Forgetting about Shaz completely, Maxwell glided across the room to stand before me. I braced for the hit, knowing it was coming before his hand collided with my cheek. My face stung, and it took all of my inner strength to take it. If I didn’t, he would hurt Shaz.
My white wolf was being restrained by two of the three lackeys. He was snarling and straining against them. If he shifted he would have an advantage, but with a powerhouse like Maxwell present, it could get him killed. I tried to meet Shaz’ eyes, to will him to calm down. He was already past the point of calm.
“You,” Maxwell pointed a finger at Shaz. “Sit and shut up.” A slap of energy had Shaz sitting whether he wanted to or not. “And you,” Maxwell grinned down at me from where he stood. “Keep flapping that pretty yap of yours. I love a woman who doesn’t know her place.”
“Is that so?” Claire’s voice rang out as she descended the stairs. “Careful, Maxwell, some women don’t take kindly to chauvinism.”
His eyes flashed with something close to anger before he turned to her with a big phony smile plastered in place. “Of course, my dear.”
Claire stopped in the entrance to the living room and surveyed us. She wore a long black cocktail dress and held a goblet of blood in one hand. I was dying to roll my eyes at her. Like Maxwell, she was drawn to Shaz because of his wound. If I got out of this alive, I just might have to kill that black-haired vampire bitch at The Wicked Kiss.
“Oh my, you’re a gorgeous thing.” Claire fawned over Shaz much in the way one would admire a perfect holiday meal. “I can’t wait to taste you.”
“Oh, f**k no.” I risked another slap from Maxwell. The bitch wasn’t touching my mate.
The slap never came. Instead, Maxwell stepped away from me. Though he had all the power, Claire was the one pulling the strings.
Eyeing me with interest, she came to sit next to me on the couch. As if we were old friends, she smoothed a few tendrils of hair back from my face. I shot her a look of pure venom.
“You know, Alexa. This never had to happen. You could have played along and given us what we want. Now we have to torture it out of you.” She smiled so sweetly as she spoke.
The word torture set off every survival instinct I had. My heart pounded despite my best efforts to remain calm. She would sense it and know she had me right where she wanted me.
“I prefer it this way.” This from Maxwell who stood in the center of the room watching the door. They had to be expecting Arys.
“Really?” I was feeling better. Stronger. As long as Maxwell didn’t slam me again, I might be able to draw on Arys’ power to reinforce my own. “You honestly expected me to hand myself over to you just so you can take over where Harley left off?”
Sipping from her goblet of human blood, Claire pinned me with an appraising gaze. “This is business. It’s all about supply and demand. And, you are in demand. I’m sure you understand that. You run a little business of your own built on the very same foundation. Do you not?”
I growled beneath my breath, hating that she’d caught me on that one. “It’s not the same. The supply in my business is willing, not forced.”
“I beg to differ. Willing victims are there because they want something, too. That’s how it works. Supply and demand. In your case, the supply also demands.” She made a face at her glass but continued to drink from it.
“Why do you need us? You’re not powerful enough to earn your own place? You need me to do it for you.” I was hoping to keep her talking until Arys found us. I could feel him there in my mind, a silent presence offering me strength and comfort.
“Werewolves are a hot commodity, and the werewolves that murdered Harley, even more so.” Claire crossed one leg over the other, flashing a glimpse of thigh to the room through the slit in her skirt. “And, whatever you really are, people want a piece of it.”
I looked at Shaz, finding assurance. “I’m a werewolf, Claire. Don’t try to define me beyond that.”
Maxwell scoffed. “A werewolf with enough power to be a hell of a trouble maker. It’s your own actions that brought us here. If you hadn’t interfered in the first place, we’d still be in Sin City grabbing tourists and virgins.”
“Virgins in Sin City,” I muttered. “Lovely paradox.”
Claire waved a hand dismissively at us. “If anything, she did us a favor by killing Harley. It saved us from having to do it.”
I groaned inwardly. I never would have dreamed that Harley’s death would come back to haunt me like this. By wiping out one damn vampire, I had endangered myself and many others. It was a harsh truth to swallow.
Maxwell grumbled and shot Claire a dark look. “Enough talk, Claire. It’s clear that we’ll have to convince Ms. O’Brien to play along. The hard way.”