delighted in the solitude of
it. My wolf growled.
In the
far corner, opposite the treadmill, punching bag and mat area, were my weapons
cabinets—all built into the wall to optimize the space, and opened with a light
brush or press of the fingertips. They also filled the whole wall. I grabbed
the duffel by the locker and lugged the empty sack over to the steel cabinets.
My
fingers brushed a panel, and it popped open like a cupboard.
“We’re
not done talking about your tech wizard,” Felix grouched, finally following me
down the stairs and across the mats. “What’s down—”
I pulled
open the cabinet all the way, revealing duplicates of small firearms, mostly
glocks and berettas and the customized clips of titanium and silver, as well as
one-of-a-kind modified tranquilizers.
“—here…”
Felix’s
words trailed off and I smiled.
“I do
take my job very seriously, you know?” I said, popping two of each
weapon into my bag, and several rounds of reloads. Then I stepped back, pressed
my fingertips to the panels running along the bottom half of the wall, and let
the drawer pop open.
“I can
see that. Bounty hunting must be pretty lucrative.” He popped open a cabinet,
peering in with brows raised, then imitated what I did with the drawers as I
selected a couple of throwing stars and spare chains for my wrists.
“It has
its moments.” I looked over at him. “And you forget, I’ve been at this a
while.” Shrug. “A lot of the finer parts of my collection were
gifts.” I pressed open another draw and retrieved a twin sword sheath and a
utility belt.
“You keep
jewelry down here?” He asked then, flicking a finger at my wrists and the
velvet bag I was putting the spare chains into.
“You
won’t like my answer,” I replied, carefully folding the pouch.
“Why
not?” he asked, and I looked at him.
“Because
then you’d know I’ve had a weapon on me the whole time I’ve been in your clan’s
house.”
His eyes
narrowed, and then flickered down to his wrists. I could see his mind trying to
figure out how a couple of dainty little bracelets could be a weapon. I was
sure there’d be an opportunity to show him in the future. I smiled brightly
when his gaze returned to my face.
“You’re a
wily one, pet. I’ll give you that.” He turned away and meandered to another set
of cabinets.
Grinning
to myself, I went back to selecting weapons. I tried to imagine every scenario,
but having not heard what the mission was yet, I couldn’t adequately guess. Bugger
it; I’ll just pack for any eventuality.
“Bugger
me.” I heard Felix murmur, and glanced up at him in surprise at the near
mirroring of my thoughts.
“What?” I
asked, and his dark head popped out from behind a cabinet door.
“A silver
whip?” he drawled, incredulous.
I
laughed, and walked over to him, brushing my fingers over the glittering coil
of silver. Ahhh…memories.
“A gift
from an Arabian Prince. He was a Vampire. Very old.” I smiled wryly. “He said I
looked to have very good wrist action.”
Felix
barked out a laugh, the big smile taking him from gorgeous to heart-stopping in
an instant.Jeepers, my knees all but
buckled! Those lean dimples in his cheeks and the sparkle brightening his eyes
to a dark lime made him positively devastating.
“You ever
use it?” he asked.
I
shrugged, a secret smile playing across my face. “I’ve dabbled.”
“Been a
bad kitty again, Red?” he asked, sexy brow arching.
I leaned
past him to close the cabinet doors. “Well, maybe if you’re really good, I just might show you just how good I can be, too.”
Something
blazed in his eyes, so fast I almost missed it. If not for the brief flicker of
gold lightning, a hot flash in those emerald eyes giving it away before he
returned his gaze to the whip, I’d never have seen it. I could have pretended I
didn’t see, could have convinced both me and him that neither of us was
attracted to the other, but the flare
it. My wolf growled.
In the
far corner, opposite the treadmill, punching bag and mat area, were my weapons
cabinets—all built into the wall to optimize the space, and opened with a light
brush or press of the fingertips. They also filled the whole wall. I grabbed
the duffel by the locker and lugged the empty sack over to the steel cabinets.
My
fingers brushed a panel, and it popped open like a cupboard.
“We’re
not done talking about your tech wizard,” Felix grouched, finally following me
down the stairs and across the mats. “What’s down—”
I pulled
open the cabinet all the way, revealing duplicates of small firearms, mostly
glocks and berettas and the customized clips of titanium and silver, as well as
one-of-a-kind modified tranquilizers.
“—here…”
Felix’s
words trailed off and I smiled.
“I do
take my job very seriously, you know?” I said, popping two of each
weapon into my bag, and several rounds of reloads. Then I stepped back, pressed
my fingertips to the panels running along the bottom half of the wall, and let
the drawer pop open.
“I can
see that. Bounty hunting must be pretty lucrative.” He popped open a cabinet,
peering in with brows raised, then imitated what I did with the drawers as I
selected a couple of throwing stars and spare chains for my wrists.
“It has
its moments.” I looked over at him. “And you forget, I’ve been at this a
while.” Shrug. “A lot of the finer parts of my collection were
gifts.” I pressed open another draw and retrieved a twin sword sheath and a
utility belt.
“You keep
jewelry down here?” He asked then, flicking a finger at my wrists and the
velvet bag I was putting the spare chains into.
“You
won’t like my answer,” I replied, carefully folding the pouch.
“Why
not?” he asked, and I looked at him.
“Because
then you’d know I’ve had a weapon on me the whole time I’ve been in your clan’s
house.”
His eyes
narrowed, and then flickered down to his wrists. I could see his mind trying to
figure out how a couple of dainty little bracelets could be a weapon. I was
sure there’d be an opportunity to show him in the future. I smiled brightly
when his gaze returned to my face.
“You’re a
wily one, pet. I’ll give you that.” He turned away and meandered to another set
of cabinets.
Grinning
to myself, I went back to selecting weapons. I tried to imagine every scenario,
but having not heard what the mission was yet, I couldn’t adequately guess. Bugger
it; I’ll just pack for any eventuality.
“Bugger
me.” I heard Felix murmur, and glanced up at him in surprise at the near
mirroring of my thoughts.
“What?” I
asked, and his dark head popped out from behind a cabinet door.
“A silver
whip?” he drawled, incredulous.
I
laughed, and walked over to him, brushing my fingers over the glittering coil
of silver. Ahhh…memories.
“A gift
from an Arabian Prince. He was a Vampire. Very old.” I smiled wryly. “He said I
looked to have very good wrist action.”
Felix
barked out a laugh, the big smile taking him from gorgeous to heart-stopping in
an instant.Jeepers, my knees all but
buckled! Those lean dimples in his cheeks and the sparkle brightening his eyes
to a dark lime made him positively devastating.
“You ever
use it?” he asked.
I
shrugged, a secret smile playing across my face. “I’ve dabbled.”
“Been a
bad kitty again, Red?” he asked, sexy brow arching.
I leaned
past him to close the cabinet doors. “Well, maybe if you’re really good, I just might show you just how good I can be, too.”
Something
blazed in his eyes, so fast I almost missed it. If not for the brief flicker of
gold lightning, a hot flash in those emerald eyes giving it away before he
returned his gaze to the whip, I’d never have seen it. I could have pretended I
didn’t see, could have convinced both me and him that neither of us was
attracted to the other, but the flare
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