deal?”
I looked at Archer. He was positively fuming. What was between these two? If he hated Jameson Cruz so much, what was he doing here? I’d been around Alpha wolves enough to know that look. Archer had gone downright territorial. Heat flashed through me as I knew he thought I was his territory.
“Fine,” J.C. said, stepping away from me. “Like I said, the Marigold Suite. You’ll like it, little pet. And as long as you behave, as long as you work for me, you can stay there rent free.”
He turned to Archer. “Keep her safe. And get her something to eat. She looks about ready to pass out.”
The room spun as he said it. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up my cloaking spell. J.C. was incredibly strong.
Archer moved. He wrapped an arm around me. When I stumbled against him, this time it wasn’t an act. I needed air. I needed to put some distance between Jameson Cruz and me.
“She’ll go on tomorrow night,” J.C. said as Archer practically kicked the door open.
“She needs time!” Archer said. “You have no idea how that crap will affect her.”
“So consider it your job to make sure she wakes up tomorrow,” J.C. said.
Archer let out a growl. “I’m not a babysitter.”
“You’re whatever I want you to be,” J.C. yelled. “Now so is she. Isn’t that right, little pet?”
I kept my stare vacant. I couldn’t risk him looking too closely at me. I needed him out of my sight. Just for...a few minutes.
“Bring her back to me tomorrow afternoon,” J.C. said. “Make sure she’s presentable and able to perform. I’ll put some fire in her if I have to.”
“You can’t give her fire after you’ve loaded her up with wind,” Archer protested.
“I can do whatever I damn well please. You’d best remember that. Now get her out of my sight before she throws up on my carpet. If she throws up out there, clean it up.”
J.C. waved a dismissive hand. Archer pulled me closer to him. He moved with such speed and grace, practically carrying me down the hall. I was sweating by then. I’d never spent that long that close to someone with fae magic. The images of Rose Kilgore’s last moments weren’t helping.
I felt dizzy, out of control. Archer led me down another hallway. The Taurus looked like nothing more than an old barn from the outside. I realized that too was a fae glamor. It was a labyrinth inside. I’d have to do my best to memorize what I could. It dawned on me then that wouldn’t help. J.C. likely changed the floor plan at will. To keep...to keep people like Rose Kilgore from finding their way out.
We stopped in front of a purple door. Archer used a key card and opened it. It was pretty inside. A suite of three rooms with marble floors and yellow walls. The main room had a gas fireplace in the center and a sunken living room. I could see into the other two rooms. A master with a round, white velvet covered bed and a spa bath with a giant walk-in shower and claw-footed tub. It was full night, and yet sunlight streamed in through the windows.
More glamor.
“Sit here,” Archer said, depositing me on the bed. He went to the bathroom and poured me a glass of water. With shaking fingers, I took it from him.
“I’m okay,” I said, but the water tasted so good. I nearly choked it down.
“Easy,” he said, pulling it away from me. “Little sips. You’ll make yourself sick.”
“Thank you. Um...for everything.”
He shook his head. He stood before me, arms crossed, stern expression. I hadn’t really seen him in good light before this. He had thick, wavy brown hair with gold blended in. Tanned features. Blue eyes. Full lips. He was beautiful in a brutal way.
“You have any idea what you just walked into?” he asked.
“Well,” I said. “You’re here. How bad can it be?” It was a joke. Kind of. Archer curled his lips in a snarl. A saw a hint of fang, and it sent an unexpected wave of pleasure through me. God. Was that J.C.’s magic still? I tried to shake it off.
“He’s going to get attached to you,” he said. “I’ve seen it before.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I asked, trying to figure out the best lie to keep him from asking too many questions, from looking too hard.
Quick as lightning, Archer grabbed my wrist. He turned my arm and ran his