Phoenix Broken (24 page)

Guido would
never
allow it to be sold to her, and if she attempted to get any at Centaries, someone would likely tell him. That was not a confrontation she wanted to have in this lifetime or any other.

Being honest was also not an option. Guido would kill Scott if she told him why she wanted it….and he’d still say no.

She’d have to ask someone else to get it for her. Who? Immediately, Mags came to mind and was dismissed. Her new friend might be sympathetic, but she doubted that sympathy would extend to purchasing drugs for her. Someone else then, someone who would be comfortable making such a deal. Someone a little edgy, a little rough, who didn’t mind breaking the rules and who might be willing to help out a pretty woman.

Des smiled as a face formed in her head.

Perfect.

“Buy Psych Out for me.”

Alcide gave her a pained look as she asked again. For the third time. “Get off it, little demon. Davidson would kick my ass. Again.
Harder.
They'd be cleaning pieces of wolf out of the carpet for months.”

It was almost noon, the day after her and Scott's "date" at Centaries. Scott had collected her at Guido's office door minutes after their Psych Out convo. The
para
had been anxious to leave, and Des had been in no mood to argue. She'd far too much on her own mind.

Now she shook her head at the werewolf. “What I do is none of his business. He won't care.”

“Keep telling yourself that, sister.” Alcide shook his head, then his eyes widened. “Oh shit. I'm thick. This is about him, isn’t it?" He slapped his forehead and fell back on the weight bench. So you can prove you’re not using your sex magic on him and you two can finally get it on.
Jesus.”

They were in gym, Des having accosted him there, thinking it would look more casual if they were seen talking together there rather than anywhere else. People tended to be involved in their own workouts in here, not minding other people’s business quite so much. She was wary of these
paras
; they were a gossipy damn bunch.

The one that would've really worried her though, was Gordy. She'd barely exchanged two words with the soft-spoken water elemental in the last few weeks, but he was by far the hardest of the
paras
to read, and seemed the closest to Scott. Something told Des Gordy didn’t miss much of any damn thing, whether you thought he was paying attention or not.

The big redneck was a frequent presence in the gym, which had been a risk, but he was not there tonight. It was just her, Alcide and two security guards she didn’t know except by sight.

“Alcide?”

He cracked his eyelids, staring up at her out from under those thick eyelashes. His expression was far more serious than she'd ever seen it. “Are you sure about this? Is he worth it?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “But my peace of mind is. Please, damnit.” Her mouth trembled.

“Christ," he waved a hand. "Quit it with the damn eyes and the lip thing. He’s really driving you batty, isn’t he?”

“Yes.” She looked down at her lap, her hands twisting together until she ordered herself to stop. "He is."

He sat up again, his face set. “Even though you know he’s wrong.”

“I want to be sure. I
need
to be sure, Alcide. What if it’s so ingrained I don’t realize what I’m doing? Maybe its total instinct, and I think I’m in control…but I’m not.”

“I don’t grow canines without knowing what I’m doing, and that's hella instinctual.”

“I don’t morph, or shift. It’s not like being a wolf.”

Alcide frowned. “I think it’s exactly the same. No offense, Des, you’re hot as hell, but you don’t make me rabid.” He winked. “I’d definitely do you, though. Just so that’s on record.
Definitely.
Even if Davidson killed me after.”

Des had to laugh. "Thanks, but I’m afraid as cute as you are, you just don’t do it for me, Alcide.”

“Cute?
Ouch."
He winced, still smiling. “It’s the hair, isn’t it? Some people just don’t do red. That’s okay, it drives others wild.”

His smile faded as he stretched, watching her. Linking both hands together, the young werewolf reached over his head, first to one side and the other. Alcide had a beautiful body, one that was only going to get better with age; all lean, hard muscles showed off perfectly in the white tank, but Des felt zip when she looked at him.

Not like with Scott.

As if reading her mind, the werewolf sighed. “He’s really got your number, eh?"

“Yes. There’s never been anyone comparable." She hesitated, then made a snap decision based purely on gut instinct. "I think… I'm pretty sure, that …he's my mate, Alcide." Saying the words out loud took all the air from her lungs.

The werewolf froze in mid-stretch, staring at her in shock. He sat back down with a thump.

"Fucking hell, Des. You're not serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking here?"

"No. No, you fucking don't." He closed his eyes, rubbing his face with one big lean hand. Then the werewolf floored her by reaching out and yanking her into a hard hug.

Tears sprang to Des' eyes. When Alcide pulled away, he was shaking his head. His hands stayed on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes.

“Alright, I'll do it," he said. "I still think this is bullshit, but….
okay
, damnit. I can see you’re going to lose your mind otherwise.
Jesus Christ.
I really want to gut the SOB for doing this to you.” He got to his feet, growling softly.

“And I want to be there, the first time you use it. That’s non-negotiable, you got me?” Alcide stared at her hard until Des nodded, nearly swaying with relief as she got to her own feet.

“Fine then. I’ll stop by Mags’ place tonight. Will she be around?” He asked, a little too casually. Des hid a smile.

"I thought it was Bri you were sniffing after?"

Alcide shrugged. "That one is a lost cause."

"And Mags presents an easier target?"

The werewolf chuckled. "Where's the fun in easy?"

“No, lover boy, she won't be home. Her and Dustin got something going on. Meeting up with Nolan somewhere downtown.”

“Nolan?” The werewolf looked pained, then curious. “Does that big tattooed lug do anything for you?”

She laughed. “Nolan's delectable, but no.”

Alcide wrinkled his nose, looking very wolf-like. “He's delectable and I'm cute? Huh. Not loving the comparison, little demon."

Des rolled her eyes. “I’m not Mags, Alcide. Maybe you should ask
her
opinion, huh?”

He winked. “Can I tell you a secret?”

She rolled her eyes. "Why not? It seems to be a sharing kind of day.”

“She scares the
shit
outa me, but in a totally hot way.”

Story of Mags' life, poor thing. Not that Mags saw it that way. Her intimidation of the opposite sex was a source of endless amusement to the powerful telepath. It had to be lonely, though.

Des smiled at the grinning werewolf. “I get it, but can I give you some friendly advice?” He nodded, so puppishly eager it nearly made her laugh outright.

“Mags loves scaring guys. It makes it easy for her to dismiss them. They come on all macho but she knows she's got their balls in a vise. She’ll respect you a lot more if you just admit she freaks you out.”

Alcide’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

She could see him mulling it over. Admitting weakness was not something werewolves did much. Make that at
all
where the opposite sex was concerned.

“Yup. Try it.”

He shrugged and moved over to the free weights. “I’ll think on it, little demon.”

“You do that.” Des got to her feet. “See you tonight then?”

“Yeah. Just remember if you change your mind and want to dump that shit down the toilet, I won’t be mad, you got me?”

“I won’t change my mind, Alcide.”

He grunted as he lifted the weights over his head, his face carefully blank.

She wouldn't either. This was her one chance to cut out the uncertainty that had shaken her so badly. Scott may never be convinced, but at least
she
would know.

For all the good that would do her.

"She didn’t seem like an honored guest to me." Scott addressed Jules, but they weren't the only ones in the big conference room, just down the hall from the Atrium.

It was a video call this time. And far more crowded. Jules and Rissa had both stayed en suite last night, using one of the private entrances to access the properly secured and alarmed room.

Kelsey was here as well, though not physically. The CEO of Phoenix Inc. was perched next to her husband in the dining room of their home in the Loire Valley on the outskirts of Paris, the feed clear and perfect over the huge plasma screen suspended from the ceiling. The sun had set in France, and the lights of the city were visible behind them. Kelsey was dark where her husband was fair; a lovely brunette with stunning amber eyes.

Scott had just finished briefing them all about last night's perplexing meet with Docie May.

"Maybe she was acting, but who knows? Cross is a cold son of a bitch. He
could
want her out of the way now that he’s got Abbey."

"If that's even true, Scott. We haven't been able to confirm a physical relationship since we don't know where either of them even are. And Cross and Cantrell have been together forever. I don’t see it." Jules looked at Rissa.

She shrugged, pushing her brilliant red hair behind one ear.

"None of you know Daimen like I do. He's cruel, but sentimental in his way. And this is
Docie May
we're talking about." She frowned, her ice blue eyes clouding.

Her husband curled a huge dark arm around her waist, pulling her close. Rissa smiled down at him, kissing the top of his head before continuing. "I don't think Daimen is capable of love, but …he cares about her. I'm sure of it. More than that, he trusts her. I don't believe he'd place her in mortal danger. I think it's a trick."

"To what end?" Scott was skeptical. "Just to get to me? Seems involved."

Miles spoke up for the first time. "I agree with the involved part. If this is an act, it's an elaborately staged one. We have been able to confirm Docie May is being held at a Convenīre safe house. She's been there over two weeks according to the bleeder delivery service clerk we compromised. They've made four deliveries in that time. All the bleeders confirm being drained by a blond female vamp with a cruel streak and a big nose."

"Only four?" All the vampires exchanged looks.

Scott felt like the odd man out. He knew enough about vamps to get the gist though. Four feedings in that time frame was barely enough to keep a vampire alive, let alone comfortable. You didn't keep an honored guest on the verge of starvation.

But you might a prisoner you wanted kept weak.

"Maybe they use more than one service?" He suggested.

"Perhaps." Miles' tone expressed doubt. The French vamps' sources weren't known for missing pertinent information.

"The elaborateness does more to convince me it's a trick, actually. He loves his staging. Daimen could be playing this whole thing like one big production." Rissa pointed out, looking directly at him. "Don't trust a word she says, Scott. I'm warning you."

He nodded at her concerns, but Scott still thought Docie May was telling the truth…or at least part of it. The vamp had been scared and uneasy, but about precisely
what,
he wasn't sure.

"I guess we're all in agreement that we don't know enough to decide yet if Docie May is telling the truth or not. Holding pattern?" Jules looked at each of them in turn. "Scott keeps meeting her?"

There were nods all around. Except from Scott.

"Ah, come on. Why can't I just pull the bitch in next time she shows?"

"Even you can't get a vampire out of a Convenīre club all by your lonesome, Tonto. And I'm not risking an all-out war on a move like that. Remember we still have no idea where Cross is. You do that and we'll never find his ass. Best to keep the status quo for now. She said Tuesday, right? Be there."

Scott repressed a sigh. "So, Desdemona and I keep up the act? At least outside of Phoenix?"

"Who all knows the truth in house?"

"Mags, of course. Nolan. Gordy. Dustin, 'cause you can bet Mags tells him fucking everything. Oh, and the wolf." Scott frowned.

"Alcide is trustworthy." Miles' tone brooked no argument. "And yes, keep it up outside of those circles. No need for Calimente to get suspicious. You must
have access to that club."

Scott nodded without saying a word. His face must've given away something, because he caught Rissa giving him the eye. She took his arm, pulling him to one side as Jules started discussing the upcoming Senate session with Miles and Kelsey.

"Is she that difficult, Scott? This half-demon?"

"Des? No," Scott shook his head. "She's fine."

Rissa's eyes narrowed. He wondered what Jules had told her, then decided
everything
was a pretty safe bet.

"If you say so, sweetie. Just …watch yourself with her, you hear? And with Docie May. Five will get you ten, Daimen is behind this set up."

Scott let her buss his cheek before he turned away.

Rissa cared about him. He knew that. She also missed Fannie, who'd been the sultry vampire's first real friend and ally when it came to Jules. Scott appreciated the concern, but what Rissa failed to get was that he was hoping Cross was behind Docie May's little gig.

He
wanted
it to be a goddamn set-up. And he intended to be ready, his head clear of distractions. He thought about that as he left the room.