Chapter 15

Asire.

Ella was still screaming in her room about how Billy had failed. My cousin looked utterly miserable listening to it. I couldn’t fault Ella for being disappointed, but seeing the defeat in Billy’s eyes brought out all those protective instincts that I was usually pretty good at burying. If Ella didn’t stop screaming soon, I don’t know what I’d do to her. But it wouldn’t be anything pleasant.

“Don’t listen to it,” Regory said. He came up behind Billy and wrapped his arms around her torso. “She’s distraught. She’ll feel bad for saying all those things later, I’m sure.”

He clearly didn’t know Ella. But there was no point in my saying so. Billy looked upset enough as it was.

Ella’s screaming was abruptly cut off, mid word. I glanced up the stairs, waiting for it to continue, but it didn’t. Thankfully. I was only so good at playing the civilized woman.

Reggie came back downstairs. She had helped Alain wrangle his mate to their room. She looked a little too satisfied for my comfort. Like she had, oh I don’t know, slapped a hysterical woman. Lucky her.

“All right,” Reggie said with false cheerfulness, “Now that that’s done, we need yet another strategy. What’re our options?” She glanced at her watch, letting me know that she was needed at the gallery.

“I don’t know,” Billy said. Her eyes were almost black at the moment, and she looked stressed out. “If they can hide her, chances are they can hide themselves as well. I could try tracking legions once everyone’s here, but if I can’t sense any, then I’m kinda useless.”

Reggie sighed. “You are not useless,” she said absently, like keeping people’s spirits up was just habit at this point in her life. “We’ve just been outmaneuvered. Again. And it’s starting to piss me off.”

“I’ll try to track just them,” Billy said, but there was a distinct lack of hope in her voice. “But I don’t think it’ll work. Which means, we’re stuck until they decide to attempt another attack.”

“The way things have been going here,” Loki cut in, “I don’t think that’ll be very long. If they know you’ve been trying to get the baby back, and honestly how could they think anything else, then it’s going to be soon. They’ve been quiet for days.”

“True,” Reggie agreed. “Before you guys showed up in the city, they were attacking every single day. So they must know we’ve called in reinforcements.” This last was said quietly, and she looked directly at me. I met her eyes and shrugged infinitesimally. There wasn’t much we could do if they recognized Billy and ratted me out, but I didn’t think it’d happen.

Reggie pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “In that case, I need to head to work.”

“I’ll come with you,” I said, thinking of the pawnshop up in flames. She had taken Ella yesterday, but that wasn’t an option today. For so many reasons. The possible slapping was at the top of the list.

“I’ll go too,” Loki said, getting up.

Reggie raised one blonde eyebrow at this, but didn’t comment.

There was a moment in the garage where Reggie tried to get Loki and me into her tiny car. But if the thing cramped my legs, it’d be like trying to shove Loki into a sardine can. Eventually she agreed that we could take my truck. Even though that meant she had to sit in the back so that Loki could have the leg room.

“You make everything difficult, don’t you,” Reggie said, with a smile, as she climbed into the back of my truck. “Now I have to go to work in this thing that’s about as sleek as box covered in mud.”

“Hey,” I said. “Don’t dis my truck.”

“Don’t know why you need this thing,” she continued. “You don’t haul many things, so you must just enjoy having the extra difficulty parking.”

I rubbed the dashboard. “It’s okay, sweetie. She doesn’t mean it. You just keep driving without wrapping us around a tree. And know, I still love you.”

Loki chuckled.

“There you go again, talking to it.” She shook her head. “You’re a weird one, my friend.”

“Maybe trip her while she’s getting out,” I continued. “I wouldn’t mind seeing one of her suits get all messed up.”

“Rude,” Reggie said.

I pulled into the back lot of the gallery and parked by the backdoor, since all the lights had been busted. It was fairly bright this morning, though, so I thought we were safe. It wasn’t even raining or snowing. That didn’t stop Reggie from opening the back door and immediately popping her umbrella open, though. She hopped out of the truck and immediately tripped on the concrete and landed against the door.

“Ha,” I said. “Good truck.” Another pat down.

Loki smiled.

He took in the building with a glance, and then started scanning the streets. No one would realize that he was hunting for danger or that he was primed to kill. But I could see the slight tension in his big shoulders and the calm way he released it once there wasn’t an immediate threat. All that power was designed to destroy, but was contained in a very calm man.

The world was lucky for that.

We entered the building and Reggie closed the umbrella. Then she paused long enough to turn the penlight on her key chain on and flash it around the darker hallway. We could all see just fine, but it paid to be cautious.

She sighed in relief. “Good. I’d be upset if something had broken into my gallery. You have no idea how long I spent designing the interior.”

“Yeah, I do,” I said dryly. The new decorations were only about two years old, but I had to sit with her for hours and hours discussing what would look best. It’s what I get for being foolish enough to be her only artist friend.

“Wasn’t talking to you,” she said, saucily.

“Are you two always like this?” Loki asked.

“Like what?” we said in unison.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said dryly.

Reggie and I looked at each other and shrugged. Whatever. People always acted like that when we were together.

The gallery was almost completely empty when we went into the lobby. There were only a few paintings and displays out there, to entice people into coming in. Currently, the sole person here was Reggie’s secretary, Jen. JR, the only other employee, wasn’t in sight. Probably wouldn’t show up for another hour or two.

Jen stood up and smiled with practiced insincerity. She was what one would expect in a secretary. Someone who could get lost in a crowd. She had medium blonde hair. In every sense of the word. Medium length, color and thickness. It was completely flat and straight. Not a strand out of place. Her eyes were blue, not bright or dark. She had nondescript clothing. The only thing that stood out about her was her nails. They were long, plastic and blue. They stood out only because whenever she did anything from typing to answering the phone, they tapped on something. It would be irritating, if the girl didn’t have such a calm personality. Getting irritated with her was pointless. It only made you feel childish because she was so calm.

“Good morning, Ms. Torres,” Jen said. Then her eyes drifted over to Loki and myself. She didn’t give me a second glance, because she was used me. Loki, however, got a second and third glance. The last look was a slow head to foot appraisal that everyone in the room caught.

Reggie smiled, but didn’t say anything.

When Jen finally seemed to realize that all three of us were looking at her, two in amusement and one in discomfort, she came back into her body. She cleared her throat, which didn’t help with the red blooming in her cheeks. “Would you like some coffee, Ms. Torres?” she asked.

“No, thanks,” Reggie said. “Already had some. What’s on the agenda for today?”

Jen started listing things.

“This seems more professional than anything I would have guessed of Reggie,” Loki eventually said. “I thought the suit was worn ironically.”

I smirked. “Nah. Reggie’s a business woman to the core. She’s just a little wild too. Hence why she’s sleeping with Dovie at the moment. But it’s not all boring. She runs a gallery. She’s not the CEO of some firm, or anything.”

He nodded and glanced around the space. The paintings in front weren’t for sale, but no one knew that when they walked in. Or when they left. Reggie just cleverly put a price tag on them that was so high, even people who were comfortable in their finances blanched and those who were well off blinked. She did this with ones she wanted to keep, but weren’t attached to.

Her favorites went up to her office, her apartment or that hallway. No price tag, because no one would ever take them.

“Anything of yours here?” Loki asked while Reggie was rescheduling an appointment, because it was too late in the day. Which meant she knew when we were likely to get attacked and was trying to keep the person safe.

For a second I was thrown by his question, but then remembered that he was staying in my room. With all those art supplies shoved into the corner, it wouldn’t be hard for him to figure it out. Plus, I’ve sent many paintings and drawings to Billy for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

“Not down here, no,” I said. “I’ve given her a few things that are up in her apartment,” I said, pointing toward the ceiling. “I don’t do it for money,” I said with a shrug.

Most of my artwork was because if I didn’t sit down and do it I felt like I’d explode. It was a compulsion. One that was pretty great. I could put headphones in, sit down with my sketchpad or a canvas and I’d disappear from the world. I gave the people I loved some of the pictures that I knew they’d like, but I never expected anything from it.

Loki seemed to understand that because he just nodded.

He was among a small class of people. I’ve had so many start arguing the point with me. Too many people who think something’s not worthwhile unless you’re getting paid. Cynics who believe the only point to doing something or standing up for something is getting a certain dollar amount.

Reggie finished talking with Jen and turned back to us. “My first appointment is in an hour,” she said. “A new artist dropping off a portfolio. I probably shouldn’t have left the other portfolio at the safe house. Then I could compare the two and decide which one is more suited to here.” This was said most to herself as she started walking toward the elevator. Loki and I trailing her.

We got on the elevator and went up to her floor.

“Why don’t the two of you go to my apartment while I’m working? When I get bored, I’ll come harass you.” She smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes, but led Loki to the door opposite her office. She never bothered locking either, because the doors downstairs were locked at night and had a security code. She figured it’d be enough. All the really important things were locked in a safe and if someone stole the art up here, she’d hunt them down and kill that person with her bare hands.

Reggie went into her office and I opened the apartment door. Loki and I walked in. Her apartment was much like her appearance and her office. Organized. Flawless. Every inch was dust free and set up to be aesthetically pleasing. But unlike the rest of the building, the rest of Reggie’s personality bled through the space.

The walls were painted a beige bordering on tan and the hardwood floors were blond to match. The rugs were a darker, warmer color. The furniture matching. There were sculptures and shelves with very few books on them. The television was encased in paintings, two of the five being mine. The whole apartment was sleek and attractive. The only quirky part was the artwork. Several of them were of people’s naked backs, a handful were very dark. Of the three in the living room that were mine, one was a depiction of light fading into roses that had skulls in the center and those skulls faded into darkness.

Another was a picture of two women. You couldn’t see their faces, but their bare backs were revealed. Their hands were stretched toward each other, but the only way that they touched was with their pinkies. They were intertwined.

The third was a sketch I had done of a ragdoll. I didn’t know why Reggie had liked it so much, only that she had. So I gave it to her.

Loki looked uncomfortable for a second, but when I plopped down on the couch, he joined me. If a bit hesitantly.

I turned the television on so he wouldn’t have to worry about filling the silence. We had done fine last night, but that was mostly because of me. The show he had put on was too ridiculous not to mock. If Billy had been there as well, he wouldn’t have stopped laughing the entire time.

He took out his phone and made a call. It sounded like a business thing. Checking up on the security firm. Making sure everything was going well.

While he did that, I texted Billy.

How’s it going?

Billy: *snore.

Me: I take it Ella hasn’t woken up again.

Billy: Oh no, she has.

Twice.

She’s quite rude.

That mate of hers drugged her the second time.

Me: Fun, fun.

Billy: I’ve tried to get ahold of the baby’s signature again. It’s just gone. Whatever they’ve done, she’s been wiped from my map.

Me: Doesn’t surprise me. Don’t try too hard. You’ll run out of energy. We don’t want that.

Billy: I make no promises.

Loki finished his call and set the phone aside. “Sorry,” he said. “Just checking up things.”

“I understand,” I said.

We fell quiet again. For some reason, this time it was more awkward. There was no one to break up our silence and it made me acutely aware that we weren’t talking. Stranger still, since I usually didn’t give a shit if people talked to me or not.