On Wicked Ground (Solsti Prophecy Book 4) (5 page)

She moved back until her butt hit the wall. “Just talk?”

He nodded and his dark eyes flared with a silver-black glow. “Unless you want more.”

She bit her lip. She could do this. Maybe it would be a good idea to find out why he was so interested in her anyway. She didn’t have to tell him her life story. And she could always lie. “Why in here?” She gestured to the small space.

The corner of his mouth ticked up and he placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head. “Why not in here?”

She sucked in a breath at his nearness. He towered over her, smelling like a deep, pristine forest after a heavy rain. His scent made her antsy and lulled her at the same time. “It’s gross.”

Dark eyes glittered and he smiled. “Nothing that’ll kill you. And I don’t feel like taking this outside. I like talking…” Heat rolled off his body, warming her chest. “Right …” his attention dropped to her lips, “here.”

Alina’s throat went dry. Her breath came in shallow gulps and she knew he’d picked up on it. All Watchers had great hearing. Her heart slammed wildly in her chest and she’d bet he heard that too. She gazed at his lower lip and tried to remember her name as the cotton of his T-shirt almost brushed the tops of her breasts. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “Okay.”

He took a half step closer, and only an inch separated their bodies. He tilted his head, holding her gaze as he moved close to her ear. “Considering the sex-crazed hordes out there, let’s make this look believable,” he murmured. “Or they won’t shut up.”

Horde? What horde? She wasn’t aware of anyone else talking, or anyone else, period. Everything else faded to black, just like the shadows she cloaked herself in, and all that remained was this man. Whose name she didn’t even know. Struggling to find a coherent thought, she fidgeted, unsure what to do with her hands. Touch him? No. Not yet, anyway. She finally placed them flat on the wall behind her rear. “Why are you here?”

“I’m working.” His voice was a sexy rasp that sent goose bumps down her arm. “Why are
you
here?”

Her lids drooped and she inhaled his delicious scent. “Same reason.”

“Picking pockets is your job?” A note of surprise crept into his voice.

Alina remained silent as he pulled back to look at her. Defiance fought through the haze of lust and raised her ire. She and Sebastian didn’t live a conventional family life, but she wasn’t going to feel guilty. “Maybe. What are you going to do about it? Turn me in?”

“No. Petty crimes aren’t my task.” He paused. “Were you
working
Mulvari’s party?”

She sucked in a breath and let it out oh-so-slowly. Shit. Her mouth wouldn’t form the words. She wanted to scream
NO!
But she couldn’t deny it. They’d run into each other. Or rather, she had run smack into the hard wall of his chest, as fire raged through the fancy estate.

He studied her like he could see into her soul. “We had a conversation. Then you ran off without saying good bye.”

“I had to leave. The place was on fire, remember?”

“A fire that I’m guessing was no accident. And you got hurt.”

How did he know that? She squirmed, needing distance and getting nowhere. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I do.”  He kept her caged to the wall. “I can tell you that I found your blood on the grass outside the mansion. You left a trail leading to the rear gate. Hellhounds followed you. Their trail was unmistakable.” He leaned close to her other ear. “Then, imagine my surprise when I got to the gate and found little divots in the wood, from the handle up to the top. Gouges spaced evenly apart…if I had to guess, I’d say they were made by your shoes?”

Oh, he’s good. Too good.
She stared at him, frozen and mesmerized.

“Then, on the other side, crushed grass with your scent all over it.” He shifted and dropped his hands to the wall on either side of her waist. “You were racing to get out of there. You staged an escape, and that wasn’t the first time.”

Shaking her head, she swallowed hard. “You’re making that up.”

He shook his head. “No, fae. You may as well leave a glowing sign for me. Maybe the other guests had no clue. But I wasn’t there for the party.”

She needed to redirect this convo, fast. “Then why were you there?”

“Work.”

She scowled. “Is that your answer for everything?”

“It’s my answer when it’s the truth.”

She tried to glare at him, but instead got lost in the dark magnetic depths of his eyes. He still didn’t look threatening. Annoying, yes. Sexy as sin, definitely. “Are we done?”

He chuckled, a low sensuous sound that vibrated through her breasts. “Not by a long shot.”

Her frustration rose, partly at him and partly at herself. She should at least
try
to get away from him…but not just yet. Better ask more questions. “So, why does a Watcher need to work a gangster’s party?”

“To observe.”

“Well, that’s vague. We’re all observing something.”

“Agreed.” The one word was uttered on a growled breath, and once again she felt like she couldn’t breathe. He let the word hang in the air between them.

“What’s your name?”

“Caine. And yours?”

“Alina.”

“Pretty.” He stared at her. “How long have you been a thief, Alina?”

She opened her mouth, about to say something indignant, when he laid a finger on her lips. She froze, warmed by his touch, fighting the sudden urge to lick his skin and not bothered by the fact that he’d just broken his own
no touching
rule.
What the hell is wrong with me?

“I saw you on the dance floor. I saw you drop the shadows a minute later. I know when I’m looking at a newbie, and trust me, that’s not you.”

She wanted to be angry, but she wasn’t. “I’ve done it all my life.”

“Why?” He dropped his finger to her shoulder, tracing a line across it and she fought unsuccessfully to keep her eyelids from dropping at the pleasure in such a tiny touch.

Damn it. She was losing the battle to resist him. He was too gorgeous, too tempting, too intoxicating. Her eyes slid shut and she leaned into his hand, which skated teasingly down her bicep. Goose bumps trailed in his wake.

“Look at me.”

She opened her eyes to meet his dark, piercing gaze. Those kissable lips were almost on hers. Her breath turned ragged.

“You ready to do more than talk?” The deep timbre of his voice reverberated in her breasts and lower.

She nodded, sinking her teeth into her lower lip, wanting nothing more than to taste him. He yanked her flush against his body and closed the small distance between them.

His mouth was warm and gentle at first, but turned possessive as he coaxed her lips apart. Her body responded instantly, craving more. Within the confines of her bustier, her nipples tightened, and the soft cotton of his T-shirt on her upper chest made her ache to lose her clothes.

She moaned as his hands gripped her hips, squeezing, then slid around to cup her ass. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs. Dimly, she knew this wasn’t what she came here for, but her body had stopped listening. She threaded her hands into his hair, meeting every thrust of his tongue with her own.

His fingers caressed up her back and ribs in a seductive trail that she hoped would end up at her breasts. He toyed with the front lacing of her top, and she cursed mentally that the ribbon was just for show. She nipped his lower lip and squirmed against him until she felt the warm press of his knuckles in her cleavage. He was so close to where she needed him…

He rocked into her, and she felt the unmistakable and huge erection behind his jeans. She dropped a hand to his belt loop and tugged as wild heat coursed through her.

“Fuck, woman,” he grunted, and pushed one thick thigh between her legs. His voice rasped, lower and out of control, and she loved that he seemed to be walking a fine line just as she was.

Fine line…Whoa. She pulled her hand away. They had no curtain. They were both on the job.
Crap
. She stilled.

A second later, so did he. He pulled back, eyes bright with a silver-black glow. ‘What’s wrong?”

“We should…” Damn, she couldn’t form a whole sentence without panting. “Stop. We shouldn’t do this. Not here.” She nodded her head at the uncovered entrance to their tiny space. Outside in the hall, shadowy figures paused and moved on. Giggles, grunts, and moans filtered in from the other rooms.

He shifted his legs, bringing her attention back to the enormous bulge in his pants. “You’re right. Not here. As much as I enjoyed that, and as much as I want more of this,” one big hand cupped her bottom. “…you avoided my question.”

“I did?” What question? All she remembered were his lips and the intoxication of being so close to him.

“Yeah.” His fingers tightened. “That earns you a spanking. Need a reminder?”

She tilted her head and gave him a slow grin. “Will that get me another spanking?”

He nodded, a devilish gleam in his eyes. “I’ll make it two. You can pay up later.”

“Then yes.” She heard the note of challenge in her voice. Where was this inner temptress coming from?

“I asked you why you steal.”

Alina debated. That question had a short answer and a long one. She opted for short. “Because I can.”

“You’re very good. Have you always been able to cloak yourself?” He moved his hand back to the wall and she instantly missed the physical contact.

“Yes.”

“Maybe we’ll work together some day.”

Alina scrunched her nose. “You and me? Why? Don’t Watchers have every possible resource available to you?”

“We do.” He raised one hand and traced the shell of her ear. “But none who cloak themselves.”

A shiver ran through her at his touch. “You don’t need to disguise yourselves. You’re all so…big.”

He drew a breath. “And you’re not. What kind of fae are you?”

“I don’t know.”

He frowned. “How do you not know—”

Boom!

He whirled, pressing her between the wall and his back. She tried to peer around him but he was too damn big. Screams erupted from nearby. People in the hall ran toward the dance floor.

“Shit.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

“Um, no.” She definitely did not want to see what was going on. “I think I should just leave.” 

“Come on, it could be fun.”

She stared up at him, incredulous. “This is your idea of fun?”

“Sure. Plus, confusion and chaos helps you do your job, right?” He tugged them out into the hallway.

Damn it. He was right. If people were scared and panicked, their purses and wallets tended to be the last things on their minds. Maybe she could pick a few more pockets and then disappear while Caine was doing…whatever his idea of fun in the midst of chaos was. “Right. Let’s go.”

C
HAPTER
F
OUR

C
AINE
HADN
’
T
EXPECTED
A
LINA
TO
agree with him. Was she playing him? Placating him? Or did they operate on a more similar wavelength than he originally thought?

Her hand was so tiny in his. As they hurried to the dance floor, part of him wanted to take her away instead of leading her straight into the chaos. But the memory of Mulvari’s party loomed in his mind. This little thing had climbed and then fallen her way to safety, while bleeding. And tonight she’d had that dart ring. She wasn’t helpless.

The dance floor was empty. Crowds pushed and shoved near the exits, trying to get away from the two groups of dark elves posturing near the bar.

Alina pulled, trying to free her hand. “I need to go that way.” She nodded to the crowds. “Chaos, remember?”

A surprising jolt of reluctance made his fingers clench before he released her. “Be careful.”

She was already ten feet away, and with each step she took her petite form grew darker. In seconds, she was no more than a cluster of shadows. Not something that anyone would notice. Especially not the rival elf groups.

“You wanna say that again?” one elf growled. He glared at his pacing opponent.

Walking across the dance floor, Caine focused on the angry groups. They could all fight and kill each other. He didn’t care. But if rogue magic was used, he’d have to step in. Those were his orders.

Insults flew back and forth, then the metallic ring of a blade being unsheathed echoed. And when one weapon came out, so did a dozen more. The elf groups melded in a clash of daggers and swords, equally skilled and fierce.

Magic crackled in the air.
Dark magic.
The hair on Caine’s arms stood up and the air temperature dropped.

The elves kept fighting. Except…one group’s weapons all glowed blue. Oh,
hell
no. His eyes swept the group, looking for the instigator. Someone had to say the words to a spell, or use an amulet, for this to suddenly happen. Blue blades meant more damage, usually in terms of wounds that took exponentially longer to heal.

There.
Tucked into a protective circle of his brethren, one elf stood with his eyes closed and his mouth moving.

Caine was at the perimeter in a heartbeat. “Stop your spell!” he roared.

The elves rushed him, but he was ready for them. Summoning a ball of demonfire in each hand, he hurled them at the two closest elves. With a flash and a pop, they were reduced to ash. Two more elves came at him with blades brandished, but they were no match for Caine’s superior height and speed.

The spell caster looked at him, eyes wide, but didn’t stop chanting. Caine needed to eliminate him, pronto. He raised his hand—

And had to jump to the side as a six-foot-tall stereo speaker flew across the room and dropped where he had been standing. The wood shattered into rough shards. What the—

The groan of metal bending against its will made him look up, and again he was forced to dart away as a huge section of lighting slammed to the ground. The club floor shook with the impact, and clouds of dust billowed up from the mess. Beams of light now shone in haphazard columns around the bar. The crowds at the door screamed anew and rushed toward the elves.