Page 35 of Vengeful Mates

“You just cost me fifty grand in takings for the day.” Kitten breezed through the group of men. “I won’t have you disturbing my customers. We’ll talk in my office.”

Really? Used to getting her way. Guess what? So was I, and I didn’t bow down to this princess.

“Your customers?” This place was owned by Raine. Cunt must have found a worthy ally to fight his war. Bring it on. I looked forward to a bloody fight. “Where’s Colton Raine, the owner?”

Her lips curled into a satisfied smile that made the drums pound in my chest. “Licking his wounds.”

Spoken like a true Cat goddess.

Bastet.

Set confirmed it for me. He bowed respectfully to her goddess in recognition of their penchant for war. Her goddess meowed back and tipped her head in acknowledgment. Esteem sometimes paid between gods when their avatars met. Not always. Some didn’t make it past their first word before the other brought them down. We’d see what kind of avatar she was.

Here was where I dug for more information. “You running his casino while the coward cunt hides?”

A manicured finger jabbed at a door and presumably a hallway beyond. “Get in my office before I render you both to ashes.”

She didn’t want to talk out in the open. Bad morale with the customers. I got it. Hated to break it to her, our earlier stunt already scared her customers away.

Unafraid of her threats, I stared her down, leaned forward, whispering to her, “War god to War goddess. Try it, toots. It’ll be bloody and spectacular.” I flashed her a wink just to piss her off.

“Filthy bikers.” She huffed and strode off. Damn, the woman could move, hips swaying and feet padding softly like a fucking cat. Just like her goddess.

Composed, Zethan and I brushed past her dogs, and followed behind her. Frankly, I was a little pissed the fight got cut short, and I missed an opportunity to break noses, ribs, and jaws. Set and I got uneasy when left for long periods without anything to smash.

Inside her office, we met more elegance. Lush, Persian wool rugs over premium carpet. Velvet furniture with a sleek sheen to it in dark colors. Inky desk with gold inlay. Raine’s choice, no doubt. The room screamed fucking black and death. Soon the new owner would renovate.

Thank fuck the old King of the Dead beside me didn’t have the same style in furnishings, otherwise we’d have another war on our hands with decorating our new place.

I cracked my knuckles as I sat down in a French armchair with wooden armrests. Zethan stood at my back, on guard, hand on his weapon.

Woman was brave by not inviting her dogs inside to protect her, overly confident that she could take the two of us without raising a sweat. For that, I respected the shit out of her. Didn’t trust her, though.

She remained standing, leaning on her desk. “You will repay me for the damage you caused, Set.” Nice. I appreciated the recognition of my god and his satisfaction rumbled on the bond.

“I’m not paying you a fucking cent, Bastet.” I returned the favor out of respect, but I really wanted this woman’s name.

I rolled a cigarette, licked it slowly, lit it with the fire burning on my finger, and smoked it just to piss her off. Getting under people’s skin made them slip details and clues I needed.

But instead, she deftly swiped it from my fingers, sucking on it, her eyes glowing with the same fire powering my veins. “I can’t let you walk free without clearing your debt.”

“You can get fucked, toots.” I threw my boots up on her desk, and the flames in her eyes turned to bonfires.

“My name’s Faline.” She moved to the corner of the offer and poured herself a berry-colored red wine into a crystal glass. “Call me toots again, and I’ll cut off your tongue.”

I liked her. My kind of gal.

Faline.I rolled the word on my tongue. Set translated the meaning. Cat in Latin. Fitting for her, but it made me wonder why her parents hadn’t chosen the Egyptian equivalent of Outa. Egyptian mafia and all that.

“Well, Faline.” I drew out every syllable. “We’re looking for Colton Raine. You know? The man who owns this place.”

That got her worked up. Gaze hotter than a furnace. Vein throbbing in her forehead and neck. Fingers clawing.

Fight me, sweetheart.

Faline glanced at Zethan then back to me. “Steal something from you, did he?”

Clever woman knew how to play my game. Worthy little adversary. The only other woman who met the challenge was my mate, and she was hands down the best opponent I ever took on.

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