Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(29)

“I’m not an idiot, Zoey,” Marcus said and I could just see him shaking his head at me. “I know exactly where I put that stone and with whom. You run off to Faery with your Lancelot, and when you return, Marini has it in his possession again. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“I saved my husband’s life.” I hadn’t exactly willingly given the f*cker the stone. “Marini was going to kill Danny if I didn’t give it to him. Then where would your precious plans have been, Marcus? And while we’re on the subject, you can’t just disappear for months at a time. We needed you. Where the hell have you been?”

There was a tense pause before he continued. “You have some serious explaining to do, Zoey. Daniel says the three of you will be in London in a few days. I’ll meet you there, cara. I expect a full accounting of how this came about.”

The phone clicked off as Marcus hung up. I frowned. The whole “being the uncrowned queen of all Vampire” thing didn’t afford me a lot of respect. If I ever got a crown, I was going to do something about that. Now I got to look forward to Marcus yelling at me.

I shoved Danny’s phone into my oversized Gucci bag and pulled the silver chain shoulder strap down. I dug around for the keys to the Audi. I decided to go wait in the car because there was no way I was going back into the shop that made me want to barf. I just had to figure out where Dev had parked. I’d let Danny fly me here, but I doubted I could handle the flight back unless my stomach stopped churning. Stupid wards. I held up the keys and tried hitting the alarm button, but no such luck.

I looked up and down the street before deciding to wait it out in front of the sex shop. I could do worse. It was well lit, albeit the lights were red and blue and ribbed for her pleasure. Without Danny and Dev, I kind of blended into the background, just another twenty-something out on a Saturday night. I glanced back at the front of the Granada, but the guy who had been there before had finished his smoke break and gone back inside.

“Hey, lady,” a masculine voice said.

I was startled because I hadn’t heard anyone walking up beside me. I turned and the man who’d been watching me before was now next to me, and he’d replaced the cigarette with a small pistol. I considered that even more hazardous to my health than the secondhand smoke.

“I need you to come with me,” he said in a deep, quiet voice. “Do it quietly and maybe I won’t waste the human offal walking up and down the street.”

I sighed because I now knew why Marini had called a demon. They were really great kidnappers.





Chapter Eight





I seriously thought about screaming anyway. Danny would hear me and he would take care of the demon, but there were a few things I was uncertain about. The first was how fast this demon was. It was entirely possible that he might get a half a dozen shots off before Danny smashed his head in. Second, I wasn’t sure whether he was the type of demon who could take human form or the type who needed to borrow a body. I would be risking a whole lot of lives for that one or two second scream. Stalling seemed to be the better way to go.

“What do you want?” I asked my would-be kidnapper. I thought about him in this manner because I had no intention of actually being kidnapped. It wasn’t on my schedule, and I didn’t think I would like where he would take me. It might be one thing if he intended to ransom me back to my husbands. It might make them a little more appreciative of all I do for them, but I doubted there would ever be a ransom request. I would be taken to wherever Marini was hiding out, and I would find myself serving a new master. He’d warned me that the next time we met it would be on his terms. I just hadn’t thought it would be quite so quick.

“I want to do my job and get paid for it.” The demon’s tone was calm and even. He seemed very professional, and I appreciated that about him.

Kidnapping as a profession is an infinitely more difficult criminal venture than, say, thievery. The objects I’ve stolen—for the most part—don’t talk back or fight to get away. Once I’ve gotten through whatever security my mark has placed around the prize, it was really just a question of running my ass off to get away clean. The kidnapper’s job has just started once he gets his quarry in his hands. Then he has to deal with the begging and crying and the occasional petite badass who has no intention of allowing herself to be taken off into the night.

Even Danny’s profession of assassin is easier than what this demon was attempting. Danny didn’t have to convince the people he killed to allow him to execute them. He simply showed up with a warrant of execution signed by the Council, and whoever’s name was typed neatly on the order found themselves without a head. It was quick and no one I knew had ever complained.

This poor guy’s job was to get me away from my husbands and manage to deliver me to Marini unharmed. If last night was an indication, I was sure Marini had put in a harsh command that this guy not injure me. He already thought of me as his property, and he was the only one allowed to hurt me.

“Where are you taking me?” I gave him my best helpless, doe-eyed look.

The demon sighed. “No one’s going to hurt you if you play along. Look, just come with me and they’ll explain everything to you. You’re what’s called a companion. Vampires are real and they have a thing for chicks like you. It’s not scary. They treat their companions really well from what I’ve heard, and this guy is rich and powerful. Play your cards right, sister, and he’ll give you anything you want.” He shoved the gun into my side and put his arm around me. To the outside world, we probably seemed like a couple. “Now, get a move on. I need to get you to him so I can get paid and get back home. You have no idea how hard it is to stay in this body.”