The scent of liquor, sweat, and dozens of artificial fragrances hung heavy in the front room. The crowd was packed around us, their hormones creating a pungent cocktail in the air, telling me who was aroused, who was afraid, who was angry. Music pounded through the walls, heavy bass vibrating from a sound system at the other side of the room. Marijuana and tobacco wafted through the air, and I caught the sharp scent of cocaine. In the corner, two women downed pills with tequila shots. They locked eyes with me from across the room, their gazes heavy, their intentions clear.
“Everyone keeps staring at you,” Juniper said, her arms folded as she looked around the milling crowd.
“Do you have a problem with that?” I came around in front of her, leaning my arm against the wall beside her. “If I decided to kill everyone who looked too long at you, I would have murdered half the party by now, and be well on my way to shredding the rest.”
She gave me a mischievous smile, the same kind of smile she’d given me before she carved her name into my chest. “Honestly, I like it. It’s kind of hot to see how many people can’t keep their eyes off you.”
I leaned down, brushing my lips against her neck. She sucked in her breath and clutched her hand around my wrist. “I like seeing them stare at us. Any one of them would be lucky to have us fuck them. But both of us? Together?”
She was barely restraining her smile as I pulled back to look at her. “We’d absolutely murder an orgy.”
I tweaked an eyebrow. “Literally, or figuratively?”
“Depends on the circumstance.” She used that hand on my wrist to reverse our positions, pressing her body up against mine, my back against the wall. “Under other circumstances, I’d bring those two women over here and get them on their knees for me. Maybe I’d even let them beg for permission to touch you.”
“Goddamn. It’s going to be really fucking hard to hide a boner right now, Juniper.”
She giggled sadistically, groping me through my trousers. “Easy there, demon boy. There’s only one reason we’re here. We can fuck around later.”
“I’ll hold you to that. But right, right. Murder bitches, get fucked…or something like that.”
She gave me a long, exasperated stare. “It’s fuck bitches, get money, Zane.”
“Right, yeah, that’s what I said.”
Couples were grinding on each other around us, and people had gathered around several tables hosting drinking games out on the large balcony that wrapped around the house. The kitchen countertop was lined with snacks, and the island bar was covered with bottles of liquor in every size and color.
There was no sign of Kent, and I had the feeling we’d have to wait for an opportunity to sneak away and find him. Once the sun had set, and everyone was too drunk to notice, we’d move.
I leaned down to speak over the noise, “Want a drink?”
She nodded her head. “God, yes please. Just don’t make it dangerous.”
“Oh, I always make them dangerous, love.”
In the kitchen, I surveyed the bottles on the countertop before taking my picks from among them. The woman beside me kept staring at me over her drink, and when I glanced over, she swayed drunkenly and gave me a messy grin.
“Damn, Steph, you’re looking fine as hell!” A man latched on to her, squeezing her ass as she squealed. I didn’t need to see his face to know it was Jeremiah — the smell alone announced his presence. He brought his mouth close to the drunk girl’s ear, but he made sure he was loud enough for those around him to hear, “I’m having a little private party in my room, why don’t you head up there?”
She smiled and stumbled away as I began to shake the drink I’d concocted. Some humans considered themselves hunters too; humans like Jeremiah. But they preyed on the weak and vulnerable. They weren’t hunters, they were trappers: baiting, luring, and taking whatever they could. They knew they were unworthy of their prey, but they wanted it regardless.
It was pathetic.
Jeremiah was still leaning there, staring at me as I twirled the shaker in my palm. “Are you a bartender or something? Bet that gets you a lot of pussy, huh? All the bartenders I know get bitches like crazy.” He was pouring juice and vodka into a plastic cup. His shoulder kept bumping into mine, and I was really tempted to snap his arm from its socket. He was drunk and loud, all swagger and alcohol-infused confidence. “There’s a trick to it, though, you know?”
I glanced over, because he’d held up his palm in such a way that I knew he wanted me to see something.
What I saw was a tiny white pill — right before he dropped it into the shaker and began using a muddler to crush it amongst maraschino cherries. He winked at me, poured the drink into a cup, and left the kitchen.
Motherfucker.
I watched him move into the living room and offer the drink to a tiny woman with bobbed black hair and large glasses. Raelynn Lawson.
I poured my drink, watching as she took the cup, smiled and sipped. Fucking hell, where was Leon? I’d told him to let it go, but damn, the stubborn bastard never listened to me.
Rae kept drinking. She wouldn’t have a clue what was happening once that pill hit her system, and something told me Jeremiah wasn’t doing this just to convince her to join his “private party.” He’d have something even more sinister in mind.
I found Juniper leaning against the far wall, surveying the crowd. I pressed the cup into her hands, and said, “We have a bit of a problem.”
“I saw.” Her eyes were fixated on Rae, who raised her cup to her lips yet again. That girl was sipping down her own death and didn’t even realize. “Why would she drink anything he handed her? We have to stop her.”
“Can’t exactly drag her away,” I muttered. Jeremiah had moved away from her, but he’d be biding his time, keeping track of where she went. I hated pathetic little fucks like him.
Free will was inherent to existence, it was the one moral code we demons ascribed to. We couldn’t claim a soul unless the human was willing. We did nothing with mortals nor each other that wasn’t desired by everyone involved. To force one’s own will upon another was considered deplorable.
Our target tonight was Kent, but I really wished it was Jeremiah instead.
“We have to get her to come to us then,” Juniper said. The girl’s eyes flickered toward us, as if she could feel us watching. She looked a little too long to hide her interest, and Juniper smiled. “I got this.”
Juniper was a natural. I’d seen her flirt before — in those years when I’d stalked her, keeping my distance, I’d seen how quickly she could turn on her charm to get what she wanted. It had been my own self-inflicted pleasurable torture, to follow her into clubs and watch her dance, or lead a stranger to the bathrooms for a hook-up. I’d never been one for jealousy — few demons were. I was possessive, but I liked watching.
The smaller woman was instantly flustered by Juniper’s approach, her cheeks going pink as Juniper leaned close to her ear, smiling, and lightly touched her arm. They both glanced back toward me, and I picked up the remote for the television so I could flip through the music playlists.
They were coming back, Juniper leading Rae by the hand. Rae’s eyes moved over me appreciatively, but it was Juniper who’d captured her attention. As the song I’d chosen began to play, Juniper moved Rae between the two of us, her arms around the smaller woman’s neck, their bodies close as the three of us danced. My woman could move. Her hips swayed, her body teasing close to Rae’s as Raelynn moved closer to me.
Juniper whispered in Rae’s ear, too softly for anyone else to hear over the music, “You need to stop drinking that, babe.”
But not drinking didn’t seem to be what was on Rae’s mind, because she took another heavy sip. Juniper’s eyes darted up to mine. I nodded, and Juniper tugged Rae by the hand, winding her through the crowd as I followed close behind. We found a bathroom around the corner and crowded inside, and I used my body to block the door as Juniper moved a very confused Rae over to the toilet.
“What — what are you —”
“I told you to stop drinking it,” Juniper hissed, gripping Raelynn by the back of her neck as the girl stared at her with wide-eyed confusion. Juniper snatched the cup from her hands and set it next to the sink as she said, “Sorry, babe, it’s for your own good.”
Then she had her fingers down Raelynn’s throat, and even I winced as the girl gagged, vomiting into the toilet. She was fighting, weakly, but Juniper was easily able to keep her bent over, gagging her again until nothing came up but a weak heave. Juniper let her go, and Raelynn sunk down against the wall, looking between us with wide, terrified eyes.
“What — what the fuck — is wrong with you?” she gasped, clutching her throat. She’d likely be sore for a few days; Juniper hadn’t been gentle. It had also been hot as hell to watch my girl choke another until she gagged, and it made my human disguise slip a little.
Juniper was rinsing the cup out in the sink, filling it with tap water. “You’re gonna need to get a hell of a lot smarter if you’re gonna live, Raelynn,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t you ever, ever consume anything Jeremiah Hadleigh gives you.”
Rae sipped the water Juniper offered, looking at us like she expected us to attack her again at any moment. We needed to wrap this up. If the Hadleighs saw us hanging around their next victim, they’d be suspicious, and this entire thing could be ruined. Rae was really staring at me now, and recognition spread over her face.
“Zane,” she said softly.
“Took you long enough to recognize me,” I said, pouting. “Fucking hell, Leon wasn’t lying about you being a chore to keep alive. Sucking down roofies like you don’t have a care in the world.”
“Roofies?” Her voice cracked in alarm. “What —”
“Your drink was drugged, babe.” Juniper sighed. “The Hadleighs don’t intend for you to leave this party, let me make that perfectly clear. And I’ve got shit to do so — keep drinking that water, get your head straight — I need you to get it together and leave.”
As Rae gulped her water, looking utterly bewildered, I suddenly caught a familiar scent. Leon had finally decided to show up. His girl would have been passed out by now if we hadn’t intervened. But Leon was built for killing things; he’d have a hard time keeping a pet rock alive, let alone a woman who seemed determined to throw herself into danger.
He was coming closer, and rapidly. He was searching for her. Best not to keep them separated.
As if something in her sensed him, Rae looked up at me suddenly and said, “Is Leon here?”
“He’s around,” I said, and nudged Juniper’s arm. “Not watching you closely enough, that’s for certain.” I lowered my voice, leaning down so Juniper could hear, and said, “We need to start moving. Leon is here. He’s looking for her.”
Her eyes locked on mine, hard and instantly angry. I’d really been hoping I could continue to keep her and Leon separate, but it seemed that was no longer an option: Leon was right outside the door.
Oh, this was going to be so fun.
Juniper leaned down and grabbed Rae’s arm, pulling her to her feet. “Look, we’re gonna call you an Uber and you’re gonna go the hell home. Or get the fuck out of town, preferably. I’m not about to have everything ruined because the Hadleighs’ next sacrifice is ready to just lay herself at the altar.”
Juniper didn’t know Leon was close. Perhaps I should have warned her. But she nodded at me, and I opened the door — only to watch pure rage fall over her painted face.
