“I don’t think anyone says that.”
“You sure?”
“No.” I am so screwed. “Why is a bounty hunter after me? I haven’t been charged with any crimes, and I’m certainly not fleeing from the law.” Because there had never been any evidence left to conclusively link her to the crimes. Alice had made sure of it.
“Oh, didn’t I mention it? No? Turns out your Saint has a side gig.”
“Stop calling him mine.”
There was no amusement on Logan’s face. “But he is yours, Alice. He’s your problem, and you are going to have to eliminate him.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Ever hear of a group called the Ice Breakers?” Logan asked.
“No. What are they? Some hockey team?”
“They would be his side gig. A group that likes to solve cold cases. You know, find the missing and stop the evil murderers who got away with their crimes.” The faint lines near his mouth deepened. “I’m sure you see where this is going.”
Anyone could see where it was headed.
“Word is that Saint likes a challenge,” Logan added.
That name again. Saint. “He’s no Saint. Tell me his real name.”
“Sebastian. Sebastian Black.” Anger hummed in his voice. “I assume that with all of this newfound knowledge, he will no longer be allowed entrance to Abracadabra?”
Alice shook her head. “You assume wrong. In fact, I want you to roll out the red carpet for him when Sebastian makes an appearance tonight.”
Now his lips parted. “You’re kidding me.”
“Do I ever kid?”
Logan glanced upward as he seemed to consider the situation. “I…no.” His bright gaze shot back to her. “This is a mistake. I said eliminate him. Not throw a party for the asshole.”
She didn’t plan for a party. “I want to know more about the murders that got him locked up. I want to know how long he was in jail. I want to know why he was so special that he got out.” She shoved her chair back and stood. “Whatever file you’ve got going on him, I want to read it.” Every single detail mattered because the more she knew about Saint, the better she would be able to manipulate him.
Some wars were fought outright. You saw the attack coming.
Not really her style.
She preferred to get very, very close to her enemies. That way, they never saw the threat, not until she was ready to draw blood.
Muttering about mistakes she’d live to regret, Logan made his way out of her office. The door closed quietly behind him. Alice remained standing behind her desk.
Not a PI.
A bounty hunter. Someone who chose to chase monsters. Someone who’d once been accused of murder himself. Saint—Sebastian—was no easy prey. In fact, he might just be the strongest foe she’d ever faced.
In some ways, that made him…absolutely perfect.
***
Saint knew the password. He’d even dressed the part. The tux had been a rental, but it fit like it had been designed for him. Once upon a time, he would have laughed if someone had told him that he’d be dressing up in an outfit like this one.
Back when he’d been poor. Scraping by on the streets. Pickpocketing his way through the tourists and making sure that he’d be able to get enough cash so that he and his mom could eat.
He’d been trouble, back in the day. He still was trouble.
And so is she.
Alice Shephard was very dangerous, very seductive trouble. The more he learned about her, the more his curiosity grew.
His hand lifted, and he rapped against the wooden door that would take him inside Abracadabra. Saint was ready to spit out the password—
The door swung open almost instantly.
“Alice is waiting for you,” the bouncer said with a wave of his hand. “Go right in.”
Instead of going in, Saint frowned. “I don’t have to say the magic word tonight?”
“Alice is the magic word. She wants to see you.” The big, burly fellow—again, wearing black—jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “What Alice wants, she gets.”
“Is that the general rule for her?” He didn’t enter. Just kept waiting. Saint wondered just what this guy knew about his lovely boss.
“Yeah, that’s the rule.”
Nice to know. “How long have you worked for Alice?”
The bouncer offered him a grim smile. “Ever since I got my ass out of prison, and she gave me this job.”
“Out of curiosity…” His flaw again, rearing its head. “Just what were you in prison for?”
“Assault.”
Saint’s shoulders tensed. He wasn’t particularly surprised to discover that Alice liked to hire dangerous employees. But what did surprise him was the odd surge of protectiveness he felt…
Toward fucking Alice. Like that made a bit of sense. “Make sure you keep your hands off her.”
“What?”
“I think you heard me just fine.” He held the bouncer’s stare—correction, glare.
“I wouldn’t hurt her. Ever.” A sharp retort. “No one else would hire me when I got out. Alice gave me a chance. I’d do fucking anything for her.”
Saint suspected Alice hadn’t hired this man out of the goodness of her heart. At this point, he wasn’t sure there was goodness in her. In fact, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of Alice. “Would you kill for her?” A question he just threw out to see a reaction and—
“Alice doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” A sharp warning that had been delivered by her other flunky. The blond who’d been at her side so quickly the previous night.
Saint shifted his attention to the man who’d appeared behind the bouncer. Logan Becker. Saint had done research on him and discovered that Logan had been in Alice’s life for quite a while, going back to when her father had still been alive. Logan had been her father’s assistant, until her father’s untimely death right after one of his biggest shows. Just when his act had attracted attention, he’d given his final performance.
“And before you ask, sure, I’d kill for her.” Logan smiled coldly at him. “Not that she’d ever ask. Alice is the kind of woman who likes to take care of her own problems.”
How close was Logan to Alice? He was older than her, maybe by five or six years. Were they lovers? If not now, had they been in the past? This man kept her secrets, Saint was sure of it. Perhaps Logan could be a weak link that Saint could use.
But Logan turned away before Saint could say anything else, and he began marching back down the corridor. Saint cast one more look at the bouncer, then followed him. Like Saint, Logan was also wearing a tux. The evening promised to be a formal, decadent affair. At least, that had been the description on the app. Alice’s business was quite high tech. People who wanted to get in her speakeasy downloaded the app and then Alice picked a lucky number of individuals to gain entrance. She sent them the password and dress instructions for the night.
When he followed Logan into the main area, he wasn’t surprised to see that the place was packed. But the scene was a bit different from the night before. Ice sculptures had been added. A giant ice dragon that had alcohol pouring from its mouth and into waiting glasses. A snarling tiger that crept down frozen stairs as he stalked his prey.