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  “I second that emotion,” Sadie said. Giving Damien a weary smile, she pointed at Trixie. “And yes, you did hear your name. Would you give Trixie a hand restocking the booze? You can pull whatever we need from the storage room. Trixie has a list of what we’re low on. Maya will be back later but I’d just like to get it done.”

  “Aw, man,” Trixie whined. She pushed herself away from the bar and tugged the dish towel off her shoulder. “Just when the conversation was getting good.”

  “Sure, boss.” Damien put the clipboard on the bar’s smooth mahogany surface and slid it down to Sadie. “Everyone on the list showed up tonight except for Darius and his crew. It’s been a while since they’ve been in.” Damien’s brow knit together and made his olive-toned complexion seem even darker. “I know it’s because the wolves have been hanging out here a lot, but I thought Darius was cooler than that, you know? Killian and his crew aren’t so bad.”

  “Darius? Cool?” Trixie scoffed and hoisted herself onto the bar before swinging her feet over and hopping off on the other side. She landed silently next to Damien and punched him in his massive arm. “I think all that time standing outside with the line full of whiny humans is giving you mental problems. Darius is kinda letchy. Vampire or not, I don’t like him. Shit, man. I’d rather hang out with the wolves than have him and those two old stooges of his here. Shane told me those guys are almost as old as he is, which would be fine if they were cool.” She made a face of disapproval and glanced at Sadie. “I can’t believe you slept with Darius. I mean, of all the vamps to choose from, you banged old man Darius?”

  “Yeah, well.” Sadie rolled her eyes and pushed her long hair off her forehead. “It was a long time ago and he’s not that old. Well, he doesn’t look old. Anyway, that’s ancient history.”

  “You never told me that,” Damien said.

  “Would you brag about it?” Trixie asked with a snort of laughter.

  “Very funny.” Sadie smirked.

  “You and stuffy old Darius?” A laugh bubbled up and shook Damien’s broad shoulders. “I’m sorry to laugh, but talk about an odd couple.”

  “Whatever,” Sadie said through a giggle of her own. “We weren’t a couple. It was just sex. And like I said, it was a long time ago. At any rate, I don’t think Killian and his friends will be hanging out here much longer, and that means Darius will probably be back. So, letch or not, he’s a customer. Play nice when he’s here, Trixie. No one is saying you have to bang the old vamp, just placate him. Like Olivia always says—his money is as green as anyone else’s.” She flicked her gaze to Justine. Based on the DJ’s expression, she already knew about Killian’s club. “You know about Killian’s plans, don’t you?”

  “What plans?” Trixie asked.

  “Yeah.” Justine nodded and rested her tattooed arms on the bar. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you ’bout.”

  “What’s going on?” Damien asked with his typical big-brother concern.

  “It seems our werewolf friend is opening a club right here in the city. He and his pack have been spending all their time at The Coven to learn more about the business.” Sadie gave Trixie a pointed look. “See? Killian’s hanging out here had nothing to do with me.”

  “Right.” Trixie elbowed Damien. “She won’t admit that the hot wolf man has the hots for her.”

  “Don’t start.” Sadie sighed. “And Killian’s not that hot.” Trixie and Justine gave her doubtful looks. Even Damien arched an eyebrow at her denial. “Fine.” Sadie lifted one shoulder and gathered the receipts in a semi-neat stack while avoiding their inspecting stares. “He’s kind of hot, if you’re into the arrogant alpha-male type. Anyway, he and his pack are opening a club next month here in Manhattan.” She made a scoffing noise. “Whatever. It’ll be out of business before the next full moon. I’m not worried.”

  “Does Olivia know about it?” Damien asked.

  “Apparently, yes, she does.” Sadie tried not to show her irritation but it was no use. “I guess she didn’t think it was important to mention.”

  “Let me get this straight.” Trixie put up both hands and looked at Sadie like she had a screw loose. “You’d diddle with Darius and his old balls, but you turn your nose up at a hot, sexy badass like Killian?”

  “We aren’t talking about my sex history. We are talking about business.”

  “Yeah, but the sex stuff is more interesting.”

  “You’re too much.” Sadie shook her head and answered Trixie’s question. “Darius may be old, but he’s a vampire. And in case you’ve forgotten, Killian is a werewolf.”

  “So?” Trixie shrugged. “There’s no rule against having sex with their kind. Not really.”

  “No, but it’s certainly not encouraged,” Sadie said slowly with a glance at Justine who seemed increasingly uncomfortable with the topic. “We all know that lust and bloodlust go hand in hand. Sleeping with a wolf isn’t illegal, but feeding on one is.” Sadie shook her head quickly and rested her arms on the bar. “Wait a minute. We aren’t here to talk about the ill-advised idea of vampires and werewolves hooking up. I’ve got a business to run. Speaking of which, aren’t you two going to get that stuff from the storage room?”

  “Whatever you say, boss.” Damien started toward the back hallway. “Come on, Trixie.”

  “No way.” She sat on the stool next to Justine. “I want to hear more about the wolves.”

  Sadie was about to protest when Damien grabbed the defiant pink-haired bartender and tossed her over his hulking shoulders. He turned around and winked at Sadie before disappearing into the dark hallway, Trixie protesting through a loud laugh.

  “You were saying?” Sadie turned all of her attention to Justine who was fiddling with the skull-and-crossbones ring on her forefinger. “You know about Killian’s club?”

  “Yeah.” Justine cracked her knuckles and tapped the bar with her fingers. “Ya see, gov, the thing is that the bloke wants me to DJ for him on their opening night. I wanted to—”

  “Fine.” Sadie shrugged and smiled as though the request wasn’t totally annoying.

  “What?” Justine’s jaw dropped. “I wasn’t gonna ask ya to do that, Sadie. Honest. I just wanted to tell ya about it. Y’know, open lines of communication and all that.” A wide grin bloomed slowly across her face, showing off the gap between her two front teeth. “But I gotta be honest. It would be a freakin’ thrill to open a big, new club like that. I ain’t never been a headliner b’fore.”

  “You’re always a headliner here, but I get it and I think it’s a cool opportunity for you.” Sadie nodded and patted Justine’s arm reassuringly. Personally, she hated the idea of her star attraction working at a competing club, especially Killian’s, but she figured she’d get more flies with honey. Protesting might push Justine away, but giving her leeway would keep her loyal. At least that’s what Sadie was hoping. “You and I have been talking about hiring a DJ to fill in for you once in a while anyway. Why don’t you test out a couple of the new guys over the next few weeks and then we can hire a part-timer.”

  “That’s bloomin’ brilliant.” Justine grabbed both of Sadie’s hands and lavished them with kisses. “And it’ll just be one night. I promise.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Sadie winked at her before gathering up the receipts. “I’d prefer a vamp DJ, for obvious reasons, but if you want to audition a human, just give me a heads-up.”

  “Done.” Justine was about to say more, but the phone in her back pocket interrupted their conversation. She grabbed it, and a sheepish grin cracked her face when she read the text. “Thanks, again, gov.”

  Justine hopped off the stool and flew up to the DJ platform. Sadie was about to go to her office when a knock on the door of the club brought her to a halt. She let out a whimper of frustration. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was some half-drunk human girl looking for her phone or something. With Damien and Tri
xie still downstairs, the responsibility clearly fell at her feet.

  Ready to give whoever was outside a hundred different reasons why they couldn’t come in the club after closing, Sadie slid the bolts aside. Pushing open the enormous wooden door, with the “We’re closed” mantra lingering on her lips, she found herself face-to-face with the last person she would have expected to see.

  Darius Lockwood.

  “Do you have a few minutes for an old friend?” Darius asked with a regal bow. Dressed in his usual all-black ensemble, he reminded her of Johnny Cash. Tall and slim with slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair, he stood patiently on the cracked sidewalk. The grin faded and his pale blue eyes glinted in the lights of the streetlamps. “It’s important.”

  “Sure.” Sadie stepped back and held the door open for him before checking to see if his sidekicks were around. To her surprise, neither of his usual companions was in tow. Closing the door, she gestured toward the bar. “Have a seat. Where are Thomas and Lawrence? I can’t remember the last time I saw you out alone.”

  “They had other engagements,” he said in his typically evasive way. Darius perched himself on a bar stool and rested one elbow on the bar. Looking elegant and stiff, he did resemble the stodgy old vampire Trixie pegged him for. The guy had been turned in his early thirties but acted like the old world soul he was. “My apologies for bothering you after hours, but something has been nagging at me.”

  “Let me guess. This something wouldn’t have anything to do with our newest supernatural residents, would it?” Sadie nodded and sat on the stool next to him. “You’re upset that Killian and his pack have been coming to The Coven, which is why I haven’t seen you guys here in a while.”

  “Perceptive, as always.” Darius tilted his head and delivered a tight smile. Gathering his hands in his lap, he paused as though carefully choosing his words. “We are not the only ones who are…concerned. I was asked to speak with you about this issue. Some of our friends are quite uncomfortable with the wolves settling into this city.”

  “Okay.” Sadie’s defenses immediately went on high alert. “Who are ‘our friends’ exactly?”

  “Others like myself, Lawrence, and Thomas.” Darius waved his hand dismissively. “It was bad enough when the prince and his little pack lingered here in the city, but my sources tell me he’s moved out of his hotel. From what I hear, Bane signed a lease agreement on a penthouse apartment. Can you believe it? I realize the new czars want to modernize our community, but just how much change do they expect our kind to handle? You’re close with Olivia. You’re her oldest progeny.”

  “I am.” Sadie kept her voice calm and crossed her legs while leaning one elbow casually on the bar. “What’s your point?”

  “We were hoping you could talk to the czars.” Darius leaned closer and covered her hands with his in a suggestive gesture. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners as they drifted down, lingering on her breasts. “I, better than anyone, know how persuasive you can be when you want something. Perhaps you can explain to the czars how distasteful this latest development is to the vampires who live here. The city is crowded enough with humans, and the last complication our community needs is an influx of these werewolves. We thought she would take the complaint better if it came from you.”

  “I see.” Sadie kept her eyes locked on Darius while removing her hand from beneath his. Irritation flickered up her back. She wasn’t thrilled about Killian’s plans either, but the last thing she wanted to do was go whining to Olivia. The woman had plenty of other fish to fry. “I am Olivia’s friend, which is exactly why I will not go speak to her about this. Aside from the fact that it would be an abuse of our relationship, I’m not going to be a mouthpiece for the restless vampires of Manhattan. If you have a problem, then I suggest you and the rest of the whiners go to the Presidium’s offices and file a formal grievance.”

  However, even as the words escaped her lips, she knew what she was saying was a lie. She would be speaking to Olivia—but not for Darius’s sake. Sadie would be giving Olivia a heads-up about the rumblings as a courtesy to her maker. If any trouble broke out with the wolves, then Darius and his crew would probably be involved.

  “That is disappointing.” Darius’s jaw set and the muscle flickered beneath his fair skin, belying his annoyance with her refusal. “Perhaps I misjudged our relationship.”

  “We don’t have a relationship,” Sadie said flatly. “We fucked twice back in the sixties, and to be really honest, I chalk it up to the fact that I’d fed on two hippies who’d smoked everything but the sofa. Two rolls in the hay do not make a relationship. It was fun but still, it was just sex, Darius.”

  “But it was good sex,” he said with a widening grin.

  “Most sex is,” Sadie said through a curt laugh. The wounded expression on his face instantly made her feel guilty. “Sorry…I think I’m just cranky. It’s been a long night.”

  “You always have been direct,” Darius said, rising to his feet. “It is one of your finest qualities.” His eyes flicked down to her cleavage again as he tugged the cuffs of his shirt from beneath his jacket sleeves. “So there’s no way I can convince you to speak with Olivia?”

  “Sorry.” Sadie hopped off the stool and started toward the door of the club to let him out. “If you and your friends have a problem, then make an appointment with Suzie and speak with Olivia and Doug yourselves. I’m not a politician, Darius. I just want to run the club with as little drama as possible. Okay?”

  “I suppose,” he said with a sigh. Darius stopped by the door and moved closer to Sadie, intentionally invading her space as his eyes flickered over her in clear invitation. “Perhaps you and I should take another tumble. It seems I didn’t leave you with a very good impression, and I just don’t think my ego can take that.”

  “Good night, Darius.”

  Sadie pushed the door open and waited for Darius to leave, but he didn’t. Instead, he drifted closer and ran one finger down the length of her arm, which did not have the desired effect. It was meant to turn her on, but all it did was make her want to roll her eyes. She was about to tell him to piss off when a familiar intriguing scent filled her head and sent a pang of desire through her body. Her gut clenched with a sudden and ferocious need as a deep, seductive voice sliced through the night.

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  Sadie let out a yelp of surprise that was rivaled only by the curse that Darius uttered when Killian Bane appeared on the sidewalk outside the club. The stretch limo he always rode in was idling at the curb behind him, and Ivan, the fiercer of his two pack members, stood a few feet away looking less than amused.

  “Like I said,” Darius said without taking his fierce stare off Killian. “It’s already a crowded city.” He stepped back and flicked his gaze to Sadie before making a wide path around Killian. “And think about what I offered, Sadie. The door is always open.”

  “Right.” Sadie ran a hand over her hair in a pathetic attempt to get herself under control, or at least look like she was. That expression “Fake it ’til you make it” flew through her head. Her belly swirled with need and her legs felt unsteady. Sadie gripped the handle of the door tighter and leaned against the large wooden surface, praying she wouldn’t fall on her ass.

  She could feel Killian’s eyes on her as Darius disappeared around the corner. Steeling her courage, she turned to face the inescapable presence that was Killian Bane. “What are you doing here?”

  “Did I interrupt something?” Killian asked quietly. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks and glanced over his shoulder at Ivan, who nodded and got back in the car. “You two looked like you were in a deep conversation.”

  “Conversations with Darius are never deep.” Sadie forced a smile and tried not to notice the way her body was reacting to Killian on a primal, carnal level. That scent of his was going to drive her wild. The cozy, comforting aroma of wood burning
on a cold winter night oozed off him like fucking pheromones or something. Sadie cleared her throat and met his stare as he moved closer. “It’s late. What can I do for you, Mr. Bane? Did you leave your phone here or something?”

  “No.” An amused expression covered his face and he shook his head slowly, stopping about a foot away. Heat fired off his tall, broad-shouldered body in seductive flickering waves. “Actually, I—”

  “Or did you come to try and steal my DJ again?” She tilted her chin in defiance and glared up at him triumphantly.

  “Justine told you already?” Killian rose to his full height, his mouth set in a grim line. “Shit.”

  “You arrogant son of a bitch.” Irritation crawled up Sadie’s back, swiftly cooling her attraction to him. Standing in the open doorway of the club, it took every ounce of restraint she had not to haul off and deck him. “What? Do you think werewolves are the only ones who show loyalty to the people they care about?” A homeless man was picking bottles out of a garbage can down the street and Sadie lowered her voice. He probably wouldn’t hear her, but that didn’t mean she should be careless. “Well, I have news for you. Justine may not be in my coven but she’s loyal to me. She told me all about your conversation.”

  “Right,” Killian said with a surprisingly apologetic look. “Listen, maybe I overstepped my bounds. I didn’t plan on asking Justine to DJ at our opening night. It was a spontaneous decision. David and I were talking about how good Justine is at what she does and how big the crowds have been at The Coven and, well, I guess I let my passion take over.” He shrugged, a cocky grin playing at his lips. “Sorry. My father would tell you that I don’t always think before I act. Sometimes my enthusiasm gets me in trouble.” He extended his hand in a peace offering. “Can we call a truce?”

  Sadie gaped at him in pure shock. The big, bad wolf was apologizing to her? At least it sounded like an apology. Part of her wanted to tell him to stick it in his hat, but that wouldn’t help her or vampire-wolf relations.

  Time to suck it up. Shit, she hated politics.