Page 12 of Legacy of Temptation

“No,” Maja said irritably, but Eva got the feeling the other woman was aiming her sharp tone at Dmitri. “It’s because Keeley limps and works at a desk. They have no idea she was one of our fiercest demon slayers before the accident. And you? Last year, when you tripped on stage during that awards ceremony, it went viral. I know it sucks, but we need you to foster that klutzy image. We realize you’re smart and good with a stang, but we don’t want DART to know that.”

This was bullshit. Unfortunately, the part about being good with the stang was crap too. Eva really wasn’t that proficient with the Aegis’s proprietary double-bladed, S-shaped weapon. And frankly, she wasn’t that great of a fighter. She trained weekly and had for years, and thanks to a gymnastics background, she did have one signature move that always put her opponents on their backs. But she really didn’t enjoy being hit, thrown down, or kicked. And a black eye or split lip in her profession meant someone else got to do her job while she healed, and that someone was Stefani.

No way in hell would Eva ever give that cow a leg up. Hell, nine months ago, Eva had broken her ankle minutes before delivering a televised Q&A following an Aegis sweep of the largest vampire nest ever, and she’d refused to let Stefani take her place. She’d done the half-hour-long interview and then went straight to the hospital.

“I seriously don’t feel like I need to play dumb damsel here.”

Maja nodded. “I agree. You don’t have to. You’re smart enough to play it your way and not show your hand. You all are.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial grumble. “Except maybe Sig.”

Dmitri chuckled, but a heartbeat later, he was all resting jerkface again. “Fine. But, Eva, we’re counting on you. The others don’t always play nice, and we need you to keep things on track. Sig’s an arrogant hothead, Keeley has no filter, Carlos can be intense, and both Benji and Mason think they’re smarter than everyone in the room. You must be the voice of reason.”

Great. What should have been a career opportunity had just turned into a nanny position.

Maja reached for the bottle of water on the table next to her. “I will be your sole point of contact. You won’t report to Jennifer while you’re in Brussels.”

Eva didn’t like the sound of that. The fact that she’d essentially be cut off from her job was only the beginning of her concerns.

“How am I supposed to handle media blitzes and Aegis news if I’m not in contact with my office?”

“Stefani will manage all of that,” Maja said. “You are to concentrate solely on this assignment. When and if you speak to the media about this joint venture, it will be arranged through the Elders, not the Media Affairs office.”

Dmitri cleared his throat. “This doesn’t reflect a lack of faith in our people. It’s just that this venture with DART is delicate and of utmost importance. We will be overseeing it directly.”

Wow. The Elders seemed to keep their fingers out of most things, especially as a group. Each was already high-ranking in their respective departments, so they managed the biggest challenges. But she’d never heard of them taking over all aspects of an operation. Definitely not as a united force.

“Now,” Maja said, “if there are no questions, you’d best get ready for the trip.”

Dmitri stood, clearly done with the meeting and not waiting for any of her questions. “Thank you for your service. This is a major undertaking, and we know you’ll help make it a success.”

“Of course.” Eva pushed to her feet and shook their proffered hands.

Excitement coursed through her at the realization that she’d be participating in a historical event, an exchange of personnel, ideas, and knowledge.

And yet, as she exited the room, the gravity of the situation cast a pall over her enthusiasm. Because one wrong move could not only destroy her career…it could also destroy the hopes of humanity winning the war against demons.

And the world was watching.

Chapter Three

The Demonic Activity Response Team’s headquarters, a nondescript, unremarkable building near Brussels’ historic center, always smelled like coffee. This morning, there wasn’t enough caffeinated brew in the world to cure Logan’s hangover.

Not the alcohol one—his immortal metabolism prevented the worst effects of too much liquor. The hangover he was dealing with hadLilithwritten all over it.

His sleep had been so laden with bad dreams that he wondered if the succubus had hired a nightmare fiend to torture him. She’d made it clear that she was out for revenge, and anyone the Four Horsemen loved was a target.

Holy hell, he’d dodged a bullet. If his father hadn’t shown up…he shuddered. Had to remind himself that nothing sexual had happened.

But it could have.

Yeah, and no one, especially not Mace, would let him forget it.

As Logan made his way toward the first-floor cafeteria for his second triple-shot cappuccino, Director Morgan called his name.

Logan swung around to Kynan as the tall, dark-haired former soldier caught up with him. “Hey, boss.”

“Hey.” Ky’s deep, gravelly voice, the result of damage from a demon battle decades ago, rolled like thunder between them. “I heard you had a hell of a night.”

Heat flamed in Logan’s cheeks. Of course, Kynan had heard. Mace had probably putLogan Got Felt Up By His Grannyall over social media by now. But Kynan wasn’t the type to rub salt into wounds, so while he probably knew about Lilith’s attempt to seduce Logan, he was likely talking about the shit that went down afterward.

---