Boss Fight (Beyond the Aura Book 1) Read online

  “Woo, a burger and chips. Real big spender, me.”

  “Lee… dinner means a restaurant,” I said, twisting away. “It means a posh frock, stuck up waiters, the works.”

  I didn’t want him to take me out. I didn’t want him to spend that kind of money on me.

  He grabbed my hand, pulled me close and put his hands on my shoulders. I used every ounce of restraint I possessed not to let my training react to his unexpected handling.

  “How long have we been seeing each other?”

  “Eight months,” I replied, searching his face. “You know that.”

  “More than long enough to want to take you somewhere posh.”

  “We’ve been places before…”

  “The café across town.” He let me go, ticking locations off on his hands. “The cinema. Banger racing, that was fun to watch. Plenty of fast food joints. But Daph, I want to take you somewhere nice.” He hesitated. “You deserve to be spoiled. I don’t know you as well as I’d like, but I get the impression that you don’t get much of that.”

  I swallowed and pushed a crowd of memories back into their box.

  “No,” I said.

  “Then let’s go somewhere good. My treat.”

  I didn’t deserve this guy. Like Alice, he didn’t know the real reason I’d gone to prison, and he never could. He’d hate me if he ever found out.

  “I don’t have anything to wear.”

  Those warm brown eyes gleamed with heat.

  “Then let’s eat quick, so I can take you shopping.”

  I argued. I argued hard. But Lee wouldn’t be moved – not only was he taking me to dinner, at a nice restaurant, he was determined to buy me a dress. Eventually I gave in. I felt like a fraud.

  Alright, I thought, as I studied the knee-length scarlet dress in the changing room mirror, a hot fraud.

  And I’d need shoes to go with that.

  Lee picked me up at half past seven. He looked great, soft grey shirt open at the throat, showing a hint of chest hair. Yum. With his shaved head, sharp shoes and tattoos, he looked every inch the dangerous London gangster.

  Lorl was not invited. She let me know how she felt about that with a tiny, rainbow-coloured tantrum. It lasted all of two minutes until I offered her a packet of biscuits; when I left, she was well on the way to a self-induced sugar coma.

  Tonight’s theme was Italian. I heard the gentle tinkle of background music as Lee led me inside the restaurant, a hand on the small of my back. Dark red walls, white tablecloths, potted plants in every corner. Subtle lighting. I couldn’t afford to eat here.

  “Relax, babe,” Lee said. “You’re stunning.”

  My hair was slicked back into a sharp bob and I’d slapped on a bit of make-up. The dress was perfect – sleek and contoured off-the-shoulder satin – but I’d made a point of not looking at the price tag, convinced that I’d feel even more of a fraud if I knew how much it cost. The four-inch stilettos still made me three inches shorter than Lee.

  My appearance was the last thing I was worrying about; I was more concerned with my lack of hardware. I felt weird without the duffel, but there was no way I could take a sword into a restaurant. And really, how much trouble could I get into on a date?

  How much trouble can you get into on the way to work?

  The voice of experience made me rummage through my wardrobe for a clutch that matched the dress, big enough for a knife. Not my twelve inch Bowie – I wouldn’t take that out to dinner – but my seven inch hunting knife gave me just enough comfort.

  A posh waiter led us to a table. He helped me into a seat (because I totally couldn’t tuck myself in) and fussed over putting the napkin across my lap. I scowled and he backed away. Like I didn’t know that he was staring at my boobs? He was lucky that Lee hadn’t spotted him perving.

  I picked up a menu and flicked through the options. My stomach growled. I wanted pasta, lots of it, with cheese. The smells floating past my nose were enough to make me drool.

  “What d’you want to drink, babe?” Lee asked. “OJ? Lemonade?”

  He knew that I didn’t drink, but he thought I was a teetotaller. He didn’t know that I was desperate to hold onto my temper.

  “Iced tea?” I fancied a sugar hit.

  “Wouldn’t have put you down as an iced tea drinker.”

  “Lace anything with half a pound of sugar and I’ll drink it.”

  “Not worried that it’ll stick to your hips?” he teased.

  Ugh. “Never, ever say that kind of thing to a woman,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  I wasn’t worried that it would stick to my hips. Working out at the dojo and fighting monsters was a brutal – yet effective – health regime.

  “Sorry, babe.” His fingers stroked over mine, making me shiver. “Promise I’ll make it up to you tonight.” I shivered again.

  When he pulled back I glanced at the menu and picked something at random, stabbing a finger at the page. I didn’t look at the price. Lee signalled the waiter and I looked away. I was used to lying to people – they didn’t know that I was a berserker, didn’t know my past or my present. But lying to Lee…

  Get a grip, Daphne. It’s to protect him as much as yourself.

  He was good to me. He never pried into my past. He just accepted me for who I was… except he didn’t know who I really was. A lie was a lie.

  And when – if – the lie ever came out, he’d run away screaming.

  Eating made me forget my fears, at least for a little while. The pasta was divine; Lee had picked a fantastic restaurant and I told him so. Seeing the wistful way I looked at his plate, he pushed his leftovers in my direction: - pizza and garlic bread. I wolfed them down.

  Dessert was the biggest, creamiest, most fruit-filled and chocolate-drenched concoction that I could find. The pasta had tweaked my appetite and I needed calories. Cheaper – I felt less guilty about the price.

  “You’ve got that look on your face,” Lee said when I was halfway down the bowl. I paused, spoon poised between mouth and bowl.

  “What look?”

  “If you looked at another guy that way, I’d kill him.”

  I drew my lips over the spoon, letting the gooey mess slide down my throat. I caught Lee’s eye and licked the metal.

  “I want to lick that off your breasts,” he growled, leaning forward. “I want to drizzle it between your legs and lick until you scream.”

  I almost choked on my own tongue. “Take me home. Right now.”

  I finished dessert as Lee settled the bill. As with the dress, I made a point not to look at the receipt.

  I grabbed my clutch as Lee grabbed my hand, and together we made our way out of the restaurant. He’d parked a few streets away and we had to take several alleys to get there. It was cold. All the alleys in the town centre were wide and well lit, but surprisingly quiet for this time on a Friday night.

  I hooked my arm through Lee’s and let him lead me. The scuff of a boot on the ground caught my attention and I looked up, instinct already making me reach for the knife.

  It was a troll – big, seasoned and pissed as hell. Oh fuck, it was a bull; seven feet tall, tusks, warts and way too much facial fair. All Lee would be able to see was a big, ugly bloke in biker’s leathers. Shit. This was the world – the danger – that I tried so hard to keep Lee away from.

  “You beat up my boys,” the troll growled. He flexed fists like sledge hammers.

  “I don’t know you and I don’t know your boys.” Lee stepped protectively in front of me.

  The bull must be talking about the three juveniles who’d tried to mug me yesterday morning. I hadn’t beaten them up – not really – but if they’d gone home whining to their daddy…

  Actually, he’d probably knocked their heads together. They didn’t tolerate weakness in their offspring. Getting roughed up by a woman – even a berserker – definitely counted as weakness in their eyes.

  “Beat it.” The bull squinted at him. “I want that bitch, not you.”


  I felt the reassuring shape of the knife’s handle through my bag, then tugged on Lee’s arm.

  “Let’s take a shortcut,” I suggested. He shook me off.

  “Mate, I think you’d better apologise.”

  “For fuck’s sake, Lee! Just ignore him!” I had to get him out of here.

  The two were walking toward each other, closing the distance between them. Lee unbuttoned his jacket and the bull cracked his knuckles. No, no, no – I could not let this fight happen.

  The bull lunged. He was going to grind Lee into paste –

  Except that he didn’t.

  Lee wasn’t there. He’d sidestepped so fast that I almost missed it, then whirled to thump the troll in the back. The blow didn’t connect. He twisted at the last second and rolled away, body spinning in a roundhouse.

  Lee didn’t move out of the way in time and got a boot in the chest. He staggered back with a grunt of pain, arms whirling to catch his balance, but didn’t fall.

  I’d known that my boyfriend was in security. Now I wondered what kind of security.

  “Stop it!” I shouted, tottering after them. Damn these stilettos. I could fight if I had to, if I wanted to risk a twisted ankle. On TV, Buffy and Xena made it look easy. In reality? Not so much.

  Lee slammed into the troll, arms around his waist in a classic rugby tackle. They went flying. It was a good takedown – I’d seen enough to judge – but the bull was already wriggling free and rolling away.

  I pulled my hunting knife out of the clutch and hefted it in my palm. The balance was excellent, the blade sharp. I squinted, aimed, threw.

  The knife came to a quivering halt in the troll’s shoulder, about an inch from his neck. He let out a grunt of pain and froze. He recognised the knife throw for what it was – a warning shot. I could have sunk the blade into his throat.

  Lee stepped back and I snatched his hand. He didn’t shake me off this time.

  The bull pulled the knife from his shoulder, teeth clenched. He tossed it aside, turned, and stalked away. Wise move.

  “You OK?” I asked, turning to Lee. He was bruised and dirty, his suit torn, but he was still up and moving. Nothing was broken.

  “I’m fine.” He framed my face in his hands and kissed me, hard and hot enough to steal my breath. “Where the fuck did you get that knife?”

  “I… uh…” I hadn’t expected that.

  “Tell me in the car,” he bit out. “Let’s get out of here.”

  I wiped the hunting knife on a tissue and stuffed it in the clutch. We hurried back to the car, Lee almost dragging me along. He didn’t say a word. Eight months, and finally here was his temper.

  “I didn’t know you could fight like that,” I said as we got into the car. Anything to break the silence.

  “Picked up a few moves along the way,” he grunted. He revved the engine and released the handbrake.

  That had been more than just ‘a few moves’. Speed, strength – it took dewdrops years to learn that kind of control.

  The atmosphere in the car became oppressive. Lee drove too fast through the town centre, taking curves at speeds that made me grip the door handle. Alright, so he was angry with me, I got that. But he needed to slow down.

  “You’re going too fast.”

  “You wanna drive?”

  “You know I can’t!” I’d grown up driving tractors around my grandfather’s fields; you didn’t need a licence for that.

  “Then don’t criticise!”

  “How is it a criticism to say you’re going too fast? You want to get pulled over?”

  “An ex-con, worried about breaking the law? That’s rich.”

  I was going to fucking walk home. It was either that or hit him, and I’d walk till my feet were bloody before I let that happen.

  “Stop the car.”

  “Yeah, that’s right – run away.”

  He had no idea, no clue how close I was to curling my hand around the back of his neck and slamming his head into the steering wheel. I could imagine the hollow sound it would make as it hit the plastic –

  This is your boyfriend.

  “In prison,” I said, voice trembling, “I used to punch anyone who called me a coward. I don’t – I don’t want to punch you.”

  “Shit… Daphne, I’m sorry.”

  I kept my face turned away. Something hot and wet made my eyes sting. I wasn’t crying.

  “Will you tell me about the knife?” he asked.

  “Will you tell me where you learned to fight like that?”

  “I told you!”

  “You hedged. I’ve watched enough movies – that’s not the kind of thing you just pick up.”

  He lapsed into sullen silence. I finally got my stupid eyes under control. Who was this guy? He wasn’t Lee. Or maybe… maybe this was the real him.

  “All right,” he said eventually. “I took a few courses. For my job.”

  “Your ‘security’ job,” I air-quoted.

  “Yeah.” His tone indicated that I wasn’t going to get anything more out of him. “So what made you think taking a knife out was a good idea?”

  Maybe because I felt naked and vulnerable without a weapon?

  “Can’t be too careful.” Now it was my turn to hedge.

  “You could go back to prison!”

  “I have to look out for myself.” That was the truth, just not the whole story.

  If he made a single comment about relying on him for my personal safety, I was going to lose my shit and break his nose.

  But he didn’t say a thing. Not one word.

  Lee dropped me off. He seemed about to get out of the car, but I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he subsided. Like I was going to invite him up for ‘coffee’ after that row?

  “Night, babe,” he said. “See you soon?”

  “Yeah.” I hesitated. “Thanks for dinner. And the dress.”

  I closed the door and left. He didn’t follow.

  I could look after myself. That was my secret. But now I knew I wasn’t the only one keeping them.

  Back in the flat I yanked the dress off and tossed it into a corner. I kicked the shoes under the table. I scrubbed my face, cleaned my teeth and got into bed. Lorl was already fast asleep beneath the quilt, her tiny snores endearing. I cuddled her fluffy body against mine.

  I got out of bed. Picked the dress up. Put it back on the hanger.

  SEVEN

  The next day was Saturday and I stayed in bed, even though Lorl tried reminding me that I rose early on weekends. I waved her off, burrowing deeper under the quilt, knowing that she only wanted to feed her fat tummy. When I got up I’d probably find her waist-deep in the cereal box. At least she wouldn’t be off hunting bugs.

  When I finally blinked awake I was muzzy and thick-headed; I’d slept too long. By now I should have run around the estate a couple of times and have half the chores done.

  I crawled out of bed and into my dressing gown. Everything was just going to have to happen later today. And what was left for breakfast? Fuck all, probably, once Lorl was done stuffing her greedy face.

  “Get your arse out of that box,” I grumbled as I shuffled into the kitchen.

  Lorl shot up, fur flushing pink as she scattered bits of food over the counter.

  “And you’d better clean that up!”

  She landed on my shoulder, wings barely brushing my neck as she made contact. She pushed her head into my cheek. My bad mood eased.

  I don’t know how they did it, but taufrkyn were always there when you needed them. I was sure that there were all kinds of things that we didn’t know about them, things that Harpy’s Bestiary never mentioned. Like how holding one – just stroking between their ears and tickling their chin – was enough to make you feel better.

  Lorl trilled with pleasure. Her fur rippled blue and lavender, the colours of contentment and love. Yeah, that was all I needed to know about my taufrkyn – she loved me. I smiled and made breakfast.

  I was taking my cereal th
rough to the living room when the doorbell rang. Lorl gave my cheek a tiny kiss and darted out of sight. I putted over to the front door and peered through the spy hole.

  It was Lee and holy fuck¸ would you look at the size of that bunch of roses? Then I checked out what he was wearing – the tight jeans he knew I liked, the muscle shirt that showed off his ripped physique, and the leather jacket we’d had to wipe down after a memorable couple of hours in the back of his car. I put my breakfast on a side table and opened the door.

  “Sorry, babe.”

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t melting inside. I held the door wide and ushered him in, suddenly feeling awkward in my open dressing gown and PJs. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen me in them – or out – not by a long shot, but I felt vulnerable just the same.

  “These are for you.”

  He held the roses out. I smiled, hands stretched to take them. I think I had a vase they would fit…

  Lee pulled me forward. I struggled against my instinctive berserker’s reaction and relaxed, letting him kiss me. His lips were hard and possessive.

  “I was an arse last night,” he murmured against my ear. “Forgive me?”

  “Of course.”

  Who was I to hold a grudge just because he’d lost his temper? I fought mine often enough.

  “Guess you picked up knife skills in prison?” He stroked sleep-tangled hair out of my face. Mm.

  “Sure.”

  We both knew the other was lying. God. What a mess.

  Lee’s smile was easy and right now the sexiest damned thing ever. The lies hung thick between us, but if we both pretended hard enough, they wouldn’t matter. He was just a good scrapper and I’d got lucky with a knife. I held on to that illusion as hard as I could.

  “Anything planned for today?”

  “Nothing that can’t wait.”

  That was another lie, but exercise and chores could wait. Right? If I had my way I’d be getting another type of exercise.

  I eased out of his arms long enough to lay the roses on the table, and then he was pulling me again, this time into the bedroom. I let him. Inside, he pushed me back against the wall, mouth firm against mine, our tongues clashing together.