Wuthering Frights by H.P. Mallory Read Free Book Online Page A

pulled into the parking lot of Ink and sighed as I wondered what I was about to walk into. The street was completely dark, the light bulbs from the streetlights having been broken purposely and never replaced. The tattoo parlor was the only active business on Crespy Street. It sat surrounded by empty buildings and warehouses that had been vacated years earlier. And, yes, I did have a feeling Baron had something to do with the dereliction.
    The parking lot of Ink was overgrown with weeds, the asphalt crumbling into multiple potholes. I eased the Suzuki into a spot next to a white Camaro. Somehow the Camaro seemed familiar to me—I thought it might have been Quillan's. Glancing into the car, I noticed no one was in it which meant I'd probably have to meet Quill inside, something I wasn't thrilled about . Aside from my bike and the white sports car, there were five Harleys lined up in front of the door and a large black Hummer H2 parked just beside them. The H2 was Baron's.
    I turned the bike off and stood up, removing my helmet and placing it on the seat. It wasn't a good idea to carry it under my arm because I wouldn't be able to adequately protect myself, if the need arose. And I had a funny feeling that the need was probably going to arise. As far as I was concerned, I was about to walk into a den of lions—lions who would very much enjoy mauling me into oblivion.
    I took a deep breath and started forward, remembering the twin blades I'd strapped to both sides of my outer thighs. The Op 6 in my shoulder holster was most definitely going to be confiscated, but maybe my leathers would conceal the blades. I could only hope. ‘Course if the blades were seized as well as my gun, I could always rely on my fairy powers which weren't anything to scoff at. With just the shake of my hand, I could materialize a mound of fairy dust in my palm, the limits of which were pretty endless. I could light the entire place on fire, freeze one of Baron’s asshole thugs or at the very least, create a chasm in the ground and swallow everyone. I had to wonder if I could do all three at the same time. Hopefully I wouldn't find out because I needed to meld in—I needed to become one of them so I could get my job done and get the hell out of there. But what was more, I needed to figure out how I was going to get myself out of this whole mess. Either way, opening a can of whoop-ass wouldn't make me any new friends.
    When I reached the front door and knocked, it opened immediately. A cloud of cigarette smoke wafted directly into my face. I gagged and tried to breathe through my mouth just to avoid smelling it. Facing the bouncer again, I recognized him, although his name escaped me. He was a hulking were who looked down at me and flashed a partially toothless grin. His canines were missing, which I found strange and a little off-putting, considering he was a were.
    "The former ANC Regulator, huh?" he asked me with an ugly smile. So the cat was already out of the bag … Good. That just saved me a lot of explaining.
    "I have business with Quillan and Baron," I said acidly, glaring up at him and throwing my hands on my hips as I gave him all the sass I could muster. Hey, just because I was forced to work with Baron didn't mean I had to like it and, more so, didn't mean I had to be peaches and cream. Nope, I was going for sauerkraut and vinegar.
    The were said nothing more, but harrumphed as if the joke was still on me and opened the door wide. I entered, feeling his gaze on my ass as I passed him. I turned around, my hands still on my hips, and narrowed my eyes at him. "Where the hell are they?"
    "Down the hall," he answered, nodding his head toward the dark hallway. Before I could start walking, he grabbed my arm, pulling me toward him. Then he grinned lasciviously as he patted me down, ensuring that he copped a good feel of my breasts in the process. Just as I predicted, he felt my Op 6. I frowned as I took off my jacket to remove it, and handed it