Текст книги "Noble Blood"

Автор книги: Dana Bell

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“Close.” She was breathless, her nipples diamond hard. Her body writhed under him, demanding that he give her what she needed.

“Play with yourself, sweetheart. Come on my cock.” He tightened his hold on her neck, kept her face right where he could see it. He didn’t want her looking down. He needed to watch as ecstasy etched itself onto her features.

Her fingers brushed his cock before they began circling her clit. Her breathless moan shook him, her contracting pussy nearly distracting him from the squelching sounds behind him.

Duncan was preparing himself.

He couldn’t think about that now, not with Moira under him, surrounding him, her eyes dazed with desire. She was so close it scented the air around her, rich and tantalizing. He could taste it on his tongue. His eyes changed, his teeth descending in answer to her orgasm.

The time had come to truly make her his, his bondmate, hislittle leprechaun. This time he wouldn’t hesitate. It would be complete; the light bond he’d deepened in the alleyway would become the soul-deep bond it should be. He tilted her head to the side and struck just as she came, forcing her orgasm even deeper. He fed from her, her sex and her blood, filled himself until the only empty spots left within him were made for Duncan to fill.

“More.”

He lapped at the wound on her neck, closing the tiny pinpricks.

Her hand tangled in his hair and pulled. “ More.”

Jaden threw his head back and laughed, happier than he could ever remember being. “Yes, ma’am.”

She scowled up at him and tightened the muscles of her pussy. “I’m not done with you yet, Bunnicula.”

He snorted a laugh. “Aw, you remembered.” The first time they’d met she’d done her best to protect Ruby, but she’d been unable to withstand his mental pull. Ruby had stopped him from taking Moira by calling him Bunnicula, shocking him into releasing his hold on Moira.

Her lips twitched. “Yes.” She leaned forward until they were nose to nose, and he let her. “Now fuck me.”

His answering grin was predatory. “My pleasure.”

“Hold that thought.” A slick finger gently penetrated his ass, making him gasp. “I wouldn’t want you to forget about me.”

Jaden gulped. Duncan’s finger felt incredible, slick and hard and– “Oh shit.” He trembled. Duncan had found his prostate. “You’re kinda hard to forget.”

Duncan nipped his earlobe and twisted his finger, sending a shudder of delight down Jaden’s spine. “Right there, amoureaux?”

Jaden blinked away sudden tears. He had a hard time believing that Duncan was calling him that. He licked his lips and moaned, pushing back against that invading finger. “More.”

“I think he likes that.” Moira leaned forward and kissed his lips softly. “Don’t you, a ghra?”

He looked down into her eyes. They shimmered with unshed tears. “Don’t cry, Moira. We won’t do this if you don’t want it.” Fuck his determination never to let them go. If it gave Moira a moment’s grief he’d walk away in an instant despite the bond he’d just formed with her.

Her smile lit the room. “Idiot.” She tightened around him just as Duncan carefully inserted another finger. He felt Duncan stretch him, loosening Jaden for his cock. Jaden had to bite his lip to keep from fucking into Moira and tumbling headlong into orgasm. “Don’t think for a second you’re getting away from either one of us.”

“We are a tribond, Jaden.” Duncan fucked him with those two fingers, brushing his prostate with every stroke. “We belong together, all three of us.”

A what? A tribond? They’d mentioned that before, but he’d never heard of such a thing.

Then again, he’d never heard of Sidhe before he’d met Duncan, and they’d turned out to be real enough.

“You and me and Duncan.” Moira shifted, bringing him further inside her. She removed his hand from her neck and lay back, exposing herself, laying herself bare before him. “You know you want this.” Her hands drifted up to her breasts and pinched her nipples. Her hips undulated against him, her clit scraping across his pubic hairs. She arched her back and moaned.

Jaden shuddered. He’d never seen anything so beautiful as Moira in the throes of passion.

Duncan’s fingers twisted again, rubbed his prostate with desperate urgency. Jaden swallowed. “Fuck. Do that again.” He didn’t know which was better, the pull of Moira’s pussy or the fingers invading his ass.

“I’ll do one better,” Duncan whispered in his ear. “Feel this, and know how much I need you.” Duncan’s fingers left his ass, only to be replaced by the flared head of his cock. “Ready for me?”

Born ready.He laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

Duncan’s warm chuckle tickled his ear. “All right, amoureaux.”

He pushed out and the head of Duncan’s cock moved past the first ring of muscles. The sting of the invasion was nothing compared to the knowledge that finally every naughty thought he’d ever had about the Sidhe lord taking him were finally coming true.

He rocked to Duncan’s motion, taking him in deeper, his cock slipping in and out of Moira’s scorching hot body. Duncan’s hands clenched on Jaden’s waist, pulling him and pushing him to his rhythm, using Jaden to fuck them both.

Jaden was in goddamn fucking heaven. “If this is a dream don’t ever wake me up.”

Moira grinned. “I’ll prove this isn’t a dream. You can sleep in the wet spot.”

Duncan laughed. “I agree. Vampire in the middle.”

Jaden allowed his own smile to break free, let them see the joy flowing through him. “I thought I already was.”

Duncan began to pepper his neck with butterfly kisses. “I need you.”

Fuck. Those damn tears were back. So much for his macho vampire image. “Take me.”

“Bend forward. Fuck Moira for me, Jaden. Let me feel your passion.”

Good idea.Fucking Moira like that would push him back into Duncan. In essence, he would be fucking them. He bent forward and leaned on his elbows, his nose inches away from Moira’s. “Hi, sweetheart.”

Her legs wrapped around his waist. “Hello.”

He began to fuck her, slow at first, dragging out the pleasure for all three of them. Duncan’s hands remained at his waist, guiding him, petting him. Duncan’s low, encouraging murmurs let him know how much pleasure the Sidhe lord took in their mating. Silver lights danced now among the green, swirling around them in a dazzling display.

Hell. They really wereClaiming him. Both of them. He could feel their power dancing along his skin, sinking into his blood and bone, the sensation both familiar and more intense than he remembered. He understood now that what he’d felt in the shower, their ghostly Claiming of him, had been real, his fate sealed the moment they all came. But it would remain weak until all three of them came together. Jaden sighed, the feel of his lovers moving around him driving him out of his mind. “Close.”

Moira nodded, her eyes squeezed shut, her legs dragging on him faster and faster. He held off, waited for Duncan to join them, and now his cock throbbed with the urge to pour himself into Moira.

When Duncan bent down and began pressing kisses down Jaden's spine he damn near lost it then and there. He couldn’t, he had to hold on just a few minutes longer. He had to bring them over with him. He looked down at his woman, watching the play of green and silver lights on her face. Light sweat covered her body, shimmering in the whorls of her leprechaun skin. Her face was a mask of ecstasy, the impending orgasm tightening her features. “Play with yourself. Come for me, Moira. For us.”

She reached between them and stroked herself. Her hips snapped up; she was so close he could literally smell it. He pushed up slightly and began to pound into her, desperate to bring her off before he lost it completely.

“Bite me. Jaden. Please.”

He could hear the plea in Duncan’s voice, knew what the Sidhe wanted, needed. He couldn’t resist, taking the forearm Duncan pushed in front of him and biting down, drawing Duncan’s essence into him more deeply than he ever had before, bonding him as surely as the two fae Claimed him. It was complete. They were his bondmates, his now for all eternity.

Behind him Duncan thrust once, twice and came, a deep, guttural groan that shot through Jaden and forced him into his own orgasm. Under him Moira squirmed and gasped, her eyes scrunching shut as her orgasm shot through her.

Jaden licked Duncan’s bite mark and dove into their minds, forcing the orgasms to linger, strengthen. He let them feel the joy of being bonded to a vampire, mated to someone who could rock their worlds. He would bring them the type of ecstasy they’d only dreamt of.

“Gods.” It sounded like Duncan spoke through clenched teeth. His big body trembled against Jaden’s back as his hips continued to piston against Jaden’s ass. “So good.”

Moira was panting, deep, gasping breaths as her pussy convulsed around him.

Before he could blink their power spiraled into him and Claimed him, irrevocably sealing his fate to theirs.

Duncan collapsed against his back, his body soaked in sweat. “You two are going to be the death of me.”

Jaden held himself off Moira through sheer force of will, unwilling to crush the small leprechaun. He smiled, fully sated for the first time in his life.

Moira reached up and cupped his cheek. “You know what comes next, don’t you?” The lilt of Ireland was back in her voice. “Are you ready for that?”

He spoke before he thought. “Are you?” She scowled up at him, but before she could take a bite out of him he leaned down and kissed her. “You’ve true bonded a Gray Court vampire, Moira. Do you think your White Court family will really approve of that?”

“I think they will.” She smiled up at him, her momentary anger gone. “I know Duncan can’t wait.”

He felt more than heard Duncan’s chuckle. “Damn straight. I’ve waited long enough.”

Jaden snorted, still unable to believe that everything he’d ever dreamed of might come true. “ You’vewaited?”

He yelped when Duncan’s slap landed on his ass.

Moira laughed. “Wake us up, love.” She yawned mid-chuckle. “I could use a nap before we finish what we’ve started.”

Duncan pressed one last kiss to his back. Then mist swirled, and they were in Duncan’s bedroom. Jaden was on top of Moira, his semi hard cock still buried inside her. Duncan was draped along his back. “Well, damn. You weren’t kidding about the wet spot.”

“Nope.”

He sighed, truly content for the first time in years. What had he done to deserve such bliss? “Shit.”

Chapter Six

Duncan reached out and slapped at the alarm clock, but the damn thing rang again almost immediately. He cracked open one eye and glared at the window.

Still dark out.

Next to him Jaden snuffled. A light snore erupted from the vampire’s mouth. Moira’s breathing was deep, her sleep undisturbed. Duncan smiled. For the first time in he couldn’t remember when he was completely at peace.

Ring.

Duncan sighed. He got out of bed as quietly as he could and headed for his pants. He pulled out his cell phone and walked into the sitting room next to the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. He didn’t see the need to wake the other two. He checked the caller ID and frowned.

What the hell does Shane Dunne want at—he squinted at the clock on the mantelpiece —two o’clock in the morning?“Hello?”

“Hello, Duncan. Long time no hear from.”

Shane’s low, smooth drawl was so unlike both Moira and Leo it was a shock to hear it. The middle child, Shane Joloun Dunne was unlike anyone Duncan had met before. Pure hybrids were so rare that only four had been recorded in the history of the Sidhe. All of them had been remarkable in one fashion or another. It was said the finest lord of the Sidhe, Nuada Silverhand, had actually been a hybrid. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Roughly two a.m. Listen, I got word that you might be in trouble. Anything I can do to help?”

Duncan blinked and looked at his phone. What the hell?Was there anyone who didn’t know about his problems? “What kind of trouble have youheard about?”

Shane sighed. “Darkness stalks the Malmayne clan. Salvation lies within one man. Accept the bond and pay the price. Shadow wraps around you thrice.”

Duncan took a deep breath. If that meant what he thought it did then they might already be too late. The only question was what the price might be. “Jaden, Moira and I have become bondmates.”

“Huh.” Silence. “My sister’s got a tribond? Interesting.”

Duncan rubbed his eyes. He was way too tired to deal with Shane. “Listen, I’ve been meaning to talk to your father. Is he awake?”

“No, and right now you wouldn’t be able to get much from him anyway. Tell me what’s wrong, I’ll get him the message.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He needed Sean Dunne’s help, not his son’s.

“I give you my word my father will receive your message.”

Duncan heard the ring of magic in the other man’s voice. A vow, then. “The Malmaynes are pushing to punish the Dunnes for the deaths of Cullen and Kaitlynn.” He filled Shane in on the discussions he’d already had with both Henri and Charles. “If they have their way, Leo’s true bond will be set aside for the marriage contract, Jaden will die andthe Dunnes will owe honor debt.” And I’ll be dead, more than likely.If losing his bondmate didn’t kill him then Charles would. He’d be a rallying point for any Malmayne not willing to follow the new regime. Killing Duncan would cement Charles’s place as the new Clan Lord.

Shane gave a low whistle. “Yeah. That’s going to be an issue. I’ll get Dad to summon the family. We’ll let you know when we expect you.”

“We’ll be there.”

“All threeof you.”

Duncan smiled, warmed by the hybrid’s insistence. “I’ll drag Jaden if need be.”

“Good. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything more. Night, Duncan.”

“Good night, Shane.” Duncan hung up the phone and settled into one of the big armchairs in front of the fireplace. He thought about lighting a fire but that would take more energy than he had at the moment.

How the hell had Shane known about their problems? What was with that cryptic riddle? As far as he knew there were no Seers on either the Dunne or the Joloun side, rare creatures that they were. Only one full-blooded Seer still lived, so he must have heard that riddle from another source. The question was, who?

Duncan sat in the dark for another half an hour, pondering his next move. Jaden had every intention of investigating Charles along with the rest of the clan. What other avenues were open to them? He had to stop the fall of the clan, because he refused to bow before the Dark Queen. But how? He rubbed his forehead, all of the problems he’d had before Jaden came back home descending once again on his shoulders. Hell if he’d be able to sleep now.

“Duncan?”

He started and looked over his shoulder. Moira stood there, rubbing her eyes, her gloriously nude body outlined by the moonlight. “Hey. Go back to bed, amoureaux.”

She smiled and stepped into the room, padding silently across the carpeted floor. “I can hear you thinking. What’s wrong?”

“Shane called. He had a message for me, and an offer of help. He’s going to call a family meeting to see what they can do for us.” He pulled Moira into his lap, settling her head in the crook of his neck. He closed his eyes and nestled her close, letting some of the tension out. He had to release some of the burden to his mates or he’d lose his mind. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“I fight.” He looked over to find Jaden standing there, an odd, green glimmer in his black eyes, barely there before it was gone again. Duncan frowned, concerned. Where had that strange light had come from? There was nothing green in the room; it was done completely in whites and silvery blues. “I’ve been sanctioned to do whatever is necessary to prevent the Malmaynes from falling. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Duncan winced. If those were Jaden’s orders, someone would die. “I want you to be careful.” I don’t want to live without you again.

Moira’s fingers brushed his cheek. “We’ll help him.”

“Oh no you won’t.” Jaden’s back went rigid, his expression hard. “You keep your pretty asses out of this.”

Moira managed to beat him to the punch. “Excuse me? This is myfamily now, and I fight for my own!” The Irish was back in her voice, but this time it was full of outrage.

“I am a Blade, Moira. A fully trained Knight of the Gray Court, one of Oberon’s hand-picked warriors. I work directly for Robin Goodfellow, who, by the way, is scary beyond all sanity. Trust me, I think I can handle Charles Malmayne.”

“You think I can’t?”

Jaden’s eyes narrowed. “No. I have something else in mind for you to do.”

Duncan sat up at that. “Now wait a moment, Jaden.”

He would have said more except Moira’s hand covered his mouth. Now he was getting pissed at bothof them. “What?”

“I know there are things you can do that a full-blooded leprechaun can’t. Use that to your advantage to protect yourself and Duncan. Let me deal with the outside threats. You take care of our home.”

Duncan’s eyes flashed. He removed Moira’s hand and let his magic seep into the air. “And what will I be doing while you two are combating the rest of the family?”

Jaden smirked. “What a son of the Tuatha Dé does best. Fuck with their minds.”

Moira kissed his cheek. “You’re the only one who can contact Glorianna about this. She’s not going to listen to me, and she certainly won’t listen to Jaden.” Moira shrugged. “Maybe if she knows what’s going on she’ll send help.”

Duncan almost snorted. He had a pretty good idea how Glorianna was going to react to his mating with Jaden and it wouldn’t be pleasant. Unfortunately he wasn’t ready to go to war with Charles. He’d been a warrior once, long ago, but his skills were rusty from disuse. That was something he could begin to rectify immediately. He narrowed his eyes at Jaden, hoping the vampire would know exactly how irritated he was at being left out of the fight. “I want you to spar with me.”

Jaden blinked. “Of course.”

“Me too.”

Jaden threw up his hands. “Oh no, Tiger. I’m still recovering from the last time you kicked my ass.”

Moira snorted. “I don’t need to be able to take you out. I need to be able to take Charlesout.”

Jaden snorted. “I’ve fought you, sweetheart, and that’s not a problem. You could do that now as long as he doesn’t get into your mind.”

“That isgoing to be a problem,” Duncan muttered. He began drumming his fingers on Moira’s thigh. “Charles is strong, even stronger than I am. He could roll mymind without breaking a sweat.” In fact, he wasn’t entirely certain he couldtake Charles’s.

“Then we need to figure out a way to protect you.” Jaden frowned. “Thing is, I don’t know what will work against a Sidhe bent on a serious mind fuck.”

The three lovers exchanged a look. “We need to avoid him.” Duncan patted Moira’s hip, urging her off of him. “We need help.”

“Who?”

Duncan smiled. “I think we should start with Shane Joloun. He knows something about what’s going on. I intend to find out all of it.” Even if it meant rolling his brother-in-law’s mind. “Let’s go back to bed. We have to be at your parent’s house some time tomorrow.” He took Moira’s hand and held the other out for Jaden. “Coming?”

Jaden grinned. “Nah. You two go ahead. I have something I want to take care of first.”

“Jaden.” Duncan’s muscles tightened in instant denial. He hadn’t finished Binding the vampire to him. Jaden could still leave them.

“Don’t worry, old man.” He pressed a soft kiss to Duncan’s lips. “I’ll be back.” Jaden walked back toward the bedroom. “I just need to find something out.”

“Can it wait?”

Jaden’s eyes flashed that eerie green again, there and gone so fast Duncan wondered if he’d imagined it. Was there a light in the yard reflecting through the trees or something? “Nope.” He entered the bedroom. “Moira? What happened to my briefs?”

Moira rolled her eyes and stomped into the bedroom. “On the floor, like everyone else’s.” Duncan could hear the worry in her voice, but what could he do?

Jaden was a Blade. There was nothing that could protect them from that.

Akane shivered and climbed back into her car. She felt numb. How had Jaden resisted them for so long? The love that flowed between the three of them was so strong she was surprised any of them survived the separation. Why hadn’t she known what Jaden was reallylike? He was extraordinarily good at hiding those white knight tendencies of his. That explained why he was one of Robin’s favorites. Robin had a real soft spot for the noble ones. She snorted. It was probably the Hob’s onlysoft spot.

Now that she realized what Jaden was facing, and who some of the players were, it was time to make herself known. But one thing remained unclear to her. A player she didn’t recognize. Something about the power there tempted her like nothing else ever had. The taste of it was earthy and exotic, calling to her dragon senses the way no other ever had. Not even the Hob.

Not even Oberon.

She hadto meet whoever it was.

Akane was a dragon who trusted her instincts, and those instincts were screaming at her that the unknown, powerful entity would profoundly impact her life. She hopped back into her car and started it, smiling at the purr of the powerful engine. She put it in gear and roared into the night.

First order of business: find out who the hell Shane Dunne was.

Jaden slipped into the darkness surrounding the house. He lifted his head and scented the air, his mind sifting through the information gathered. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary. He scented no watchers, heard no human or fae heartbeats. So, Charlie-boy isn’t watching the homestead.Jaden grinned headed for the garage. “Duncan? Mind if I borrow the car?”

There was pause. Duncan had been half asleep. “That depends. Which car?”

“Aw, c’mon, old man. Let me have a little fun.”

“Can’t you drive your car?”

He opened the garage door and looked at the row of brightly colored toys. He rubbed his hands together. “My Mustang doesn’t purr like the M6.”The sweet cherry-red convertible was calling to him.

“My M6? No, Jaden. Remember what you did to my Boxster?”

He slipped the keys off the hook and slid behind the wheel. The scent of premium leather surrounded him. “That was not my fault. That dryad jumped right out in front of me.”He started the car, damn near purring himself at the sound of the engine. Fuck, Duncan had great taste in cars.

He could almost feel Duncan’s chuckles. “Don’t you mean her tree?”

He put the car in gear and pulled out of the garage, closing the door behind him. “Leave her tree out of this.”

“Be careful, Jaden. Get a scratch on that car and I’ll take it out of your hide.”

“Promises, promises.”He hit the gate remote and drove out into the night. “I’m heading toward Charles’s place. What time do you need to be at the Dunne’s?”

“No clue. Shane said he’d arrange things with his father and call us back. By the way, you’re under family orders to attend.”

Well. Shit. So much for working through the family fun-fest. He could just picture what Sean Dunne would do to him when he found out his baby girl was a vampire’s bondmate. “Can’t we just say I’m dead?”

“Jaden. You’ll be there and you’ll like it.”He winced at Moira’s tart tone. Apparently there were downsides to this whole bondmate thing, like long distance nagging. “Jaden. You know what? Just shut up. Get your ass back home before daybreak.”

“That doesn’t leave me a whole lot of time, sweetheart.”It was already three o’clock in the morning. Daybreak was in roughly three hours.

“Doesn’t matter. You need to be rested before you deal with my family.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, dear.”

She snorted. How the hell did you snort mentally? “Be careful,a ghra .”

His heart freaking melted right in his chest. He hoped he never took their love for granted. The gift they’d granted him was priceless, and he planned on treating it as such. “I will. Promise. Keep yourselves safe, got it?”

“Will do.”Moira sounded sleepy. “Love you, Jaden.”

“Love you,amoureaux. Get some rest.” Duncan sounded much more awake. “I’ll keep watch now. Moira, you can have the morning shift.”

Jaden couldn’t stop the smile from crossing his face. Duncan had been pissed at being stuck in the damsel-in-distress role, but Jaden knew Duncan was not prepared for what someone toying with the Black could throw at him. It was up to Jaden to keep them truly safe. “I’m not expecting a move from them tonight. They’ve laid down the gauntlet, now they’re going to watch how you react to it.”

“Which means they might be expecting you.”

“True. I’ve got plans for that, though.”

He felt Duncan’s surprise. “What plans?”

He smirked. “You’ll see. Don’t worry, this isn’t my first job.”And it wouldn’t be his last, bondmates or no. He helped people every day, people damaged by those who sought quick and dirty ways to power. As far as he was concerned he would be a Blade until the day he died whether he worked for Robin or not.

It was the least he could do to pay back all of the gifts fate had been kind enough to give him.

Jaden pulled up outside the house Charles Malmayne was currently calling home. It was a stately mansion located somewhere between where Leo Dunne now resided and Duncan’s latest acquisition, the huge brick mansion Moira was dying to redecorate. Duncan’s home, large though it was, still managed to feel like a home. Charles’s house, on the other hand, shouted money and power. Clad in pale stucco and stone with Grecian columns and a car port larger than most hotels had, it managed to look both boorish and pretentious. A huge fountain in the circular driveway featured a nude woman pouring water out of an urn surrounded by pissing cherubs. “It’s confirmed. Charles is definitely overcompensating.”

“What?”

“Have you seen his new place?”Jaden backed the car up until the house was out of sight. He pressed the button that raised the car’s roof and locked it into place.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Let’s just say that I doubt he serves cocktail wieners. They probably give him a complex.”He got out of the car and locked it before misting through the bushes and the fence. He solidified on Charles’s property and scented the air. “So far so good. I’m on the grounds.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”Jaden glided forward, soundless and swift. Vampires could move quickly when motivated, and Jaden had lots of motivation. He reached the side of the mansion within two blinks. He began to climb up the house, heading for the roof. He doubted Charles was stupid enough to leave him an open window, but that was all right.

Jaden didn’t need something to be open to get into a house. All he needed was a tiny crack.

He reached the roof unmolested. “I’m going to try and get into the house now.”He could almost hear Duncan grumbling. “I’m being careful, old man.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Jaden’s brows rose. Duncan’s tone was difficult to decipher. “I didn’t know you disliked me calling you that.”Duncan had never mentioned it before.

“I tolerated it. Now? No way in hell will my lover call me old man.”

Jaden shivered, and his dick turned rock-hard. Just like that he’d gone from Blade to lover. “Shit. Knock it off. How the hell am I supposed to pull a B&E with a hard-on?”

“Don’t go in, Jaden. Stay outside the house.”

“No can do. I need to know what Charlie-boy has planned.”He misted through the slight gap in the weatherproofing of the window casement, solidifying in the dark and musty attic. “No one ever takes care of the attic windows. Did you ever notice that?”

“Can’t say that I have.”If mental voices had teeth, Duncan’s would be clenched.

Jaden smirked. He crawled along the wall, careful to avoid the creaking floorboards because, mansion or hovel, they allhad creaky floorboards somewhere. Very few of them had creaky walls, however, and that’s what he stuck to. “Spiderman, Spiderman, friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”

“Jaden. No. Please. The last time you did that I had that damn song stuck in my head for a week.”

Moira giggled, sounding sleepy. “Spins a web, any size. Catches thieves just like flies.”

“I hate you both.”

“Look out! Here comes the Spiderman!”Jaden chorused with Moira. He bit his lip to keep from laughing and opened the basement door.

Moira’s mental voice was full of amusement. “Why are we singing that, anyway?”

He stared at the two “men” outside the door. Both of them were holding .38’s pointed right at him. They were dressed like Secret Service men, complete with sunglasses and dangling wires in their ears. Idiots. “Step into my parlor.”

“Shit. Jaden?”

He stepped down, carefully lifting his hands into the air. He smiled, showing his fangs. Their scent reeked of moldy mushrooms. Fucking redcaps. He now had proof positive that Charles was living in the darker shade of gray. Redcaps only worked at the express order of their overlord, who was firmly in the Black. He strove to keep his voice quiet so as not to awaken any other would-be guardians. “Hey, neighbor. Can I borrow a cup of sugar?”

The goons frowned. One of them lowered his gun by a hair, if that. The other opened his mouth, hand lifting to his ear.

“Thank the gods they’re stupid.”That was all the opening he needed. Jaden pounced. He had the first one in a submission hold before the other could blink. His arm was around the redcap’s throat, cutting off his air. He ripped the wire out of his ear, keeping him from contacting whoever it was he wanted backup from.

“Jaden?”

“Not now, sweetheart. Daddy’s working.”They seemed to move in slow motion, making it easy to avoid their blows. Jaden shifted, moving before the redcap could slam his elbow into Jaden’s stomach. He tightened his grip, using the redcap in his arms as a shield. He kept the Black Court fucker in a sleeper hold, waiting for him to drop. The free redcap feinted to the left, but Jaden didn’t buy it, didn’t give him an opening. Once a redcap had you in his arms it was damn hard to break free. The freaks were super-strong for all they were so thin, especially if they dropped their Seeming.

Jaden hoped they didn’t do that. He did not want to fill his quota of fugly for the day.

The redcap went limp in his arms, almost dragging Jaden to the floor with him. He held up and on, waiting to make sure the redcap was down for the count before dropping his limp form. He bared his fangs at the remaining redcap. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid.”