Dangerous Creatures(55)

“Why don’t you look again?”

The woman scrolled down her computer screen. “Sorry. It—it sounds familiar. But I don’t have you in the computer.”

Ridley raised an eyebrow.

Interesting. She’s one tough bird.

“Did I say weekend?” Ridley began. “Because now that I think about it, the letter only said that you had a room for me and I could stay as long as I liked. Free of charge. I think it was something about my fans? Wanting them to know that I had chosen you.”

Those were the fundamental rules of Persuasion: Bluff. Never back down. Believe what you’re selling. The bigger the ask, the more likely you’ll get what you’re asking for.

Just not this time.

“I don’t have a note of that in my computer. Are you in the entertainment industry?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Would you like to give me a credit card? I could book you a standard room overlooking the construction on Seventy-Seventh Street. It’s a bit smaller than—”

“Did I say room? I meant suite.” Raise the stakes, Siren.

“We don’t have a suite available right now—”

“Did you hear suite? I said penthouse.” Believe it. You deserve that penthouse. You can’t imagine not having that penthouse. Ridley removed her sunglasses, looking at the woman with the full power of a Siren’s eyes.

“She’s with me, Penelope.”

Ridley was spluttering and infuriated when she turned to see Nox standing behind her, his black leather jacket slung over one shoulder.

Not him. Please. Not now.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Gates.” The clerk was flustered.

“Please, call me Nox.” He leaned over the counter, winking at the woman. “Seeing as we’re all such close friends here.”

“Of course, Mr. Gates.”

“You can put her in my sister’s rooms. She’s away for the moment.” He looked at Ridley. “We keep a few apartments here. You never know when they’ll come in handy.”

Ridley didn’t respond.

“Very good, sir.” The desk clerk averted her eyes.

Nox smiled at her encouragingly. “Maybe Frederico forgot to give you the message when I called earlier to tell you to expect Ms. Duchannes.”

“I do apologize, Mr. Gates. Er, Nox.”

Ridley watched the cold-hearted front desk agent melting.

He was good.

Whatever he was, he didn’t need sugar. Not a lollipop in sight. He didn’t have a tell, as far as Ridley could see. But he had all the power of a Siren.

Did he always? Was he using it on me? Was that why I kissed him? The thought was too unsettling for Ridley to process.

But the evidence was clear. He had some kind of power.

Whatever Lennox Gates was selling, this woman wanted it.

Ridley had never hated him more.

“Are you stalking me?” she hissed at him. He held up a finger. Not yet.

Nox motioned toward a bank of elevators. As they walked away from the front desk, Ridley’s blood was boiling so loudly she couldn’t hear the click of her heels on the black and white striped marble flooring. “What was wrong with that woman? I felt so—so—Mortal.” She shuddered.

“Welcome to New York.”

“You know, every time someone says that to me, I’m starting to understand they mean the opposite.” She didn’t know why she was talking to him. She shouldn’t be. He wasn’t worth it.

“Not me. I mean exactly what I say, every word of it.”

Liar. Ridley looked at Nox. “The Power of Persuasion couldn’t move a hair on that woman’s head.”

“You should probably consider Les Avenues immune to your powers.”

“Immune? As in, I’m nothing here?” The idea was staggering.

“Says everyone who has ever ventured into this neighborhood.” Nox laughed at his own joke. Then he gave up. “She’s a Darkborn.”

“What?”

“The top three floors of this building? All Casters, all powerful, and not exactly the Light variety.” He shrugged. “So the bottom floor, the staff? Darkborns. Ultimately impervious to power of any sort. The latest thing in Caster security.” He shrugged again. “It works.”

“But you could control her.”

“Of course. I’ve got the oldest power of all—an obscene amount of money. My father had the Sight and couldn’t resist the Mortal stock market.” Nox pressed the elevator button and held out a key card. “Take the room. My sister never uses the place.”

Ridley frowned.

“Take it. Think of it as a peace offering. I’m sorry about what happened back at the club. I shouldn’t have done it.”

The kiss. Even he can’t bring himself to say it.

“And I thought you meant everything you said.”

“I do.” He looked up at the mirrored glass ceiling. “At the time, I meant that, too. I just don’t know why I did it.” It sounded like he was being honest, but she’d given up on judging Nox Gates by how he appeared.

They were alone in the elevator now. Ridley stared at the elevator buttons. It was the safest place to look—until the elevator lurched to a stop.