Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian 3)

She grimaced. "He prefers force. He likes the taste of fear."

If he tried to force my brother, Rhoan would have him for breakfast. He might not mind a bit of rough but force was not something he tolerated - on himself or on others.

"Then none of these fights are serious?"

"Oh, they're serious. People do get hurt - broken bones and bleeding is something Starr insists on. Which is why most of those recruited for the ring are either shifters or weres. Healing is then not a problem."

Because shifters, like weres, were capable of healing when shifting. Of course, the fact that shifters generally thought themselves "superior" to weres in every way could make for some interesting times in the ring. Especially seeing most weres thought the same about shifters.

And really, the only real difference between any of us was the fact that weres were forced to shift with the full moon and shifters were not.

"You think this is the way I should go in?"

She nodded. "Those who fight in the ring have free run of the main house and grounds."

"And why would he give the fighters freedom and not the hookers? Surely he wouldn't trust them more?"

"No. But as a general rule, I've done a more intense background check on the fighters. And his halls are monitored by security twenty-four hours a day. He trusts them to keep an eye on what is going on."

"So it's just cameras?"

"And motion-sensing devices."

"Infrared?"

"Not yet in the house. There is infrared around the zoo, and I know he plans to install it elsewhere." She grimaced. "There was an attack by a rival recently that convinced him of the need. The vampire got very close."

"What happened to the vampire?" And was it perhaps my vampire? Though I guess that made no sense - if Quinn had known about Starr, he wouldn't have tried to ferret the information from my mind.

"The vampire was staked and left to the sun."

Definitely not Quinn, then. "Starr has a zoo?"

"Starr keeps a collection of nonhuman freaks." She shrugged. "It amuses his human guests."

I just bet it did. And it was a brilliant way to hide a growing force of specially bred assassins. "Isn't it a little dangerous to have humans around during the rising of the full moon?"

"Oh yes. But the moon dances provide good blackmail material, so Starr considers the risks well worth it." She smiled thinly. "What politician's family is going to raise a raucous if their loved one dies in such a compromising position? Few, let me tell you."

I raised my eyebrows. "So it has happened?"

"Of course."

"Ask her if she'd be willing to name names?" Jack said. "We need to check what they might have been forced into doing before their deaths."

I repeated the question, and Dia nodded. "I will provide a full list of everyone who goes to Starr's dances."

I studied her for a moment, then said, "You're being awfully helpful, and I'd like to know why."

Her smile was tight. "Because when Misha died, Starr did something to me he should never have done."

I raised my eyebrows at the low fury in her voice. "And that was?"

Her gaze came to mine, and a chill ran across my skin. I'd never really understood the phrase "if looks could kill," but it became all too clear as I stared into Dia's unseeing eyes. The devil himself would have quailed at the depth of anger and hatred in her powerful gaze.

"Deshon Starr took my daughter away from me," she said softly. "And I will destroy him - and destroy his whole filthy organization - if it is the last thing I ever do."

"Has he killed her:" I asked, even as I wondered why I was feeling sorry for a woman who'd obviously allowed herself to be evil's pawn for a very long time.