Page 55 of Forged in Twilight: The Complete Series

Everything about it looked expensive. The furniture was all gleaming black, with silver and purple accents everywhere she looked. Black tables rose up past her middle, with a long, black wooden bar stretching the lengths of the place. The white granite countertops winked beneath the low lights, the music luring Polly inside.

And that was nothing compared to the smell of food cooking…

She had met Sam outside of the hotel, pointedly deciding not to mention that she didn’t need a guard. Considering her welcome the last time she dared go back to the faction-run hotel, she probably did. Esther might not be a problem anymore, and the angel princes who hired her wouldn’t be kicking her out right now, but she didn’t doubt that that floor manager of theirs had the whole werewolf security team on high alert for another appearance by Polly.

In fact, she did a double-take when Sam led her into the bar. Standing near the door, there was an athletic-looking man with the most adorable pair of dimples; despite his quiet demeanor, the dimples peeked out as he watched the patrons entering the bar. His brown hair was pushed out of an extraordinarily handsome face, his arms crossed over his massive chest. His size alone screamed werewolf, though Polly had enough experience with that faction to know her guess was right.

For a heartbeat, she wondered if House of Sin’s security team was waiting for her at the bar. If so, this partnership was doomed before it began. Like she told Sam on the phone, she needed to trust anyone she worked with. That was such a rarity that Polly hardly ever did a job with a partner. Not only because she never wanted to share the loot, but because she’d spent her early years being betrayed by too many “friends” to count.

But then Sam nodded at the werewolf. “Zev. Is Becca here?”

“Hey, Sam. Good to see you around again. Yeah. Your brother dropped her off, putting her in the care of me and mine. Dev’s got an eye on her. He sent me over here to wait for you. Come on. Right this way.”

As the werewolf loped gracefully ahead of them, Polly shot Sam a look out of the corner of her eye.

“That’s Zev,” he explained. “He and his brother Dev run the Grille. The only way I got Raze to agree to let us talk to Becca without him hovering over her was by you two meeting here. She has her own history with Lucifer, you see, and he prefers to keep her inside of the hotel. And I… I figured you’d rather ask her some questions without Raze looming over her shoulder.”

“Raze. That’s the eldest prince, right?”

Sam nodded. “And Micah’s our youngest brother.”

She’d heard about him, too. Even as a human who existed on the edge of the factions, she’d learned all about the poor youngest prince. Most of the paranormal beings spent their long lives looking for their soulmates. The demoness Sam was bringing her to meet? She was Raze’s newly claimed lifemate. As far as she could tell—and she wasn’t about to ask in case it was a faction faux pas—Sam didn’t have one. And the youngest prince… he’d had one once, but didn’t anymore.

Each paranormal faction was owed a lifemate. It was part of how the magic in their world worked. They could sleep with whoever they wanted, mate with whoever they desired, but once they found their one, it was almost like an imperative force inside of them, leading them to claim their mate for life.

There was no cheating on a fated mate. In their world, ‘til death do you part took on a whole other meaning when so many of them were immortal.

In those early days when she first caught Sam watching over her, she’d wondered what-if; when it came to one of the factions giving you unexplained attention, a girl had to wonder. But if he was her soulmate… well, he would’ve made his move already, wouldn’t he? From the rumors running around the City of Sin, Raze found his soulmate and was completely bonded to her within a handful of weeks.

Polly had known Sam for more than a month, and the most he was offering her was an around-the-clock guardian angel and a job that would net her twenty-five thousand dollars if she could steal a key and manage to not give in to her intense attraction just having him near.

From the way her heart jolted in her chest when she saw her dark angel with his white wings waiting for her outside, she was beginning to think she was fighting a losing battle…

At least she’d get the key for him. If only because he saved her from Esther, she would—and, not gonna lie, she really wanted that money. With a score like that, she’d be set for a while.

As Zev led the way to the back of the bar, Sam gestured with his chin toward a striking redhead sitting by herself at one of the high top tables. “That’s Becca right there. Raze’s mate.”

Polly followed his point to Becca. She had lovely grey eyes, porcelain skin, and a radiance surrounding her that marked her as absolutely loved by a powerful angel.

And, no, Polly wasn’t jealous, why do you ask?

She knew that the woman was a demoness, but from the innocent expression to the rose tattooed off her shoulder and down her side, Polly didn’t think she would have ever guessed. Then again, with Polly’s youthful face, blonde curls, and soft green eyes, no one would ever guess she was a thief, so who was she to say anything?

Once they approached the table, the werewolf nodded at Sam again before disappearing back into the shadows of the bar. Becca glanced up, smiling as she rose to stand.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft, yet friendly. “You must be Polly.”

“That’s me. Becca?”

“Yes. Sam said you’d probably have some questions for me.”

That was true. More than he thought, she bet, not that she was going to admit that with the angel standing right behind her.

Time to get rid of him.

“Shoo, Ace,” Polly said, giving him the go away gesture with her hands. “You got me here in one piece. You want me to talk to Becca? Let us talk.”

“Polly, I—”

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