“Gentle?”
“I may plant suggestions and reassurance, but the fun is in the temptation. Blunt mind control is for brutes and amateurs.” She grinned wickedly. “They have to give in willingly in the end if either of us are to enjoy it.”
The door came unlocked again. First to enter was one of the guards, still clad in black BDUs and body armor. Following him was one of the agents carrying a simple fast food bag and a drink.
Lorelei smiled. “Agent Bridger. I hoped to see you again. Who is your friend?”
Bridger hesitated. So did the guard. It lasted only a heartbeat, but Lorelei saw it. So did the invisible angel in the room.
“I’m Theo-“
“I’m not sure we want to get into all that,” Bridger interrupted.
“Must we be so extreme?” Lorelei asked. “You no doubt wove spells to defend the both of you against malevolent influence. I can only talk to you, and I mean none of you harm. Please, Agent Bridger, Theo, relax. Do not fear me.”
Standing against one wall to bear witness, Rachel winced. She knew that tone and the effect it could have. Sure enough, she saw a slight change in the stance and body language of the two men. They didn’t let their guard down completely, but it was enough to signal Lorelei’s success. Bridger’s sorcery wasn’t strong enough to block out Lorelei’s supernatural influence. Neither man appeared capable of ignoring her natural charms, either.
Oblivious to the angel, Theo took up a spot beside Lorelei. He rested his hands over his belt buckle in a ready stance. He then adjusted his pants while no one looked-no one except the angel on the other side of the room, at least, who covered her face with one embarrassed hand.
Bridger stood directly in front of Lorelei, his expression still one of wariness and professionalism. “I’m a little surprised that you need food. Everything I have read about succubi says that’s not the case.”
“Succubae, Agent Bridger,” Lorelei corrected. She stared up at him, leaning forward as much as her bonds allowed. Her choice of outfits hadn’t focused on showing off any of her assets, but posture alone conveyed the proper message. “You may find the accuracy of your research is mixed. You must open yourself to personal experience if you wish true mastery of a subject.”
Bridger’s eyes fluttered. “What’s inaccurate?”
“I don’t presume to have read all there is to read,” Lorelei said, “but I imagine your sources paint me as a dangerous woman eager to fuck men to death for my own enjoyment?” No objective observer would miss the seductive tones and slow, enticing cadence of her voice. Again, she glanced at Theo, wanting to make sure he felt engaged in this conversation. “I cannot harm anyone in a single, casual tryst.” She smiled. “Sometimes it’s just for fun.”
“We just came in here to give you a dinner break and go,” he said, swallowing hard. “It’s not an interrogation or anything.”
“Does it have to be an interrogation for us to talk?” she asked. “I’m much friendlier in private settings.”
“Shit, the door,” Theo muttered. He stepped over to close it.
“What are you…?” blinked Bridger.
“Relax,” Lorelei repeated. “It’s just us. No one needs to know. No one will know.” Once again, both men lost some of their wariness. Their eyes fluttered. Every word carried alluring notes. Her lips spread in a smile subtle enough to seem natural despite the setting. “I cannot hurt you. I am bound. If I were able to escape, I’d have done so before now, wouldn’t I?”
“She’s got a point,” said Theo.
Bridger shot him a look. “Let me do the talking, alright?”
“Oh, we don’t have to be like that,” Lorelei said. She glanced to each of the men standing over her, feeling her power rise as their willpower and common sense waned. “I can accommodate both of you.”
Rachel slapped her other hand over her face.
* * *
Alex stood and held out his hands as instructed. A guard came in and cuffed his right wrist, and then his left-but this time the cuffs went on with his hands in front rather than behind his back. Alex looked down quizzically at his bonds and then up toward the door again. He found the answer in the form of a sandwich and a soda in Keeley’s hands.
“Have a seat,” Keeley gestured to the cot. It was the only furniture in the old office. Keeley stepped inside and held the food out to Alex once he sat down. The guard left, closing the door behind him. Keeley leaned up against it, folding his arms over his chest and taking up a relaxed stance. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that,” said Alex. Given the handcuffs, he fumbled around a bit as he unwrapped his food. “I figured if I got food at all, you’d probably just handcuff me to another chair and spoon-feed me. Or put me on a liquid diet.”
“Hey, like Hauser said, you’ve got some crazy skills. I figure you haven’t practiced fighting in handcuffs, though. Not many people do. Y’know, we have the story Cohen told Amber, but you’re the one with all the memories, right?”
“What is it you want to know?” Alex asked. He opened up the sandwich to see what was in it, just to make sure it wasn’t drowned in some foul dressing. Something inside said to eat it regardless. Those fragmented memories Keeley hinted at all agreed that he should never pass up an opportunity to eat or nap while in trouble like this.
Keeley huffed. “Hell, everything. Anything. I’m a history buff.”
“I don’t remember things clearly,” Alex shook his head. “A lot of it is a jumble. It’s like I can’t be sure what I actually remember, what I’m imagining, and what I piece together between bits of memory and stuff I’ve seen on TV or read in books.”
“I gather it’s not pleasant?”
Alex chewed on his sandwich. “No,” he said, then gulped hard. “Mostly not.”
“Do you feel older and wiser since all those memories came along? Or do you still feel like you’re twenty?”
“A little of both,” Alex shrugged. “The memories aren’t solid.” He wondered where the agent wanted this conversation to go. “I feel like I just left behind a few hundred miles of emotional baggage, okay? I’m not eager to go delve back into it. You’d get more out of talking to a historian than you would out of me, ‘cause I’d only know my own experiences. I’m pretty sure I did a lot of farming. Anyway, have you talked to the others already tonight? Or am I the first?”
“You’re the first. Seems like you’re the key player at this point. Alex, you get what we’re trying to do here, don’t you? I mean, I understand if you don’t like Hauser. Hell, Hauser understands if you don’t like Hauser.”
“Good for him,” Alex said abruptly.
Keeley shrugged it off. “Monsters are out there preying on people. We can’t just expose them to the whole world. You know how crazy things would get. So we do the best we can here. You could help us do it all a lot better with what you and your friends know.”
“We talk, you let us go, right?” Alex asked. “What about Lorelei?”
“Yeah, I figured that would be the catch for you, huh?” His smile faded. “She’s a murderer, Alex. We don’t get to let that go. We know about one guy she killed for sure, and you and I both know there are more. We’ve only begun investigating all that. She has to answer for her crimes. Whatever has happened between you and her, that doesn’t go away, y’know? I mean, do you think she has told you everything she’s ever done? You really think she’s completely honest with you?”
“No demon has ever lied to me as often as my government.”
“Point,” Keeley snorted. “You’ve got me there.”
“She’s not what you think,” Alex said. He felt too weary and glum to get upset talking about it now.
“She’s not a demon?” Keeley asked. “Not a succubus?” He watched the younger man sigh and take another bite of his sandwich without answering. “I know you love her and I’ve heard what you’ve been through together, but does that make up for murder? Can you tell me why she shouldn’t be punished for all that?”