“Aye.” Daire reached over and flipped up the laptop lid. “Show me the plan for the cash.”
She booted up the laptop and connected with her online server, bringing up the schematics for the three banks in the Caymans. “Only one of these is owned by shifters; the others are owned by humans. It’s funny that immortal species have to use mostly human depositories to keep track of cash and gold, right?”
Daire lifted a shoulder.
Adam loped over and reached the table. “You’re not going along with this scheme to rob banks, are you?”
Daire studied her, his gaze serious and then softening. “Hell ya. I’ve wanted to rob a bank forever.”
Felicity smiled. “You’re an outlaw.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “This isn’t the logical thing to do right now, gang.”
Daire shrugged. “I don’t know. If Ivan and the witch trying to kill us have money stashed away, why not take it? Cripple them internally.” He leaned forward. “But as the enforcer now tasked with your protection, Ms. Kyllwood, I can’t allow you to be put in that kind of danger. We’ll find a safe place for you to issue orders from as we infiltrate the vaults.”
Now he followed the Coven Nine orders? Felicity smiled as sweetly as she could. Panic bubbled through her veins. He had to see her. The real her. “I appreciate the concern, but if you want to participate in my plan, you’ll knock it off.”
Adam coughed. “You want to rob a bank.”
She nodded. Frankly, it sounded like fun.
Daire sighed. “Fine, but I’m in charge, and if I tell you to get free and safe, you do it.”
Adam shook his head. “You’re a freakin’ perfect match, you two.”
Heat climbed into her face. There was a danger, not quite reckless but close enough, in Daire Dunne that called to her. Were they a good match? He was so complex, sweet and deadly, she wasn’t sure. It would take years, probably centuries, to even come close to understanding him.
God, she loved a challenge.
But no more hiding and planning. Now was the time for action. Finally.
A car sputtered outside.
Daire jumped up, already at the door before Felicity could move. He threw it open.
A petite woman with long blond hair half carried a redheaded human. Blood poured out of the man’s nose, and flames danced across his neck.
“He’s on fire.” Daire took the guy and deposited him on the sofa. “How much did he take, Tori?”
Tori? Felicity scrambled for a kitchen towel to wet in the sink and hurried to press it against the guy’s neck. He moaned and blood slid from his ears to run in rivulets down his neck. Steam rose with a hiss from the liquid mixing with fire.
The woman stood back, tears in her eyes, shock whitening her pretty face. “I don’t know. Bob was outside after our last set, so I brought him here.”
“Why here?” Felicity asked, her stomach roiling. Poor guy.
Tori shrugged, panic fluttering her hands. “The hospital doesn’t have a cure, and I know you guys are studying the drug. Please tell me there’s something you can do.”
Adam growled and all but pushed her into a chair. “I put a man on you. Where is he?”
Her blue eyes widened. “I didn’t have time to talk to a bodyguard, Adam. Back off.”
Irritation, true and sharp, sizzled through his eyes. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
So, Adam could get emotional. Interesting. Felicity eyed the woman with speculation. Human, definitely enhanced, emitting soft waves. An empath?
Daire lifted the guy’s eyelids. Striations of red, yellow, and blue marred the whites of his eyes. Fire shot from his fingertips right at the chair.
Tori yelped, and Adam shoved her entire chair backward, covering her with his body.
Was he keeping her from seeing anything?
Daire pivoted and put Felicity behind him. He held out his hands, and fire crackled across his palms as he crouched. “This might work.” Setting his hands on the now convulsing man, Daire allowed fire to spread out over his chest. “Shit. He’s on fire inside.”
The guy screamed, the sound full of agony.
Felicity took a step back and chills rippled down her spine. She shivered, her eyes wide. The guy convulsed, and blood arced across the room.
“This is Apollo?” she coughed out.
“Aye.” Daire sat back, his shoulders slumping as he dropped to his knees. “This is Apollo.”
The guy rattled something from his lungs and then went silent. Death hung in the air.
Felicity took another step back. Oh, she’d seen the drug on video and understood and what the concoction did to humans, but she’d had no clue as to the agony. Or the smell. The stench of burned flesh and organs made her cough up bile.
“Who was he?” Daire asked, half turning on his knees.
Adam lifted Tori from the floor, and the woman trembled as she neared the couch. “Bob Bailestorm. He is, I mean was, our bass guitarist.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “He was twenty-two years old.”
“I’m sorry.” Daire stood and wiped a hand across the back of his neck. “Any idea where he got the drug?”
“No.” Tori shook her head. “There were a couple of Titans of Fire members in the bar earlier, but I didn’t see them do anything.”
Daire glanced at Adam. “Since Kellach has been gone, we haven’t been involved enough in the club. If this is a new batch of Apollo, then the distribution wasn’t shut down like we originally thought.”
Adam grimaced. “I’ll go to the club meeting tomorrow and check in. It’s possible Fire isn’t involved, though. There have been different distribution avenues and an odd mix of dealers from the beginning.”
Daire shook his head. “I don’t understand why, though. The drug has evolved and now can be put into darts to shoot at, ah, our people at home. Why keep feeding the poison to Seattle citizens?”
Felicity lifted her head. So Tori must not know anything about witches, humans, or the true purpose for Apollo.
Adam glanced at Tori and then at the dead guy. “Seattle citizens connected to us in one way or another.”
Tori swallowed, her gaze hollow. “Or to the Grizzlies. I mean, that motorcycle club has been involved since the beginning, and I’ve been dating one. Well, I’ve gone on a few dates with one.”
Adam stiffened. “Excuse me?”
Felicity hid a grin. The oh so cool enforcer was quickly losing his cool. “Did Bob have family?”
Tori shook her head and then seemed to focus. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Tori, Lex’s sister.”
Ah ha. Lex, a Seattle cop, had recently mated with Kellach Dunne, and they were currently in Ireland meeting with the Coven Nine about Apollo. Felicity smiled. “Cee Cee Kyllwood.”
The woman nodded. “Are you Daire’s girlfriend?”
Felicity faltered. Could a century-old demon be a girlfriend? “Ah—”
“Yes.” Daire crossed around her and slid an arm over her shoulders. “Cee Cee is in, ah, banking, and she handles my accounts.”
Adam snorted.
Tori held out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Felicity shook. The woman had no idea about the world she’d entered. Interesting. “You too.”
Tori’s gaze strengthened. “Wait a minute. The prospect? His name is Logan Kyllwood. Is he your brother?”
Brother? “Cousin on my mother’s side,” Felicity lied smoothly. She cut a hard look at Adam. If they were going to draw humans into their world, they should at least be honest and upfront about everything. Playing the woman for a fool didn’t set well with her. “What Grizzly have you been dating?”
“Lucas Clarke,” Tori murmured.
“Like a bad boy, do you?” Felicity asked, not missing Adam’s sharp look.
Tori nodded. “Always have.”
Now that was funny. Adam Dunne was probably as bad as they got, but with his current cover, he seemed rather tame compared to Lucas. Man, could appearances be deceiving.
Tori ran an obviously shaking hand through her thick curls. “I guess we need to call the police?” She turned toward Adam. “Your people are working with the local authorities, right?”
Felicity kept quiet. What exactly were their covers, anyway?
“Aye.” Daire reached for a blanket to place over the corpse. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take care of the situation and not deal with the local cops, especially since your sister is in Ireland. Alexandra is the only local cop I like or trust.”
Felicity moved forward. “Are you sure Bob didn’t have family?” No way would she let the enforcers cover up his death if he had family out there looking for him.
Tori nodded. “I’m sure. His only living relative was his great-uncle, who died last year from a heart attack. Bob was alone.”
Poor Bob. He’d looked so young and frightened in the last moments of life.
“We’ll take care of him,” Daire said. “Right now, Adam is going to escort you home.”
Tori nodded, her lips trembling. “That’s fine, but at some point, you all are going to have to level with me, Dunne.”
Daire stilled. “Excuse me?”
Tori’s eyes flashed all sorts of blue fire. “I’m neither naive nor stupid, but I’ve been waiting for my sister to get home to discover the facts. If she’s not here soon, one of you is going to bring me up to speed. Like it or not.” She turned on a high-heeled boot and stomped out into the night.
So much for the cute and clueless human. Felicity grinned. “I like her.”
“You would,” Adam retorted as he followed the human and shut the door.
Chapter 15
Daire returned to the cabin after burying Bob’s body beneath an outcropping of rocks far away from the river. Burying bodies too near a moving stream only ended with their being found miles away. His gut hurt and his head ached from failure. For months he’d been chasing the distributors and manufacturer of Apollo, and he’d only shut down one main distributor, Yuri Demidov, who currently was decomposing under dirt without his head.
The river gurgled behind him, and the sweet scent of pine surround him, but his mind refused to relax. So he took time and several deep breaths to calm himself as he strode across damp earth, letting the silence finally seep in. The cabin came into view, and his heart kicked back into gear.
Setting the shovel by the front door, he stomped mud off his boots and walked inside.
The spicy scent of simmering pasta sauce stopped him cold. Felicity turned from stirring something delicious smelling in a pot, her feet bare, a faded yellow apron hugging her kick-ass body. “Hungry?”
She’d made him dinner? He staggered inside and toed off his boots. The hominess of the scene dug right into his heart and settled deep. “Aye.”
“Good.” She pointed to the table, which she’d set with matching plates. A bottle of Cabernet breathed next to two wineglasses. “Pour the wine, would you?”
He shook his head, his chest warming. “Sure.” First he went to the sink and washed off the dirt and death. It was probably a sad state of affairs that he could bury a body without mussing his clothing, but his jeans and shirt were as clean as when he’d left. Leaning over, trying to concentrate, he poured two generous glasses. “Where did you find enough food to make dinner?”
She laughed and turned to dump pasta on their plates. “I didn’t find much. No salad or bread to go with the pasta. But there were enough spices to make an interesting sauce.” After setting the pot back on the stove, she drew the apron over her head and turned to take a seat. “I also found a bottle of Rémy Martin Cognac hidden under the kitchen sink behind cleansers, mousetraps, and sponges.”
Daire’s mouth dropped open, and laughter burst from his chest. “That’s where Adam hid it? Dumbass.” He’d spent a good afternoon one day trying to find Adam’s stash. “And you cooked with it?”
“Just some of it.” She smiled and set her napkin on her lap.
Daire grinned. “Nicely done.” Aye, he understood she was a mother and probably had fed families many times, but he hadn’t really seen the domestic side of her before that night. Oddly enough, this side was as appealing as her daredevil and vengeance-seeking sides. In fact, her domesticity made his belly warm, his heart heat, and his cock stretch. Her brain, her ability to strategize, was fucking brilliant, if her plan to rob a couple of the most fortified banks in the world was any indication. He could’ve used her abilities during the war.
Yet her motivations were personal, and emotion clouded missions and got people killed. One of the banks was owned by a coalition of shifters, so surely they’d have immortal weapons and guards.
The mission was more dangerous than just dealing with a few human security guards.
Shifters didn’t mess around, and anybody trying to breach their security would be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. Which was exactly how he’d run a bank if he owned one, actually.
“Your looks are very deceiving,” he murmured, taking a taste of the meal and humming in appreciation.
“I know,” she mused, swirling her wine around in her glass. “People think I’m small and helpless, or cunning and ruthless. No middle ground.”
Aye, beauty had a price, yet she seemed more factual than worried about it. “Who knew that you’re a ruthless sweetheart with a penchant for trouble?”
She lifted her head. “Trouble?”
He cocked his head to the side in a come on gesture.
She dismissed him and picked up her fork. “One little helicopter accident doesn’t equal trouble.”
Ha.
“I hadn’t seen the results of Apollo up close before.” She took a bite and chewed slowly, her eyes dark. “It was horrible.”
“Aye.”
“Does the drug really have the same effect on witches?”
He nodded, his shoulders tensing. “Aye.”
She shook her head. “That’s terrible.” Her hands, pale and graceful, were clasped together. “The witch working with Ivan is called Rudger.”
Daire stilled. “You’re giving me his name?”
“Aye,” she mimicked his brogue. “I’ve been selfish in my pursuit of justice and hadn’t thought of anybody but my own family. Rudger is just a nickname, but it’s a start for you.”
Damn, but her sweetness pretty much flayed him. “Thank you.” He drew out his phone and sent the information to his brothers and the Coven Nine.
“You’re welcome. I think his partnership with Bychkov started just as Apollo was created, so it’s only been a year or so. Before that time, there was no record of Bychkov and any witch working together.” She leaned forward on the table, the movement pushing her breasts together. “The witch brought capital, and several of the mines started up again.”
Daire continued eating. “I appreciate the help.”
“Of course.” She ate several bites. “Tell me about your brothers.”
Daire paused and then reached for his wineglass. Small talk? He sucked at pleasantries. “Ah, Kellach is the wild one, Adam the logical one, and I’m the cranky one. I give orders and people follow them.” Or he cut off their heads. He smiled. “Everyone but you, of course.”
“I don’t follow orders well.”
“No shit.”
She cleared her throat. “Your parents?” she asked, sipping her wine.
“Retired and currently working on the food crops in Ireland. Both scientists.” He poured them both more wine. “I think they’re still stunned they gave birth to the three of us.”
She chuckled, the sound flicking across his nerve endings. “I’m sure. What about Simone?”
Most people were curious about the stunning witch. “Her mother is Vivienne Northcutt, and nobody has ever known who her father is. So when she was little, the three of us kind of enfolded her into the family.” He rubbed his chin. “Viv was often busy, and Simone was lonely, so she became ours.”
“You love her,” Felicity said slowly.
“Aye. She’s more of a sis
ter.” He’d failed her once, long ago, and he’d never do so again. “I’d do anything for her. We all would.”
Felicity sighed. “Family man.”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
They ate in silence for a while. Oh. Maybe he should ask questions, too. “Tell me about your boys.”
Her eyes lit up. “Zane is the oldest, as you know, and is now the leader of the demon nation. As a boy, he was so serious and determined to protect us.” She glanced down. “I failed him.”
Daire reached out and patted her hand. “No, you didn’t. You did what you had to do to protect him from Ivan.”
“I know.” She swallowed. “But I didn’t realize how bad it would be with my brother, or how hard he’d train the boys.” She sighed and visibly shuddered, as if shrugging off the past. “Sam is the middle kid, and he acts like it. Is a total peacemaker with more patience than a saint.”
“Sounds like a good kid.”
“He is, until he isn’t.” Felicity took a healthy swallow of wine. “When his temper goes, it’s legendary.”
Daire snorted. “Adam is like that.” When Adam really blew his fuse, they all got out of the way. “And Logan, the massive beast who’s been eating me out of house and home, is your baby.”
She set her napkin on the plate. “Yes. He’s a sweetie, right?”
Ah, no. The kid was cunning, dangerous, and deadly. But he couldn’t organize worth crap. “Aye. He’s a nice kid.” In fact, Daire liked him, a lot. Were he and Cee Cee getting close? He liked her, and she liked him, so what the hell. Secrets and lies were behind them, and maybe, just maybe, after they shut down Apollo, he might court her. A long courtship with lots of fun for them both.
She stood and grabbed the plates.
He fumbled. “I’ll, ah—”
“Go sit down.” She set down the plates and turned to hand him the cognac and a crystal glass. “When I make dinner, I like to clean up to finish the entire act. Please.”
If the woman wanted to be all domesticated and take care of him, he was totally on board. “I sure like this side of you.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “This side?”
“Aye. As opposed to the side that drugs me and gets me shot.” He turned and banked the fire before dropping into a chair and stretching out his legs.