Riley Jensen 03 - Tempting Evil Part 18

"Are you from the red pack?"

Oh G.o.d... he did suspect. But how? Who was the man behind the mask, who was he in my life?

I forced a casual shrug. "I don't know. My mother was human, and never sure who my father was."

"You have the coloring of the red pack."

"She was Irish. I have her coloring."

"Ah. The offspring of a groupie."

I nodded. Wondered if he believed me. There was no expression on his face, no flicker in his eyes, to indicate whether he did or didn't. Just the emotive swirl of evil sucking the very goodness from the air.

"We should talk some more," he said eventually.My heart just about stopped. I might want to kill him but I certainly didn't want to talk to him. Not now. Not later. Not anytime.

Even killing him wasn't an option right now, not only because of Merle and the black thing, but because Jack would kill me if I did anything before we'd discovered the location of the final lab.

"Talking is fine with me."

He smiled for real this time. It was the nastiest thing I've ever seen. "As if you even had the choice, my dear." His gaze moved to Merle. "Bring her in for brunch."

His words sent another shiver down my spine. I had a bad feeling Starr's idea of "brunch" was not toast and orange juice, but something a whole lot darker. Bloodier.

Merle nodded, and hitched his pants. "Is that all for now?"

Starr snorted and glanced back at me. "My a.s.sistant hungers. Prepare for a rough ride, my dear."

I arched an eyebrow. "And Mr. Moss?"

"Will undoubtedly be annoyed at missing the action." He glanced at Merle again. "Do not forget the wh.o.r.e bus."

He nodded. As Starr left, that switch went on again, drowning me in heat and desire. Merle held out a hand, and I went to him, my legs so wobbly it felt like they were about to give way at any moment.

His large hand wrapped around mine, his fingers rough and burning hot. I shivered, and knew in that instant what Rhoan had been trying to tell me. It wasn't the s.e.x that was the worry, it was this-the feeling that evil was about to invade, and somehow corrupt.

All I could do now was remind myself it was better this man than Moss.

Merle glanced over my head, and though he didn't say anything, the soft sound of footsteps indicated the spirit lizard was leaving.

His gaze came back to mine. In the tawny depths of his eyes, l.u.s.t and insanity seemed to rage. Or maybe that was just my imagination-a natural result of the force of his aura combined with the base sense of his foulness that filled every quick intake of breath.

"We shall f.u.c.k here first." Merle tugged me around the sofa. "The scent of s.e.x will inform Moss of what he has missed."

"That doesn't sound very friendly to me." The words came out breathless, sounding antic.i.p.atory when the opposite was true.

The force of his aura might be such that my skin burned and I ached for s.e.x, but part of me recoiled at the thought of spending any time with this man.

It was weird.

I was a werewolf. s.e.x was part of our psyche, part of our soul. Come full-moon time, I'd f.u.c.k the devil himself and wouldn't give a d.a.m.n. So why this reluctance? Was it just the inherent sense of depravity I was picking up from Merle, or was it simply the fact that I was f.u.c.king him under orders from the Directorate, thereby taking one more step toward finally becoming a full guardian?

Was it a combination of both?

I didn't know.What I did know was that I needed to talk to my brother. Desperately.

"Friendly is a matter of perspective." Merle pressed the hot ends of his fingers lightly against my chest and pushed me backward. I let myself fall onto the sofa, and watched as he stripped off his pants. Thankfully, his c.o.c.k was standard stuff-no barbs, no furry stripes, just slightly less than regular-sized pinkish flesh. "He survives. That's friendly enough for anyone."

So the guard had been telling the truth when it came to the relationship between these two men. Interesting. But given my reaction to Moss, it definitely wasn't something I wanted to work with.

His gaze ran down my length, and an antic.i.p.atory grin split his lips. "I would f.u.c.k you for your looks alone, but it is a true bonus to do so first when Moss has chosen you."

He climbed on top, crouching on all fours over me. His aura revved up another notch, and suddenly it felt like I was drowning in a liquid that was all heat, all desire.

"Do not move. Do not talk."

Or what? I wanted to ask. But talking had become impossible under that wash of burning desire. All I wanted to do was obey.

To feel him inside, foul or not. Pa.s.sive wasn't much fun, but I guess fun wasn't the point of this whole thing. Not for me, anyway.

He thrust inside. With the force of his aura still a.s.saulting my senses, the feeling of his flesh driving inside was such a relief a rumble of pleasure rolled up my throat. G.o.d, part of me was more than willing to be silent and still if it meant easing a little of the ache. And it didn't matter how bad his essence or how little I actually wanted him-my body screamed for the release only rigid flesh could bring.

Only it didn't get it.

It turned out Merle wasn't the caring, sharing type. He came far too quickly, leaving me aching with need and more than a little put out. A situation that was not improved when he dragged me up from the sofa then hauled me down the far end of the hallway to his own cold-feeling rooms. Where the whole process began again.

Frustrating, to say the least.

Especially since it pretty much set the tempo for the remainder of our time together. He used his aura like most men used foreplay, and while it made me ready for him, it also became incredibly boring-something I never thought I'd say about s.e.x.

But then, I was never one for pa.s.siveness. I liked to get involved, to play and feel and taste. And occasionally, dominate.

Which meant, of course, I had to find something else to do while he got his trigger-happy rocks off. Short of throwing his dull a.s.s off and finding a real lover, that was.

And really, there was only one avenue of exploration left-my senses.

Or rather, my psychic senses.

There were no cameras in Merle's room that I could see, and I hadn't felt the electronic buzz of deadeners anywhere within the mansion-even down here, in either Moss's or Merle's rooms. But Dia had mentioned their presence and I had no reason to doubt her. Besides, I'd seen them in the arena, so they had to be elsewhere. And while I had read the guard's mind with ease, maybe all it meant was that the elevator somehow ran under the radar of the deadeners.

Or maybe my talents were.

The implications of which wasn't something I wanted to waste time thinking about, though I was more than willing to test the full extent of any supposed increase, I carefully slid aside one layer of shields, suddenly grateful for all the weeks of training Jack had been giving me. Dia might have exposed a weakness in my telepathy skills when it came to attack, but that wouldn't be a problem here as I had no intention of dropping all shield layers to attack Merle. I just wanted to test whether I could read his thoughts or not.

And I could.

Sort of. His thoughts were there, a distant blaze of color I could see, but not quite touch.

But if I could see them, then surely I should be able to read them. I frowned and pressed a little harder. It felt like I was pushing through a wall of thick glue. Resistance dragged on every mental step, but it wasn't conscious resistance. Wasn't the sort of struggle that came from a telepath who realizes his mind is being invaded. Maybe Merle was too busy concentrating on satisfaction to grasp the fact his brain was being attacked. Or maybe my talents were simply slipping under his awareness in much the same manner as they were apparently slipping under the electronic deadeners.

But again, the whys of what was going on weren't important. Trying to reach and read Merle's thoughts was. The glue seemed to thicken near the center of the mental fence, and sweat broke out across my brow. My training with Jack had often left me mentally drained, but it had never left me physically exhausted, as this was threatening to. G.o.d, every ounce of strength I possessed was being channeled into trying to breach Merle's defenses, and my limbs were beginning to tremble with the effort.

If I wasn't careful, he'd surely notice something other than s.e.x was going on.

With the suddenness of a rubber band snapping, the glue gave way, leaving me mentally shaking but floating free in the rush of Merle's thoughts. Though rush was probably the wrong word to use-and if he was any indication, then men really did think of nothing more than reaching the big O during s.e.x.

I moved carefully through his surface thoughts, past the gathering rush of satisfaction, into the darker areas of non-active thought. The bus Starr had mentioned earlier was indeed the one bringing in fresh bedding meat for the pleasure of Starr's guests. Who were, as I'd guessed earlier, both the "department heads" of his own organization, and the various representatives from other cartels. Surprisingly, Starr had no intention of killing them. He was biding his time, waiting until he had gained enough trust to draw the true leaders of the other crime organizations into his nest. But he didn't intend just a ma.s.s murder, but a ma.s.s replacement. Starr was from the Helki pack, and many Helki wolves were also true shapeshifters-they could a.s.sume any human shape they desired. Starr would insert his own people as the head of these organizations, and the cartels wouldn't be any the wiser.

Merle's body began to grind harder against mine and the fire of gathering ecstasy was greater in his mind-a warning I'd better hurry before awareness returned and he caught me in his thoughts.

I slipped a little deeper, trying to find mention of Dia's kid or even a location for the labs. Nothing. Either I wasn't deep enough or Merle was a linear-thinking guy. The sort who only contemplated the things he had to do in the immediate future-which is why I could get so much information on the bus and the other cartels. One thought linked to the other.

Merle began to jerk spasmodically as his o.r.g.a.s.m hit, meaning I had to get out, p.r.o.nto. I pulled back through the glue, the process seeming a little easier the second time around. Or maybe it was simply the fact I was leaving, not entering.

As I opened my eyes, a sharp ringing split the air, just about frightening the s.h.i.t out of me. My heart seemed to leap up my throat, and I froze like a rabbit caught in a spotlight. Had someone somehow caught my psychic explorations?

Merle swore under his breath and climbed off, and I realized the ringing was a telephone, not an alarm of some sort. I blew out a relieved breath, then sat up and hugged my knees to my chest. Drawing deep breaths to ease the trembling that was part exhaustion, part fear, I looked around. And noticed, on the dresser near the bathroom doorway, a small set of keys.

The elevator I'd come down in had key locks. I had the code, so having the key was the next step forward. Whether the key that controlled the elevator was amongst those on the table was anyone's guess, but I had every intention of finding out. Of course, s.n.a.t.c.hing those keys and getting them out without being caught wasn't going to be easy. Especially when I had no clothes and basically nowhere to hide the keys.Well, there was one place. But shoving them up there wasn't exactly practical-and it would be more than a little noticeable given the maneuvering it would take.

Though cold steel was in some ways preferable to Merle's foul flesh.

Merle grunted and slammed down the phone. He didn't even look at me, just grabbed some clothes from the pile on a nearby chair and began dressing.

"Iktar," he said, as he pulled on his shirt.

A spirit lizard appeared in the doorway. Whether it was the same one that had been in Moss's room, or another, was anyone's guess. These things really did all look the same.

"Escort her back to the upper levels."

I shoved on my best outraged expression. "What? No 'thanks for the great time'? Not even a d.a.m.n shower?"

He snorted as he swept up the keys I'd been eyeing and shoved them in his pocket. "No. Now get your b.u.t.t out of here."

I flounced off the bed and out of the room-a fine piece of acting no one seemed to notice. The black thing led the way out of Merle's colorless rooms and down the sterile corridor, then key-coded the elevator. A soft chime indicated the elevator's arrival. As the doors opened, Merle stomped down the hall toward us, his expression dark as he stopped at the set of doors opposite. He inserted a key, then punched in a code and pressed his hand to the scanner pad. No bell chimed, but those doors opened to reveal, as I'd guessed earlier, another elevator.

More than that I had no chance to see as the spirit lizard all but pushed me inside our elevator.

My shoulder hit the wall with enough force to cause a grunt, but I quickly regained my balance and turned around. The spirit lizard pressed the ground floor b.u.t.ton, then turned to face me. l.u.s.t burned in his eyes, and his c.o.c.k was out and erect.

I crossed my arms and feigned indifference. "Looks to me like the servant wants in on the action."

His smile was every bit as cold and as dangerous as Merle's or Starr's, but it was the astute glint in his eyes that made me think something was going on-something other than just the need for a bit of s.e.xual relief.

"Which," he said, his soft tones barely audible over the hum of machinery as the elevator began to ascend. "I will get, or I shall inform my masters just what it was you were doing while you were being f.u.c.ked."

Panic rose, swift and hard, but I forced myself to ignore it. If he'd been intending to report me, he would have done so by now.

I clung to that belief, to the feeling that he wanted something more than s.e.x, and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

His smile grew. As did his c.o.c.k. A tremor ran down my spine. G.o.d help me, part of me wanted what he was offering. Wanted to feel his dangerous flesh inside.

d.a.m.n Merle and his selfishness.

"They can see, but not hear us, you know."

Like I was going to trust his word. I merely smiled.

"As long as this elevator is moving, they cannot hear conversation. The machinery interferes with the signal and they cannot fix it.

And the guard who currently watches the monitors does not lip-read." I still wasn't trusting him, so I simply asked, "And why arc you telling me this?"

"Because I can taste the use of psychic power, as much as you might taste the scents carried by the wind. I know what you were up to."

Oh, f.u.c.k. I should have done as Jack asked, and scouted things out before going full steam ahead. What the h.e.l.l was I going to do now? I glanced down at his c.o.c.k. The thick spines lining it. Not f.u.c.k him, that was for sure.

"Yes," he continued, obviously catching my look if not the actual direction of my thoughts, "I can taste auras as well as telepathy."

My gaze rose to his. "You bring that near me, and I will kill you."

He raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think you could get close enough to kill me before I rendered you unconscious?"

The mere fact I'd killed his like before-but that wasn't exactly something I could admit.

He glanced up at the floor indicator. "We have ten seconds left. I want you to meet me near the front of the zoo in half an hour.

If you don't, I shall report your activities and you will be killed." His dark gaze met mine. "Deal?"

"I have a choice?"

He merely smiled and stepped away as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. I walked out and headed back to my room. Berna and Nerida weren't in their beds, which given the ratio of men to women in the arena didn't entirely surprise me.

And some men did prefer their bedmates at least willing rather than simply paid vessels of satisfaction. Though I guess that's exactly what those of us who were here as fighters were anyway-we just had a little more choice in the matter.

I hesitated near the foot of my bed, briefly consumed by the ache of tiredness. I wanted to sleep, to just lay down and forget Merle and Starr and every other weirdo in this G.o.dforsaken place. But sleep wasn't an option just yet, because I had a lizard to meet, a brother to find, and an ache to ease. I grabbed my toiletries bag and headed for the shower. A good scrub washed the smell and feel of Merle from my skin, but did nothing for the trepidation curling through my gut. I needed to talk to someone now, not later, and the only choice I had was Jack.

I headed outside, ensured no one was within listening distance, then lightly pressed the com-link. "Hey, boss, you awake?"

"About time you reported in," he growled. "I was starting to worry."

Yeah, he was so worried he'd sent in the rescue troops. Not. "You're the one who insisted on sending in the amateur. Don't whine at me if I don't do things the way you want them done."

He grunted. What that meant was anyone's guess. "What's happening?"

I headed up the small path that snaked around the building and onto the zoo. "Several things. Some good, some bad."

He sighed. "Tell me."

"Well, I've rubbed groins with Merle and made him a happy, happy man. And I've discovered that, with a little effort, I can slip through his thoughts, though I didn't dare go too deep tonight."