“Victoria,” Paine said in a low, ominous warning, his anger unmistakable. “If you don’t tell your harem to get the fuck out of my way, you won’t be getting any of them back in one piece.”
“Men.” Victoria huffed and rolled her eyes. “One whiff of the * they’re after, and they can’t stop chasing the tail.” She ran her tongue along her top teeth, focused on a tipped canine, and looked at me in a manner that made me want to shrivel into the chair and disappear. “I can’t say I blame them. It’s not often that you find fresh meat.”
Another fast snap of her fingers, and I heard another slight shuffling of people at my back. I felt Paine’s long, cool fingers tickling the curve of my throat just before his hand cupped the base of my neck, his palm resting against the steady throb of my pulse. Once, that touch would have been steadying, reassuring, keeping me grounded. In light of my recent enlightenment, the caress felt aggressive, deliberate—possessive. He moved in close, until I felt his legs brush my shoulders. His scent was a combination of leather, soap and smoke from the club.
“I told you not to bring them into my club.” The anger was absent from his voice—which made his mood impossible to read for the average person—although I was able to perceive it through our connection.
“You’re overestimating your importance.” Victoria didn’t look at Paine, keeping her face forward. “You don’t tell me anything.”
A heavy silence followed, but I felt a substantial amount of comfort in Paine’s presence. The fighting continued—violent, vicious and unnecessary. The vampires studied the Lycae as they laughed and spoke with each other, oblivious and uncaring of just how macabre the scene truly was.
“So,” Victoria said casually and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Have you spoken to your pet yet? Have you told her what’s expected of her now that she’s arrived?”
His fingers went tense around my neck. “No.”
Victoria didn’t turn away from the carnage in front of her. “And why is that?”
Paine’s livid growl was almost as intense as the ones coming from the clashing werewolves. “I haven’t had the opportunity.”
Victoria sighed and turned to look at me. “I suppose he’s wanted to make up for lost time, or perhaps he’s still trying to lure you into his bed.” At my stunned expression, she laughed. “Oh yes, I’m very aware of how your former master died, and of the connection you shared. It’s not easy to overcome such a loss, which is understandable. However, now that you’re here, there’s no better time to discuss what you’re going to do for me, necromancer.”
“She needs time—”
“Interrupt me again,” Victoria said and glanced past me, “and I’ll remove her from your care.”
Paine’s silence spoke volumes. The power this crazed she-demon wielded was more than even he could face. An involuntary shiver coursed down my spine, and Paine’s fingers became gentle as they caressed my nape.
It took every ounce of my self-control not to say something snarky when Victoria informed me, “I have a problem.”
Problem? More like problems. That’s plural, bitch.
Paine’s continued silence told me I wasn’t in charge. I had to walk the line and engage the deranged and unstable woman in conversation. “What kind of problem?”
“A poltergeist has taken residence in a location I want. I’ve discussed it with Ethan, and he’s informed me that you are more than capable of removing the entity from the premises.”
I hesitated. If Goose couldn’t handle it, how the hell could I?
“He couldn’t do it himself?”
“No.” Victoria snickered. “The only time he tried, he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter. He was black and blue for days.”
Poltergeists were something I knew very little about. They were covered briefly in my daily meetings with Goose, when I’d been tutored in all things wacky following my near demise, but I was still sketchy on how it all worked. They were ghosts who could physically touch, destroy and maim. Not exactly something I wanted to be a part of or fuck with.