Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(44)

“I will kill you if you knock her up,” Daniel said. “Fuck any deal we had, Dev. She’s not one of your baby mamas, and I’m sure with the life you’ve led, you have plenty.”

“I don’t have any children in this world. Like I said, I take care of my lover.” Dev was letting Daniel get really close. “I don’t put her in the hospital.”

Daniel stopped. “This world? How many kids did you leave behind in Faery when you decided to f*ck half the Western world?”

I got to my feet because I was interested in that discussion. It was, however, a conversation that should be happening between me and Dev, not aired for all our crew to enjoy. “The two of you need to stop it.”

Then Daniel was the one on the ground, his powerful legs tangled in a flurry of vines and shiny weeds. They wound themselves around his body, starting at his legs but were more than happy to envelope every inch of him. They came from everywhere, springing from the dead ground to hold their master’s prey tightly to the dirt.

Daniel struggled against the tide, but there were too many of them. This was often the way Dev’s magic went, utterly wild. Daniel couldn’t have picked a worse place to have it out with his rival. The woods around the cemetery were thick with plants waiting for a part fertility god to bring to life and command.

That burst of spring in the winter started to pull Daniel underground. He punched through the vines but more came to pull him back in. I saw a clawed hand attempt to rip through his bindings, trying to clutch the ground as he began to go under. It was like the earth was dragging him down, and I’d had enough.

“Stop it, Dev. You’ve made your point.” My hands shook. The last thing I needed was a pissing contest.

Dev’s hair was wild, and that perfect male-model image he went for had been ruined to the point that he looked brutal. I’d seen Dev fight before and knew he was more than competent, but now I realized he was just as capable as Daniel of loving the kill. Dev just hid it better.

“I’m serious, Dev,” I shouted.

Daniel was completely underground, every trace of him erased by creeping vines. It was too much like a grave, and the thought of Daniel in it gave me the chills. Dev finally dropped his hands and walked to me. There was no tenderness in his eyes as he took my hand and started to pull me away.

“Let’s go,” he growled. “Wouldn’t want to miss cocktail hour.”

“Daniel.” I turned back to where I had seen him last.

“He’s a big boy. He’ll manage.”

The ground quaked as Daniel “managed.” He burst from the earth sending dirt and plants flying in all directions. Dev instinctively pulled me close and covered my head with his arms. Daniel flew up and was back on his feet, not caring to brush the dirt from him before he was coming for Dev again.

“You, get in the car,” I ordered Dev.

“Sure thing, boss,” he replied, sarcasm dripping.

Daniel pointed our way. “Not on your life, Quinn. We finish this.”

“Can’t,” Dev said in a calm tone that would drive Daniel crazy because he wanted a fight. “My girlfriend says I’m not allowed to fight.”

“You’re gonna listen to her?” Daniel taunted. “You’re pathetic.”

Dev shrugged as he backed up. “Hey, I might be * whipped, but at least I got some *. Come to think of it, I got your *, buddy.”

Dev had the good sense to duck as the several hundred pounds of marble headstone flew at his head. He flipped Daniel the bird as he got into the sedan and started it up.

“Nice, Danny.” What a way to start a job. “I swear if the two of you f*ck up this job, I’ll leave you both. I’ll move to a new city, and I’ll find a new crew.”

“I’m trying to protect you,” Daniel argued.

I shook my head, not willing to go into it with him. Protecting me was Daniel’s excuse for everything. He stayed away to protect me. He left me behind to protect me. He lied to me to protect me. Now he tried to start World War III with Dev because it would protect me. I didn’t want to hear it.

And, to top it all off, Dev hadn’t bothered with the luggage. He was far too busy revving the engine to help me out. Chad came over and was kind enough to lift the two suitcases Dev and I had brought. He carried them to the car and tapped the back. Dev was gracious enough to hit the button that released the trunk, and Chad slid the luggage in.

“Don’t be too hard on him,” Chad said quietly.

“Which one?” I had to ask because I was thinking about throttling them both.

“Daniel,” Chad clarified. “I was listening in, too. I think Daniel is figuring out what the rest of us already knew.”

“And what’s that?”

“Dev isn’t some fling. It might have started out that way, but you’re not the kind of girl who can be that intimate with a man and not have her heart get involved. Daniel is waiting for you to get Dev out of your system and come back to him. He’s starting to realize he could lose you. I don’t think he’s going to handle that well.”

I shook my head. Chad had seen an awful lot in a single week. “I can’t deal with that right now. I have to go. We’re on a deadline. We have to be in Vegas next week, and if I don’t have the Revelation, I can’t even try to rescue Sarah. We’re never going to get a better shot at this.”