Business With Pleasure (Empathy in the Preternatural PNW Book 2) Page 15

  Chloe sighed, taking a step back from Madeline as well, shaking her head. Her own lust was receding behind a wave of annoyance. She glared at the succubus, shook her head harder like she was trying to dislodge a fly from her nose, and then her gaze wandered to the guard at the back of the room. They eyed each other for a minute—ignoring the fact that Madeline stood and all but cut off their line of sight—and then Chloe snapped herself out of it.

  “Cool it, Mad. We’re not here to hurt you. Or fuck you.” When nothing changed immediately, Chloe hopped forward, shot a fist out and punched Madeline in her shoulder just hard enough to knock the taller woman slightly off-balance. The lust in the room dissipated a little more, but I held onto my blanket of fear. Madeline straightened up, gave Chloe a mischievous little smile, and then took a very deep breath. Everyone else in the room seemed to exhale with relief.

  As I’ve said before, Madeline isn’t a very attractive woman. She’s tall, but it doesn’t work for her like with most women. Her limbs are ungainly, somehow looking out of proportion and unevenly muscled. She carries her weight in her front, pairing a saggy belly with wide hips above thighs that would be the star of any cellulite-themed tabloid. The yellow shirt she wore was too tight around her middle, really showing off the flab she carried just below her modest bust.

  Her skin is clear but ruddy around her nose and cheeks, as if she’s always just finished scrubbing too hard with a scalding washcloth. The hair on her arms is too dark and thick, though that particular trick of genetics had given her stunning lashes. Even after considering all that, one would still look on her face and be surprised at how unattractive it is. Buck teeth, small eyes, thin lips, and no chin were the least of her facial problems. She has a turkey neck, round cheeks and big ears.

  Despite her appearance, and the fact that I’m straight, it would not have taken much in the seconds before to get me naked and into her bed.

  “Sorry about that,” Madeline said, her voice just a touch too squeaky; she always sounds like she’s coming off a helium high. “It’s sort of a security measure. These guys,” she waved vaguely to the guard on her right, “are used to it and have been trained to resist, but outsiders walking in without an invitation? No chance.” When she turned back to Chloe they shared a look I didn’t understand, but I could feel frustrated, regretful embarrassment in Chloe.

  The guy to whom she referred cleared his throat and I looked him over. Like the others in the room, he was impressively thick. Some of the guys looked more doughy than beefy, but they all gave me food-type thoughts; that is, they made me want to put them in my mouth.

  Wincing over the residual lust—and if I wasn’t mistaken, Madeline’s hunger—still clouding my mind, I stepped outside to extend a helping hand down to Stan. He had fallen in such a way that the cut of his pants and the position of his legs hid any sign of whether or not he was still turned on. (I tried not to look, I swear.) Regardless, he refused to touch me, rolling over and pushing himself up and away from me. I dropped my hand when he didn’t take it, doing my best not to feel insulted. His eyes darted between Madeline and me before he cleared his throat.

  “Miss?” he asked, addressing her. “Can I ask that you refrain from using your powers on me?”

  Madeline’s lip quirked and I could tell she was confused about Stan’s politeness, but charmed by it anyway.

  “I will—assuming your friends here can vouch for you? While I haven’t met the man I’m hiding from, I do know he’s an attractive blond.” Madeline turned to Chloe, lifted a brow. Chloe nodded.

  “Vouched. This is Gwen’s ex. Harmless as an infant.”

  “Stanley Sneedley. Ma’am,” he said, unbothered by Chloe’s assessment of him. Rubbing his palms on his thighs, he took a few awkward steps widely around me through the living room. Holding out his right hand, he met her gaze and waited patiently. As Madeline took his hand, an emotion passed through her, and I tensed, concerned for a split second that she was going to break her word and pull him into an embrace.

  Something in his face changed her mind, though, and she let go of his hand and gestured behind her.

  “Let’s have coffee and we’ll talk. I promise,” she put her hand over her heart, “I’ll thin out the sex mojo until you’ve gone.”

  ##

  We sat around Madeline’s minuscule table while she moved about her small kitchen, pulling out supplies. She hummed something quietly as she put three different types of creamer, lumps of sugar, and mugs out on a tray. I spent the time building up my shields, knowing it wouldn’t stop her from making me horny, but feeling more secure for it anyway. I also spent some time inspecting the bins she had in the corner: trash and recycling filled with wrappers from sugary, fattening snacks.

  It answered my question about how a creature that fed on emotions had managed to get such a flabby mid-section.

  Madeline set the tray down in the center of the table, which only left us a finger’s width of table to work with. Chloe ignored the coffee and the tray full of various dairy creamer options but Stan cleared his throat and began politely pouring coffee into each cup. He didn’t meet my eyes but I noticed a light flush along his neck and ears. As Stan picked up the first creamer and busied himself reading the ingredients, possibly just as a distraction, Madeline sat. There was no more room at the table, but she had an extra dining chair against the back wall. Chloe turned her own chair away from Stan and me to face Madeline.

  “How are you all feeling?” Madeline asked.

  “Better,” Chloe said.

  “I still kind of want to shove Stan to the floor and take his pants off,” I admitted. He jerked away from me so quickly that his knee slammed against the leg of the table, making him grunt in pain. Tiny coffee tsunamis hit all three mugs, overtaking their sides. Chloe just gestured vaguely toward me.

  “Ditto me to Gwen.”

  “Really?” I asked, a bit shocked. Chloe looked at me just long enough to give a shrug and a nod and then turned back to Mad.

  “So, what’s the scoop? Why is someone after you?”

  “There’s another succubus in town, one I don’t know, and she’s killing people. I’ve got eyes and ears looking for her, but she’s pretty elusive. She showed up Tuesday, left a nasty corpse at the train station, and now seems to be hopping around the city.”

  “We think we know who she is, and we think she’s here for him.” Chloe jerked a thumb at Stan, who had moved subtly in his seat to face away from me, cradling his knee gently. I let him be nervous, pretending I hadn’t noticed.

  “Oh?” Madeline asked, shifting to cross her thick legs. She had to tuck her foot against the cabinet to keep the position, but she leaned forward and rested her forearms across her knee.

  “Yeah, name’s Norma, but I haven’t done much looking for her yet. I wanted to make sure it’s okay with you before I do.”

  I frowned at Chloe’s wording, wondering why she was pitching it so comfortably, as if she’d be the one hunting Norma down and putting a stop to her antics.

  “Well, she’s not kin, I can assure you. Speaking of, I’ve sent Callum away, just in case this…” Madeline sighed, shook her head. Her lip curled as she continued. “Investigator gets any ideas.”

  Uncomfortable looking directly at her, I turned my attention to the spilled coffee. It had bled to the edge of the tray, soaking the doily she’d laid under the pot. I glanced around the kitchen looking for napkins as Chloe continued.

  “Have you seen him?”

  “Nope. He and I have a history, though. He killed my mother.”

  We all froze, Stan and I looking back toward Madeline slowly, as if scared she was about go off on any one of us. She watched us blankly for a moment before laughing softly and shaking her head.

  “It was years ago and she was old enough that she deserved it.” Madeline met Chloe’s eyes and waved her hand by the wiry hair tufted out near her ear, as if that explained it. “You know. Regardless, I’m not terribly comfortable having him in my city
, let alone having him suspicious of my activities. After mother's death... Well, that has no bearing.” She turned her attention to me directly and I felt a sadness creep in that hadn’t been there just a moment before. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle, before.”

  “I…” Trailing off, I shrugged, unsure what to say. “It’s okay.”

  “No, I didn’t do my research. Well, I did, but not quite enough. I knew where he would be staying, but not that he had a date. The men I sent knew, though, which is doubly my fault. I should have specified that only he was to be addressed.”

  Stan turned to me and I felt my ears mirror the pink in his. Swallowing, I shook my head.

  “It was sort of last minute, and I didn’t get hurt.”

  “You could have, and that wasn’t my intention. In fact, no one should have gotten hurt, but I admit I panicked. After hearing about the death at the train station and being alerted that—” She met my eyes, quiet for a second as if considering exactly what to say. “What do you call him?”

  “Owen,” Chloe answered for me, nervous energy crackling through her in one quick line. Madeline’s eyes darted to her for a moment before she continued.

  “Once I’d heard Owen had come into town, that he’d shown up at my café even, I rushed into a plan without thinking.”

  “Have you alerted him that you’re not at fault for the deaths?” Chloe asked. Madeline sat back in her chair, uncrossed her legs and shifted into a decidedly un-feminine, open-kneed position. To avoid my eyes trailing to the crotch of her khakis, I rolled my gaze to the ceiling, became fascinated with the stucco.

  “I’ve attempted to send messengers, but none of them have come back to me. He’s frustratingly good at his job. One of the best since…” Madeline’s eyes trailed to Chloe, her lids going heavy as her lip quirked. I felt Chloe’s panic again and I took a deep breath, instantly worried Madeline’s hunger was taking over and one of us was about to throw ourselves into her open arms. In the end, she just kept speaking as if nothing had happened.

  “That’s why I’ve asked you guys to be here. I wanted to apologize to you, explain the situation, and ask that you get a message to him.” I could tell her eyes had turned back to me when her power leaked out to cloud about, soft and warm. I felt my nipples go hard, and it made me squeak.

  “Stop, please,” I admonished, moving my gaze back to her face. To her credit, she blushed a bit, her spine straightening.

  “Sorry. Habit.” I felt the lust she’d pushed onto me recede and I fidgeted in my own seat. Stan scooted his chair away from me and Chloe glanced at him minutely, fighting a smile.

  “I usually feed pretty consistently at work, a little here and there to keep myself sustained. But I’ve had only the guards around me and I’ve been keeping up a pretty thick cloud of—well, you felt it. I’m feeling a bit frazzled and drained. I think, if you hadn’t screamed and distracted me, someone in this room would have gotten lucky.” She gave a wide-eyed waggle of her eyebrows and Chloe snorted out a laugh.

  Stan swallowed thickly, his body language making it clear he was convinced he would have been the one crying, ‘Jackpot!’

  “I’ll try to get the message across that you’re not at fault here, but if we can’t?”

  “Then I’d stay away from Owen. If one of us has to go, I’m going to make sure it’s him.”

  “Understandable,” Chloe said, but there was a hint of displeasure behind it that her voice didn’t convey. She glanced at the puddle of coffee and then to Stan and me individually. Her gaze back on Madeline, she spoke.

  “Gwen and I actually found her second victim.”

  “Really?”

  “Friday morning at the QFC by work.”

  Madeline took a second to consider, a wisp of curiosity curling through the room. “And you think it’s this one she’s after?”

  Stan shifted uncomfortably in his seat when she gestured to him. “They think it’s a fan of mine.”

  “A stalker,” Chloe said. “Not a fan. You were at the café that morning, come to think of it. Can’t be a coincidence. Did you talk to anyone? Did anyone say anything weird to you while you were in line or anything? You may already know what Norma looks like.”

  “She wouldn’t come into my place,” Madeline said, shaking her head. Her voice went hard. “I don’t mark much as territory, but no other succubus will enter that building without my permission.”

  “I didn’t speak to anyone suspicious in any case,” Stan explained. “I got there early, figuring I’d get some breakfast before coming up to see Gwen. I actually got into a nice discussion with a young woman about books—not mine—after I ate. I’d been there at least an hour when you showed up.” He glanced at me but couldn’t seem to keep his eyes on mine.

  “If she was following you, it’s likely she waited some before giving up. It’s rare for one of us to be so timid in going after prey,” Madeline said, drumming her fingers on her knee. “Then again, the fact that she’s killing so recklessly means she’s abnormal. Perhaps it’s her time.” Madeline didn’t elaborate, but I thought back to her comment about her mother’s age.

  “We’ll do our best to let Owen know what’s going on.” Chloe said after a few moments. “He’s not going to stop looking for a perpetrator, but we’ll try to make sure he’s after her and not you.”

  “Unpleasant, if necessary. I’d prefer to take care of her.” A crease formed between her brows. “She should be taken out by one of her own, if possible. I dislike humans being brought in to punish those they don’t understand.”

  Guilt rolled off Chloe’s skin, but she stamped it out quickly. I frowned at the back of her neck and then glanced over to Stan. He didn’t seem to notice anything outside of his knee, as fascinated by it as I had been by the ceiling. Madeline pushed to her feet.

  “I can see you’re not interested in the coffee, so I’ll let you go. The sooner you get word to Owen, the better.”

  She reached out to take Chloe’s hand, and something passed out of her as skin touched skin. Chloe squinted at her, a small smile touching her lips.

  “I’m not a burger, Mad,” Chloe said, her voice gentle. Madeline let out a laugh and pulled her hand away.

  “Right you are. See yourselves out, then.” Winking at Chloe, she turned and headed out of the kitchen. “Too tempting,” she murmured as she rounded the corner.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Out in the car again, Stan let out a heavy breath, and I felt a spasm of stale panic rumble through his body. I’d let him have the front seat, as his legs were longer than mine and I felt bad that he’d been so uncomfortable inside. Chloe spoke up as we left Greenlake.

  “Did your fridge have any other words of wisdom? Maybe an address where we can find Norma?”

  “No address. It was pretty much all the same stuff as usual, though the candy thief wanted us to know it’s a fan of Stan’s books.”

  “Sugar addiction aside, it has good taste.”

  “Watch it,” I warned. Chloe laughed and reached back to pat my knee. She let her hand linger a bit too long and, in the wake of Madeline’s influence, I found I kind of liked it.

  “It also said something about your payment, Gwen,” Stan pointed out. Chloe pulled her hand up to place it back on the steering wheel and I rolled my gaze to Stan.

  “My what?”

  “It said you forgot your payment. Does this creature require currency in exchange for these notes it leaves?”

  “Just Twinkies and it takes those whether I want it to or not. If it’s going to start demanding cash as payment for—” I cut off, realization clicking into place. “Work, head to work.”

  “What’s at work?” Chloe asked.

  “My payment. When Laurell and Hardy—they left me something after we helped them with the kids. It was a little blue box and I locked it in my drawer at work. That has to be what this asshole means. It can’t be about a client or an insurance check. It has to be whatever the fairies gave me.”

  �
��You don’t know?” Chloe asked.

  “It wasn’t really…a good time. To check.”

  Chloe glance at me in the rearview mirror and I felt her disapproval, even though she said nothing. It was mere minutes until we pulled up to our office building, getting a lucky spot just as it became available right in front. Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and then lifted her skinny hips to get her wallet out from her pocket. I didn’t admire said skinny hips as they hovered to allow her fingers to slip into the tight pockets of her jeans, no sir-ree bob. She pulled out a twenty and handed it to Stan.

  “Get a sugar-free mocha while we run upstairs. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Stan blinked down at the bill in his hand, but didn’t refuse it. I got out, pulled his door open, and then reached across to unbuckle his seatbelt when he just sat there. His ears got pink again and I felt a rope of lust that wasn’t entirely him reach out and grab me. I pretended I felt nothing and stepped back so he could get out of the car without touching me. Chloe used her key fob to lock her car doors after they were all shut, and we headed up to the doors. Stan moved into the bustling warmth of the café while we unlocked the far doors and headed into darkness.

  Chloe bolted up the stairs like a pro, and I grumbled, wishing she’d sprung for the elevator down the hall. On a sigh, I followed her up, trying to match her pace. I found myself checking out the aforementioned narrow posterior more than I really felt was appropriate. Thinking back on how Chloe had said she’d considered taking out Madeline’s lust on me, I slowed. At the top of the stairs, Chloe turned to watch me and I found myself unable to meet her eyes.

  When she realized what was going through my mind, she fell into a fit of giggles. As I pushed open the stairwell door on our floor, she slapped my ass. I turned and did my best to glare. I think my eyes were a little more come-hither than go-thither, but she didn’t take it as an invitation to shove me against the door and stick her tongue down my throat.

  “So where’s this payment?” she asked.