(Skeleton Key) Game Master (6 page)

The humona peering at me didn’t have an issue with his wings. Those magical properties were on full display, the beauty continually catching my eyes. The wings didn’t have feathers, either. They weren’t like birds. His magnificent wings were translucent blue with streaks of gold throughout.

I wanted to touch them.

Lucifer smacked my hand when I started to do just that. He flicked his gaze in my direction, and then back to the Chief, the man who rules the entire Guard. “So sorry, Chief. Please, continue?”

He practically rolled his eyes, his office just as opulent as his wings. “Should I put them away?” His piercing gaze didn’t leave mine. “Will that help you, Ms. Creed?”

My brows puckered. “They really are striking.”

“I can tell you like them, Ms. Creed. I asked if you need me to put them away.”

Instantly, I shook my head and straightened on the regal—uncomfortable—chair I sat on. “No. I’m good.”

“Are you sure?” He fluttered the wings.

My nostrils flared. I bared down but kept my attention directly on his face. “I’m sure.” But, damn, they had
sparkled
when he did that.

Lucifer cleared his throat. “I believe you were saying that there are two tests.”

The Chief sat back on his chair behind his desk, gradually dragging his eyes away from mine. He turned that gaze onto my soul partner. “Yes. Each test will be judged solely by General Finley.” He tilted his head down and peered up at us with serious eyes. “And do not expect him to pass you merely because he’s your sponsor. General Finley has been around long enough to have seen the repercussions of that foolhardy act with his younger peers.”

I really wanted to know how old the young looking General was. “May I ask a personal question about General Finley?”

“No.”

Well, that was shot down fast. “How about you?”

“Fuck no.”

Lucifer snorted softly, then covered it with a cough.

My lips twitched. “I had to try.”

The Chief eyed the two of us. “You two are either going to be the best candidates we’ve had in years or the absolute worst ever. I haven’t decided yet.”

I grinned. “Will you flutter your wings one more time for me when we’re done talking?”

Lucifer sighed heavily. “I can’t believe he did that. You’re never going to shut up now about the damn wings until we get them.”

I turned my head in his direction, and whispered, “They sparkled! Did you see that?”

“I saw,” Lucifer droned. “What did it remind you of?”

“The wind transport. I wonder if it’s part of the same—”

The Chief raised his left hand. “Excuse me! The meeting isn’t done yet, and I’m right here while you talk about me.”

“We know,” Lucifer and I said together.

We turned our attention back to him. Waited.

He stared, his eyes flicking back and forth between us. He finally muttered, “I’m going to kill General Finley.”

Lucifer shrugged. “We are that good. He knows it.”

“I’m beginning to see that. What I mean is that if you pass, I’ll have to deal with the two of you until I finally quit one day.” He scowled. “That won’t be for a very long time.”

I pinched my fingers together in front of my right eye. “You could always make it shorter.”

His glare deepened. “Can we stay on track, please?”

Lucifer and I both smiled. Tiny ones.

That was what we were waiting for.

When we ran the show.

Lucifer relaxed in his chair and rolled his wrist. “I’d love to hear more. Thank you.”

The Chief blinked. “Fuck.”

General Finley barged through the office doors and shook his head at the Chief. “Maybe you should shorten your time in this position if they got to you that fast.”

“Were you eavesdropping?” I asked, a smirk on my lips. “I hadn’t noticed. Especially, when your shadow kept moving behind the door.”

Lucifer picked at his fingernails. “Or when he sneezed.”

I nodded. “That too.”

The Chief slammed a palm down onto his desk, and his wings instantly disappeared. He glared at the General. “This meeting done.” He pointed at us, his finger jabbing hard in our direction. “Don’t tell them shit about the Game. I want to see how they do with no information given.”

General Finley balked. “None?”

The Chief’s eyes narrowed, and turned on us. “I will tell you this much. It’s all about the display of how you handle yourself. For both tests. If you don’t impress the General with the show, you won’t pass. If you don’t pass, you’ll live an absolutely normal life. And I already know this about you both. You’ll be bored by the time you’re thirty, with no other option but to concede you fucked up and to settle for that boring life.”

My forehead crinkled. “Maybe a little more—”

“Get them out of here before I lose my shit, General Finley,” the Chief barked. “Now!”

General Finley yanked us both up by the back of our shirts and shoved us toward the door. When he closed the door, he growled, “You really don’t want to piss that man off. He can do anything he wants to you—including sending you to jail for the rest of your life—for no reason at all. He has that power.”

I crossed my arms and studied his face. “I was serious in there for a second. May I ask you a personal question?”

He rubbed at his forehead in irritation. “Go ahead.”

“How old are you?”

He peeked at me over his rubbing fingers. “How old do I look?”

My lips twitched. He was a little vain. “You don’t look much older than Lucifer, except I keep getting the vibe you’re much older than us.”

He lowered his hand and smiled. “I’m twenty-five.”

Lucifer lifted a blond brow. “How many times have you been twenty-five?” His head cocked. “You’re not humona.”

My eyes widened.

Gray eyebrows rose. “But it’s a really good disguise, don’t you agree?”

I nodded my head like an idiot. “What are you?”

“That’s my secret.” He shrugged a shoulder. “But you aren’t the only one to have received a skeleton key.”

The General winked.

I stared. “I’ll remember your hearing is exceptional.”

No wonder he had been able to spy on us.

Glancing past the black curtain—music vibrating up my red stilettos from the nearby musicians—I stared out at the audience. I was nervous as hell as my gaze darted to the golden pole in the middle of the stage. I pulled at the black, short skirt I was wearing and made sure all the buttons on my white shirt were firmly in place.

The woman next to me, Angel, was fluffing her huge blonde hair and adjusting her half-face mask. I did the same to mine and ran my hands over the black wig I had in place. It was still pinned carefully—chin length with precisely cut bangs.

I shook my hands out.

Angel smiled. “I know this is your first night, but you’ll be fine. Your sweet little body will collect plenty of money.” She winked at me. “But don’t trip. The shoes are the worst to get used to.”

I played my part and nodded. “Thanks. That’s good to know.” This was part of the Game. At least, the nighttime version of it.

I tried to steady my nerves and closed my eyes, remembering all of the women I had seen dancing in movies. I’d practiced last night in front of the mirror, but they had pretty much thrown me in with this supposed job already in place. When the Chief stated before how this challenge would be more for ‘show,’ he wasn’t kidding.

I knew the General was in the audience tonight.

I breathed deeply and shook out my arms.

The song was halfway through, and it was almost our turn to go onstage. I rolled my neck, and then my hips, getting ready.

Angel noticed and nodded.

I winked and fell more into this role.

I could be a naughty vixen.

My palms stopped sweating.

My eyes changed to a woman who knows what a man wants and exactly how to give it.

Angel laughed. “Oh, yeah. You’ll do just fine, sugar. Whatever you’re thinking of, keep it up. You may even come out of this with more money than I make tonight.” She bent over and adjusted her pert Double Ds.

I just chuckled. Yeah, right.

The musicians finished their last note of the sensual song, and the women on stage picked up any stray bills and sauntered off the stage.

Angel slapped me on the ass when the intro to our song whispered in the air. “That’s us, sugar. Let’s go.”

I closed my eyes for only a moment.

Angel helped me at first when I got under the heat of the candlelights onstage. I almost lost my nerve then but bucked up, careful not to light myself on fire. She and I played off each other. I was lucky the joint wasn’t full nude. Angel and I finished undressing each other, which I did mine beautifully from under her when she crawled across the stage.

Being onstage in nothing but a short bustier, G-string, and stilettos took fucking guts.

I stayed in my role of a naughty girl even when I bent over—ass in the air—at the end of the platform so men could put cash bills in my undies. I danced like a sex kitten. I twirled on the damn bar as if it were my favorite cock. I crawled like I was everyone’s desired treat serving myself up to them.

I was their fantasy in red stilettos.

The song finally ended with Angel on her knees and her face in my cleavage. I glanced down and gave her a saucy wink. She kissed my cleavage in congratulations of a job well done, and I helped her up. We picked up our clothes from the floor and exited before the musicians played their next song.

And…I wasn’t done yet. I had to mingle.

Which meant lap dances.

I rolled my shoulders, changed my bustier, and slipped on a skirt that only covered half my ass—
why even bother?
—and left the red stilettos on. I walked out to the main floor and was besieged by requests for dances.

Lucifer was out there somewhere.

I scanned the area but didn’t see him.

He had danced a couple of sets before me while I was changing. Then he’d been in the audience while I danced. But the lights were so bright up there it was hard to see out into the dim area.

This place had male and female strippers; therefore, the clientele was of both sexes. Luckily, the place was also hands-off the strippers—unless you went upstairs to their private rooms. I bolted after every lap dance before they could ask for the upstairs treatment. I wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

I made it to the center of the room a couple of songs before I went on again and finally spotted General Finley. The General was wearing black leather pants and a black shirt. He motioned for me to come over to his private table, so I ignored the woman who was trying to flag me down. Two men were sitting at his booth in the darkened corner.

Christ.

I put a smile on my face, even though apprehension trickled up my spine. This was supposed to be the Game, part of training. Not the real deal. Those men were the real goddamn deal.

Shit.

Arriving at the table, I leaned over it so my cleavage was fully on display. My green eyes stopped on General Finley. I asked in a sultry tone, “Is there something I can do for you, honey?” I licked my lips, drawing the action out.

General Finley didn’t miss a beat, his posture never changing from relaxed—even though I had practically shoved my breasts in his face. He shook his head and pointed at the two men. “These gentlemen would like your services in a private room.” He paused. “But they want to watch.”

He pointed into the audience. “They’ve taken a liking to that man over there.”

I glanced behind my shoulder, concentrating on not peeing my skirt. Lord Almighty. I squinted through the darkness to where General Finley indicated. There was a man there who had a cascade of slick black hair that reached down to his waist. He wore a pair of black leather something-or-others that looked like skintight underwear. Tall, knee-high black combat boots, a black spiked collar, and a black half-mask completed his ensemble.

Oh, and he had a body to fucking die for.

I could see why these asswipes had noticed him.

I turned to the two ‘gentlemen’ and smiled. “It’s more expensive than a lap dance.” I would try anything to keep from going upstairs.

Both men were fair-haired, but one kept his short, and the other kept the length past his shoulders. The one with the longer hair stated, “We’ll pay.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a wad of cash folded in half. A money clip of the Baaz realm held the currency together—a leather string.

He sat the cash on the table and evaluated me closely. “Is this your first night here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

My gaze was caught on all that money.

Yeah, these men were no good.

I licked my lips again, and stated honestly, “It’s my first night.”

The shorthaired guy smiled, his gaze caught on my cleavage. “Why don’t you go and get that man and tell your manager you’ll be awhile.” It was a clear order.

I straightened up and winked. “My pleasure.”

I walked away, swaying my ass.

While I freaked out internally.

But…

Something inside me sensed the predators the assholes were. That part of me smiled. I knew I was where I belonged. Doing anything to get the bad guys. Even subjecting myself to a situation I would never find myself in normally.