Chapter Seven
Daric tossed and turned in his new bed. His new lodgings were quite spartan, but the bed was a little bigger than the previous one in his cell. The mattress was adequate, though not luxurious. But it wasn’t the reason why he couldn’t sleep.
Why he offered his help to find Meredith’s father’s killer, he didn’t know. Seeing the Lycan in pain made his gut clench. It was an uncomfortable feeling that grew and grew until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Not knowing what to do, he approached Grant Anderson.
“Daric?” Grant frowned when he saw the warlock. “What are you doing here?”
“It seems my bodyguard forgot about me,” he said and explained what happened.
“So, you saw everything?”
Daric nodded.
“Did you know this Archie Leacham?” Grant asked.
“The name sounds familiar,” he lied. He’d never heard of the name nor did he know why Stefan would have contact with a human connected with the Lycans. While the Lycans may have thought that Daric knew a lot about Stefan’s operations, they were wrong. Stefan trusted only one person: himself. He wove secrets upon secrets, and neither he nor Victoria Chatraine knew all of the master mage’s plans and schemes. “I would like to offer my assistance. If he is an agent of the mages or a victim, then I’m the best person to help the Lone Wolves.”
Grant paused. “You want to help Meredith and her brothers?”
“If their father had a connection to Stefan, then perhaps he knew something that could help us find out what he’s up to next,” Daric quickly explained.
“Hmmm…that wouldn’t be a bad idea, but how can I trust you?”
“How can I earn your trust if you don’t give me a chance?” Daric countered. “Besides, in my state, I’d be no match for four powerful Lycans.”
“I’ll check with the Lone Wolves,” Grant relented. “But they should be receptive to help.”
“Excellent, I’ll be ready in the morning,” Daric said.
After the Alpha had helped him return to the 16th floor, he walked straight toward his room. However, his eyes were immediately drawn to Meredith’s door.
It was as if he could feel her sadness and pain, even with the wall between them. Unable to help himself, he went into her room to check on her. What possessed him to take her into his arms to comfort her, he couldn’t say, only that he had to do it. The tears on her face didn’t belong there, and he wanted to make sure she’d never cry like that again.
Daric clenched the sheets in his fists. The only way he’d achieve that was to stay away from her. But he couldn’t forget the way her lush body molded perfectly to his, and how her lips brushed against his chest as she cried. He had to shift his hips away from her or she would have noticed the growing bulge of his cock. He was a bastard, thinking only of his own lust when she was in pain.
As he saw his first sunrise in a long time peek over the horizon, Daric gave up trying to sleep and got up, then headed into the shower. He stripped and walked into the glass enclosure, turning the water to the hottest setting he could stand. As he stood under the water, his thoughts kept drifting back to Meredith. And her soft and luscious curves. Her breasts pressed against him, her soft hair tickling his skin. He reached down and found himself fully hard and aching for her. As his fist wrapped around his cock, he wondered if her grip around him would be just as tight. She would probably be hot and wet as he slid into her, her long legs would wrap around him as he pumped his cock into her pussy. Or no, Meredith was wild and free. She’d probably want to be on top half the time. He could already imagine her sweet body over him, her tits bouncing as she rode him until her body shook with pleasure, her head thrown back and her lips parting, moaning his name.
Daric let out a groan, the orgasm coming faster than he’d anticipated. He slapped his palm against the wet tiles, bracing himself as his seed spurted out of his cock, spilling down onto the slick floor. After a few ragged breaths, he finished his shower and grabbed the towel hanging from the rack. It would be a long day, especially since he’d be in Meredith’s company, but perhaps with the other Lycans around, he could stay focused on the task. Maybe this Archie Leacham was connected to Stefan in some way and then he could get closer to his goal of ending the master mage.
He lay on the bed, contemplating his moves for the next few hours. Finally, a knock came at his door.
“Let’s go,” Meredith said as she stood on the other side of the door, her arms crossed. Despite the pallor on her face and dark smudges under eyes, Meredith looked lovely this morning. Her long, blonde locks were still slightly damp from her shower and hung down her shoulders in waves. She wore black boots, black leggings, a navy jacket and a tank top that said, “I wish I was a unicorn, so I could stab idiots with my head.” He raised a brow at the shirt, but she shrugged. Meredith began walking to the elevators, but Daric stopped.
“Wait,” he called.
“We need to get going.”
“I have not eaten,” he said. “And neither have you.”
“I’m not hungry. I’ll get you a muffin on the way to the police station.”
“Isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day?” Daric asked. “We need our energy today.”
Meredith let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Fiiiiiine. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
She pivoted and headed the other direction, stopping at one of the doors in the hallway and calling out “Breakfast in the kitchen!” before continuing.
The common kitchen in the security barracks was large and roomy, with various appliances for cooking in one corner and several tables on the other side. A large spread was already laid out on one of the buffet tables. It was early yet, and so there was no one in the kitchen except for the young man who was adding more food to the already-heaping buffet table. Lycans, it seemed, had healthy appetites.
They walked to the table and Meredith took a plate, got an apple and proceeded to walk to one of the tables.
“Come back,” he said.
“What do you want now? Do you want me to get your food, too, warlock? Shall I get you some tea and crumpets, and some fine silverware?” she mocked.
With a sigh, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the buffet table, ignoring the shock of electricity that tingled his skin as they touched. She tried to protest, but he sent her a warning look as he piled her plate with toast, bacon, eggs, and sausages.
“You’ll need all of this today,” he said, as he dragged her to one of the tables. “Sit.”
Meredith mumbled something about bullies and sat down on the bench. Daric sat across from her, his own plate piled with food.
“Eat,” he said.
She picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. “Happy?”
“Only if you finish your plate,” Daric replied, taking a spoonful of eggs.
“Ugh,” she said, rolling her eyes and began to pick at her food.
They sat in silence and a few minutes later, Killian, Quinn, and Connor walked in. They headed to the buffet tables, piled their plates high and walked to Meredith and Daric.
“So,” Killian said as he sat down next to Daric. “You must be the warlock. The Alpha told us all about you.”
“Daric,” he replied, giving the other man a nod.
“Hey, runt,” Quinn said. He plopped down next to Meredith on her right and then gave her a gentle shove with his shoulder.
“Quit it!” she said with a pout.
He laughed and then began shoveling food into his mouth.
Connor, the quiet, tall one, said nothing as he sat on Meredith’s left, but gave Daric a look that would have made any lesser man run in the other direction. Daric stared right back at him, their gazes locked in fierce combat, the tension around them growing thick.
“Stop,” Killian commanded. He was obviously the leader of the trio, but Connor didn’t move an inch. With a sigh, Killian put his fork down. “Okay, on three, you two will stop it. One, two, three.”
Daric and Connor turned their gazes away at the same time, and the tension began to dissipate.
“So,” Quinn began, then turned his bright blue eyes at Daric. “How are we sure you’re not going to zap us or disappear into thin air?”
“I’m powerless,” Daric said, raising his right wrist to show them the bracelet.
“Nice jewelry,” Quinn replied. “But what does it do?”
“It stops him from using his magic,” Meredith explained. “I don’t know how exactly, but I know it works. My best friend, Jade, made it and she’s a genius.”
“You have a best friend?” Killian asked with a raised brow.
“Is she pretty?” Quinn asked with a wicked smile.
Meredith pointed her fork at her brother. “Yes, but, don’t even go there. You do not want to poke the dragon.”
“You mean, bear?” Quinn asked, and Meredith just shrugged.
Even Daric had to suppress a smile, thinking of how Creed would react to Meredith’s handsome brother making advances on his pregnant mate. But then again, Quinn looked like the type of person who looked for trouble.
“So, without your powers, how can you help us?” Killian asked, his eyes narrowing at Daric.
“I have knowledge of most of Stefan’s dealings,” Daric explained. “If your father did have contact with Stefan or any of his closest lieutenants, then I would know.”
“All right, but you better play it straight with us,” Killian warned. “I don’t fuck around, and if you try anything, you’re gonna regret, you hear?”
“I have better things to do than lead you astray,” Daric replied.
“And why are you helping us?” Quinn asked.
“Because your father’s connection to the mages may help me get closer to finding Stefan and destroying him.”
That seemed to satisfy the two Lycans, though Meredith shot him a suspicious look. Connor kept his attention on his food, slowly demolishing the two plates piled high in front of him.
The rest of the meal was continued in silence, though Quinn would occasionally tease Meredith, with Killian joining in on occasion. Daric supposed this is what siblings were like, but he wouldn’t know. He did understand that the two were ribbing Meredith in good nature, and perhaps, to distract her from the sadness obviously looming in her eyes. The third Lone Wolf, Connor, continued to eye him suspiciously. Daric sensed there was something not quite right with that one, but he wasn’t interested in knowing what, as long as the Lycan didn’t get in his way.
***
As soon as they finished breakfast, Meredith led them to the garage in the parking level of the building, where Alex Westbrooke was waiting for them.
“Hey Meredith,” the other Lycan greeted. He narrowed his eyes at Daric but didn’t say anything else.
“Hey Alex, how’s the baby?”
“Doing good, she’s learning to turn on her tummy now,” Alex replied.
Killian stiffened beside Meredith, and she gave him a strange look. The other Lycan said nothing, but instead introduced himself and the other men to Alex.
“Well, here’s your ride,” Alex said, as he handed Killian the keys and nodded to the large white SUV parked beside him. “Take care of her.” With a final wave, he left and headed towards the elevators.
They piled into the SUV, with Killian taking the wheel and Quinn slipping into the passenger seat beside him. Meredith climbed into the back, squished between Daric and Connor. She moved closer to Connor so she wouldn’t have to touch Daric, which was nearly impossible considering the size of the two men. She tried not to stare at Daric, no matter how hot he looked, with his long hair pulled back into a ponytail and a bit of scruff on his face. His white t-shirt stretched across his chest, and his jeans molded perfectly to his ass.
Meredith groaned inwardly. Why did the Goddamn warlock have to be so fucking hot and look like all her wildest fantasies come true, and then some? His scent was driving her crazy, and it took all her power to control her traitorous whore body and the she-wolf inside her. Her brothers would definitely notice if she was aroused, which would be awkward and embarrassing.
Thankfully, it didn’t take too long to get to the police station. Killian parked the car, and they all filed out, then walked into the NYPD's 7th Precinct on Pitt St.
Killian and Quinn walked to the desk sergeant, and after a few minutes, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair wearing a drab brown suit came out.
“Mr. Smith,” the man greeted, shaking his hand. “Thanks for coming back and agreeing to talk to us.”
“Well, I was hoping you’d tell us more about our father’s death, Detective Conrad,” Killian replied. “By the way, this is our sister, Meredith.”
Detective Conrad nodded to her. “I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” she replied quietly.
“I’ll take your statements in one of our interrogation rooms,” he said, jerking his thumb toward the bullpen behind him. They followed him, but, before they crossed the threshold that separated the reception area from the back room, he stopped suddenly. “Sorry, family only,” he said, looking at Daric.
“I’m her husband,” he declared, putting an arm around Meredith. “You can take our statement together, but I’m afraid I won’t be much help. I’ve never met my father-in-law.”
She stiffened for a moment and then relaxed against his embrace.
Conrad gave them a suspicious look. “Wait a minute, you’re married, but you’ve never met her father? Didn’t he come to the wedding?”
“I got knocked up by accident!” Meredith declared quickly, placing a hand on her belly. “It was a quickie wedding in Vegas. Last week.” Inside, she was dying. Oh, why the hell did I say that? Being so close to Daric was probably frying her brain cells.
“But, a beautiful one, min kjære,” Daric added, giving Meredith a sweet smile.
Conrad seemed satisfied by their answer and continued to lead them into the bullpen, and then down the hall to one of the interrogation rooms. It was already set up, with a table in the middle and several chairs. “Please, take your seats.”
The detective sat across from them, and then took out a leather-bound notebook and a ballpoint pen from inside his suit jacket. “Okay, let’s begin.” He opened the notebook and uncapped his pen. “When was the last time you all saw your father?”
“Two weeks ago,” Killian said. “Him, Quinn, Connor and me went to dinner. We go every week, but we missed last week’s Sunday dinner because he said he was busy.”
“And you, Ms. Smith?”
“Eight months ago,” Meredith answered, trying to keep her voice even.
“That long?”
“We had a falling out,” Meredith explained.
“Over what?”
Meredith went quiet, her shoulders slumping. Archie…She bit her lip, trying not to cry. “I…I…” she began, the lump in her throat growing. Hadn’t she cried out all the tears yet? Would this pain she carried around ever leave? Could she stop missing him?
An arm around her shoulder made her jolt. Daric’s presence and his hand rubbing up and down her arm soothed her.
“It’s alright, min kjære,” he cooed. “I’m sure the detective doesn’t need all the details.”
“It might help,” Conrad prodded.
Meredith nodded and took a deep breath. “We had a difference of opinion. I mean, I found out a secret about my birth family that he kept, and I was angry at him.” She paused. “And I left, and haven’t seen him since.”
“So, you’re all from Portland,” Conrad said, looking over his notes. “Why did he come to New York?” He looked at Meredith. “Your brothers said you lived here. Was he coming to see you? Did you know he was here?”
She shook her head. “No. I only heard about his death yesterday.”
“Hmmm…well,” he said, scratching his chin. “The coroner has ruled the death to be a suicide.”
“What?” Meredith slammed her hands on the table. “No, Archie wouldn’t do that! You don’t know him! He wouldn’t have—” She choked on her tears again and slumped down on the chair. When Daric tried to put an arm around her, she shrugged him off.
“There were no witnesses, and when we checked the rooftop where he jumped from, there were no signs of a struggle or even another person up there with him. So,” he continued. “It seemed Mr. Leacham hopped on a plane to New York, and decided to kill himself by jumping off a roof.”
“Sounds suspicious to me,” Quinn said, his boyishly handsome face drawn into a frown.
“Exactly. The coroner may have ruled it a suicide, but I’m still trying to figure out why he killed himself and it's not adding up.”
Meredith’s mind was reeling. As the detective and her brothers continued to talk, she tried to make sense of everything. A glance from Killian told her that this wasn’t over. For one thing, none of her brothers knew the real reason she left. How could she tell them? How could she reveal to them that the man they considered their father and raised them, took care of them, had been hiding something big from her, from all of them?
The detective continued to prod and grill them, carefully though, but it was obvious he was trying to get more information. Finally, after two hours, he put his notebook away. “Well, I’m gonna try and keep working on this, but to be honest, my captain’ll want my attention on other cases. With Mr. Leacham’s death being officially ruled a suicide, my hands are tied.” He stood up.
“Thank you for trying, Detective,” Killian said, shaking the older man’s hand. “Maybe we’ll never find out what happened to him.”
“In some of these cases, the deceased may have simply been depressed,” he said, shaking his hand. “You all are young now, but, growing old, it takes a toll on you, ya know? By the way, I have his personal possessions. The things we found on him, plus the things he left in his room. If you can sign for it, we can give you the items on his person and ship his suitcase to you. The coroner will be contacting you when they’re ready to release his remains. You can talk to their office about how you want to handle that.”
“Much appreciated, Detective Conrad,” Killian said with a nod.
Conrad left the room and came back with a plastic zip bag. “Here you go. Again, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Killian took the bag. They all thanked the detective and then followed Conrad as he led them out of the police station.
“Archie wouldn’t have killed himself, you all know that,” Meredith said as soon as they were alone.
“We know,” Killian confirmed. “Something’s not right, I can feel it.”
“But who could have done it?” Quinn asked.
“With the police off our backs, we’ll be able to find out,” Killian said. “Meredith,” he turned to his sister. “Is it true? What you said in there? Is that why you left?”
She hesitated. “I found out that he knew my birth family and kept it from me.” She bit her lip. Meredith didn’t want to lie to them, but now wasn’t the time to tell them either. She didn’t have all the information anyway. “I was so mad at him that I left.”
Connor, normally silent, let out a low growl. “You should have come to us first. You shouldn’t have just left.”
“I know, Connor,” she said sadly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left without telling you guys.”
“We missed you, Mer,” Quinn said. “It wasn’t the same without you.”
Meredith felt the tears choke up again and she took a deep breath. “I missed you guys, too, even your ugly mug, Quinn,” she said with a smile.
“Ha! You never change,” Quinn replied, ruffling her hair. “What’s with all the crying, runt? Is it the pregnancy hormones—Ow!” he cried when Meredith hit him in the arm. “Oh my God, are you blushing?”
Meredith’s cheeks were red. “I am not!” she protested and then ran towards the parked SUV. What was Daric thinking, introducing himself as her husband? Heck, what was she thinking, saying she was pregnant? It seemed like a good idea at the time. Otherwise, they would have had to leave Daric outside. And what the heck did he call her in front of everyone? The way Daric said it made her blush even more. His voice was like silk, an intimate caress as the words rolled off his tongue. Gah, the man was impossible.
They caught up with her and thankfully, she was done blushing. Killian unlocked the car and Meredith quickly jumped in, scooting to the middle of the backseat and she was once again trapped between Connor and Daric.
“What should we do now?” Meredith asked as Killian locked the doors.
The other Lycan took the plastic bag and opened it, taking the contents out and placing them on the console between the front seats.
Meredith held her breath, staring at Archie’s well-worn leather wallet, his wedding ring, house keys, and various bits of paper. Was this really all that was left of her mentor? Another sob threatened to escape her, but a warm hand over hers made her freeze. She didn’t want to look down at the seat, but she could imagine Daric’s large fingers over hers. Swallowing a gulp, she looked back at the items.
“Hey, what’s that?” she asked, her eyes drawn to a business card. It was plain white, made of a thick and expensive card stock. On the front was one word in a red script font. “Merlin’s?” she read. “Does that sound familiar to any of you?”
Killian lifted the card and examined it.
Quinn shook his head. “I don’t think that’s in Portland,” he said, taking his smartphone out of his pocket. After a few taps and swipes, he frowned. “No, not in Portland, not in New York. In fact, I can’t find any trace of any business named Merlin’s with that logo.”
“May I?” Daric asked, withdrawing his hand from Meredith’s and extending it towards the other Lycan.
Killian gave him the card, and the warlock took it, turning the card over. “You can’t see it?” he asked.
Meredith looked at him. “See what?”
A smile spread across his face. “There is an address printed on the back. This card is infused with magic. Only the person it was intended for can see it.”
“Then how come you can see it?” Killian questioned.
“Hmmm…the spell is quite crude, which is why I can see it or perhaps it was intended only for witches and warlocks,” Daric explained. “Although I can’t use my powers, magic is still part of me.”
“What does it say?” Quinn asked.
“The address is 235 Princeton Street,” Daric read, then handed it back to Killian.
Quinn quickly punched in the address into the built-in GPS unit. “Let’s go.”
The drive to Princeton Street wasn’t very long, and it was only a couple of blocks from the police station. Princeton Street was a small alley in Soho, just off one of the more fashionable shopping streets.
As Killian cut the engine, he looked back at Daric. “Did you read that address right?”
“Yes,” Daric confirmed.
“I don’t see any sign. Can you see one?”
Daric peered out the window, in front of the warehouse with the numbers “235” above the door. “No, there is no sign. Perhaps we should investigate?”
They filed out of the vehicle and walked to the warehouse door. It looked just like any converted factory in lower Manhattan. The building was about four stories tall and made of solid brick. It looked well-kept, but the windows were darkly tinted. The main door was made of steel, and there was no signage or anything else to indicate what was inside.
“Should we try to pick the lock?” Quinn asked Killian.
“How about if we simply knock?” Daric asked. The four Lycans looked at him with strange looks on their face. The warlock shrugged, then rapped his knuckles on the door.
A few seconds later, the sound of metal scraping against metal screeched through the air, and the large door opened a crack. A short, balding man with sharp green eyes peered at them.
“Finally!” he said, opening the door wider. “You’re here.” His voice was high-pitched and nasal. “You’re late, by the way, Mr. Merlin has been waiting for 20 minutes. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“Our apologies,” Killian said smoothly. “We got lost. GPS isn’t worth shit these days, you know.”
The man rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, just follow me. I’ll take you to the dressing rooms, and you can begin.”
Dressing room, Meredith mouthed to Killian, who shrugged. As they followed the man across the warehouse, she looked around, trying to piece together what this place was. Red seemed to be the dominant color, judging by the red velvet curtains, the tables and chairs scattered across the floor, and the various decorations on the wall. The decor was classy and sleek, and it looked like any high-end club or bar in Manhattan. The ceiling was high, and there was a second lofted level that wrapped around the walls, allowing patrons a clear view of the main stage.
They walked towards the stage, which for now, wasn't fully set up. It wasn't too large and had a catwalk in the middle, while various props and set pieces were scattered around.
The balding man led them to the side, drawing a curtain apart to let them through. From there, they followed him down a narrow hallway, until they reached a door at the end.
“Dressing room’s in there,” he said, jerking his thumb towards the door. “You can change in there, but I suggest you don’t take too long. The boss’ll be down in five minutes, don’t take longer than that to get on stage.” With a final nod, he left them.
Meredith opened the door and walked in. Inside were rows of dressing tables, chairs, and mirrors. She suddenly realized what type of establishment they were in. “Merlin’s is a strip club!” Her eyes swept across the room, looking at the various bits of sparkly, furry, and bejeweled costumes hanging all over the chairs and dressers.
“A magical strip club, apparently,” Quinn said, his eyebrows wagging. “Hmmm…I’ve never been with a witch before. You think any of these girls will give a wolf a chance?”
“Ugh.” Meredith smacked him on the arm.
“What the hell was Archie doing at a strip club?”
“Well, he was single—ow! Quit it, Meredith!”
“Oh, shut up, that didn’t even hurt,” she said. “Well, there’s only one way we can find out what Archie was going here.” She pivoted and began walking to the door.
“What are you doing?” Connor asked.
“What does it look like? I’m going to audition.”
“No,” four voices protested.
“What the fuck—”
“You can’t—“
“No way are you—“
“I forbid it!” Daric’s voice was tense and strained, his sea-colored eyes flashing with anger. “You will stay in here and keep your clothes on. I’m a warlock; I’ll go and see what this Merlin knows about Archie.”
“Ugh, stop!” She put her hand up. “Seriously? You think this guy will just tell us about Archie? Why? Out of the goodness of his own heart? If he had anything to do with Archie’s death, then you know he’s not going to say anything to us. Our best chance to find out what happened is for me to get in here, sneak into his office and search for any information that could lead us to Archie's killer.”
The four men looked at each other. Finally, Killian let out a sigh. “Fine, but you need to be careful.”
“What?” Daric asked incredulously. “You’re going to let her get up on that stage and take her clothes off?” He looked at Connor. “Don’t you have any honor?”
“I don’t like it,” Connor replied, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “But, she’s right. If Merlin suspects what we’re up to, I doubt we’ll have another chance to get into this place.”
Daric grabbed Meredith’s arm. “There is another way.”
“What?” she challenged.
“I don’t know…but we will find another way.”
She yanked her arm away from his grip. “Keep looking then. In the meantime, it’s time to put those dance lessons to good use.”
Meredith walked out, not waiting for Daric’s protest. She was glad she at least had her brother’s support. Frankly, though, she was nervous. She’d never taken her clothes off in front of an audience. Archie had sent her to modern, ballet, and ballroom dance classes, but she doubted stripping was what the master thief had in mind when he wanted her to learn this particular skill set.
When Meredith reached the main stage area, the props had already been cleared. The lights were also dimmed and a single spotlight was on stage. Assuming that’s where she was supposed to go, she walked across the stage, into the spotlight. With a deep breath, she gripped the bottom of her shirt, and began to lift it up.
“Darling, what are you doing?” a voice said from the darkness.
“Uh…auditioning? Your guy said—“
“No, no, no!” came the exasperated voice. “House lights on!”
The lights in the club flickered on, and Meredith squinted, trying to see who else was in the room. At the foot of the stage was a tall man, dressed in all black. He climbed the steps and walked over to Meredith.
“Darling, I appreciate the effort. I like the hipster, look it’s very in,” he said, waving at her t-shirt and leggings. The man was handsome, tall, lean, and his black hair was slicked back. The most curious thing about him was his eyes. Meredith had never seen eyes that dark. They were like pools of ink. “However, you’re not what I’m looking for.”
“I’m not?” Meredith frowned.
“Did an agency send you?” he asked. “Those guys are always mixing up appointments; perhaps you were supposed to go to a different audition.”
“Different audition? Isn’t this Merlin’s, the strip club?”
The man let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Darling, this is Merlin’s, but I’m afraid you’re all wrong for us. We're not some some sleazy titty club. We only cater to the most discerning patrons here. Some very wealthy and very special witches.”
Meredith laughed out loud. “Oh. My. God. This is a male strip club?”
“Of course,” the man said. “I’m Lucien Merlin, owner and proprietor…and you…” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’ve never had a Lycan performer here before. Hmmm…say,” he scratched his chin. “Does your agency have any men performers?
Meredith bit her lip. “Don’t move from that spot, Mr. Merlin—“
“Lucien, please. Or just Merlin. Mr. Merlin was my father.”
“Right, Lucien. I’ve got just the guy for you,” she said. “I mean, guys.”
“All right, but I haven’t got all day.”
Meredith skipped off and ran offstage. She nearly collided into Killian, who was walking towards her with a scowl on his face.
“Meredith, we’ve changed our minds,” Killian said. “We’ll find the information another way. We can’t let you strip in front of slimy businessmen and God-knows-who-else.”
“I won’t have to,” she said with a smile.
“Good,” Daric said. “Now let’s get out of here.”
“No, wait, we can still get some good intel here, come with me,” she said.
The four men looked at each other and followed her to the stage. “How about these guys?” she said.
Merlin’s eyes lit up. “Oh…hmmm…” He looked at the three Lycans appreciatively. “My oh my,” he said, fanning himself. “You’ll do. But I don’t need all of you.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Killian asked, stretching to his full height.
Undeterred, Merlin came closer. “Your friend here said she brought along some male Lycan strippers. You are looking for a job, right?”
“What the fuck?” Connor cursed and the air grew heavy.
“Oooh, boy, put those pheromones away.” Merlin shook his head. “No, not you, definitely not. I want to thrill our clientele, not scare them. Though I may know one or two who would love a private booking with a guy like you if you don’t mind a little rough role playing.”
“Wait, this is a male strip club?” Killian asked.
Another long sigh escaped Merlin’s lips. “Look, is this your first time to an audition? I’d really rather not waste my time here,” he said. “Just get out if you’re not interested.”
“We are,” Quinn said. “And hey, I’m your guy,” he said, flashing Merlin a smile. “I’d love a chance to perform for your clients. They’re witches, right?”
Merlin nodded. “Most of them, and a few warlocks, too. But, you know, most warlocks are so uptight, present company an exception,” he said in a low voice. “Can’t let the secret out, right? We put a glamour on our building and our marketing materials to make sure we only attract the right clientele. Some do bring their human friends, but only if they’re in the know.”
“Right,” Killian said, flashing Meredith a pointed look.
“Ok, so blondie’s got the job…what about…” he looked over to Daric. “Oh, my. Four Lycans and a warlock walk into a strip club…sounds like the beginning of a corny joke.”
Meredith snorted.
“Hmm…women go crazy over the Viking look these days,” Merlin said. “How about it? You two?”
“Yeah!” Quinn side, pumping his fist. Daric remained stoic but gave a curt nod.
“No!” Meredith protested. Eyes swung over to her. “I mean…no problem, right, guys?”
“Of course,” Quinn said, giving Daric a friendly slap. “My boy Daric and I will be drowning in witch pus—” He stopped when Meredith gave him a dirty look. “I mean, yeah, we’re professionals and everything.”
Merlin’s eyes narrowed but then turned to the others. “Well, lucky for you all, I’m always short staffed. That’s kinda what happens with places that cater to the magical, you know? It’s easy to lose employees, and confusion potions are a bitch to hand out. Do you all need jobs? I could use a bartender and a couple more bouncers.”
“I’ve worked a bar before,” Meredith said.
“And Connor and I will take care of the front door,” Killian added.
“Excellent. Now, go and grab your tax forms from Ivar,” he said, gesturing the to balding man who had let them in. “We’re all legal here, you know, with the all the authorities. You can start tomorrow night.”