in this place would give their left tit to be bunking with the Triad.”
I snorted on a laugh.
“Don’t laugh, precious. The man speaks the truth.” Dallas shot me a megawatt smile, his brilliant white teeth a sharp contrast to his deep mocha skin. “You should see the line of inmates waiting on conjugal visit day…”
“Bleh.” I did not need a visual of the three amigos getting it on with the feral females running around this joint. Especially not Talon. The image of his ripped, bare torso pressed against some other woman sent nausea clawing up my throat.
I shook my head out, chasing away the inappropriate thoughts. Talon was nothing to me, and I shouldn’t care who he was conjugally visiting with.
The door to the rec room creaked open, and Dallas spun toward the sound before I’d even blinked. Props to the vampire. He was really taking this substitute guard thing seriously. The C.O. stationed outside the door popped his head in and crooked a finger at me. “Inmate one thirty-eight, report to the warden’s office.”
“Oooh, you’re in trouble,” Flix singsonged and then shot me a cheeky wink.
“Later, friend.”
Dallas stood and cleared the aisle for me to pass which only earned me a few more glares and snarls from the majority female population of the room.
The corrections officer raised his hand at Dallas’s approach. “Not you, only her.”
My vampire bodyguard threw his shoulders back, expanding his already massive chest. “I go where she goes.” Power laced his voice, the velvety tone skimming over my skin. My brows knitted, and I stared back and forth between the two.
“Fine, you can escort her to the warden’s office yourself then.”
Dallas flashed him a pleased grin. “Wonderful.”
Did he just compel the C.O.? I glanced at his wrist to confirm the black cuff was still firmly in place. What was up with these guys?
As Dallas walked me through the halls, I plucked random questions from my swirling thoughts. I doubted the vampire would be more forthcoming than my cellies, but it couldn’t hurt to try.
“Where do you guys disappear to sometimes?”
“Disappear? Why whatever do you mean?”
“Dallas, you know exactly what I mean. Like today, where are Hayden and Talon?”
He shrugged. “I’m not their keeper.”
“Please… you guys are like butt buddies.”
A sharp chuckle vibrated Dallas’s chest and resonated off the sleek walls. “Precious, we may all be beautiful males, but we do not swing that way.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, you need to be more careful about using that sort of verbiage in a place like this.”
“Noted.” I didn’t fail to notice he was trying to change the subject on me. “So?”
“I don’t know. They’re probably out with Actaeon on the grounds doing some sort of incredibly boring work task.”
Liar. I wrapped my arms across my chest, annoyed at all the secrets the brothers were keeping from me. We turned the corner, and half a dozen black jumpsuits blocked our path.
Craptabulous.
A growl reverberated in Dallas’s throat, and his entire body stiffened beside me. “Out of the way,” he snarled and his fangs lengthened.
The crowd of black parted, and the stubby little elf from the boneyard stepped forward. “I have a message from Delacroix for the demon girl.” He ticked his big head at me, and ice spilled through my veins.
Dallas clucked his teeth and shot the lesser Fae a savage smile. “Ah, Dembrat, when will you ever step out of Delacroix’s shadow?”
“I’m just fine here, thank you.”
“Kissing the demon’s ass?” The corner of Dallas’s lip hitched up.
“Whatever keeps my ass safe, vampire.”
“Bored.” Dallas flipped his wrist nonchalantly. “Let’s get on with this so we can all be on our way, shall we?”
The elf nodded, and the circle of demons tightened around him. He lifted his large, watery eyes to me. “Delacroix’s given you ample time to repay your debt, girl. He will not wait any longer. Plus, there’s the minor matter of choosing a side.” His gaze swept over my vampire bodyguard, and his lips twisted. “To me your choice is clear, but Delacroix is still hopeful you’ll have a change of heart.”
“Change of heart?” I spat. “His goons threw me to the wolves in the boneyard last week. I’m lucky to be alive right now.” And I probably wouldn’t be if my magical tattoo hadn’t saved me, which reminded me I really needed to come clean with Logan. “I’d never side with the likes of you.”
Dembrat’s large eyes narrowed, and he grunted. “Wrong choice, girl. But there is still the small matter of your debt.”
I hugged