Darker (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 6) Read online

  We sat there in quiet contemplation, watching the downtown traffic whiz by. In the distance, I heard sirens. A drunken whoop echoed from outside the club we’d just left. Typical sounds of the city engulfed us.

  “Have a little faith, Alexa. These things tend to reveal themselves when the time is right. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.” I nodded, thinking about Arys. I hated myself for telling him I couldn’t handle it. He had waited so long for me. Bailing out when things got tough was cowardice. I was stronger than that.

  Noticing the shift in my mood, Willow nudged me playfully. “Ready to get back in there and drink ourselves into total stupidity? I might even get on the dance floor.”

  No sooner had the words left him than two black Escalades screeched to a stop at the curb in front of us. Several FPA agents spilled out like clowns tumbling from a polka-dotted coupe. Many of them pointed what appeared to be tranquilizer guns at me. Agent Thomas Briggs stepped out looking like a man with an agenda. I wasn’t going to like whatever happened next.

  Briggs sauntered up flashing the gun at his hip. He held his badge ready like some TV cop. A tensor bandage was visible beneath his jacket sleeve. It wasn’t a cast though, so I must not have hurt his arm as badly as I’d hoped.

  I stood up to face him, and all of the agents braced to fire their weapons. I held my hands up in a show of peace yet tapped my power. Being human, they couldn’t see the crackle and color of the energy. Only a human with a strong sixth sense would even feel it.

  “Briggs,” I nodded curtly. “Are you tailing me?”

  “I’m government, O’Brien. I tracked the GPS in your phone.” His steely gaze was unwavering, his stride purposeful. “We need to talk.”

  “What do you want, Agent? Cut to the chase.” I crossed my arms, doing my best to appear unaffected with so many guns trained on me. It would take only seconds for a tranquilizer to take me down.

  Willow rose slowly, standing ready beside me. If Briggs didn’t somehow know what he was, I’d like to ensure that it stayed that way. A few of the guns switched from me to him. I wondered briefly if a tranquilizer would have any effect on an immortal.

  “I have a few questions for you. Bit of a delicate nature. I’m sure you understand.” Briggs studied Willow closely, sizing him up. We all knew how deceiving looks could be.

  “And, if I refuse?” I challenged. I needed to know how far Briggs planned to take this.

  “You’re the madam of a vampire whorehouse. That alone is reason enough for me to bring you in. You have ties to the headless body we found. You came uninvited into my facility. Your boyfriend roughed up one of my agents. Not to mention, you’re already on our watch list. Do I need to go on?”

  So, Arys had followed through with his intent to beat some info out of Bianca. Couldn’t say I was sorry I missed it, though I was curious what, if anything, he’d gotten out of her.

  Briggs had too much on me; I didn’t see a way to get out of this chat.

  “I’m not going back to that building,” I said, visions of the FPA basement danced in my head. I hated that place. “We can talk in public. Right here.”

  “Let’s take a drive.” Briggs nodded toward the trucks. “Alone.”

  “By that, I assume you mean me alone and you surrounded by gun-toting morons.” I glanced around at the agents flanking Briggs. They were mostly men, just a few women. Juliet was not among them.

  “You assume correctly, though, I promise you, I don’t work with morons.” Briggs was patient, awaiting my decision.

  I looked to Willow, finding him characteristically calm and cool. I focused on opening my thoughts to him. It was best for him to leave me with Briggs. I could handle it. Willow shouldn’t be subjected to the FPA simply because he liked to get loaded in my company.

  ‘Just go, but walk away. Don’t let them see you poof. Check on Jez, if you don’t mind. Make sure she’s safe.’ I pushed the thought to him, hoping it worked. Aloud I said, “I’m going to take a ride with Briggs. If you don’t hear from me within an hour, tell Arys where I went.”

  The mention of Arys was more for Briggs’s benefit than mine. I didn’t want Arys to come riding to my so-called rescue, but if Briggs thought he might, this conversation would go a lot smoother.

  Willow made a show of checking the time on his phone. “Ok, one hour. Talk to you soon.”

  He stood there with arms crossed, giving Briggs a guarded but invasive stare. He watched as I got into a vehicle with agents on every side of me. I managed to flash him a wave and an eye-roll before the doors closed and we pulled into traffic.

  Right away, I had four guns in my face. Squeezed onto the seat between a male and female agent, I glowered at Briggs who turned in the front passenger seat to look at me.

  “Alright, Briggs. You got your way,” I said, holding the wolf back. “Now, get those things out of my face and treat me with some respect. I’m not asking.”

  “Is that a threat?” He asked, wary and stern.

  “Does it have to be? If I wanted to taste that rich, arrogant blood, I would have done it last time we spoke.” I raised a brow and smirked. We all knew I was the monster here; if they forced me to act like it, I would.

  Briggs regarded me with thinly veiled distaste. The feeling was mutual. After a minute, he waved a hand, and the agents withdrew their guns. I didn’t move a muscle, just beamed a sickly sweet smile at him.

  “So, where’s Juliet?” I inquired expectantly. “Let me guess. She doesn’t know about this little meeting. Just like she didn’t know about the people you’re holding hostage in the basement of that scary ass hospital.”

  “She took the night off. And, you don’t know jack shit about those people.”

  “I know what I saw. Is that where you’d like to see me, Briggs? Locked in a cold little stone room, never again to see the light of day?”

  A muscle twitched in his jaw. “It does have its appeal. However, I think you underestimate the respect I have for you, O’Brien. I knew your parents; I worked with them. I assure you, I have no ill intentions toward you.”

  The driver guided the vehicle through the busy downtown core. The second Escalade followed, shadowing every turn and lane change. I wasn’t sure how to take advantage of the opportunity I faced.

  “I’m aware of my parents’ involvement with you. I know you expected me to grow up to be a good little agent like my sister. Sorry about that.” I settled in against the seat. There was no telling how long this would take, so I might as well get comfortable.

  “I’ll be honest,” Briggs nodded, tugging at his seat belt so he could turn more in his seat. “We’d hoped you would join the FPA, but we can’t force you. Although, we would certainly still be interested in working with you.”

  He let that hang between us. I considered the many ways I could respond. My instant reaction was to tell him to shove it up his ass. Anger didn’t make wise choices though.

  “If this is about Shya, you can save your breath. I told you already, I don’t know shit about his plans. I kill for him to keep a secret. That’s all.”

  “A secret? Meaning the supernatural activity in this city?” Briggs’s dark eyes searched me. He was keenly observant, taking note of my every blink and breath.

  “That’s right. I kill other supernaturals, the idiots that don’t know how to keep a low profile. There’s no more or less to it.”

  “To avoid public exposure.”

  “Obviously.” I knew he was trying to figure out how that could benefit Shya. I would certainly never tell Briggs about Shya’s belief that keeping the public in the dark about us gave us more power over them and kept us safe. It was a belief I shared.

  “Sure, that’s your story,” he replied with skepticism. “We both know there’s more to it. You’re one of several unique, powerful types in Shya’s arsenal. I’m sure he doesn’t need that kind of power to police the idiots. But, who am I to say?”

  I
was growing increasingly uncomfortable. Somehow, I managed to sit still, giving Briggs a disaffected stare.

  “Come on, Briggs. This can’t be why you tracked my phone and hauled my ass in here,” I said, trying to steer the conversation in a new direction. “What do you want?”

  He appeared pensive, choosing his words. “I want you to replace Veryl Armstrong as our informant.”

  I wasn’t sure what to think of that. Laughter was my initial reaction. Briggs glowered at me, waiting for me to get it out of my system.

  “Now, why the hell would I want to do that?” I asked, sobering quickly.

  “Well for one, it would make me a whole lot more likely to turn a blind eye toward your dirty little whorehouse and what goes on inside.” Raising a dark brow, Briggs pinned me with an arrogant sneer. “Besides, it seems only fitting, seeing as you’re the one who killed him.”

  My lips twitched into a hint of a smirk. Briggs really thought he knew it all. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about killing Veryl. He had hidden so much from me. I still felt the bitter sting of betrayal. Yet, as I continued to uncover pieces of the puzzle, it became clear that there was more to Veryl’s actions than I’d first thought. I was starting to think he might have been trying to protect me all along.

  “I sure did. I had my reasons. When it becomes illegal to kill a vampire, maybe I’ll share them with you. You might want to try something else. That tactic isn’t going to work.”

  “I’m trying to protect this city, O’Brien. It would be nice if you’d like to do the same. Then, we could come to some kind of agreement.” Briggs spread his hands as if trying to appeal to my common sense. “I’m not your enemy. I have a job to do. For this city, this country. The world even. Supernatural shit isn’t contained by borders. You know that. You have an opportunity to play an important role here.”

  “So, what are you saying? If I don’t I’ll be labelled some kind of supernatural terrorist threat? I bet you have some swanky government term for that. I’m not your enemy either, Agent. But, I have no interest in working for you.”

  “Then work with us.” Briggs leaned forward, his voice rising in volume. “Look, Alexa, I have information on Shya. I think you have some, too. If you’re not on the inside with him, then I think it’s safe to assume you and I want the same things as far as he’s concerned.”

  “And, what might that be?” My curiosity was piqued. If Briggs knew something about Shya that I didn’t, I wanted to know what it was.

  “To stop him from tearing innocent lives apart. Freedom from the wait. Never knowing what he’s up to, but always knowing whatever it is, it’s gonna be big and fucking bad.” Anger flickered through his eyes, and he clenched his fists. “Do you share that burden, or am I alone in that?”

  I met his gaze steadily, repressing the flicker of hope that leapt in my chest. Could it be possible that I could trust the FPA regarding Shya? It seemed too good to be true. It would be so damn nice to have someone on the outside who understood how dangerous the demon was.

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “I share that burden. More so these days than ever before.”

  I glanced out the tinted window, watching the buildings pass by. I disliked Briggs immensely. He was near the top of my shit list after what he’d done to Kale. I held him responsible for Kale’s snap in sanity. Still, I needed someone on my side with this. It would be a risk to trust him but one that might be worth taking.

  “I know he’s had a heavy hand in controlling your life since your parents died,” Briggs spoke softly. “I’m sorry about that. He’s not here by accident. He chose this city for a reason. And you. But, I’m not sure how much I can share. I need to know I can trust you.”

  I swung my gaze back to Briggs, letting the wolf rise up to fill my eyes. He did a great job of maintaining his composure. Only the subtle increase of his pulse gave away his unease.

  “Trust is a two way street, Briggs. How the hell am I supposed to trust a man who keeps people locked up like animals?”

  “There’s more to it than that.” His response came fast, and for the first time, he couldn’t meet my eyes. “Those people are dangerous. They are a threat to the general public. Every single one of them. ”

  “Then why not just kill them?” I countered, my suspicions growing.

  “It’s not that simple. We need them.”

  I nodded, my suspicions confirmed. “Right. Stop the vehicle and let me out. We’re done here.”

  The driver looked to Briggs for direction. He shook his head and waved off my demand.

  “I don’t call all the shots; I take orders from the top. What happens with those people is not my call. It’s irrelevant to this discussion. Can you honestly say your moral track record is squeaky clean? You’ve killed humans. You recently turned one. If we let our personal business stand in the way, we will never have a hope in hell of stopping Shya.”

  The smell of so many humans was starting to get to me. Being confined in the Escalade with them was slowly becoming a true test. The hunger that struck me inside the dance club lurked, waiting for a chance to shatter my fragile control.

  “So, if we put our heads together to figure out Shya, then you never get involved in my business or personal activity? Is that a guarantee?” I let my breath out slowly. My mind raced as I tried to think of anything to diminish the bloodlust’s hold. I would not lose it in a car full of FPA agents.

  “As long as you keep your activity quiet and stay away from my agents. I don’t need a repeat of what happened with Bianca.” Briggs snorted in disgust.

  “What exactly did happen with her? I wasn’t part of that.”

  Briggs was almost fuming. His cell phone beeped, stealing his attention. When he looked back at me, he forced a fake nonchalance.

  “Arys roughed her up pretty badly. He made her talk. She told him about an item we’ve been looking for. One that Shya is also seeking. I don’t know how much she told him, but it was enough. I had to kill her.” He shrugged, as if taking out one of his own was all in a day’s work.

  Bianca was dead. That little bomb left me shaking on the inside. I should have been happy to hear the vampiress who had seduced my wolf mate was nothing but ash and dust, but I wasn’t. I felt cheated because I hadn’t been the one to do it.

  “That’s another thing,” Briggs continued. “Arys Knight. Keep him away from my people. I can’t afford to lose anyone else, especially not to a vampire doing Shya’s dirty work.”

  “Alright,” I said, my gaze narrowed and stern. “Same goes for you. Keep your agents out of my nightclub. Nobody touches another of my vampires or werewolves, either.”

  The Escalade circled around the downtown district, heading toward The Wicked Kiss. It was time to wrap this up. There was a moment of silence that quickly grew awkward. I could feel Briggs staring at me while I peered out the window.

  “What, Briggs? Just spit out whatever’s on your mind.”

  “You and Arys. You’re not just lovers. I hear you’re very powerful together. How does that work?”

  I chuckled. So, Mr. Big Time Government Agent didn’t know everything. “In order for me to tell you, I’d have to know the answer myself. Don’t worry about it. We’re none of your concern, I promise.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  We pulled to a stop in front of The Wicked Kiss. The doors opened, and the agents who were piled in next to me got out, moving so I could exit the vehicle. Briggs got out, too, waiting until every agent was back inside the Escalade.

  “We need to share information. Somewhere private and safe.” He cast a critical look at the nightclub, watching the patrons lingering near the door.

  “I’d suggest consecrated ground. Everywhere else is suspect. Besides, until I know you have something serious to share, I’m not going to be too eager to play nice with you.” I turned to go, dismissing him. Boldly, he grabbed my arm to stop me.

  He quickly let go, but the heat from his h
and lingered. “Shya stole information from us regarding an underworld artifact. It’s hidden in a sealed chamber that’s been closed off for over a thousand years. He wants to reopen it. If he gets his hands on that artifact, he’ll rise through the ranks of the demon hierarchy. He’ll be pretty much unstoppable.” Briggs opened the passenger door of the truck and glanced back at me over his shoulder. “Is that serious enough for you?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  I was stunned. Yeah, that sounded pretty damn serious. It also answered a few questions.

  “Hey, Briggs,” I called before he could close the door. “Next time you want to talk, call me. Tracking my phone is tacky and shady.”

  I watched the government vehicles disappear down the street. When I turned to go into the club, Willow was standing right behind me. I jumped and swore.

  “I’m really not a fan of this popping out of thin air thing you guys do.” I ran a hand through my hair and tried to decide where to start. “I need to ask you about something Briggs just said.”

  “Sure, but first Alexa, I need to warn you. Something happened here while you were gone.” He stopped me from proceeding. That’s when I noticed the near empty parking lot.

  “What now? It was Kale, wasn’t it?” I shoved by Willow, running across the lot to the front doors.

  I burst through the doors, expecting to find Kale in the middle of a blood bath. What I found was a demon. Brook stood in the middle of the club, his black wings outstretched. He held a yellow envelope in one hand.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I didn’t know if I should be afraid of him, but I wasn’t. I’d watched him be tortured at Falon’s hand and saw him act like a subservient manservant for Lilah; I would not be intimidated by him.

  “Waiting for you.” Brook’s black eyes landed on Willow and seemed to grow darker. “I have something for you. I need to see that it gets directly into your hands.”

  “And, you had to make a scene and empty my club to do that? Lilah can’t send her bottom feeding lackeys in here every time she wants to take a shot at me. That card has been played. Tell her to up her game or leave me the hell alone.”