Page 2 of Taken By Raider Kings
“God, Soph, you’redivorced,not dead.Come on.”
I’m wondering if one is analogous to the other, really.Sophie made sure Lucy’s keys were in the teensy plastic-jeweled purse at her hip as her bestie piloted them both into blessed muggy warmth full of pounding basswaytoo loud to be healthy.The beefy, mustachioed bouncer wolf-whistled; Luce swished her hips in response and laughed.
This is going to be trouble.Sophie sighed, but the sound was lost under music.What the hell, right?Lucy was just being kind.The only friend Soph had left, really, since the others had fallen away at one point or another during the first year of her marriage to an egotistical bastard.
Stop thinking like that.She blinked, keeping balance with a teetering effort as Lucy actually hopped with excitement, aiming them straight for the crush of people around the bar.
The Paintbox’s major attraction was its dance floor, blocks of light turning different colors in time to the beat.The place was packed already, and only going to get more so as the night wore on.Sophie kept her arm carefully over the tiny also-borrowed purse—just big enough for ID, keys, cash, and a tube of pale-pink lip gloss—and let her friend set the pace.
Another Unpleasant Thing, and it’s in the Past.Leave it there, for God’s sake.Look at how hard Lucy’s trying.
She plastered a smile on her face and followed her friend, wincing every time the music hit the decibels just before “jet takeoff” level.
It’s going to be a long damn night.
two
“Now, all of youbehave.”Kyle’s eyes glittered, catching the glow of a random streetlamp.“This is for food and supplies.We can’t afford another incident.”
“Awww.”Julia rubbed at her forehead, long dark hair falling over her shoulders.The pale streak at her temple glowed dully, just beginning to grow in.“Can’t we have just a little fun?”
Fun is one thing.Almost eviscerating a man because he’s patted your ass is another.“Kyle says to behave.”Zach glanced back from the blue minivan’s front passenger seat.“That meansbehave.”His tone was soft, but the front windows rattled slightly, catching a hint of growl.
“Sure.”Julia ducked her head to the side.So did Brenn, mimicking the submissive posture.“You got it, big brother.Behave.”She made a low, soft noise, theI’ll-be-good-please-don’t-rip-my-throat-outsound.
Zach’s nostrils flared.She was overacting just enough to be sarcastic, and her pheromone wash was spiked with thinly veiled aggression.
“We can have fun just fine without blood,” Kyle repeated, chapter and verse.His dark hair stood up in soft spikes, the stripe iron-grey in the dimness.“We’re Carcajou.Eric?”
“No blood.”Eric, from the backseat, leather jacket creaking.“Brenn?”
“No blood,” Brenn confirmed, his light tenor almost piping, still not fully broken.“We’re not savages.”
“Good.”Kyle slipped the key from the ignition.“Everyone’s dressed?”
“Quit fussing.”Julia tossed her head, impatiently.“Let’s justgo.I’m hungry.”Whining already.Brenn rubbed at her nape; she shoved her twin’s hand irritably away.
It’s not her fault,Zach told himself for the fifth time that evening.She was young, barely past her first Change, and a spoiled brat to boot.Kyle pretty much allowed her to run wild because she was the only female in the Family.It was his call, sure… but she was getting harder and harder to corral.
You’re not the alpha, either.It’s not your job.Zach settled himself, one boot on the dashboard, and waited.He wouldn’t move until their leader did did.
Ky stared out the windshield, glass fogging up already with five healthy young animals breathing inside.Little brother was wearing his scruffy face today, a shadow of stubble across high-planed cheeks, the circles under his coal-dark eyes attractive instead of worn.Women liked him with a little bit of rough on; otherwise, Ky was too pretty.
Better to be tough than cute,Zach repeated, his own particular well-worn catechism.He studied his toes, ran over the situation again inside his head.They needed cash, plus the kids needed to bleed off some energy.Dangerous, especially with the young ones in such a state.
He’d almost talked Kyle into letting him and Eric do it alone, since they had the quickest fingers and the best control of their tempers.But Kyle didn’t want to be left home to babysit, and heespeciallydidn’t want them separated if Julia had another one of her fits.It took a lot to contain her sometimes, and Zach was best at it.
Though sometimes he wished Kyle wouldn’t always take the easiest way out.
Thoughts like that were dangerous.They were the nipping, grinding little ideas of someone who was about to make a challenge, and Zach had set his mind long ago.No stepping to Kyle, that was the rule.
Hadbeenthe rule ever since the night of the fire, when Zach held his little brother back from plunging into the flames.
“All right,” Kyle finally said.
They got moving.
An autumn night full of rattling naked branches and the cinnamon-spicy aroma of dry leaves.Thumping bass was clearly audible, running under the concrete like a pulse in the throat of sweating prey; Zach breathed deep, rolling cold dry air over his tongue.There was danger on the wind tonight, and it wasn’t just the specter of starvation haunting their little Family.
