Page 9 of Forever Midnight

“I know, Ma.”

I turn my attention out the window again, thinking about the double life I’m leading. Not for the first time, my thoughts drift to the potential danger I face almost nightly, but if it keeps Lucia and the rest of my family safe then it’s worth it.

All I have to do is not get myself killed.

ChapterThree

MIDNIGHT

Yves is going on about the new cases we got this week while I’m doing my best to pay attention. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about Gideon. For the past five nights, I’ve stalked the streets of New Onyx, desperate for a whiff of his magical scent, but coming up short.

Thorn nudges my arm, nodding in Yves’s direction as he says my name—not for the first time based on his tone.

“Uh, sorry, Yves. What’s up?”

Syn’s brow crinkles as he looks at me, his mate and our new team member, Bowie, perched on his lap.

“What’s up?” Yves repeats.

Clearing my throat, I straighten my shoulders. “I have a job?”

“Yes.” He slides a manila folder closer. “Details inside. It has to be done before Sunday when the target leaves town again.”

“Got it.”

I take the folder, flipping through the details but not really seeing anything. The meeting wraps up when Viper knocks on the door and enters.

We all greet the pretty woman who is slowly getting our business organized and up to twenty-first century guidelines. Bowie’s been working with her on some sophisticated encryption for our computer systems to prevent any kind of hacking, which calms Yves considerably.

“You okay, man?” Thorn asks as the meeting breaks up and we head to the common area.

“Yeah. Totally.”

“Still thinking about a certain someone?” Eros asks in a sing-song voice, twirling around me.

Rolling my eyes, I wish I could deny it, but I’ve never been good at lying so I just shrug in response.

“Leave him alone, boys,” Syn says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “It’s not easy when you feel the draw to another.”

“It’s not like you and Bowie,” I blurt out, more defensively than I intended. “I mean, I don’t even know him.”

Syn smiles knowingly, which is more annoying than it should be. Thorn grins and Eros gives me a sympathetic look. I stomp over to the bar and pour myself a glass of the blood I picked up at Lair last night with a splash of pomegranate juice.

“Anyway.” I wave my hand, effectively ending the conversation.

Now brooding and mopey, I slump down on the couch and put my feet on the coffee table, soothed by the sounds of my brothers talking. Their voices all mixed together are like music long played in my mind—there’s something about it that settles me. It’s home.

But almost immediately, thoughts of the mysterious Gideon fill my head again, along with questions. Why does his scent stand out to me so much? And most of all, where the fuck is he?

“Need help with your target?” Syn asks, sitting next to me as he nudges my arm with his.

I scoff, well aware that his angle is more than being helpful. Syn never invites himself along. He does the inviting. “Nah, I’m good.”

“Did you even look at it?” he asks.

“Nope. Doesn’t matter. Whoever it is is on borrowed time. I’ll find them and deal with it.”

“I know you will.” He leans a little closer. “You know I’ll keep your confidence.”

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