Immortals After Dark 05 - Dark Needs at Nights Edge

probably a Colombian drug lord. The nymphs are straddling the fence.”
    Regin opened her mouth, but Nïx cut her off. “That one’s too easy, Reege.”
    The Valkyrie shrugged, her attention returning to an arm-wrestling match.
    In a nonchalant tone, he asked Nïx, “So you want to tell me about the leech?”
    “I don’t know if you can defeat this one,” Nïx said. “He’s unspeakably powerful.”
    Cade gritted his teeth. “Then I only wish you’d seen what I did to my last enemy. And that was piss easy for me.”
    Nïx peered at the ceiling, then down again with an expression of surprise. “Very nice. But I can’t see what you did with his spine.”
    She could view the past as well? There’d been rumors... . “Made him try to crawl for it before I beheaded him.” He immediately frowned. “What do you do when you pluck a spine?”
    “The same. You can’t improve on a classic. Oh, and speaking of getting a spine—how are things with your lady love, Cade?”
    He drank, studying her over the rim of his mug. Nïx can tell how I feel. She knows. Cade was notoriously brutal, a feared mercenary. Yet at times he found himself gut-sick with wanting his female, one who was too young and too human—the sole species forbidden to him.
    Because the mortal wouldn’t survive the initial claiming when he went demonic.
    Cade no longer tried to deny that she was his, no longer bothered with his halfhearted pursuits of other females. Every time he saw her from the shadows, the certainty grew.
    He wondered if Nïx knew about the picture he kept beside his bed.
    Nïx smiled at that very moment; Cade swore. “Ever-knowing, Cade,” she said softly.
    Cade hiked his shoulders, pretending nonchalance. “Tell me about the vampire, or not, dove. But none of us really wants to be here.”
    “I’ll tell you,” Nïx said, her gaze rapt on his horns. “But only if you let me lick your rock-hard horns—”
    “Nïx!” Regin’s attention snapped back to this conversation.
    Eyes wide, Nïx cried, “Who said that?? I didn’t say that! Oh, very well—the vampire’s named Conrad Wroth. Best be careful with that one. He single-handedly took down Bothrops the Lich.”
    “That was Wroth?” He’d heard of the assassin before. Cade grudgingly admitted that the leech did nice work, dealing deaths with a unique, gruesome signature to them. Which was important in their line of business. “Where is he?”
    “To find him, you need to trail the one who seeks him in sleep.”
    “Soothsayerese? I don’t speak it,” he said, but she didn’t elaborate. “That’s all you’re going to divvy?”
    “Wanna know more?” Nïx raised her brows. “Then you should have let me lick your horns.”

14

    When Conrad’s eyes slid shut, the muscles in his jaw tightening, Néomi realized he wasn’t going to deny his brother’s words.
    Her lips parted. Never been with a woman? If Conrad had been attractive to her before, he’d just become irresistible. This man, with his tremendous body made for pleasing and protecting a woman, was a virgin.
    Oh, but this revelation was a problem. Conrad—so secretive and proud—was plainly burning with embarrassment, restless in his chains. His arms were bulging so much, it was clear he was clenching his fists behind him. Her knowing this would be humiliating for him.
    And his pride had already been taking a beating. She knew men, and she knew that any show of vulnerability in front of a woman they found attractive was crushing to them.
    Her heart was breaking for him.
    Murdoch frowned at Conrad’s reaction. “Just think, if you found your Bride at the gathering, within a single week, you could be bedding her. Aren’t you even curious about what it’s like?”
    His tone incensed, Conrad said, “Leave me.”
    “Things are heating up overseas—none of us will be back until late tomorrow. Do you want to drink before I go?”
    Conrad began straining against his bonds, the muscles in his neck standing out with the effort. “Get out of my sight!” As he rocked to the side, she saw blood on the sheets from where the manacles were cutting into his wrists.
    “Conrad, calm yourself.” Murdoch stood. “I’m leaving.”
    When Murdoch disappeared, Néomi took a breath, then sidled closer to Conrad. Making her tone casual, she said, “You seem discomfited by this, but you shouldn’t be. Et alors. Ce n’est pas grand-chose. It’s not a big—”
    “Get out.”
    “Conrad, your brother seems to