Page 36 of Fanged Desire
“Honestly? I have no idea what she is.” I said it more to myself than to Ethan. “Maybe she’s my guardian angel.”
Ethan gave me a dubious look, one brow arched. “She sounds more like a monster.”
The thought hit me harder than I expected. It was something I hadn’t considered, something that now seemed alarmingly plausible. Sure, I’d been trying and failing to guess her identity, but I hadn’t given much to whether or not she was actually dangerous –to me.
I shook the thought away, not willing to dwell on it for the time being. I was doing a lot of brushing off lately. Brushing off my worries, my fears… and my feelings towards my enigmatic partner in crime. “Whatever she is, she’s the only one helping us right now.”
Ethan didn’t look convinced, but he was at least willing to drop the subject for the moment. “Just... be careful, all right? We’ve already lost Penelope. I don’t want to lose you too.”
His words hit like a punch to the gut, but I swallowed and nodded. “I’m always careful. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Ethan sighed and gave me a tired smile, slipping the empty cider bottle into my hands. “I gotta get back to work. Try not to piss off the boss, yeah?”
As Ethan slipped back into the crowd, I lingered behind for a moment, rolling the empty bottle between my palms. My thoughts kept circling back to Hunter, her impossible strength, her ease under pressure, and the way she kept showing up just when I needed her most.
Demon or angel, guardian or something else entirely... whatever she was, I knew one thing: I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And that, more than anything, might have been the most dangerous part.
Hunter showed up later that night, following a brief text insinuating that she’d be very appreciative of another private session if I could only find the time. I had a backlog of eager clients rearing for a private session, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to give my new companion the VIP treatment.
She wanted my time? She could have it – she was helping me out after all.
I was midway through a set when I saw her leaning against the bar, dark eyes flickering in the strobe lights. She didn’t wave or try to get my attention; she didn’t need to. Just knowing she was watching was enough to make my skin tingle, a cold thrill shivering down my spine.
When my set ended, I slipped off stage and out of the showgirl persona, brushing glitter from my hair and glancing around the club floor. My manager was still on the prowl, but it was Ethan Iwas looking out for. If he saw me slipping off with Hunter again, I’d never hear the end of it.
It wasn’t hard to spot the blond, he was on the far stage, bright and lively under the spotlight, and dressed head-to-toe in that sleek, shiny leather outfit that looked like it had been painted onto his body. How the hell he was even able to move in that getup was beyond me.
I breathed a small sigh of relief and made my way over to Hunter. As long as Ethan was busy seducing half the club with his routine, he’d be too preoccupied to keep tabs on me.
Through the crowd I caught Hunter’s gaze and gave her a subtle nod, gesturing for her to follow me. She grinned that lazy, knowing smirk and pushed off the bar. I led her through the corridors and the thrum of bass followed us as we slipped into one of the private rooms, the door clicking shut behind us, sealing us away from the chaos outside.
As Hunter lounged against the door I finally noticed the cigarette dangling from her lips, and stared at her, aghast.
“Seriously?” My tone was more squeaky than stern, so I folded my arms to get the point across. “You know that stuff will kill you, right?”
Hunter gave a half-hearted laugh, taking a long, slow drag as her gaze traveled over me.
“Not likely,” she said through the exhale, tendrils of smoke curling from her mouth. “But if it bothers you that much…” She plucked it from her lips and crushed it against the wall, dark eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’ll quit. Just for you.”
The nonchalance in her voice, the way she said it like my happiness was the only thing that mattered – it threw me off balance. I rolled my eyes, veiling my astonishment under mild irritation. “You’re ridiculous.”
Hunter just grinned, stepping closer, the scent of smoke and something distinctlyherlingering between us. “So, how are things going tonight?”
I shrugged, leaning against the back of the velvet sofa. “Busy. Boozy. The usual.”
Hunter’s gaze lingered on me, hungry and enthralling as always, but her expression softened just slightly. “I meant with Penelope. Any progress?”
I nodded, settling down on the sofa and patting the seat beside me, an invitation she didn’t hesitate to take.
“Ethan remembered something,” I said as she sat down, close enough that our legs touched and I could feel muscle rippling through the fabric of her suit pants. “He said that woman who was hanging around – Catherine, most likely – was asking Penelope personal questions. About our family, her past. Weird stuff.”
Hunter’s expression darkened. “Well, that’s… concerning. But not necessarily damning. I’m sure a lot of clients want to get to know their dancers to some degree.”
“Still.” I shrugged, and then promptly shuddered when my shoulder brushed hers. “Considering what we saw in the footage, I think this woman was after more than just voyeuristic pleasure. Have you had any luck finding intel on Catherine Raine?”
Hunter sighed and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. “Not really. Tracking her down has been a pain in the ass. I found her lab, but her secretary claims she’s out of the country and unavailable. No appointments, no calls. Nothing.”
“Great,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “So what’s the plan now?”
