She scoffed. “We’ve had this discussion. Your justice system is corrupt, and half your police force is probably in the pockets of the criminals. I’m cutting out the middleman and having some fun in the process.”
“You can’t go around doing whatever you want. There are consequences.”
“Like what? I wanted you, and I did you.”
Flushing, I looked back at the map. “Consequences like getting shot or getting someone innocent attacked in an alleyway.” I felt her body language change as her shoulders dropped.
“You’re right, I didn’t want that to happen.”
“Which part?”
She had started sucking on the spoon again even though it was empty. “All of it.” We watched each other for a beat before she pointed to a building circled in red. “What’s this?”
“A nightclub, Urban.”
“Oh yeah, I know that place. There are a lot of shifty fucks around there. It was on my hit list, but there’s always so much security. It would take a lot to get through, even for me.”
“I think it’s the base for some crime lord or something from what I’ve been told, cost me a fuckload of cash bribes to get that information, people were not willing to talk about it. I’m guessing they might own a lot of the places you targeted, intentional or otherwise.” I looked up from the map, rubbing my eyes when the colors started to blur together. “I mean, you probably pissed off every crime syndicate in the city, but this one sounds like the biggest.”
“Crime lord, eh? Like a real-life movie,” Ray cried.
She sounded so excited I felt the corner of my lips lift into a grin. “I don’t know what else to call it, okay? What’s the correct terminology for this?”
Ray shrugged. “Let’s just go with crime lord. It sounds cool.”
“All right, wouldn’t be worth doing this if it didn’t sound cool.”
“You get it.” She winked at me and ignored my sarcasm as I shook my head. “So we just… head down there?”
It was my turn to shrug. “Sure, why not? Got to start somewhere, but I doubt they’ll be open until later, though.”
“I dunno. If there’s someone in there worth seeing, they might be there outside of opening hours. Doing business.”
“That’s almost a useful insight.”
She poked my eyebrows where they furrowed with the spoon, giggling that laugh of hers, the one I still felt didn’t match her look or demeanor. But now, it was hard to imagine her laughing any other way. “Don’t sound so surprised.” Ray winked again. “But…” she added, popping the spoon back in her mouth, “… if you’re worried there’ll be no one worth seeing there, I’m sure we can find some way to keep ourselves occupied for a few hours.”
As she spoke, Ray stepped closer to me, and I froze, my stomach a mixture of fear and arousal. I couldn’t deny we had chemistry, chemistry which exploded in mind-blowing sensations last night, but it must have been due to her nature. There simply can’t be any other explanation. Because now, in the light of day, I couldn’t get the word out of my head.
Demon.
Ray wasn’t human but a supernatural being. The things of nightmares, and—I swallowed heavily, remembering the sensations of her mouth—apparently also of dreams. What happened last night can’t happen again, and I can’t allow myself to become clouded to what she really is.
Demon.
Her body language changed as she reacted to mine. I couldn’t control the tensing of my shoulders and back, and there was a pang of guilt in my chest at the way her face dropped. Ray didn’t back away from me. If anything, she seemed to edge closer and leaned forward slightly so she crowded into my space. A frown began to cloud her otherwise curious expression as she studied me, and I rubbed my arms before crossing them over my chest. She had a knack for making me feel small and weak—taking control in the bedroom I could handle, but the way she intimidated me now with her sheer presence, I hated it. I spent years building myself up to be as strong as my brothers, stronger even, and although none of it meant anything to them before or after my discharge, I wasn’t afraid of anybody.
Until now.
Until Ray.
Worse was I wasn’t scared of her, not really. But I was of what she represented, of a world that most humans live in blissful ignorance of, and I wished I could go back to being oblivious.
Demon.
The reminder was strong in my mind, and I couldn’t shake it. I didn’t want to shake it. I needed the constant replay of the truth in my head and the surge of fear when she stepped too close.
The adrenaline rush that spiked when her skin brushed mine I put down to being in a defensive mode, something I switched to on instinct now after years of training.
Although the warmth between my thighs screamed otherwise.
Ray was a demon from Hell.
And I couldn’t let her be any more than that.