A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

you see it? You’re the prize. Your gift’s just the bonus.” I touched
my lips to hers gently, running my fingers through her hair as I pulled her
closer for a moment before releasing her abruptly.
    She peered up at me through hooded eyes
fringed by long lashes, her full lips glistening in the soft light. “What’s
wrong?” Amber asked, her voice dripped with disappointment.
    “You don’t want this like I do,” I
whispered.
    “What?” She smiled that lazy grin that made
my heart skip a beat, shattering the frail shell of my control. “I can assure
you I do.”
    I shook my head. “One day you’ll understand
what I’m talking about.” I had to keep my appointment with Layla ,
and find a way to get rid of that curse she called a prize.
    Amber smiled. “You won’t get another
chance.”
    “You couldn’t leave even if you wanted to.”
    “Dare me.” I saw the determination in her
eyes. She was a sorer loser than she was a bad liar. Someone had to give in
before she did something reckless just to prove her point.
    “Okay, you win. I believe you.” I traced my
finger along her jawline, brainstorming ways to make Layla grant my wish. Taking her by surprise was my best bet.
    “So, when were you going to tell me you’re
a—” Amber hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the word.
    “A vampire?”
    She flinched. I growled low in my throat.
    “Yeah, that,” she whispered.
    “Maybe after our wedding?”
    Amber laughed. “What makes you think I’d
marry you?”
    “What makes you think you’d have a choice?”
    “I’m not into bad guys,” she said.
    She got that one right. I hadn’t always
been a bad guy; just since Rebecca decided to make me her personal toy. It was
my Achilles heel, so I changed the subject. “How did you find out what I am?
The Shadows?”
    “The what?” Her confused look only
strengthened my belief someone else must’ve told her. But who?
    “I’ll tell you later. Now, who else did you
talk to?”
    She raised her chin stubbornly. “I’m not telling
on my sources.”
    “You know I’ll find out sooner or later
anyway.” In fact, I’d make it my priority to find out upon my return from the
Lore court.
    “Do you have any idea how my parents will
react once they notice my boyfriend’s a—”
    I stared at her. Had she just said the
b-word? She squirmed, probably realizing the same thing. Denial and yet another
fight was imminent. I had to give her space to think, so I lifted her and put
her down beside me. “There’s business I need to take care of first. This
conversation isn’t over though.”
    She eyed me suspiciously. “You’re driving
to town? Good. You can take me to the airport then.” It wasn’t a question; it
was a demand. No one ever dared to demand anything from me. “I should’ve called
a cab the moment I found out about all of this.”
    “Yeah, well, you didn’t. I wouldn’t have
let you go anyway.” I smirked. “I haven’t changed my mind, Amber. You stay
here. Clare will make sure you’re not trying to escape.”
    She sneered, but didn’t argue. I walked the
short distance to the wardrobe and pulled out a leather belt and sheath that I
tied around my ankle, hiding them underneath my jeans and a hip-length coat.
The sheath held the only weapon that’d keep me safe inside the Lore court: a
fire whip. Layla’s succubi feared it like hell. Now, Layla was another matter
and harder to control, but I counted on her soft spot for me, as long as she
didn’t find out how much Amber meant to me.
    In two long strides I returned to the sofa
and planted a kiss on Amber’s lips. “Do as I say. Don’t make me hunt you down,
because I’m too good at it and you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
    Her eyes glittered with that determination
that kept telling me I’d found my match. “You can’t keep me here.”
    “Dare me and I’ll lock you up.” I kissed her
again and stood, hesitating. A sense of dread hit me. I was making a big
mistake, and yet I knew I had no choice. Throwing a last glance over my
shoulder, I hurried out the door, teleporting to London as soon as I was out of
Amber’s sight.

 
    ***

 
    From outside, the estate looked like any
other in East London: a broad building surrounded by hundreds of acres of dirty
concrete and a high fence. Empty beer cans and wrappers littered the narrow
pavement in front of the gate. Several girls dressed in tight skirts, tops and
boots stood in immediate proximity, their greasy hair ruffled