Curse And Craving

31

If there was any truth to be uncovered, I had a feeling it would be found in the basement of the Huntsman. Ronan said that was where Lochlan was keeping the Fae man they’d captured. While it was a safe bet I’d get my information, it was also the most dangerous option. I had no desire to get caught by a bunch of Fae Huntsmen while breaking into their building. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but the most practical tactic would be to put on my big girl panties and simply ask Lochlan directly. So why did that sound like such a terrifying prospect? I wasn’t a fan of confrontation, but it was more than that. For some reason, I felt like giving credence to Ronan’s claims would be letting Lochlan down. Why? I didn’t owe him any allegiance. Yes, he’d helped me, but so had Ronan. We were two grown adults who could have a difficult conversation without getting insulted. Right. Because exchanges between Lochlan and I had always proven so civil and rational. I sighed loudly in the back of the cab and tried not to question my decision. The conversation would be hard enough, so dwelling on it all day wouldn’t help. I procrastinated that night until ten, when I forced myself to put on a warm hoodie and caught a cab to the club. When I arrived, the lobby was full of Friday night clubgoers, and two men stood guard at the elevators. I squared my shoulders and tried to project confidence as I approached them. “Hey, guys, I need to go up and speak with Lochlan.” “He's busy,” the taller of the two drawled indifferently. Not letting him sway my resolve, I tried another tack. “It's important. I need to talk to him about the stuff in the basement.” The stockier man glared at me with disgust. “You don't need to talk about s**t. What you need to do is turn that pretty ass around and leave because no one here has anything to say to you.” My ears flamed at his rude brush-off. Hoping for more luck with the other guy, I glanced at him, but he refused to acknowledge me. His eyes casually moved over the crowd as one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. I spun around indignantly and stormed into the crisp night air. What assholes! Here I was trying to do the right thing, and they were taking that from me. What was I supposed to do now? I didn’t have Lochlan’s phone number or email. I could come back tomorrow in the hopes that Lochlan was at the club and that these two dildos weren’t there to keep me out. That would be the logical next move, but that was not what happened. In an incredibly uncharacteristic dismissal of rational thought, I stalked around to the back of the building. I normally avoided risk at all costs. But that was normal Rebecca. This was stuck in a nightmare, overwhelmed, and endangered Rebecca, who was sick of feeling out of control. This Rebecca had read from Ashley’s playbook and was hell-bent on getting some damn answers. Entirely focused on my task, I strode determinedly past dumpsters and piles of trash to the rear of the building. Ronan had said they were keeping the Fae man in the basement for questioning—if he was still alive. Merely verifying his existence and the level of security around him would help me determine how much of Ronan's suspicions were true and how much was unfounded speculation. Something was better than nothing, and I was tired of being in the dark. A single light on the backside of the building illuminated an old metal door. My heart pounded as I took hold of the door handle, praying it was unlocked. As I turned the handle, initial resistance had me cursing my luck. But before I had even finished the thought, a faint clicking sound signaled the lock giving way, and the door pulled open. It seemed odd that the men left their headquarters unprotected. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if their sense of superiority made them overconfident. Who knew? I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Inside was a dark hallway, and I could hear the music and chatter from the front lobby carry through the empty halls. Stepping through the doorway, I sensed an odd sort of shock. My head swung around, searching for the source of the sting, but I was alone and could find no evidence of a threat. I regained my bearings, pulse pounding in my ears, and quietly searched for a stairwell to the basement. Once I located it, I made my way down the stairs to the landing, which was a well-lit space around ten feet by six feet. Before I could open the door, I heard masculine voices approaching. I would never make it to the main floor in time, and there was no place to hide. With no other options, I backed into the stairwell corner next to the door. It would hide me when the door opened, but once it closed, there would be no chance of concealing myself. I would have to hope they were too preoccupied to notice me. When the door opened, I stayed perfectly still, not even taking a breath as two men entered the stairwell. Liam and another man walked casually up the stairs, absorbed in conversation. The men reached the landing and stopped as Liam finished something he was saying. I couldn’t even process his words over my disbelief that they hadn’t noticed me. I was right there, plain to see. The other guy’s eyes even fell briefly to where I stood, then drifted on. I’d been invisible to them, and the only explanation I could fathom was the necklace. It had kept me hidden. Protected me. I stopped my thoughts from reeling over the implications and forced myself to focus. I was in the Huntsman basement and needed to pay attention, or I could end up in danger. I had no clue if the necklace would continue to keep me hidden, or if that was even what had happened. I needed to get my information and get out. I pressed open the basement door just enough to peek into the hallway. Seeing it unoccupied, I stepped inside and quietly closed the door. Almost immediately, I heard a low keening, like the whine of an injured dog. Keeping close to the wall, I cautiously continued toward the sound but froze when I heard a low voice rumble in the same direction. After a moment of silence, I resumed walking and finally neared the room from which the sounds had come.