Page 26 of The Devil of London

I winked at her. “I’ve already alerted the Feds to a potential brothel that is exploiting children that MS-13 stole from Mexico on their way north. There is an agent waiting for me to contact him.”

“You can’t be a saint and become the Queen of Kings, Aderyn. You can’t have it both ways.” Her warning caused my lips to thin as I considered her words.

“I’m a sinner and a saint, baby girl. I sold my halo long ago for horns, heels, and liquor. It’s too late to get it back now.”

I punched a button on the timer that sat next to the computer, then sent the address of the brothel to my contact in the FBI. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long for a reply.

Agent Brodie: I still don’t understand why you’re helping us if you don’t want credit for this takedown. Just give me a name, C.

C: I don’t care for fame. Plus, you think I’m involved and want to bust me along with the others, and I have no interest in visiting your field office. I’m not stupid, Agent Brodie. Now, be a good boy and go save the babies. MS-13 will be busy with the Russians who’ve taken over Vegas later today. The Mohave is about to be a cemetery for both. Good luck, Brodie. Wear a vest and don’t be a fucking hero.

As soon as the message read as delivered, I glanced at the timer, pulled the cord to the computer, and frowned. Mabel wore a similar look of concern.

“I used a VPN to ping our location all over Europe. I’m not worried about the Feds or mafias. Khaos, on the other hand, he doesn’t trust me. Every slight against him since the moment he took possession of me, he’s blamed on me.” I had taken precautions to set up other drug dealers, and those reaching for Khaos’s position in the syndicate to cover my tracks, but he’d still look at me for it, which meant I had to be very careful.

“They won’t be able to track us with the VPN on, Mabel,” I confirmed to ease her fears before I started pulling the hard drives from the computers. Then I set them in the EMP box, made sure everything else was protected, and hit the button that would scrub the drives completely. Mabel collected them from the box and slid them into the hidden folds of her skirts as I got to work installing new ones into the computers. I fired up the fronts we used in the event Khaos ever got his hands on them. Rare artifacts, magical talismans, and a dark magic spell filled the hardware.

The bells jingling below had us both pausing in place. I sent my magic drifting through the store until Merikh’s cold, merciless magic brushed against mine, then I pulled it back. It only took a look to let Mabel know we needed to head downstairs, and quietly, we stepped back through the closet and into the altar room. I pulled the closet door closed before running my fingers over the outside, knowing it would appear nothing more than a junk closet if he were to look into it. Once I’d returned to the altar room and Mabel had gone downstairs, I set down the bag and began grabbing bags of herbs for the weekend.

I’d just added a handful of quartz when Merikh appeared in the shadows without making a sound.

“Little bird,” he purred as his eyes slid over me. “I was sent to remind you of where you’d be spending tonight.” Leaning against the doorframe, he snorted at my appearance since I hadn’t seen him after the toga incident. “Do you need a ride?”

“I can drive myself, but thank you for checking,” I replied. “You could take these to his manor for me once I’ve finished packing them? They’re what I need to finish the orders while under house arrest.” A beeping started from behind the wall, which almost caused my eyes to flicker toward it. Instead, I walked over the to the large dehydrator oven and pushed a button for the tray to open. The vertical, thirty-two-tray commercial dehydrator saved me time if a spell called for peels or citrus slices.

“If it will make this easier on you,” he purred as he crossed his arms, scanning the machines I kept upstairs. Mostly, I used them to interfere with the equipment I knew Khaos used to keep tabs on me. At any given time, Khaos had three men watching me. One on my house, a second on my shop, and then a third who followed me through town as I moved between them. The sound of footsteps pricked my ears as Mabel reentered the room.

“See, that’s why he’s my favorite, Miss Caine,” Mabel said. “This one likes you more than he cares to,ma chérie.” Merikh’s face didn’t respond to the claim. “Lie all you like, Shadow, but you love her. It’s in your eyes when you gaze at her.” She grabbed her skirts before brushing past him to drop a basket with freshly picked herbs on the table beside the altar. Once she’d set it down, she left as quickly as she’d appeared.

“Is that true?” I asked boldly as I slowly inched closer. “Are you in love with me, Shadow?” I teased until those haunting emerald-green eyes dipped to my lips, then rolled back up to collide with mine.

“If I was, what then, little bird?” He shoved off the doorframe and inched deeper into the room. My heartbeat began thundering against my ribcage as I drew in a deep breath of the spicy cologne he wore. Stopping before me, he tilted his dark head as his palm cupped my cheek. “In another lifetime, right?”

Fuck it. If Nasir was getting married, why was I remaining faithful to the bloody bastard? Pushing up on my toes, I brushed my lips against his. Merikh jerked back as if I’d offended him.

“What the fuck are you doing, Aderyn?”

“Kissing you, Merikh.” A war waged over his face as I leaned in closer, forcing him to step back or kiss me. “Afraid you might like kissing me?”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” he snorted as my confidence crumbled.

Then he held his hand out for the bag I’d filled, and I gave it to him. “I can drive myself to the club. Don’t bother acting like a gentleman. We both know you’re not. There’s nothing gentle about you.” Though I’d never actually seen him fucking anyone, I’d seen enough to know he was callus with his partners. Honestly, I didn’t know why I thought he’d be any different with me. “You can go, Merikh,” I whispered as shame drifted down my face heating my neck. Moving to the crystals sealed on the shelves, I plucked some off them and then turned, only to stop abruptly when I found him standing directly behind me.

“Close your fucking eyes,” he demanded in a raspy tone. I bit my bottom lip as curiosity churned through me. Really, I wanted to know what he intended to do, so I closed my eyes. His hand drifted over my cheek, tucking the hair, which had come unbound, behind my ear. Heated breath fanned my lips as a shiver of wanton need sliced through me. Nasir scared me with his murderous rage. Merikh? Merikh actually terrified me because he enjoyed carnage. Where the others fucked their aggression out on whomever was close to them, he bottled it up for his enemies. Lips drifted over mine without ever touching them, and I tilted my head back, hoping he’d give me more.

“Kiss me, Merikh,” I pleaded with my lust on full display.

“He’d kill me, little bird,” he rasped before his lips connected with mine. The moment my tongue flicked against the seam of his lips, he stepped back and then left the room without looking back. Blinking in confusion, I brought my fingers up to my lips, still tingling with the electrical pulses his touch had generated.

“What the fuck?” I whispered as images of him, and I played out inside my brain, images that suggested I’d once been with him instead of Nasir. Impossible.

“Did he kiss you?” Mabel asked from the doorway.

“No,” I lied, not wanting to explain myself. “He grabbed the bag and left me high and dry.”

“That one loves you,ma chérie. Mark my words. He is in love with you as deeply as you are in love with Nasir.”

“I don’t love Nasir,” I argued weakly.

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