Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
The redhead grinned. “Any time you want. But beware, she’s very advanced mentally and psychically. So no cooing or baby babble—she finds it condescending and tends to then dish out telekinetic slaps. Which I think is why Lou does it to her so much. He finds it amusing.” Pausing, Ella moved aside so that a salesperson sporting a headset could squeeze past her. “Have you ever met him, Naomi? The devil, I mean?”
Naomi hid a smile. “Yes, I have. He gatecrashes a lot of our lair’s parties. Much as he complains about imps, he likes that they’re as shrewd and conniving as he is.”
Ella chuckled. “I can imagine. He finds Lily fascinating.”
Naomi knew that, because her father liked to talk about both Lilibeth and Asher—Harper and Knox’s son. They amused him something fierce. He insisted on viewing himself as their honorary uncle.
Ella let out a small oof as her bulkiest plastic bag was knocked by a passing shopper and banged into her knee.
Naomi winced in sympathy. “Need help carrying anything?”
Ella’s shopping bag crinkled as she readjusted its position. “I’m good, but thanks. Well, aside from these pants”—she touched the pair still hanging over her shoulder—“I can’t find anything I like.” She twisted her mouth. “I’m gonna check out the discount area. What about you?”
Naomi flicked a look at the tees draped over her arm. “I’m fine with just these. I’ll need to try them on, though.”
“Go ahead; I’ll keep hunting.”
While Ella headed to the discount area, Naomi strode into the unmanned changing rooms. She slowed her pace as she searched for an unoccupied cubicle. Hooks scraped a rail up ahead as a curtain was shoved aside, and then out walked Draya.
Oh, how awesome.
The blonde went still, tension creeping into her muscles and turning her jaw into a hard line. An ugly gleam in her eyes, she clung tight to a hanger she held and presented Naomi with a fake smile. “I heard about you and Luka,” she said, an edge to her voice. “Congrats.”
“Thanks,” said Naomi, her demon liking the banshee’s obvious annoyance.
“You know, I never would have predicted that he would fall victim to a siren’s song. I thought he’d be tougher than that. Stronger than people like Iain. Life continues to surprise me.”
Naomi almost rolled her eyes. “If you need to tell yourself that’s what happened . . .”
“It’s the only thing that could have happened,” Draya snapped. “Nothing else would explain Luka claiming you. He has never once spoken of taking a mate. When his lair members at the casino sensed that I was interested in him, they all warned me that he didn’t do permanence.”
“Lots of people don’t. Until they do. Until they meet someone they want to keep in their lives.”
Draya gave her head a small shake. “Your song has him under its spell,” she insisted, several emotions swirling in her eyes—irritation, bitterness, resentment, and . . . embarrassment?
Naomi frowned. She’d expected jealousy; classic woman-scorned glares. Draya, though . . . “You have the look of a person who feels they’ve been outwitted.”
Draya’s head jerked. “What does that even mean?”
“I think you know exactly what it means,” said Naomi, the pieces falling into place. “He was just a mark to you, wasn’t he?”
“A mark?” Draya tittered, dismissive, but more tension filled her frame.
“I knew someone like you once. She would choose a guy who she decided would make a good provider of luxury and diamonds and all those things. Once she’d used him up, she would move on to another mark.”
Draya’s eyes flickered.
“You meant to bag Luka, intended to get whatever you could out of him. You got the job at Infernal so that you could get close to him and learn his patterns, likes, dislikes; so you could question the staff there about him to learn even more. You also tried milking Ella for information about him, the kind that would allow you to profile him to some extent. Then you would have fashioned yourself into whatever you thought would make him keep you around.” It all made sense now.
The blonde forced an exaggerated huff, but her discomfort was clear. “That’s quite a theory.”
“And utterly accurate, I’d say. You set out to swindle him, basically. Except it didn’t work. He didn’t want you.”
Draya slammed a burning stare on Naomi. “Oh, he did. He likely still does. But he got distracted by your song. Well, he may have been snagged by it, but it won’t have worked on his entities. They’re not so easy to kid. They’ll press him to end the relationship.”
Naomi pointed at the brand on her throat. “Does it really look like they want to fight Luka on this?”
Draya’s eyes narrowed. “How did you manipulate the entity into marking you?”
“I didn’t. Dagon acted of its own accord. As did Belial and Abraxas when they branded me.” But of course the woman would think Naomi had conned them somehow. “You see, I’m not like you. I don’t seek to play men. Fact is, I don’t have to.”