Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1) - By Unknown Page 0,48

even an Immortal had his limitations. “But what will the demons see then?”

He shrugged. “Simply a hooker talking to herself.”

“Oh.”

A moment later, they came to a stop in front of a three-story building. Leila looked at the neon sign in the window. Thai Massage it advertised.

“What are we doing here?”

“It’s our safe house.”

He had to be kidding.

“We’re saying here for the night.”

The door opened and a woman who looked like she was in her sixties appeared. No, Leila corrected herself, a madam appeared. Wasn’t that what the owners of these kind of establishments called themselves? Because for sure, this woman was past her prime. Maybe fifteen years ago she’d still worked as a hooker, but who would want her now? Leila chastised herself for her bitchy thoughts, writing them off to her own weariness. She needed to sleep, to rest, and to forget what had happened tonight.

“Come,” the woman simply said, and ushered them into the house.

Inside, it was surprisingly clean and . . . homey. Leila let her eyes wander as the woman led them up to the second floor past a long row of doors with numbers on them. She shuddered at the thought of what was going on behind those doors. There was no shame in admitting to herself that she’d led a somewhat sheltered life, far away from the filth and vice of human excesses.

She’d never been inside a brothel, hell, she’d never been in this part of town before, and she hoped that after tonight, she would never have to come back to this place. Her only consolation was that here the chances of meeting anybody she knew were nil. At least, she would never have to explain this to anybody.

The corridor wound around several times as if they were entering a maze, the changing Asian artwork on the walls the only indication that they weren’t walking in circles. Beneath her feet, lush rugs cushioned her steps. The scent of essential oils permeated the air, almost as if she were in a spa. Clearly, the owner was taking the label of Thai Massage a little too literally, as if she could fool anybody about what was really going on in this establishment.

A door to her right opened, a young woman dressed in a colorful kimono-like robe slipping out. She inclined her head in greeting and smiled. Leila slowed her steps, turning her head to watch the girl as she walked in the other direction. She didn’t look anything like the slutty hooker she’d seen on the street. The girl was pretty, her features clean and pleasant. Had she met her on the street, she would have never guessed what she did for a living.

A pull on her hand made her jerk forward. Aiden gave her a reprimanding look.

“Staring again?”

“I wasn’t . . . ” She didn’t finish her sentence when she noticed a smirk playing around his lips. Was he actually finding her uneasiness in this place funny? She huffed and clamped her jaw shut.

Around the next corner, the woman finally stopped in front of a door. She unlocked it, then gave Aiden the key.

“Thank you, Coralee,” he acknowledged.

The old woman simply nodded and shuffled past them. As the madam brushed her, her gaze traveled up Leila’s body, then rested on her face. Was she sizing her up like fresh meat for her brothel?

Then she tossed a glance back at Aiden. “Pretty,” she said to him before she disappeared down the hallway.

Once inside, he locked the door behind them. She was alone with him again.

The room was more comfortable than she’d expected. There was a sitting area, a closet, a chest of drawers with a mirror over it, and a bed. Only one. Large, but that didn’t change the fact that it was only one. She eyed the sofa.

“You need to sleep,” he said. “There are clothes in the bathroom that will fit you.”

She looked down at their joined hands. “Will I be all right for a couple of minutes without being cloaked?”

He nodded. “It will take them more than a couple of minutes to lock onto your presence even if they are somewhere in the vicinity. Unless they have a visual on you. Then it’s instant recognition. But we’re inside, and the shades are drawn.”

She swallowed away her fear and opened the door to the en-suite bathroom. “I’ll only be a minute.”

SEVENTEEN

Aiden watched the bathroom door close behind her. He’d just missed another perfect opportunity to tell her the truth. Why hadn’t he come