Page 5 of V for Vengeance

His arms were already around me, and I blamed him with a little upwards glare. “Good to know I can still make you a little weak in the knees, love. But, have it my way, and you won’t find yourself walking at all.”

This suave bastard was damn good. But not here. The bed. I wanted to see what he could do on his back.

“Sloan—”

Someone rapped on our room door. “You better not leave me with these two devils, V! I swear, I’ll come in there. Don’t make me use one of my stones!” I heard Cash yell from outside our room.

For the first time since I met him, Sloan growled and glared over his shoulder before checking on me again. “There aren’t enough words to express how obnoxious I find that bloody tosser.”

Did Sloan just curse?

I blinked, legs still shaking like I’d never used them before. “Tosser, huh?”

With a roguish smile, Sloan stole a kiss and grabbed some shampoo from a nearby bottle left out by the hotel staff. “Come here, V. I’ll wash your dirty body clean. That wanker can wait.” His eyes glinted. “And if he comes in, I’ll give him the punishment he justly deserves.”

Um, who was this sexy bastard and what’s he done with my Sloan?

Before I could ask who this imposter was, Sloan turned me by the shoulders and shampooed my hair, his fingers working my scalp in a way that was almost as good as sex. I’d all but forgotten my complaints to the amazing pleasure of his head massage.

Chapter 3

Pretty Girls With Awesome Boobs

Tapping his ear piece with a finger—our communication device for the evening while we were separated—Phillip smirked at me, the convicted felon look right at home on his face. “Call if you ladies need anything,” the bastard said before disappearing into the crowd.

Around us, hungry eyes from women and men alike watched the Austrian go. A few decided they were brave enough to follow, and I could only roll my eyes. He’d dressed in a shirt that exposed everything for our mission out at the popular club—his tattoos, his piercings, his brawny form—and everyone with a bad boy agenda would be his faithful slave for the night.

We hadn’t talked much since I emerged from my room with Sloan. If Phillip knew what went on, he didn’t show it. Barely said anything that wasn’t related to our mission to take down Fredrick and his merry band of Blood Mages.

I expected to feel guiltier than I did, but all I could think about was how Phillip might act on it later. Would he punish me when it was his turn? Ask me for details about what was done to me? Spank me for every transgression? Lavish my body with kisses toreplace the ones Sloan left? Claim dominion over my body again and again until I couldn’t move?

I’d come to terms with the fact that I was a ho-ho who got off on the idea of Phillip knowing every place Sloan touched. And with the encouragement of the women around me, I wasn’t afraid to embrace it.

“We were all consenting adults, V,”as Grams had put it to me only a short time ago, and that was what I reminded myself whenever I thought it might be wrong to indulge.

Glancing over at my platinum-haired companion, I was confident the white-girl affront would be in full swing on his face. And no surprise, his gaping mouth and hand over his chest sold it to everyone in that damn place. “Did he just group me with you two? He is such a…such a man.”

Wow. Cash’s insults ranked lower than a five-year-old’s. I didn’t even think that was possible, but he did it.

My eyes took an overt path down the Dark Fae’s body. He’d worn the tightest pair of pants he could find. Naturally. Wouldn’t want to actually move in the clothes he intended to fight in or anything. The shirt he’d opted to put on tonight was entirely see-through, and his symbol-marked chest was unfortunately delicious to look at despite the fact that his top was outright ridiculous.

Unidentifiable runes marked his sides, arms, neck, and then trailed along his collarbone, but it looked like he’d planned it that way. Like it was some new-aged tattoo style. You’d never suspect they were the marks of innocent lives lost.

I hadn’t expected Cash to be so toned. Sort of pegged the man as skinny with the body of a pre-pubescent teen, but he had an eight pack, and his pecs were defined enough to catch my straying gaze a few too many times. Next to Sloan, it was eye candy for every man and woman lucky enough to look over.

Tonight was the first time my Hunter companions and I would be split up for a mission. We all agreed it was better to go from twos to one when our targets were in sight—and that Jo’s ability to help me with my magic made her my best partner option.

After weeks with Jo, Sloan and Phillip seemed less suspicious of her. She’d spent every free minute helping me with my chaotic power, and the Fae’s intimate knowledge of Royal Sirens impressed my overprotective partners. Even they couldn’t argue we were lucky she decided to join our little revenge-focused group of misfits.

Blood & Rage, the club Fredrick owned in Los Angeles, was apparentlythe placeto go. Billboards were all over the fucking city singing its praises. The line for access wrapped around the building every night from our intel, and by the looks of them, the bouncers were magic-users. Jo recognized one of them as a rather volatile asshole she’d crossed paths with on a job.

Jo was well-connected but a ghost. As an assassin, it was sort of her goal never to be recognized. From the way the bouncer only ate her up with his licentious gaze but didn’t seem to carry that little twinkle of familiarity in his eyes, he had no clue who she was. We both passed the hot girl inspection by how quickly the bouncer motioned for us to go inside.

Thanks to Jo, I now knew how to mask my magical presence, and this was my first test. By her proud sideways smile, I passed with flying colors.

Unfortunately for Cash, the Blood Mages we were after would recognize him from previous interactions, so he and Sloan entered by other means and would hunt their marks differently from us.

Phillip’s mark was the easiest, and after taking him out, he’d keep tabs on Fredrick—aka Four—if the dude made an appearance. He’d also serve as our source of contact. Wheneveryone got their marks, he’d give us a rendezvous spot to go after little ol’ Fred.

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