Daddies’ Little Assassin (Femme Fatale Freakshow)

7. The Aftermath

Chapter seven

The Aftermath

T he aftermath of the fight left a strange quiet in the room, the energy I'd felt before draining away along with Sapphire's lifeless body. I leaned against the wall, my breath coming in shallow bursts as I tried to process what had just happened.

"You okay?" Karel's voice was gruff, but there was a softness behind it that pulled me from my spiralling thoughts. His blue eyes searched mine, concern lacing his features.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, just... It feels different. I'm not used to this."

Henry knelt next to the unconscious escort on the couch. "We'll need to get her somewhere safe." His rainbow-coloured tattoos shifted as he moved, the ink catching the dim light. "She's lucky we got here in time."

"Luck," Lang mused, stepping closer, his black hair falling into his eyes. His voice was soft but sharp as a blade, each word precise. "Seems like we're rewriting the script on that, aren’t we?"

I gave a small smile, grateful for the banter, even if it was brief. "Maybe. I guess I still have a little of my Lucky Foot left."

Karel chuckled, but there was something deeper behind his laugh. Something protective. "We'll make sure you don't have to rely on that anymore."

Karel moved around the penthouse with an ease that spoke to his experience. There was no hesitation in the way he checked Sapphire's body, ensuring she was truly dead, before turning his attention to the room. He was methodical, almost calculating, and I couldn't help but feel like I was seeing a different side of him.

He wasn't just the easygoing Kraken shifter who knew how to race through the streets. There was a depth to him, a coldness when it came to necessary violence that excited me.

"Are you always this thorough?" I asked, trying to keep the mood light as I watched him pull a phone from Sapphire's belongings.

His eyes flicked to mine, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. "I don't like leaving loose ends. And this isn't my first rodeo, Little Fluff."

I swallowed, feeling a strange warmth at his words. I've always wanted to be someone’s Little Something. And now in one night, I belong to two people. I’m someone’s Little Bunny and Little Fluff. I couldn't wait to find out what my third... mate would like to call me.

"Anything interesting?" Lang asked, moving to Karel's side to inspect the phone. His eyes gleamed in the low light, sharp and calculating.

Karel scrolled through the phone, his fingers moving deftly over the screen. "Nothing concrete. There's a list of recent calls and a couple of messages that seem to be in code. I'll need time to decrypt them, but I've got a feeling there's more to our succubus than meets the eyes."

I bit my lip, tension settling back into my shoulders.

Of course, there was more to it. It wouldn't just be a simple job, my first time out for the Guild.

A faint moan from the couch snapped our attention back to the woman. She was starting to stir, her face still pale, but there was colour returning to her cheeks. Sapphire had nearly drained her to death, so Henry must have used some more of his magic angel woo-woo to heal her.

The angel in question knelt beside her, his gentle touch a contrast to the sharp edge of the situation. "Easy now," he murmured, brushing a hand over her forehead. I had to bite down the sudden flair of jealousy roaring through me. "You're safe. You're going to be okay."

Her eyes fluttered open, hazy and confused, her gaze shifting from Henry to the rest of us. "Where am I?"

"You were attacked," I said softly, kneeling beside her. My small stature should help soothe her fears. "But you're safe now. We're going to get you somewhere secure."

She looked around, fear clouding her expression. "There was a succubus. She fooled me... she was draining me..."

I nodded, keeping my voice steady. "I know, but she's gone now. You don't have to worry about her anymore."

The woman blinked, her body still trembling, but there was a flicker of relief in her eyes. Henry gave her a reassuring smile as he helped her sit up, though she still looked dazed.

Did he have to be so close to her the whole time?

"We'll take you to someone who can help," Lang said, his voice calm, but there was an urgency in his tone. "You’re going to be okay, but we need to get you out of here before anyone else comes looking for Sapphire."

The woman nodded weakly, trusting us even though she had no reason to.

As we helped the woman to her feet, a strange sense of camaraderie settled over the room. It was subtle, but it was there. The four of us had come together, fought together, and survived together.

"Let's get her to safety," Karel said, his voice firm as he slid his arm around the woman to steady her. He looked back at me, his eyes softening just a little. "Then we can figure out what the hell Sapphire was up to."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his gaze settle into my bones.

As we made our way back to the elevator, I couldn't shake the feeling that we'd only scratched the surface of whatever was going on. Sapphire might be dead, but she wasn't the only player in this game. The Guild hadn't sent me after her for no reason.

There was something bigger at play, something I wasn't seeing yet. And whatever it was, it would not be easy to uncover.

As the elevator doors closed behind us, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrored walls. For the first time ever, I didn't look like the lost, alone bunny anymore. I looked like someone who had a team, people I could count on.

And as happy as that made me, it scared the living poop out of me.