“It’s Portuguese for ‘hands of death.’ They are a group of vampires who teach naughty people a lesson.” That was putting things mildly.
Mãos da Morte stole into homes and killed the guilty before the person even knew they were there.
They were the boogey men of the paranormal world.
Even changelings feared them, which was saying a lot.
Rick wasn’t sure why they had a Portuguese title since Kraven was Russian, but he wasn’t about to ask the vampire about it.
“How in the hell has all of this gone on right under our noses?” Dorian asked, some of that fire returning, his Peruvian-brown eyes scrutinizing.
It was a look Rick didn’t like.
“What else is there that we don’t know?”
Rick didn’t like the term we.
It pitted Rick against Dorian, nonhuman against human.
That set his back teeth to grinding.
He wasn’t supposed to be pitted against his candidate.
That wasn’t in the rule book.
“More than you will ever find out, human.” Even if Rick wanted to share, there was no short version, and he wasn’t going to waste his day explaining the world he lived his daily life in.
It would be a waste if he wasn’t going to pick Dorian.
Silvia had already begged not to be picked last night on the porch.
She had told Rick that she had been in love with George for over a year and they planned on marrying.
She was even nice enough to offer her seven days to Dorian.
Rick wasn’t sure how he was going to use those extra seven days, but he had a feeling he would need them for Dorian.
Almost three weeks had passed him by since the party, but he was a little preoccupied with keeping him and Dorian out of jail to start dating anyone—that and he had been stalling for time before he decided to date Dorian first.
Silvia even asked Rick to be the best man at her wedding.
Rick had agreed.
That was if he wasn’t behind bars when they said their vows.
That left Dorian and Omar.
Rick remembered how strange Omar was acting last night at the meeting.
The man still wouldn’t tell him what was wrong, and Rick wasn’t going to badger the man to tell him.
He had enough of his own problems at the moment.
He was always there to help when someone needed it, but he wasn’t going to force the werewolf to talk if he wasn’t willing to.
Two candidates.
Two men acting strangely.
Rick was getting a damn headache.
He wasn’t about to waste his day trying to figure them out either.
He had things to do, stuff to set into motion.
Worrying about Omar sulking or what burr was up Dorian’s ass wasn’t on his to-do list.
Rick finished his breakfast and walked into the study, using the phone.
He called his top enforcer as he blew out a long breath.
He wasn’t going to let Dorian ruin his day.
There was too much to get done to be distracted by the man.
“Hey, Rick.”
“Have you got any information for me?”
“Some,” Nate replied.
“It seems the judge responsible for issuing the warrant for Dorian and then you has conveniently taken a vacation. The case has been handed off to homicide, two seasoned vets that don’t give up. They’ve already grilled Dorian’s parents and been over to your place. They even questioned people at your job. Some female named Cherry told the detective’s that she thinks you are changeling.”
Rick knew Cherry was trouble.
He had heard her quiet accusations while at work.
Maybe he would send Selene over to have a talk with that loose-lipped human.
Selene was right under Nate, and she was no one to mess with.
The female enforcer had fought her way to her position, and held on to the title viciously.
“What proof do they have?”
“I’m still working on that,” Nate said.
“Our guy on the inside is having trouble finding that information out. It seems everyone is tight-lipped about what’s going on. He thinks that they are trying to make an example out of you and Dorian. If they can prove that you killed those three men, or had a hand in it, then they can prove that changelings are savages and shouldn’t be allowed to live among humans.”
It was a quiet campaign to rid the world of nonhumans.
How convenient.
Rick was not going to allow himself to be used as the catalyst to start a war.
Humans would wipe out changelings.
As great a number as there was, on the nonhuman side, it wasn’t high enough to win.
That scared him worse than the thought of being forced to mate.
Rick already had a low opinion of humans, and this was not helping.
Dorian was starting to change his mind, but hearing that they were being used as cannon fodder didn’t set well with him.
“Find out what you can about the proof they have. I won’t be used as a pawn to prove changelings are nothing but animals.”
“How’s the nominee doing?” Nate asked.
“You like him.”
Nate didn’t deny it.
“He’s cute, for a human.”
“Leave my candidate alone.”
“Fine, but if you don’t pick him, I’m going to be all over that. He’s got a nice ass and a handsome face to boot.” Nate chuckled.
“I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I learn anything else.”
“Thanks,” Rick said before he hung up.
He dialed another number.
“Remus,” the other man answered.
“It’s Rick.”
“Shit, do you know how many cops are looking for you right now? It’s all over the front page along with the news of how you and some human killed those changelings down at the waterfront. I don’t care if you did, but I’m just letting you know to lie low for a very long while.”
“It isn’t true. One of them was Alexander.”
Remus gave a low whistle.
“Do you know who did it?”
“Not yet.”
“They are saying that you are using some sort of changeling mind control on the human, making him do bad things for you. How in the hell do you keep getting into—never mind. What do you need?”
Remus could go on and on.
Rick was glad the man had cut himself off and gotten straight to the point.
The wereleopard had an affinity for gossip.
He wasn’t what one would consider friends with Remus, but they kept each other abreast of what was happening in the changeling society.
Petty gossip, nothing more.
No one knew Rick talked with Remus, not even Sasha, the alpha of Remus’s leap.
But right now Rick was reaching out to anyone he trusted, trying to figure out what was going on.
“I need you to get a hold of Sasha and tell him to call me.”
“He’s dealing with the wererats. They seem to have lost their damn minds lately, but I’ll tell him to get a hold of you.”
“Thanks. Oh, and Remus, I also need you to get help. The werehyenas have captured the rat king. See who you can gather and get his ass away from those fucking hyenas. I would do it myself, but seeing as how I’m on the run.” Rick knew why the wererats were acting out.
Their king had been kidnapped.
They were leaderless.
He still had to help out their king, but right now Rick couldn’t think of how to do that without getting caught.
He wasn’t abandoning the man.
Rick just had to find a way to help that didn’t involve handcuffs and jail.
“You don’t ask for much, do you?” Remus asked.
“I’ll gather the troops and get him out of there, but you owe me for this.”
Rick hung up and walked from the study when he heard a knock at the front door.
It was Miguel and his cousin Benito.
“We wanted to come by and hang out for a while. Do you mind?”
Rick smiled.
The two juveniles needed their alpha, but felt they were too grown up now to come out and say it.
Changelings needed touch, needed reassurance.
Being newly matured, these two were seeking the approval and comfort of Rick.
“Come on in, guys.”
Miguel smiled up at him as he walked past Rick.
“Is Dorian still here?”
Rick shut the door and then pointed at the kitchen.
“He’s eating breakfast.”
Benito walked into the kitchen as Miguel smiled up at Rick and then reached out, his hand stilling, asking for permission.
Rick nodded.
Miguel ran his hand down Rick’s arm, a look of comfort washing over his face.
“Have you found anything out yet?”
Rick shook his head.
He wasn’t getting the two involved in this mess.
Miguel was still too naïve to be useful.
Rick didn’t think anything wrong that Miguel was sweet and innocent, but dealing with the werehyenas was a little too tricky for someone not yet acquainted with the evilness of the world.
“Nothing useful.” That wasn’t a lie.
Nothing Rick had learned could help him at the moment.
He was stuck hiding out.
Rick heard Dorian shout and then Benito came running out of the kitchen, a frown on his face.
Dorian appeared in the living room.
The man meant it.
“What’s wrong?” Rick asked.
He knew Benito.
The man wouldn’t have done anything to offend Dorian.
He was just as sweet and naïve as Miguel.
The cousins wouldn’t harm a fly, not while in human form.
“That pervert just tried to run his hand over my back.”
Rick chuckled.
“He’s seeking comfort.”
Dorian didn’t look happy with Rick’s explanation.
“I’m not sure what that means, but he can seek it someplace else. I’m not into strange tail.”
“I’m not familiar with that term,” Miguel said as he moved closer to Rick.
Rick rested his hand on Miguel’s shoulder.
“It means I don’t have sex with strangers.” Dorian narrowed his eyes as he looked at where Rick’s hand was resting on Miguel.
Rick could smell the simmering scent of jealousy.
Interesting.
“They are changelings, Dorian. They need touch for reassurance and comfort. It’s what we do. It’s how we live.”
“So, it’s just one big orgy with you guys, huh?” Dorian spat the question.
“The more I learn about changelings, the less I like. I’m still not over you trying to eat me.”
Rick growled.
“Sex isn’t involved in comfort. Get your damn mind out of the gutter.” He was going to leave the eating part alone.
One fight at a time.
“You could have fooled me. You looked pretty damn cozy with that woman on the porch last night.” Dorian tucked his lips in, his face and neck shading a pretty color of pink.
It reminded Rick of the sunset last night, but he pushed that wandering thought away.
The man looked embarrassed that he had told Rick about what he had seen.
So, that was the reason Dorian was sulking.
He should be pissed that Dorian had jumped to conclusions, but for the life of him, he couldn’t muster the anger.
In fact, it pleased him.
God, he was so screwed.
“You are one of three candidates, Dorian. There are two others vying for a place next to me.”
He wasn’t sure why he told Dorian this.
Silvia didn’t want the position as the alpha’s mate.
He didn’t know what was going on with Omar.
But seeing the green-eyed monster overtake Dorian was pleasing to him.
“Fine,” Dorian grumbled.
“But they can wait until it’s their turn.”
“He likes you,” Miguel whispered, looking pleased.
“I knew he was a perfect candidate.”
Rick smiled down at Miguel.
“I’m not so sure, Miguel. He’s pretty damn possessive.”
“I am not,” Dorian snapped.
“I just—” Dorian spun on his heel and walked back into the kitchen.
“Just keep your hands to yourself,” he shouted back at them.
Rick wasn’t sure if he was talking to Benito or him.
A challenge.
Rick smiled.
It was a calculating smile.
So, Dorian was developing feelings for Rick.
From the way the human had acted, he would have thought the man hated him.
But his outburst had proven otherwise.
Because if truth be told, Rick was really starting to like Dorian.
It was confusing as hell considering Dorian was human, but Rick wasn’t going to deny his feelings, even if he only admitted them to himself.
“You guys go keep him company. I still have phone calls to make.”
“But he doesn’t want us in there,” Miguel said.
“So?”
Miguel shrugged.
“Come on, Benito. Let’s go get yelled at.”
Rick chuckled as he walked back to the study.