“I’ll take a taxi back to the office,” Sage said, already lifting her arm to flag one down.
“I could drive you,” Jono said.
“I need to work. You need to sleep.”
“Think we could both do with a bit of a kip.” Jono winked at Patrick. “You up for working from home? I sleep better with you around, Pat.”
They both slept better with the other around. Whether it was the soulbond or not, Patrick had yet to figure it out.
“I go home with you now, we both aren’t getting any work or sleep done,” Patrick said.
“What a bloody shame.”
A taxi pulled up to the curb and Jono opened the door for Sage, helping her into the back seat. The taxi sped off, taking her with it, and Patrick tilted his head at the adjacent parking garage. “I’ll walk you back to the car. You can drive it home.”
Jono smiled at him. “Lead on.”
They were nearly to the pedestrian entrance to the garage when a spark of recognition burned through Patrick’s magic. He rocked to a halt as that familiar warning hit low in his gut.
“Bloody hell,” Jono swore under his breath.
Patrick’s hand strayed to the handgun holstered to his hip out of habit before he shook that reaction off. Shooting Lucien’s partner would start a fight he really didn’t want to join.
“You could have called before showing up where I don’t want you,” Patrick said, raising his voice to be heard over the rumble of cars on the street as they went to meet Carmen halfway. “For that matter, how did you know where to find me?”
“Now where’s the fun in telling you all my secrets?” Carmen responded in a sultry voice as she sauntered down the sidewalk.
Carmen smiled widely at them as she approached, her brown eyes narrowed against the sunlight. Her long black curls hung loose down her back, and the diamond necklace she wore sparkled, drawing the eye to her ample cleavage. The white linen, off-the-shoulder jumpsuit she wore left little to the imagination. Her hips swayed from side to side as the punch of sexual energy hit against Patrick’s personal shields. The glamour that kept her skin human never flickered, but Patrick’s eyes traced the air above her skull where her horns would be anyway.
Carmen was a succubus, and while sex kept her alive, she lived for Lucien. She was his proxy when he wasn’t around, and just as annoying as her master.
“I’m busy, Carmen. I don’t have time for your games.”
“You are never too busy for us.” She came to a stop before both of them, her gaze locked on Patrick’s face. “Come along,bastardo. You know better than to keep my master waiting.”
Patrick was mindful of the fact they were still in public and didn’t hesitate to conjure up a tiny mageglobe that nestled against his palm, mostly hidden from sight. He cast a silence ward through it, restricting the static to their area only. A bubble of quiet settled over them, his ears ringing from it.
“No, really,” Patrick demanded once it was safe to talk. “How did you find me?”
“How’s that dead body you found the other night?”
“The fuck do you mean by that? Is Lucien fucking with the werecreature community here?”
“He best not be,” Jono said in a flat voice full of leashed anger.
Carmen waved off his words. “We aren’t the ones dealing shine.”
Patrick snorted. “Thistime. It still doesn’t stop you from taking in the addicts.”
“When food shows up willing and free on our doorstep, we aren’t going to tell itno,” Carmen said derisively.
Carmen’s hand was a blur when she reached for him, but Jono was faster. He grabbed her hand in a way that made it look like they were romantically involved if one ignored the way they both sought to use their strength against the other to break bone.
“Youdon’ttouch him,” Jono bit out, the threat in his voice easy for Patrick to make out.
Carmen smirked. “You might have claimed him, but he owes us. I’m sure you understand the price of a debt.”
“I understand Patrick isn’t going anywhere with you alone.”
