Page 74 of Under a Wicked Moon
“You have a choice,” Roman said as he led up the winding stairs of a renovated castle outside of Glasgow to the second floor where he’d rented rooms for them to stay. They usually didn’t stay in four- or five-star facilities, definitely not ritzy rental houses like this—a fucking castle—but he got the feeling this was all about Roman taking care of Nova.
“Choice of what? Stay on the plane? Find lodging elsewhere? Maybe I choose not to back you up when you face off with this Simon person?” He followed down the lushly carpeted hallway. “I’m not letting you face some lycan alone while using the ladies as bait.”
“Your room is there.” Roman handed him an old-fashioned key. No key cards in this place. Kind of nice to experience some Old World.
“I’m up the hallway, second on the left.”
“Is she here?”
“She doesn’t remember you. Her being here is about getting this Simon Lees character to talk. That’s not his real name, which is why we had trouble finding him.”
“How do you know he’s nearby?” He hated making Vivi play bait again. She didn’t deserve it the first time and sure as hell not twice. This time, however, he’d make sure she stayed safe.
Roman blew out a breath and knocked on an unidentified door. “I recruited help. The only way he’d locate this person whose name is bogus is by being a part of catching him.”
The blond, dapperly dressed lycan who answered the knock shot out a hand with a childish grin. “Mate, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Colin Lochty? It has been a while.” He raised an eyebrow at Roman while Colin pumped his hand. The notorious lycan “recordkeeper,” although reliable, had been frothing at the bit for years to help them with something more than providing information on who lived or died. The lycan was rich, not from family money, but from real-estate investments, having become somewhat of a tycoon over the decades. But it was his photographic memory that they needed. He knew every lycan family tree, many family histories, and the locations of most lycans. But he wasn’t a rich jerk. Colin was every man’s everyman—a little goofy, chummy, and the kind of guy you’d like to grab a beer with, since he excelled at funny storytelling.
Colin said, “So thrilled to be a part of a mission with you three. I can’t wait to meet the missing girls you found.”
“Tomorrow,” Roman said quietly. “Dial back the enthusiasm about a hundred percent.”
Colin rubbed his hands. “Might step down to a pub I saw down the street tonight. Want to join me, Ky, for old times’ sake?”
Ky shook his head. “I’m turning in soon. Jet lag.”
“You been on a diet or something? You look thinner.”
“Or something.”
“Oh. Right. Secret stuff.” Colin winked. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. This is so bloody exciting.”
They all liked Colin. He was solid, but he wasn’t trained to fight, and he was a flirt.
“I want to see her,” Ky immediately blurted out as soon as Colin shut the door.
“You sure you can handle it?” Roman continued up the hallway.
“I’ll be fine.”Liar.He wanted to see Vivi. “I want to meet her sister, the person you mated. She’s family, and I don’t even know her.”
“Fair enough.” Roman nodded as he led up the hall and around a corner. He knocked on a door.
Ky hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until the door swung open. A lycan with long, curly auburn hair in jeans and a tight dark sweater glowered. She kept one arm behind the door. He sensed the gun. Knowledge about the type of bullet and how many were in the weapon filtered into his head, as was his gift.
Roman’s sharp edges softened into a goofy grin. “Are you hiding a gun behind the door?” It wasn’t Roman’s gift, but apparently he knew his lover well.
“Maybe.” The lycan he assumed to be Nova cocked her head and did a smoldering once-over of Roman.
“You plan to shoot me with it?”
“Was thinking about it.” Nova smiled.
“That’s hot.” Roman snagged her around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hidden hand came into view holding a gun.
Roman flirting? Ky blinked. When had his uptight brotherturned into a guy who went gushy over a woman?
“Who’s there?” he heard Vivi call out.
