Authors: Violet Walker
S
ierra smoothed her hand over her suit. Preston was hiring for a new marketing intern, and she knew that his company was competitive. She had the grades to get in, but she hadn’t bothered with any actual experience. There would be a slew of other applicants that would no doubt be far better suited for the position, but she needed this job.
She needed to get close to Preston Wellington.
The receptionist nodded her head. “Sierra Mason? Mr. Wellington will see you now.”
Sierra took a deep breath and gripped her portfolio tightly. It was now or never. For all she knew, he would slaughter her as soon as she walked into the room.
And that was why, within her portfolio, she’d hidden a dagger.
Rule Number One. Never go anywhere without a weapon.
She straightened her shoulders and walked with what she hoped was poise and confidence. The door opened, and her heels clicked on the linoleum. There was no obvious danger, but there was also no Wellington.
The burgundy chair behind the desk swiveled slightly, and she gripped her dagger. There was someone there.
It whirled around, and she gasped.
She knew that most half-demons could pass as human, but she’d never expected him to look so young.
Or so gorgeous.
He had a head of dark curly hair that reached the nape of his neck, and dark intense eyes. There wasn’t a single wrinkle on that face, and a dark shadow of stubble covered his strong chiseled jaw. He had his sleeves rolled up, and she could see the muscles that flexed when he stood.
He towered over her.
Holding out his hand, he gave her a disarming grin. “Sierra Mason?”
Reminding herself that there was a larger purpose at stake, she released the dagger and strode over to the desk to shake his hand.
Warm.
His skin was warm to the touch. She faked a smile. “Mr. Wellington. I was pleased that you called me in for this interview.”
He gestured to the seat and sat only after she did. He was a gentleman as well? Sierra wasn’t fooled by his pretense.
“You came highly recommended by several of your professors. They sent me their recommendation letters even before I’d received your resume. That’s certainly enough to capture my attention.”
Of course they’d had. She’d asked them to send the letters in case she hadn’t gotten back in time from the funeral to submit the resume. They’d been more than happy to comply, and she’d felt bad about using her mother’s death to get her foot in the door.
But it had worked, and this wasn’t about the job. This was about vengeance.
She gave him what she’d hoped was her most surprised look. “I have developed some strong relationships with several of my professors. I was lucky enough to be taught by the best, but I had no idea they thought enough of me to send a letter here. Truthfully, I simply applied for the experience.”
He leaned back in his chair. “You don’t think you’re good enough?”
Sierra smiled coyly. “Good enough, yes. But I know I lack the experience that a company as big as yours would be looking for.”
He held out his hand. “Experience is something overrated. May I?”
She slipped the dagger out under the cover of the desk and handed over the portfolio. He opened it up and flipped through the pieces. His face was stoic, but she thought she detected the slightest bit of interest. She went into a deep depression after Garret had died, and she’d thrown herself into her schoolwork. The result had been surprisingly good.
“You’re clearly a very talented artist as well as writer. Your visuals are eye-catching and the slogans are memorable. Of course, as you know, Wellington Incorporated is not an advertising agency. We’re not in the business of selling a product to a consumer. We’re selling a brand to other agencies.”
Sierra nodded her head. Wellington had their hands in a number of pies, but the part she was most interested in was his consulting business. “If you flip to the back, you’ll see a few models I did a couple of days ago. Those are targeted at failing businesses. For kicks, I took two companies in the area and rebranded them. The different logos and slogans are meant for a company and not a product.”
Wellington held her gaze for a second before flipping to the back of the book. “You did these a couple of days ago?” he asked.
“It occurred to me that my samples are product specific. I knew you’d catch on, so I wanted to give you a sample of my work. This is done, of course, without the knowledge of these companies. I was just playing around on the computer,” she hastened. For a moment, she got lost in the interview. The trust was that she’d done those last night, and she felt a strange need for his approval.
He smirked. “I happen to know the owner of one of these companies, and I have a feeling that if I don’t hire you, he will.”
“You like them?”
“They’re very good.” He tossed the portfolio on the desk. “Of course, you already know that. I’m sure many people have told you that you’re very good. The question, Ms. Mason, is what you’re doing here.”
Her eyes widened in real surprise. Did he know? “I’m here for a job, Mr. Wellington. Your company is well known, and after a few years of working for you, I could go anywhere I pleased.”
“And is that what you want? To go anywhere you please?”
“Knowing that you have a certain freedom should not be taken lightly,” she said softly. “So few people have that.”
He leaned forward. “Do you not have that freedom?”
She smiled. “I’m a college graduate. I’m a slave to my student loans.”
Wellington laughed, and she shivered. His voice wrapped around her seductively, and she struggled to remember her purpose. His charisma was overwhelming. “You do have a point. Tell me, Ms. Mason, are you used to working in a community?”
She raised her eyes sharply. “I’ve worked in groups. I mostly work alone though.”
“In the dead of night?” he asked quietly.
“It’s peaceful. I get more work done then.”
“How well do you take direction?”
“I’m always looking to improve. If someone wiser than me wants to give me advice, I’m more than willing to hear it.”
She saw the crinkle of a smile around his lips. “And how do you decide if someone if someone is wiser than you?”
“Probably depends on what they say.”
He cocked his head and laughed shortly. He handed her back her portfolio and stuck out his hand. “I’m sure you understand that I have a few more applicants that I need to interview. You’ll be hearing from me shortly.”
She shook her hand. “Tell me, Mr. Wellington. You’re the CEO of a huge business. Why are you interviewing the applicants for the marketing field? Shouldn’t the head of the department be fielding these interviews?”
He gripped her hand tightly, and she thought immediately of the dagger she’d tucked under her skirt. “When someone interesting passes through my doors, I make sure I get the first look,” he murmured.
“Am I interesting to you?”
“Very interesting.”
She tried to pull her hand away, and he finally released it. “You’re very young to be walking through my doors, Ms. Mason. Be very sure this is what you want to do before there is no turning back.”
She gritted her teeth. “I may be very young, but I’ve had more experience than you might imagine. Besides, you don’t look so old yourself.”
“I’m far older and more powerful than I look.”
“And I’m far more determined than you could ever imagine.” They’d dropped the pretense now. He knew who she was, or at least he knew that she knew what he was. Still, she held her head high and didn’t look back as she walked out on shaky legs.
The interview hadn’t gone the way she’d expected, and now she had no idea where she’d go from here.
Preston watched her leave. She was a beautiful woman. Tall and leggy, she had the thick blonde curls that most human women dreamed about, and the high cheekbones that made others green with jealousy.
But it wasn’t the dark blue eyes or those perfect lips that had Preston stirring. It was that smart mouth and that dangerous attitude. She’d reached something in him that few women had, and it had him curious.
Still, it didn’t matter whether what his response to her was. He’d had to report her.
“For fuck’s sake, Preston. It’s three in the afternoon,” Damien slurred sleepily.
“I just had the most interesting applicant interview at my office today,” he said as he ignored his leader’s angry tone.
“Male or female?” he grunted.
“Very female.”
“Preston, if you called me because you found a woman you want to fuck, I will kill you.”
“She’s very delicious looking, but that’s not why I called. Her name is Sierra Mason.”
Damien hissed. “As in the Masons?”
He opened the folder on his desk. “Daughter of Daniel and Clarice Mason.”
Preston waited for Damien’s mind to catch up. “Daniel was the grandson of Craw Mason. He’s still active?”
“He’s been wheelchair bound for four years. His only son, Garret, was murdered three years ago, and Clarice Mason died just last week.”
“Any other relatives?”
“Daniel and Sierra are the last living Mason’s left. The name dies out with her death or marriage.”
“It’s not the name that concerns me. Does she know who you are?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Preston,” Damien said warningly. “Why did you accept her application?”
Preston flipped the folder pages and stared at the picture of the handsome young man. “Do you remember Hollis?”
“The kid that wanted to help you a few years ago? Sure. Why?”
“Hollis was Garret Mason. He was killed because of me.”
He could hear Damien cursing on the other line. “That kid’s death is not your fault.”
“And now I know how you feel when I told you that Ortho was not your fault. His mother was looking into Garret’s death when she died as well. And let me tell you, they did not die easily. I’m fairly certain that we’re looking at a nest.”
“Are you mad? It takes a full blooded demon to call a horde to a nest.”
Preston pulled out the photos of the bodies. “I’m just telling you what it looks like. I’ll show you the photos tonight.”
“You will stay away from the Mason girl. I have enough problems with Cresher. I don’t need you bringing a demon hunter into the circle.”
Preston tapped his finger on the picture of the young woman. Even in her photo, he could see her young life, her vitality. It called to him. “The problem, Damien, is that she’s actually quite perfect for the position.”
“So help me,” Damien hissed.
“Go back to sleep, Damien,” Preston murmured. “We’ll talk more tonight.” He absently hung up on his old friend, and stared at her picture.
If she knew that he was responsible for her brother’s death, she’d try to take him down into tiny little pieces.
And maybe it was because he felt that he deserved it, but he told his receptionist to cancel the rest of his interviews.
He wanted to keep Sierra Mason close.
S
ierra watched the hustle of people around her, and for a moment, she wondered what it would be like if all this was real.
She hadn’t expected him to hire her. He clearly knew her reasons for being here, but maybe he wanted to keep her close. In any case, she tried to forget for a moment that Wellington was the enemy. She tried to forget that she’d lost her brother and her mother to demons; she tried to forget that demons even existed. She looked around and was desperate to play the part. She was the new fish in a big pond. She was the college graduate with her first big girl job. She’d landed the job that everyone in her department would have killed for.
But, none of it was real.
The supervisor was halfway through the tour when Preston stopped them. “Thank you, James. I’ll take it from here,” he said as he looked directly into her eyes.
Sierra’s training kicked it. She didn’t blush or stammer or shake. She stood stock still, muscles tense, waiting to see what his next move would be.
If James thought it was odd that the CEO of the company wanted to give the new girl a tour, he didn’t let on. He simply shrugged and wandered off to get coffee.
“Ms. Mason,” Preston said with a nod.
“Mr. Wellington,” she answered in a cool voice.
He stepped back into the elevator. “Why don’t you join me? We’ll take a look at the HR department upstairs. “
She smiled. “I’d prefer to take the stairs. I like to try keep moving whenever possible.” There was no way she was getting into that elevator with him.
A slow smirk spread across his face. “Ms. Mason, there are cameras in the elevators.”
“And you control both the people who control the cameras and the people who review the tapes.”
He didn’t move. “My reputation in this company means quite a bit to me. I would not jeopardize it in any way.”
Sierra sighed and stepped into the elevators. She moved to the far corner and reached inside her blazer. He immediately raised his eyebrows. “If you remove a weapon in this vicinity, security will have you escorted out within minutes.”
She gritted her teeth and kept her hold, but she didn’t slide the blade out.
“Ms. Mason, can please tell me why you applied for this position?” He leaned against the paneling with the ease of a cat. He knew that in a fight, he could easily overtake her, and she knew it. Still, she’d come too far. She wasn’t going to back down.
“Why Mr. Wellington, I believe I’ve already answered that question,” she mocked. “Most of my peers would do anything to be in my shoes right now. Why don’t you tell me why you hired me? I’m sure many of your applicants were better suited.”
He smiled. “I like your confidence.”
She felt a shudder run through her, but she maintained her posture. The elevator dinged, and she waited for him to exit first.
“Ladies first,” he said with a gesture.
People were waiting on the other side to get on, so he slipped by her. His hand brushed the small of her back, and she stiffened. The shivers that he elicited were not from panic but from pleasure. Even the way he smelled made her dizzy, and she tried to not to show it. “I love a demon with manners,” she murmured.
It was the first time she’d admitted that she knew him, and he laughed. “And I love a hunter with spunk.”
She looked down the hall. “This isn’t HR,” she said accusingly.
“No. This is the records room. I imagine it’s where you truly want to be, so I decided I’d simply escort you here. It would save us both the trouble.” He bent down and ran his lips over her ears. “Try looking for the Slavante Brotherhood.”
She pushed away from him. “No touching,” she muttered.
He smiled and straightened. “If you find whatever it is you’re looking for, keep in mind that the job offer is real. And it is yours.”
“Is that a bribe?”
Preston shrugged. “I rarely need to bribe to get what I want. You didn’t go to college to sneak into my facilities. You clearly love what you learned. I’d like to help with that.”
She watched as he backed away. He was a puzzle. Of course he wasn’t just going to open us his records room for her without wiping away any incriminating evidence for her. How stupid did he think she was?
But she’d put on a show. She’d flip through his files, and tonight, when he was out, she’d come back for the real thing.
Breaking into a high security facility wasn’t as hard as she expected it to be. One well-placed crystal with a whispered sleeping spell had the guard fast asleep. It was a small crystal, and he’d be awake in under an hour, so she would have to work quickly. She scanned the card she’d swiped earlier from security, and she was in. First, she hit the security office. Another crystal and another sleeping spell had all of them knocked out, and she quickly shut down the cameras.
She took the stairs two at a time, and she was standing at his locked door in under ten minutes. So far, so good.
Sierra swiped the card again and held her breath. She wasn’t one hundred percent certain that the card would activate his door, but it clicked, and she swung it open with ease.
The office was dark, and she didn’t bother with the light. A new quarter moon showed brightly enough, and she made it to the desk easily.
She was just about to tackle the computer when a file on the desk caught her eye.
It had her name on it.
With trembling hands, she picked it up.
“If you look at that file, there’s no going back.”
She gasped and looked up. Preston moved out of the shadows slowly. She immediately reached for her blade, but he put his arms up. “I’m unarmed.”
“A demon is never unarmed,” she hissed.
“Half-breed demon,” he said with an easy smile. “My powers are ill suited for a fight. That’s why I’m corporate.”
She stilled. In truth, she had no idea what his power was. She’d never seen any evidence that he’d used it. “And that power would be?”
“Manipulation.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s a pretty handy power to have in a fight.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t always work, and panicked or adrenaline driven individuals are hard to manipulate.”
“Are you manipulating me?”
“You’d know if I was. It’s not without its side effect.” He paused. “I can show you if you’d like.”
“And make me throw myself out your window? No thank you.”
He smiled. “Sierra, if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” He hummed a few bars, and suddenly every muscle in Sierra’s body weakened. Her body reacted to the sound, and she felt immense pleasure. Her skin tingled, and her heart pounded, but she was happy and free.
When the song ended, she had him pressed against the wall with a blade to his throat. She gasped, but she didn’t move. If even one muscle tensed, the blade would pierce his skin.
“Nice trick,” she whispered as she eased the blade down.
He shuddered with visible relief. “I need you to trust me, Sierra.”
She pushed against his chest. “Just because you gave me the opportunity to harm you doesn’t mean I trust you. There’s a difference between physical manipulation and mind fucking. You’re probably excellent at both.”
“Maybe the fucking part,” he said with an amused glint in his eye.
Vivid images of them naked and intertwined distracted her, and she swallowed hard. What was wrong with her? She was here to avenge her family, not get fucked by a demon.
“What the hell do you want from me?” she said.
“I want you to have what you’re looking for,” he said. “But I also want you to understand the dangers of the truth. This world isn’t as black and white as you might imagine, and there is a far greater threat roaming the streets. If you take this step, you may not survive.”
“Are you threatening me?” she hissed.
He shook his head. “The opposite. I feel compelled to protect you,” he whispered. She didn’t even have time to think before his mouth descended on hers.
Her liquid heat immediately pooled through her as he kissed her. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Logic in her head screamed to pull away, but her body wouldn’t listen. Her arm immediately came up to capture those curls and draw him in deeper. Someone was moaning. Was that her?
His tongue swept in, and suddenly they were moving. She bumped into the back of the desk, and her legs widened as he settled between them.
Suddenly, he hissed and moved away.
She gasped. In her moment of weakness, she accidently nicked him with the blade. Smoke rose from the wound, and he hit the wall moaning.
“Shit,” she muttered as she advanced on him. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. At least, not yet.
He put up his hand. “It’s fine,” he managed. Her mouth dropped open as she watched the wound close.
“Dear God, what are you?” she whispered. “That should have severely wounded you.”
He shuddered. “Yes, that’s quite a weapon you have there. A spelled blade. Rare.”
“You seem fine,” she said as he steadied himself.
“And maybe one day, you’ll find out why.” He shook his head. “Take the folder home. I implore you to burn it, but if you decide to open it, you can come find me. But once you see the truth, there is no backing out. There are few that can protect you.”
She snorted. “And I suppose you’re one of them?”
He looked at her mournfully. “I fear that I may not be enough.” He backed away and melted into the shadows.
The wound closed easily enough, but he hadn’t counted on the blade being spelled. Of course she’d dabbled in the black arts. She was a Mason.
It didn’t deter his desire for her.
Ever since she’d walked through the door to interview for the job, desire had coiled inside of him. He pushed it aside. There were more important things at stake.
But having her so close to him had pushed him over the edge. And the taste of her on his lips was nearly driven him insane.
It was an accident. He could see the horror on her face, but it reminded him of the dangers of her kind. The huntress was dangerous. The situation was dangerous. And he’d do well enough to leave her alone.