The Order Boxed Set (66 page)

He considered her for a minute. “So how is your current case coming along?”

She pursed her lips at the change of subject, then realized it wasn’t a change at all. Just more of the same. “If you’re going to tell me that Julie was murdered by ghosties or ghoulies, you’ll have to get in line. I’ve heard it all before, and I’m not buying it. She was killed by some weird fucker who’d had his brain twisted by all the crap on the TV.”

“Like your mother?”

Shock hit her in the gut, and she gritted her teeth while she forced her emotions back under control. But of course they would know about her mother. They knew her goddamn favorite food.

The colonel didn’t wait for an answer, which was just as well because he wasn’t getting one. “Not ghosties and ghoulies, Detective. But vampires. And what if I told you we have evidence?”

The word “vampires” seemed to hang in the air, and a flash of primordial fear shivered through her. But before it could take hold, a wall rose up in her mind, familiar, calming, and her panic receded. “I’d say show me this evidence, but it had better be good.”

“It’s good and we will, but not here.”

“Are you going to get to the point anytime soon?”

He gave her a tight smile. “Over the last few years we’ve been investigating a man. We’ve found it impossible to get anything on him—”

“Why do you think there’s anything to get?”

“That’s where our evidence comes in, and if you agree to work with us, you’ll be shown everything. Anyway, as I said we’ve been investigating Christian Roth—”

“Stop there,” she interrupted. Now she was getting a glimmer of where this was coming from and where it was going. And she didn’t like it. Not one little bit.

“You know, I thought this was something to do with my mother. But I’m guessing that’s merely an added bonus and you don’t give a fuck about a twenty-year-old unsolved murder. Or even the one that happened six weeks ago. You want me because I’m your in to Ryan.”

“It’s not that simple. We’re looking at the bigger picture. We hope to make sure that murders like these never happen again.”

“So are you saying Christian Roth murdered my mother?”

“Not necessarily. But we believe he might be implicated.”

“So he’s a vampire?” She snorted. “Yeah, of course he is. Christian Roth, billionaire businessman and vampire. You’re crazy.”

“How did your partner find Jessica Thomas?”

The question came from Father O’Brien. She frowned. “He’s a good detective?”

“Oh, we believe it was more than that. We keep an eye on these things and we think he had help. You were present that night. Tell me—was there a woman with him? A woman you didn’t know, though maybe you’d seen her before. A woman who is now working for CR International along with your former partner?”

The woman Jessica wanted to talk to.

“Who is she?” Faith asked.

Father O’Brien answered. “Witch.”

“Oh, please,” she muttered. “Next you’ll be saying that Ryan is Harry Potter in disguise or something. Anyway, she so didn’t look like a witch.” She’d looked sweet in fact, sweet and sort of wholesome.

“What do you expect, warts and a pointy hat? Evil is all around us, Detective. We cannot ignore that, and it is our duty to fight it wherever we can.”

He was beginning to sound a little fanatical and his eyes gleamed. The colonel whispered a word to him and he settled back in his seat but drummed his long, bony fingers on the table.

“The woman’s name is Rosamund Fairfax. And actually, we don’t think your partner is anything other than what he seems,” the colonel said. “But we do believe he has gotten mixed up in things beyond his comprehension and is very possibly in danger.”

“Yeah, and I’m the only one who can help him. I think Ryan is big enough and ugly enough to take care of himself. And I’m not working against him, so I suggest you find yourself another stooge.”

No way would she believe Ryan was into anything dodgy. He was one of the good guys, always would be.

The colonel pursed his lips and shrugged. “I’d like you to think about what we’ve said.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Call me when you’re ready to see that evidence.”

He rose to his feet, as did Father O’Brien. “May the Lord be with you and may he open your eyes to the truth.”

Faith bit back the urge to tell him to piss off. She watched as they walked out the door unable to stifle the feeling that that wasn’t the last she would see of them. The thought made her uncomfortable. She dismissed their talk of evidence. She doubted they would have anything that could make a dent in her firm conviction that the supernatural world was a load of bullshit. There was no such thing as vampires or witches, only individuals who couldn’t deal with the fact that people could be more evil than any monster they could invent. As for God and the devil—more crap.

She rubbed her forehead. At least the meeting had taken her mind off the bomb in her brain. But something told her that her time was running out. If she wanted to solve this case, she’d better get a move on. She also wanted to talk to Ryan, warn him about what was going on. He’d been a great detective and given nearly twenty years to the force. He didn’t deserve to be under suspicion now, and she wanted to give him a heads-up.

And she reckoned she had a way to do both, warn Ryan and get a handle on her case. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in a number.

“Jessica, it’s Detective Connolly. I think I’ve found your mystery woman.”

…

“Are you done yet?” Asmodai made no attempt to keep the impatience from his voice. Probably not wise considering whom he was dealing with, but Lucifer’s expression showed nothing but amusement.

“This is so good,” he murmured as he glanced up from where he was bent over the table, working on the talisman.

“It is?” Asmodai’s question came out as a snarl and Luc’s lips twitched. Great.

“Yeah. Asmodai, the big bad demon, Prince of Darkness, brought to his knees by an itty-bitty girl.”

“Tara is my daughter, and I’m not on my knees.”

“Maybe not yet, but I could put you there any time I like.”

“Piss off.” Unfortunately, though, it was true; he’d put himself under Luc’s power by asking for this favor. But his daughter was in danger. Raphael had been spotted, and rumor had it that there were Avenging Angels on the loose, and while they weren’t specifically after Tara, she could be harmed in the cross fire. He needed to get her what protection he could, regardless of the price. All the same, his fingers trembled with the need to rub the demon’s sigil wrapped around his upper arm—the mark of his debt, which would remain until that debt was paid. Hopefully, soon and not too painfully.

Finally, Luc straightened, the talisman dangling from one long finger—a black, heart-shaped crystal on a white-gold chain. Asmodai stepped forward to take it, and a shiver of magic ran through him as Luc laid the jewel on his palm. He closed his fist around it.

“So you think this will make a difference?” Luc asked. “That your daughter will forgive you in exchange for such a trivial thing.”

“Hardly trivial.”

“She’s half fae,” Luc continued. “They’re vindictive bastards.”

“She’s also half demon.”

“Yeah, right, and of course we’re known for our forgiving natures.” The tone was definitely sarcastic. “Isn’t that what got you into this? Trying to get your revenge on Christian Roth?”

Christian Roth was his daughter’s husband. But that was a recent occurrence. Twenty-three years ago, during the last demon war, he’d been head of The Order of the Shadow Accords, the organization set up over a thousand years ago to police the supernatural world and ensure the demons and fae didn’t destroy humanity with their perpetual wars.

At the end of the war, Roth had stripped Asmodai of his powers and banished him to the Abyss. Lillian, his wife, was pure fae and unable to follow. She’d been stranded on Earth alone and pregnant.

Asmodai had believed both she and their child had perished, and he had held Christian Roth responsible. As soon as he’d regained his powers, he’d gone after the vampire. Needing him to feel the same pain, he’d sent minions after the people Christian loved. One of those people had been Tara, though Asmodai hadn’t known then that she was his daughter. Tara had survived, but her best friend had been killed in her stead. It hadn’t been a good death and Tara, quite rightly, blamed him.

It wasn’t in his nature to feel remorse, but he wanted his daughter’s love and her safety. Hence this deal.

“You’ll be in touch when you want your…payment.”

“As it happens, I have a job for you right now.”

“You do?”

“Someone has approached me for a demon representative for their new committee.”

Asmodai cast him a look of disbelief. “I don’t do fucking committees. I don’t play well with others. You should know that.”

Luc smirked. “You will now, old friend. Actually, I’m doing you a favor. This should fit right in with your plans.”

“It should?” Why did he doubt that?

“Yes. You’re the demon representative of the brand-new Committee for the Integration of Mankind and…well…other kinds. Including us.”

Asmodai narrowed his eyes. “The Order’s new initiative?” He’d heard rumors that the Order was gearing up for some big changes. But he hadn’t planned to be any part of them—he was as integrated as he wanted to be. Humans with their frail existences and short lifespans held very little interest for him.

“Yes. And they’re expecting you five minutes ago. At least you’ll get the chance to hand over your gift.”

A committee? But really what choice did he have? And Luc was right. Tara was bound to be there. He gave a brisk nod and headed for the door.

As he exited the building, he spread his wings and launched into the air. He headed for the nearest place where the walls between worlds was thin and spoke the words to open a gateway to the Earth.

This particular portal opened into an alley at the back of the CR International offices, in the business district of London. Asmodai took his human form as he stepped through, then closed it with a wave of his hand and made his way around to the front of the building. He pushed through the glass double doors and into the large reception area.

Graham, Christian’s red-haired human servant, sat behind the desk. He appeared a little harassed, and Asmodai hung back while he dealt with the two women in front of him. Though on closer inspection, one woman and one girl. Asmodai dismissed the girl as uninteresting, but something about the woman drew his attention, which was strange in itself. It had been so many years…

She was tall and bordered on too thin. Her hair was long and dark and pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a plain black pantsuit and no makeup. Obviously, a woman uninterested in men. That intrigued him, because she was attractive with expressive gray eyes, white skin, and a wide mouth, her lips red even without lipstick.

And whatever she was saying was pissing Graham off.

“Look, I know Ryan works here, so you might as well just call him up and tell him I’d like to see him.”

Graham sighed. “Your name?”

“Detective Faith Connelly.” She pulled a badge from her pocket and flashed it at Graham. A policewoman. That was where she got her air of authority. “And while you’re at it, tell him Jessica is here to talk to Rosamund Fairfax.”

Now, that
was
interesting. He glanced at the girl. She had a fragile look and a bleakness in her eyes.

Graham spotted him. He swallowed and gave him a brief nod before turning back to the woman. “I’m afraid Mr. Ryan is in an important meeting right now, Detective.”

Yeah, the “important meeting” Asmodai was no doubt late for. Christ, he was part of a committee.

How had he sunk so low?

Well, when you made a deal with the devil, you had no choice but to pay his price. And if this was the sum total of his bill, then he’d gotten off lightly.

“If you leave a number,” Graham continued, “I’m sure he’ll call.”

“You are?” the woman replied. “Unfortunately, I’m not. We’ll wait if you don’t mind. Just tell him we’re here.”

“I’ll tell him,” Asmodai said from behind her.

She whirled around, her eyes widening as she caught sight of him. Her gaze ran over him a couple of times, and those pretty lips turned down in a frown as though she didn’t like what she saw. “You know Ryan?”

“Yes, I know Ryan. I’m Ash,” he murmured and held out his hand. “Ashton Delacourt.” She stared at his hand for a moment as though it might bite. Then she reached out slowly. Her palm was cool, which was odd, as warmth flooded his body at her touch. Nerves—long dormant—tingled into life. He closed his fingers around her and held on until she tugged free.

“You’re here for the meeting?” Graham asked him. “They’ve already started. I’ll get one of the security guards to take you down.”

Asmodai nodded and turned back to the woman. “I’ll tell Ryan you’re here, Detective. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see one of his old colleagues.”

“You might be sure, but I’m not,” Detective Faith Connelly replied.

Chapter Two

“Holy freaking moly,” Faith muttered.

“Is that the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Jessica spoke in hushed tones from beside her.

“Very probably,” Faith replied without thinking.

Jess giggled, sounding for once like the schoolgirl she was. Faith leaned her butt on the reception desk, folded her arms across her chest, and watched as Ash Delacourt walked away. He moved with the grace of a big cat, almost flowing across the marble floor. He had to be six five, and long and lean in black leather pants and a full-length coat.

He turned as he reached the elevator and caught her gaze. Her breath quickened.

Yup, it was official. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Though beautiful wasn’t quite the right word. His skin was pale, shadowed over his jaw, his cheekbones sharp, his eyes dark, and his lips full.

Definitely worth a holy moly or two if you went for the bad-boy type, which Faith didn’t.

Even so, she couldn’t take her eyes from the vision of raw masculine power until finally the elevator doors closed behind him and she breathed again. Someone coughed and she turned to see the receptionist watching her, a flash of amusement in his eyes.