Nick noticed the intense look Ren was giving Lacey and wondered if the idiot was actually going to lay into the girl for being the thief hed originally accused her of being. In the deepest part of his mind, he hoped Ren did do something stupid so that the girls could put him out on his ass.
Deciding to wait and see what happened, Nick walked over to stand near the side of the sofa where Gypsy was and watch the show.
Knowing they were busted, Gypsy quickly pulled her hand away from the crystal and cringed when Ren stared down at it with an expression of disappointment. She didnt understand why, but being caught by Ren made her feel like a child and she frowned, scooting across the cushion to get closer to Nick.
Under ordinary circumstances, a privacy crystal might have worked with your grandpa and your other relatives but Im not human, Ren informed them both but his words were meant for Lacey. And after what I just heard, I think keeping secrets isnt the best idea in fact, its a very bad one and you, he added pinning Lacey with a hard stare, didnt tell nearly half the story.
Lacey pressed her lips together and gave him her most defiant glare, No one asked you to eavesdrop you little sneak.
Ren was suddenly towering over Lacey, staring down at her with his intense silver eyes and his sunglasses in his fisted hand. How dare she call him little, he was twice her size.
Gypsy jumped up and quickly moved to stand behind Nick when Ren slammed both of his palms against the back of the sofa, caging Lacey against the cushions.
Start talking, Ren ordered in a harsh voice hoping intimidation was the key to getting the details he wanted.
Now that Gypsy was behind him and couldnt see his expression, Nick's lips spread into a wide grin. He took a step back, bringing his body that much closer to hers, silently letting her know that he would protect her from the big bad out of control Ren. It wasnt his fault Ren was making him look like the good guy.
Lacey glared up at Ren with equal ferocity and slipped something out of her pocket, palming it without anyone noticing. Feeling the thin warm metal against her skin, she surprised everyone when she slammed her palm against Rens chest and easily shoved him away from her.
Back off, she insisted calmly.
Ren felt something stinging his skin through his shirt and did indeed take a reluctant step back. His lips thinned knowing she had some kind of enchanted medallion in her hand and with one quick motion he jerked it away from her. When it instantly burned his hand, he slung it across the room.
Enough with the childish toys? he growled, silently wishing his hand would stop stinging. Whatever that was it hadnt liked him very much and the feeling was mutual.
I dont have to tell you a damn thing, Lacey said keeping her voice unhurried and even as she rose to her feet.
The fact that the medallion had worked so well on him let her know he was powerful. It only reacted to power and usually wouldnt even work on low level demons because they didnt have enough of it. Honestly, she hadnt expected it to work on him it was just the only thing shed had within reaching distance.
I may be only human but dont make the mistake of underestimating me. Lacey exhaled loudly when Ren took a threatening step toward her. I dont even know you, she informed him with a raise of her eyebrow.
Ren ran a hand through his bangs in exasperation and silently counted to ten not that it was helping.
Ignoring Ren, Lacey directed her gaze toward Gypsy. Im going to get out of these boy clothes and take a shower. Did Grandpa save any of the clothes I left here?
Gypsy nodded deciding Lacey had more balls than she remembered, though her cousin had never really been a push over. They are packed away in the trunk in the closet.
Lacey smiled thankfully, Good, Ill see you in a few minutes. And you, she continued, sending another glare at Ren and paying him back for the way hed done her just a few minutes ago, dont you even think about peeking.
As if, Ren said insultingly and crossed his arms over his chest as he gave her the once over, you look like a dirty little street rat.
Lacey let a smirk appear on her face deciding that if she couldnt beat him at the insult game then she would have fun with him, You know you want to.
I think you have it backwards, Ren glowered down at her. Youre the one known to pick the lock and slip in where you are uninvited.
Giving up, Lacey threw the silencing crystal still in her hand at him and took off for the shower, slamming the door behind her.
Ren smirked as he caught the crystal in midflight and skillfully pocketed the trinket they wouldnt be using that little bit of magic again.
She forgot her clothes, Nick remarked nodding toward the closet Gypsy had indicated.
Within seconds, the door flew open again and Lacey stormed out grumbling under her breath about needing a testosterone free zone. She went straight to the closet and dragged the trunk into view.
Gypsy lifted an eyebrow and fought the grin that tried to appear on her face when Lacey pulled the heavy trunk into the bathroom with her and slammed the door again, never once even looking their way.
The moment they all heard the shower turn on Gypsy let her light tinkling laughter fill the room. It was going to be so much fun having her cousin back. If nothing else the girl was entertaining and had been her best friend as far back as she could remember.
I fail to see why youre so amused, Ren grumbled and stormed out of the apartment, stomping his feet all the way up the stairs. He had no clue how the hell he could be this aggravated and turned on at the same time.
Nick snorted and looked over at Gypsy, I do believe they were just flirting with each other.
Gypsy nodded liking the idea. Maybe this would be another reason for Lacey to stay. Well, if she is in trouble and I suspect she is, who better to protect her than Ren? she said with a smile.
Nick didnt know whether to be jealous that she thought Ren was a better protector than he was, or to be happy that Gypsy seemed fine with Ren and Lacey's weird attraction to each other. He thought about it for a second then gave in silently admitting Ren was bigger, stronger, and way more powerful. Too bad the big guys downfall was the fact he was lacking a few brain cells.
Ren had heard Nick's crack but ignored what he was insinuating. Flirting there was no way in hell he would ever think about being attracted to that brat. She was sarcastic, devious, and a thief all minuses in his book. He made it up the stairs and started pacing back and forth in the huge storage area.
She actually ordered me ME not to peek, he ranted in a harsh whisper as he paced.
Chapter 3
Lacey sighed when the hot water sprayed over her body and relished the feeling of finally being completely free of the bindings that shed had wrapped around her breasts to make herself look like a teenage boy. She had a good notion to burn the stolen clothes shed been wearing.
She grabbed the scrubby from where it was hanging on the tub faucet and turned the heat up a little more. For her, relaxing was a luxury shed been unable to partake of since running away from Vincent and the horde of demons that were after her.
Vincent even the name called up feelings of guilt and she frowned sadly. Shed met him a couple days after shed gotten a layout of the huge museum Grandpa had sent her to. It just so happened that they had both been sent by different people to steal the same artifact.
Vincent even the name called up feelings of guilt and she frowned sadly. Shed met him a couple days after shed gotten a layout of the huge museum Grandpa had sent her to. It just so happened that they had both been sent by different people to steal the same artifact.
Her lips twitched at the funny memory the look on Vincents handsome face when hed caught her breaking into the same secret room he was there to break into. If they had tried to fight over which one of them had gotten there first and who deserved the spoils, they would have alerted the heavily armed guards that were just down the hall and been busted, or worse shot.
Glaring at each other, it took them about thirty seconds to come to a mutual decision to work together in order to gain the piece. Though thinking back on it now, she realized that Vincent would have been fine either way he had only agreed to the tag team because hed wanted too.
Once theyd made it safely away from the museum, they had suddenly been surrounded by five black eyed shadow demons that had taken up host inside some of the local law enforcement by possessing them.
Standing there in the flashing lights of the cop cars with hands raised and five sets of guns pointed directly at them, shed thought for sure that they werent going to make it out of there alive. That was until Vincent had handed one of them the stolen artifact and been handed a huge briefcase of money in return.
Afterward, Vincent had offered to split the money with her and asked her to go into business with him. Without thinking of the consequences, shed agreed to the partnership deciding that she could get even more things for her grandfather by using Vincents ties to these new aggressive collectors.
She had been excited about finally having a partner and shed seen that he could be just as sneaky as she was. It also didnt hurt that he was sexy as hell and had a British accent that made it sound like he was flirting with every sentence.
Lacey shook her head at her naïve thinking as she lathered her hair up with shampoo. Shed agreed to the arrangement out of greed and because he was damn sexy her only two weaknesses.
After a night and most of the next day of hot as hell, no strings attached sex, Vincent had told her a little bit about the underground ring he belonged to. It hadnt taken her long to figure out that being partners with him meant she was also partners with an entire network of powerful demons.
Thanks to grandpa, she hadnt been completely clueless about demons but that didnt mean shed ever danced with one. Though the knowledge of what she was getting herself into had made her nervous, shed ignored the sixth sense and had been looking forward to the thrill Vincent was offering her.
That evening, hed taken her to meet the master demon of the underground ring an old man that looked every bit a hundred and ten years old and went by the name of Masters, which shed thought funny at the time.
When the old demon had coldly rejected her invite into the underground thievery ring and tried to kill her on the spot, shed lost all sense of humor. If it hadnt been for Vincent stepping in front of her and taking the bullet meant for her head, shed be dead right now. Shed thought Vincent was dead when hed jerked and groaned as the bullet entered him, sending a spray of blood across her face.
That was the first time shed been clued in that Vincent couldnt be killed no matter what was done to him. Hed dug the bullet out of his shoulder as hed argued with the black eyed demon on her behalf, saying hed wanted a partner for years and hed chosen her.
Seeing how Vincent was his favorite thief, Masters had reluctantly agreed, but only if he could brand her as one of his underlings, giving him rights to kill her if she ever got out of line or tried to leave the group.
Vincent had calmly looked over his bleeding shoulder at her and said, Its either that, or he will never let you leave this room alive. Do you agree to the deal?
She had been taught by her grandfather not to ever make a deal with a demon but she wasnt stupid enough to disagree with the one in front of her. As shed looked into his cold black eyes shed known he would indeed kill her and forget her with the same breath.
Once theyd left Masters huge estate, shed turned on Vincent and glared, thinking that he was also a demon or at least a half breed of some kind and hadnt warned her. She quickly informed the good looking jerk that she was thankful that hed saved her life in there, but she had a rule about not sleeping with demons.
Vincent had then calmly taken a hold of her shoulders and asked her to look closely at the blood staining his shirt it was red. Had he been a demon it would have been black. Once shed calmed down hed went on to explain his unusual circumstances. Hed informed her that he was completely human in every sense of the word but somewhere along the way hed been cursed by the angels.
She wasn't sure what hed meant by angels since he wouldnt elaborate but the bottom line was Vincent just couldnt die. Correction he could die but never seemed to stay dead for very long. Hed even unbuttoned his shirt letting her see that the bullet wound had already stopped bleeding and was healing at a rapid pace.
Lacey empathized with his situation as shed gotten to know him better, understanding that hed lived for so long he was bored, fearless, lonely and very angry that he was still alive while everyone hed ever cared for was dead.
She and Vincent had made several agreements pertaining to their partnership and friendship. The first one was that she wouldnt try to run away because although he couldnt die, Vincent was pretty sure she could and would once Masters caught up with her. The other agreement was that they would continue their no strings attached relationship which shed enjoyed immensely.
It wasnt that she didnt love him she did. But it was more as a best friend, which was a good thing since he claimed to have lost the ability to give his heart away eons ago. For him, falling in love with someone would only lead to heartache as he watched them grow old and die leaving him behind. She understood completely.
It was during her partnership with Vincent that she learned a couple truths about the greatest thief of their time her grandfather. Hed gone by the name of Chameleon and never gave any other name. Hed also been so good at the art of deception that he had never failed a single job hed been hired to do and no doubt any hed taken on in secret.
By the way they had described him as a master of disguise and the fact that he went by Chameleon, shed known right off the bat it was Grandpa, though shed never shared that information with anyone, not even Vincent. The most agreed upon theory was that hed been a shape shifter, which in her opinion was the closest to the truth since no one knew grandpa had the cloaking device.
The demon world was still trying to find him but many believed he was dead. After his final job, which was to steal a soul orb from an original, hed promptly vanished taking the orb with him. No one had been able to find him since theyd searched, of that Lacey had no doubt. Little did they know that the soul orb in question was sitting in a concrete safe in the middle of LA surrounded by a demon ward.
Because of that, Lacey knew it would have been dangerous to get in touch with any member of her family for fear the demons would find her grandfather. Shed known better than to contact him herself. He wouldnt have understood and probably come for her, surely getting himself killed in the process.