A Curse Unbroken
Page 26

“Crap,” I muttered. “Where did you get this hideous excuse for clothing?”
Agnes frowned. “Edith Anne’s closet.”
Great. Edith was the naughtiest of Misha’s Catholic schoolgirls. I’d probably need penicillin after wearing it.
“Celia, don’t let your damn morals come between you and your mission,” Agnes snapped.
“Oh, no, God forbid,” I hissed, yanking the hanger from the she-vamp’s grasp.
The minute I put the dress on and stepped in front of the mirror, I knew Aric would lose his damn mind—and not in a good way. The plunging neckline cascaded down to my navel, just above my scars. It took an absurd amount of two-sided tape to keep my breasts covered, seeing how the dress had no back. The skirt alone—mercifully made of solid satin in the front—passed my girl parts by mere inches.
“How the hell am I going to sit down?” I demanded.
Once more, the vamps regarded me like I was the crazy one. “It’s not a dress meant to sit in, it’s meant for straddling,” Agnes answered, sounding all pissy.
Clearly, she wasn’t referring to horses.
Emme marched into my suite in platform sandals that added five inches to her petite frame, followed by the vampires who’d helped her get ready. And, damn, what had they done to my sweet little sister!
She was slathered with makeup that took her from angelic to yeah, kind of ho-ish. And her blond wavy hair was so teased, I didn’t understand how she fit through the door. As provocative as her teal booty shorts, matching bra (that actually made her look like she had boobs!) and her fishnet half shirt were, she still had on more fabric than I did.
“I can’t wear this,” she said. “It’s positively indecent.” She stopped short and practically screamed when she saw me.
“I’ll trade you,” I offered.
Her wide eyes took me in from head to slutty platform-sandaled toes. “Um. Never mind,” she said. “I’m good.”
Agnes smirked. “You make excellent whores,” she said.
“Gee, thanks, Agnes.”
My phone rang. I knew it was Aric and hurried out onto the balcony for privacy before answering. “Hi, wolf.”
“Are you all right?”
I tried to the adjust the fabric covering my right breast, but the neckline was so wide, I ended up exposing a nipple and hurried to stick it into the right spot. “I’m fine.” I cleared my throat. “A little nervous. Going undercover with anyone but you isn’t really my thing.”
I smiled when I heard him laugh. “I’ve done it too many times to count. But I agree, I’d rather be with you.” He released a breath. “You don’t have to do this, you know? I can have you out of the country within the hour. Just say the word.”
“Aric, with the magic my sisters and I possess, we’re the Alliance’s best shot at finding Shah.”
“I’d rather reach him another way.” He swore. “I seriously can’t handle this. Martin talked me down before, but the closer we get to game time, the more I’m not okay with you putting yourself in danger.”
“I’m scared, too,” I admitted. “But I’m more afraid of the wishes Shah has left and who he’s going to grant them to.”
He didn’t have a response, and I could sense his mounting worry. I tried to redirect him. “Look, you’re the undercover expert. Any advice?”
He thought about it. “Remember that you’re playing a role. Stay in character, and you’ll be fine.”
The thing was, he didn’t know my character spent most of her time on her knees. “Um. Okay.”
He waited again before speaking. “I have to leave now. Celia…I have to play a role tonight, too. I may…engage a female, especially if she’s close to Dilip Singh. Just know it’s not real, okay? I don’t want you upset.”
I thought about Agnes’s tips to get Dilip’s attention and hoped he could take his own advice. “No problem. I trust you.”
“Yeah?”
“Totally. Do what you have to do.”
I didn’t have to see Aric to know he was frowning. “I just thought after what happened at the Den…” he said slowly.
“Oh, that. Yeah. It’s fine. Fine.”
“Aric,” Koda said in the background. “It’s time.”
“I have to go, sweetness,” Aric said. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll be with you.”
“I know. Bye, Aric.”
I hurried back into the bedroom area as Tim crashed into the suite. “We have to move—Dilip’s at the club and—holy shit!” he said when he saw me.
I would have taken it as a compliment, if he hadn’t salivated and his incisors hadn’t lengthened. “You’re not taking a bite,” I growled. His attention swerved to my sister. “That goes for Emme, too.”
His fangs withdrew. “You make a shitty whore,” he said.
I smiled and marched out. “That’s not what Agnes said. Let’s go.”
—
When we arrived at the club, the line of people waiting to get in ran the length of the stone-paved street and across the bridge. Bright colored lights sparkled against the ocean’s surface, and I could hear the music pumping from three blocks away. The club seemed to float, the way it extended out into the water. I focused on the gentle waves as I adjusted the earpiece I’d been given, willing myself to relax. I wasn’t deceitful, and I didn’t like to lie. This wasn’t the best mission for me, but one I seemed the most qualified for. Although I’d planned to play a role like Aric suggested, prostitution wasn’t exactly the role I was born to play. I needed help. And who better to help me than someone who spent most of her time dressed like a naughty Catholic schoolgirl?
“Okay. I can see you,” Agnes said in my ear. “When Umar opens the door, walk in like you own the place and everyone present is unworthy of your snatch.”
She had me until that last little word.
“Damnit, Celia. Don’t make that face. I can see you from here.”
“What took you so long?” I snapped at poor Umar, in an attempt to embrace my diva role. “I could have walked here in less time.”
I was escorted through the velvet ropes. Most of the clubbers waiting in line were locals. But I was recognized as American. That meant I had money, or at least men willing to spend it on me.