guess I should let him. I mean, I deserved it. No ulterior motive here…

His eyes lifted, and the smirk he gave me was nothing short of diabolical. He’d thought of something, and excited fear crept into my stomach and chest.

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