Playing with Monsters (10 page)

C’mon girl, you have brains. Use them. This guy? He’s an egotistical asshole who flaunts his money around. You can’t seriously like him. Women like you? They don’t get men like him. You have nothing he could possibly want
except
a quick fuck, and well, not going to happen
.

“Clothes didn’t fit?” I asked as I put sugar in my tea and turned around, giving him a curious glance.

“I put mine in your washing machine. Should be done here pretty quickly,” he said smoothly as his eyes lowered to my mouth.

“Sugar?” I asked as I danced around him and moved to the small table. This man exuded power, and worse, he ate up what little space was in the room.

“I’m about to get there,” he whispered hoarsely.

“In your tea,” I corrected him. My heart was beating wildly, and my pulse was probably visible to his eyes with how hard it was pounding.

I was stuck in a tiny cottage with him, in a blackout, with candlelight dancing on the walls and in his seductive eyes. The only thing that he had on was a flimsy Walmart-brand towel. One that did very little to hide that he was sporting a package that was more than ready to be delivered. I needed to move this into the front room, where at least Luna could back me up!

“Shall we take our tea to the front room?” I asked in a breathy voice which caused my eyes to go wide in surprise at the vixen’s voice that had replaced my own.

A knock sounded from the front door and I all but tripped over him in my haste to get away from my own reaction to him, and his omg-he’s-got-an-eight-pack-happy-trail-special-motherfucking-delivery-hell-nipple-piercing body.

Chapter Eleven

I stood in the doorway trying to figure out how to get Kendra’s mouth closed as she ogled Lucian from the other side.  He had no shame. Instead of hiding from whoever was at the door, he’d moved behind me, and was now giving my sister and mother plenty to look at it.

“Power’s out,” Kendra chirped as her eyes gave him a good onceover, and then another.

I knew her pain. One look just wasn’t enough. Seriously. You needed to look at him, look again, visually touch it, play with it, pull on it, and maybe lick it for good luck before you got enough of it. I had a half-naked man in my cottage, and that was a serious no-no before the Awakening.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I said softly as my mother’s eyes flashed with disapproval.

“This wasn’t what they meant by ‘serve him,’ Magdalena,” she fumed.

“He was in the garden with me, pulling bulbs for the greenhouse, when the storm hit. We came here because we were wet and covered in dirt. We didn’t do anything inappropriate; you can ask him.”

“I didn’t sleep with your daughter, she’s not even my type,” he offered casually, which caused my stomach to hit the floor, along with my pride.

“Not your type?” I asked as I lifted a brow and looked at him.

His eyes flashed a silent warning, but I chose to ignore it. “I’m just waiting for my clothes to get clean, now that the storm seems to be passing,” was his reply.

I chewed on my bottom lip and wondered why him saying that had bothered me at all. Hadn’t I just told myself that men like him didn’t go for girls like me? I moved away from him, allowing my mother and sister inside and out of the rain. Luna moved to my mother and rubbed her head against her ankle in hello.

Did she fail to note that while he may be half-naked, I was dressed? Okay, so I was in clothes that were easy to put on, which she’d probably mistaken for pajamas, since let’s face it, yoga pants are often mistaken for them.

I moved into the kitchen again, skipping the tea and going straight for Grandma’s stash of wine that was kept chilled in the little cellar drawer. I pulled out a bottle, deftly uncorked it, and chugged. It was so good, and yeah, maybe I should have used a glass, but it wasn’t a delicate glass kind of day. It was an
I-need-the-entire-bottle-to-myself
day.

I listened from the kitchen as my mother spoke to Lucian, and did the last thing I expected her to do. She invited him to dinner.

“No, I insist. Besides, the coven thinks that Magdalena got off too easy and they won’t leave her alone unless she makes amends to you. She was a half decent cook when she left home, I’m sure she hasn’t worsened over time.”

“What the hell?” I asked as I stuck my head around the corner and glared at my mother.

“It’s the least you can do for him, and besides, considering how I just found you it’s expected for him to at least try to court you.”

“This isn’t the medieval times, and besides, when did it become illegal to be a good neighbor? He was covered in dirt and mud, and there’s a storm outside, in case you missed that part. I let him shower. I didn’t clean him with my freaking tongue, for heaven’s sake!”

“Magdalena,” she warned. “Even had I not found you in a compromising situation, you’d still be making up for what you did last night.”

“Fine,” I said, frustrated with my mother. I gave up; besides, it wasn’t like I’d had time to tell her about the slinky little black outfit he wanted me to wear, or that if I didn’t follow his orders, I’d be locked in his office with him. She had no idea what an ass he really was.

“Fine,” she agreed with a worried frown before she turned towards the door, and then, as if she was remembering that there was a half-naked man inside the cottage, she stopped, turned around, and moved her stubborn ass to the couch. Just what I needed: A lovely chaperone. I loved my mother, but she could seriously be stubborn.

I tilted my head and remembered what he’d said. He’d placed the dirty clothing he’d been in into the ‘hello-it’s-a-blackout’ washing machine, which meant he hadn’t planned on changing anytime soon. What else could a sexy, hello-hormones-I-see-you’re-all-functioning-because-he’s-in-nothing-but-a-towel man be planning to do while he waited?

Okay, so in my head it was playing out in brutal and graphic Technicolor what we
could
be doing. I shook my head, dispelling the visceral images.

I chanced a peek over in his general direction and ended up staring right into his inky depths. His eyes said,
“Fix it. Get rid of them.”

My eyes smiled and said,
“
You
fucking fix it,”
and then they said,
“Tell me, exactly how long do you think the washing machine has left? Considering there’s no power to run it, I’m guessing you figured it would give you just enough time to seduce me and then head home strutting like a peacock?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head, but mostly at my own stupidity for not realizing it earlier. 

He smiled and I felt a violent shiver that I had to forcefully stop myself from exposing to him. His eyes seemed to reply,
“I don’t strut. I conquer, I ruin, I claim. Violently. But I do not strut. I claim ownership, little girl.”
 

“I can’t be owned,” I blurted, no longer willing to have a silent battle with someone who obviously had the upper hand. For now.

“Never said you could be,” he said softly and bowed his head before he turned and left the cottage…in a towel. I was jealous of that towel, so freaking jealous. I’d burn that bitch when it came back.

I moved to the window, unable to help it. Kendra joined me, and our heads tilted at the exact same time. A groan left our lips, at exactly the same time. We sighed like little school girls and then laughed at our reaction.

“Magdalena, do I need to explain to you how important is to remain chaste during this time?” my mom said, pulling my eyes away from the ripped back, and sinewy muscles that was walking away.

“No, I know the rules. I’ve done what was asked, but I don’t understand why you expect me to cook for that man,” I replied hastily. I didn’t. Not at all.

“Because this family needs his support as much as this town does. He’s offered to take the store off our hands, which would give us enough money to get by while I figure out another way to bring in a steady income.”

“You’re not selling that store,” I argued. “Why did you close it? Cassidy doesn’t know anything about tonics, let alone spells. I’m surprised she hasn’t done some serious harm to people!”

“Your father took the recipes,” she replied softly. “I didn’t have the energy to fight with him to get them back, or deal with it at the time. I did what I had to do to survive, Magdalena. Just as you did, but now that you’re back, we will figure something out together.”

Gut…kicked. I was an asshole.

“We can salvage the store, though; we don’t need the old recipes, and we don’t even have to make spells. Those shouldn’t be for sale anyway; most of the other covens don’t charge for them, according to Google. I took botany, learned how to make fragrances, soaps, shampoos, and so much more. I can make tea that does what most of the relaxation spells do, and those were the biggest sellers in the shop. Remember? Tasted like frog’s ass, and everyone hated the taste, but they still bought it,” I babbled with a nervous laugh.

“I’ve already started the paperwork,” my mom replied her eyes full of tears.

“So rip it up,” I said vehemently. “He’ll understand.”

“He’s a businessman, Magdalena. Not a saint. I already accepted the first payment so I would be able to host the opening celebration.”

“Then I’ll get it back, somehow,” I assured her.

My mom shook her head, but she knew it was pointless to argue when I got my mind fixed on something. She, like my grandmother, knew when to just nod and smile and entertain my crazy ideas.

“About dinner, I do hope you haven’t given up on cooking since you’ve been gone?” Kendra injected into the conversation.

“I didn’t starve to death while I was away, did I?” Insert ‘smartass’ here.

“Top Ramen and cups of noodles don’t count,” she said with a soft smile.

“I remember how to cook, but I’m sure he’s used to a lot better than what I can cook in this kitchen.”

“You’ll use the kitchen in the main house; it’s heavily warded,” Mom said as she stood and stifled a yawn.

“Is there something I should know?” I asked with a worried frown.

“We’ve had a few girls go missing in the last week. We don’t know if it is just pre-Awakening jitters, or if something else is going on. We’re playing it safe, sticking close to the coven. There’s been chatter from other covens about suspicious things happening, and problems for the Guild witches as well. Until we have concrete evidence that those girls left of their own free will, we’ll continue to play it safe.”

I blinked at my mom and started to speak, but shut my mouth and shook my head. Who had gone missing? How had no one even mentioned it to me? The message from the coven I’d gotten before I’d left for home had been short and straight to the point.

“I was so worried, I wanted to come for you myself, Magdalena. The elders warned you of the problems arising with the Awakening coming, I’m sure,” she stated with absolute certainty.

“No, they didn’t. It was just a basic message. Nothing else. No warning of any trouble,” I replied with in a calm tone, which surprised me because I wasn’t feeling calm at all.

“It’s not something we want to broadcast,” Kendra said reassuringly as she laid her hand on my shoulder, feeling my inner turmoil.

Being twins had hidden benefits; feelings, understanding of how or why the other did certain things, and our own secret little code. Unlike others, I could feel my sister. As if a piece of her lived inside of me and vice versa. Mom said it was because we were identical, and closer than most of the twins of the human world. I’d missed feeling her and knowing she was close if I needed her. She was the only one I didn’t have to explain things to, because she felt them with me.

“Witches don’t leave home, not this close to the Awakening,” I said.

“
You
did,” my mother spoke calmly, her tone carrying an underlying bitterness that she did little to hide. She’d seemed okay with me leaving, but maybe I’d only assumed it.  Maybe I’d only heard what I had wanted to from her before I left.

“I didn’t leave right before the Awakening. I was wrong to leave, but none of the colleges here offered what I needed to take and now it looks like maybe leaving wasn’t such a bad thing. I plan to save the shop, even if I have to flirt with the devil himself to get it back.”

Chapter Twelve

I walked into Club Chaos just before 5
p.m
.
It wasn’t full, but it was still early and I knew it would be packed soon enough. The music was loud, something I didn’t really miss from my last job at a nightclub. Don’t get me wrong, I loved music, and I loved it loud, but there was only so much a person could handle while trying to take orders. I’d made a list last night, one that had been as long as my arm, with things I needed to get done. Most were important things, none of which included playing servant to Lucian.

I’d gone to his house last night, right after the power had come back on and I’d finished washing his clothes. My mother’s nagging about making sure he came to dinner spurred me out the door and on the path to his home. However, I really intended to ask him about the store. I knocked, which had taken me a bit to actually get the courage to do, and heard the echo of my knocks reverberate in the entryway.

I stood there, feeling silly as a woman’s silky voice asked Lucian if she should get the door. I could hear their voices coming from inside and off to the left, probably a sitting room, as he urged her to, “just ignore it, and she’ll go away.” Me, I was the one who he wanted to go away. Talk about the king of mixed signals. 

I’d made it halfway home, my mind in an angry haze, before I’d realized I’d still been holding his clothes. The clothes which I had taken the time to wash for him. Freaking jerk. I spun around, walked back to his porch, and dropped them in the mud.

Asshole.

Now I had to face him, and my anger had cooled, but my pride hadn’t.

My eyes moved to the bar, where quite a few people were ordering drinks while others searched for a place to sit. I saw a few familiar faces, but none that were from the coven, just a few of the locals, mixed in with unfamiliar faces from out of town.

I started towards the bar, and was stopped before I’d even made it a full three steps into the club. The guy who stopped me was huge; he had blue-black hair and blue eyes the color of the sky after a good rain. His arms were ripped, and tattoos seemed to grace every visible part of his body. He was tall, reaching at least six feet in height. His jaw was wide, with a six o’clock shadow that he wore well, and full lips that were drawn into a sexy smirk.

“Boss wants to see you in his office,” he announced. “You didn’t listen to him the other night when he told you what to wear. You should’ve listened, little lady. He doesn’t take too kindly to people not listening.”

“I bet he’s used to everyone listening to him, and being the one in control?” I asked with a smirk of my own.

“Always. He’s always in control, and most people don’t disobey him. He’s quick to punish the ones who don’t listen. Disobeying the boss? It’s like playing with fire, Miss Fitz.”

“It’s Fitzgerald,” I corrected him.

“Whatever, Fitz,” he replied smoothly without bothering to use the correction I’d offered up.

I smiled and bit my bottom lip as I narrowed my eyes on him. He wasn’t the guy who was normally stationed at the door. Man-bun hadn’t been outside tonight. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him an even wider smile.

“I’m not his employee, so he can get over it. He’ll also never be
my
boss, so his orders? Don’t really get followed by me. I’m not planning to stick around any longer than I have to; it’s a punishment. What’s he going to do, spank me?” I offered as I lifted an eyebrow and waited.

“Maybe; you look like you could use one,” he said as his tongue came out to lick his lips as his eyes trailed down my frame.

I moved past him, heading to the rear of the club and towards the stairs that led up to Lucian’s office. The music was sensual, and a few people were already on the dance floor, swaying to the beat. My eyes moved over the room as I moved through it, and then wandered further up until I spotted Lucian, watching me from the other side of the wall-to-wall window in his office that was no longer one-way glass.

I almost stopped, almost. I sure as hell wasn’t about to let him see that he had any effect on me.  Not after last night’s debacle. He was stunning in a charcoal gray suit, with a light blue tie, and I was willing to bet the suit was just as, if not more expensive than the one he’d worn to the opening celebration.

If nothing else, the man had damn good taste in clothes.

I tore my eyes from his and continued through the hall, up the stairs and down another hall as I made my way to him. As I stopped in front of his door, I collected my scattered thoughts and took a deep, calming breath.

I needed what confidence I could get. I’d felt out of place since returning home, but today I’d spent my time on myself. Getting back to where I was comfortable in my own skin. Coming back, everything I’d learned since I’d arrived had hit me harder than I’d initially realized. I didn’t have time to be weak; I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for him to answer. I moved into the room, and quickly regretted it as I found him at his desk, leaning against it, waiting for me. There was a woman in the room; her hair was as black as a raven’s wing, and she had a beautiful pixie face. Startling eyes the color of freshly grown moss in the forest looked at me, and then just as quickly looked away. I felt dismissed, and it rubbed.

She moved towards Lucian, her hand running up his chest as his eyes remained locked on me.

“Leave us,” he ordered and she pouted.

“I waited for you to return,” she said softly as she continued to stroke his chest with her perfectly manicured, dainty hands.

“Get out,” he said harshly, his eyes finally leaving mine and looking down at her.

She was gorgeous. Her hair was held away from her face with hair pins that sparkled with jewels. Her dress was expensive, and clung to her body like a second skin. Her breasts were large, probably fake since they seemed larger than was safe for her tiny frame. Her full mouth slanted into a frown as her eyes moved from him to me. The look she gave me could have chilled the sun. What was it with these women hanging out in Lucian’s office? He seemed to have an endless supply of beautiful women at his disposal.

She gave him one more look of desperation as I watched, and then stomped angrily from the room. I waited for the door to slam, but it didn’t. She’d left it open, and the fact hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lucian.

His eyes slid over my body slowly, heating each inch as they moved over it. I didn’t move, didn’t respond. I held it together, and pretended not to be battling a violent storm inside of me. I replayed his words from the other side of his door last night. Anger is an emotion to be used, not wielded. You have to control it. If not, you make the news as some deranged lunatic. I’m not deranged; the jury is still out on the lunatic part, however.

I looked good, and I knew it. I was dressed in a navy blue eyelet dress with a deep V-neck, showing just enough cleavage to draw the eye, without looking desperate.  The skirt just barely reached mid-thigh. I’d paired it with soft black suede boots that stopped just above my knee, and had four-inch heels. Not the best shoes for waiting tables, but they were sexy. I felt sexy, and that’s what counted.

I’d taken time with my jewelry, things I’d made myself. A black crystal pendant that hung from a sterling silver chain and had runes etched into the surface for protection. Matching earrings dangled from my ears, along with my quartz charm bracelet.

My hair was up in a bouffant bun, which kept it chic, and out of my face since it tended to heat up in a nightclub whether you were dancing or working. My make-up was light, because sweating it out while busting my ass was never a good thing. Light mascara, soft cheek blush with a soft colored lip gloss that stained my lips a soft mauve color. I didn’t look sleek, push-me-into-bed-sexy, but I looked good.

His eyes spoke volumes. I didn’t bother trying to read what they actually said, but he gave me a half hooded look that said I’d look better naked, and I gave him one that said I knew it, I just didn’t care to flaunt it or do so with him.

“You disobeyed me, Lena; that’s not the uniform you were given,” he said as I ignored whatever he was saying in those eyes.

“No, it’s not. Sorry, but what they gave me? It didn’t cover enough.”

He laughed, and his eyes softened. “I did give you instructions. In the future, I expect them to be followed to the very last detail. Tonight it’s going to be busy, or you’d be staying here with me for the punishment I promised you.”

“In the future, I don’t plan to work for you. So following orders won’t be an issue,” I said as I remained just inside the door. I had an exit route planned, just in case.

He smiled, and it wasn’t friendly. I narrowed my eyes at him, as if I could read his mind through his inky eyes. I was about to ask what was expected of me tonight, when a man walked in and bumped right into me.

I didn’t expect it, and I was shoved forward in his haste, and almost landed face-first on the floor, but instead landed in Lucian’s arms. I hadn’t even seen him move, and yet my face was pressed against his chest, and his arms were around me. I felt off-balance being this close to him, and my nose was greedily inhaling his masculine scent.

“Shit, didn’t see her, boss,” a deep, rich voice said from behind us.

I pushed away from Lucian, which didn’t go unnoticed as I placed my hands against his chest to manage it gracefully. Electricity rushed through me from the innocent touch, and my eyes lifted to his before I remembered I wanted distance from him; a small gasp left my lips unchecked. Like, a football field between us would be good. His arms dropped as he watched me move across the room.

His eyes never left me as I added a few steps more, and then another for my own safety. I’d heard his inhale, and had known that he, too, had been sniffing me. The only perfume I wore was the plumeria soap I’d made a few weeks back.

“Am I interrupting?” the guy asked.

“No,” I said.

“Yes,” Lucian snapped.

“Sorry,” the guy muttered as I moved my eyes to his. He was decent-looking, with a jagged scar that ran across his face. It would probably make most people look away, but it didn’t have that effect on me. His eyes were giving me a onceover, and I knew instinctively that he was waiting for me to cringe, or look away from the scar, as probably most others had done. Instead I took him in.

He had light blonde hair, and his skin was golden. His eyes were a soft shade of chocolate brown, with scattered golden specks. His mouth was full, and scarred, and yet the scar did little to take away from how handsome he really was. He wore a white dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, exposing yet more scars that covered his arms in crisscross patterns, as if someone had used a whip on him at some point in his life. His hands were calloused from work, and his muscles that were exposed from the loosened buttons of his shirt showed enough flesh that I could see his chest had somehow been spared of whatever fate his arms and face had encountered.

I raised my eyes back to his face and he smiled, probably because I hadn’t looked the least bit repulsed. Jimmy Kendell was from the reservation just on the outskirts of town and a friend of mine from school. He’d been splattered with hot grease and bore the scars of it for many years. Cassidy and her friends, who we’d called the bitch squad, had called him crispy, and other horrifying names, but I didn’t think they detracted too much from his beautiful reddish brown skin and we found equally annoying ways to retaliate against the bitch squad’s attacks.

“Need something, Bane?” Lucian asked.

“Bartender didn’t show up, but there’s a guy down there who says he knows how to mix the drinks. Owns a club in Spokane, and he’s available now,” Bane said as he finally tore his eyes from mine.

“Tell him he’s hired for the night. Tell him the rules of the club, and take Magdalena with you. Let Linda know Lena will be helping with whatever she needs tonight,” Lucian said as his eyes turned to me and I looked away. “Lena’s not to go into the other levels to serve, though, make sure Linda knows that.”

I kept my eyes downcast, looking at anything except Lucian. He walked past us, and Bane smiled at me.
Other levels?
My curiosity was piqued.

“We’ve been dismissed,” he prompted with a smile that made me smile as well. “He does that often, little lady. Follow me; I’ll take you down to Linda and get the new bartender set up. Make sure he knows the drinks before we give him control of the bar.”

I followed the wide shoulders of Bane down the stairs and back into the club. Linda was a tiny woman, maybe a little over five feet, with fire engine red hair, and flashing blue eyes that held a smile that matched the one on her delicate lips. She had a pixie cut, with a heart shaped face, and a voice that carried over the music.

“Hey, this is Magdalena, she’s all yours tonight. Treat her good, Linda,” Bane shouted over the music and gave me a wink before he turned to head to the bar.

“It’s going to get crazy in here tonight, please tell me you’ve at least you’ve worked in a bar before?” Linda looked over my dress and then gave me a dubious look. “I was sure you’d gotten the club uniform?”

“I did, but I don’t plan to work here a moment longer than I need to. No offense, but it’s a little short, and shows just a little too much…everything,” I said grudgingly.

She smiled and threw back her head with a full belly laugh. “Told him we needed to fix that damn uniform. Men, they don’t listen worth a shit, right? So the boss told me that this is a punishment for you, but for me it’s a blessing. We fired three girls in the last week. So I’m really hoping you have an idea of what’s needed?”

“I’ve done this before, mind you not in a club this size. Not sure if you wanted more from me?”

“Nope, getting orders in and out is what I need. It’s Friday, we only serve one special, and a few types of appetizers. People don’t come here for the food, though, they come here to let loose, which can be an issue. Men get grabby, but Lucian and his boys don’t allow anyone to get carried away and they’re pretty good at keeping the riffraff out. Any questions?” she asked as she gave me a dazzling smile that reached her eyes.

“What’s tonight’s special?’ I asked as I accepted an apron and quickly tied it on before accepting a notepad for orders and a round drink tray.

“It’s called Sex in the Driveway; white rum, pear schnapps, and blue curacao. You should get the guy at the bar to make you one so that you can taste it. Do not drink it all, you don’t look like you could hold your liquor well, skinny thing that you are,” she smirked. “The slim girls usually can’t,” she mumbled with a wink.  “I need you sober, and on your toes tonight.”

“Got it,” I said as I moved to do as she had instructed. Normally you needed to taste something before you could sell it well, that much I knew from the other jobs. It was hard to sell something you couldn’t explain.

I stopped at the bar and drummed my fingers impatiently on the cool surface as I watched Bane go over the menu with the bartender. He had a nice ass, from what I could see. Long hair, a little shorter than Lucian’s, and from the back it looked good. A guilty flush stole over my cheeks as he turned and wrecked me with silver eyes that made my mouth open and close. He had dark hair, and wore a tee that said
I bite.

I swallowed the nervous laughter that tried to escape as he made his way to where I stood.