That was true.
“Too bad you can’t stay with me on this mission,” I said.
“And why’s that?”
“Just look at that big picture window over there. We could open the curtains all the way, even flip on the lights. Imagine all the eyes watching us. My breasts smashed against the glass as you pound me from behind.”
He put his hand over my mouth. “That’ll be enough of that.”
I smiled and rested my hand on his lap. “I’m good at this job. I think I found my calling.”
He furrowed his brow. “As a dominatrix?”
“No. I meant working as a bartender. I grew up in a bar; it’s like second nature.”
Christian tilted his head. “And dominating men isn’t?”
I squeezed his thigh until I heard a light gasp. “Men and women were lined up at my station, and theylikedme ordering them around.”
“Are you trying to get yourself fired from an undercover job?”
“You didn’t see the way they were talking to me. Sometimes you gotta stand your ground. I know Viktor wants me to play a role, but I’ll never be a doormat for any amount of money. My father used to always call me an alpha cat as a joke. He didn’t like the wordbossy. Said it was one of those negative labels that people put on strong women. My attitude doesn’t get me in trouble in the club. I got more tips in that short amount of time than I did the entire night.”
“’Tis a shame I missed it.”
I slid my hand farther up his thigh. “If you’re good, I’ll let you watch me.”
“You’re a naughty girl, Miss Black.”
“But that’s what you like, isn’t it?”
“Aye.”
“Good. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
He licked his bottom lip. “Aye.”
I squeezed his thigh and rolled away from him. I needed to get some shut-eye and shake the Sensor-induced fever. “Good night, Poe.”
His lips were suddenly next to my ear. “Good night, Precious. I’ll be watching.”
* * *
Christian waiteduntil Raven fell asleep before slipping out. He watched the rhythmic pattern of her breathing, listened to the soft beat of her fierce heart, and fantasized about killing every man who touched her. He couldn’t help the compulsive thoughts. They festered. Christian had spent decades learning patience through his job as a guard. He had mastered control and exercised ruthless behavior only when warranted. But with Raven, that old side of him was reemerging. The one that predated his years as a guard, back when he served Lenore.
Viktor had forbidden him from staying with Raven. On undercover assignments, one couldn’t be too careful, and his constant presence would pose a security threat. But Viktor didn’t mention anything about guarding Raven on her walk home. While Christian couldn’t go into the club, he could at least see that she got home safely. As long as he kept his distance and didn’t interfere, he didn’t see the harm.
Christian fired up his Ducati and rode home in the early light of day. He delighted in the sharp turns, the speed, and the wind in his hair. It was more thrilling at night on a dark road with the headlamps off. Now that dawn had broken, he was trying to get home as quickly as possible before his retinas burned out of his skull.
Once he reached Keystone, he parked his bike in the underground garage and walked toward the mansion. He thought about the disdain in Raven’s voice when she mentioned domination. The games they played in the bedroom were tame compared to what she must have witnessed in the club. Whether she realized it or not, her difficulty understanding the pleasure people got from it stemmed from her time with Fletcher. Christian didn’t dare bring it up with her, but he’d witnessed what abuse could do to a person. Fletcher had beaten and chained her, performed repulsive sexual acts in front of her as a way to assert his dominance. He’d stolen her light, which was a kind word for energy rape. And to have endured such atrocities from her own Creator? The one who was supposed to mentor and protect her? The one whose light coursed throughout her body?
Christian touched the onyx ring on his middle finger. Raven would always be tormented by those memories, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. As tempting as it was to scrub her mind of the whole affair, it was better that she remembered. Hate was Raven’s accelerant. It lit a fire within her soul and made her the woman she was. Fire was what forged Christian into a better Vampire and gave him a tenacious grip on life.
Before reaching the door, he stripped off his dirty shirt. While filling Raven’s thermos prior to leaving her hotel, he’d spilled coffee on himself. The drink would probably be cold by the time she woke up, but it mattered little. Christian didn’t have much experience wooing a woman, but that was his way of showing his affection for her.
Raven was supposed to work the early evening—same shift as the murdered women. The White Owl opened at roughly five in the afternoon and didn’t close until the next morning. Fantasy clubs rarely opened their doors in the daytime. The expense of staying open all hours wasn’t worth it, and the limited availability attracted more people. Not to mention, most people didn’t want to walk the streets in their leather thong during noontime hours.
With his sunglasses still on, Christian strode into the house. The moment he shut the door behind him, a familiar laugh emanated from the dining room.
