Hell on Wheels (Faetal Attraction #1)

Stand Your Ground

My step-brother’s stupid assassination attempt foiled my plans to race the last card. His car needed more work than the crew could do, and I wasn’t about to drive someone else’s vehicle when there were snipers on the loose. I’m stubborn, but I’m not stupid.

As Archie pulls into the drive with his car crammed to the gills, my Spidey sense goes off. Before he can stop, I hop out, dashing across the pavement. The guys are yelling behind me, but something in the air is calling to me. I have to find the source of this energy; I just know it.

Imagine my surprise when I find a fucking kraken swimming in our pool.

Slamming the brakes on my run, I put my hands on my hips and stare at the half-shifted idiot. “Who the fuck are you and how did you get past the security?”

“Wheels, slow the fuck—Holy shit.” Archie grinds to a halt beside me, but a low rumble coming from him tells me we need to resolve this shit quickly.

The kraken dude just laughs as he backstrokes in the enormous pool lazily and I let my powers concentrate in my fingertips.

“Rebel Kelly, get back here!” My scream is specifically to ensure everyone is here when I blast this dipshit into the next life. No one should skulk around our property, but I’ll need witnesses if the Council investigates. I’ve become a ‘shoot first, ask questions never’ girl since they mentioned hired hit people stalking the track.

The rest of the guys almost crash into us as they rush to the backyard, especially Reb. His hands land on my waist, grunting as he keeps himself from knocking us both over. “What the fuck, Rogue? I—Oh, shit.”

I whirl around, glaring at all of them. “Do you assholes know who this is? Because I was a half-second from blasting him to kingdom come.”

Angelo looks sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck as he nods. “Yeah, Princess, we do. This is Tracer Finn—he’s one of the Sons of the Seven Seas.”

Squinting, I look at the languid kraken and then back at my mates and Reb. “Am I supposed to know who the fuck that is?”

“She doesn’t know as much about the world we have to navigate as we do,” Damon murmurs to his twin. He gives me a soft smile as he takes my hand. “While I have no idea why Tracer is here, he’s one of the heirs apparant to the SoSS because their true heir is off studying music at some college. They run the docks, the port, lakes… anything in our region to do with water.”

Tracer slow claps for him and I turn back to the fool in our pool with an arched brow. “Knowing who you are might not save you from being fried fish sticks, dude. Chill out.”

“Oh, I like her, boys! Is this the girl you’ve all been mooning over since junior high? If so, now I know why. She’s spunky.”

In a blink, the alpha shifter is out of the water and standing poolside with his tentacles wiggling behind him. His shift is odd, even for a kraken, but I assume he’s a hybrid. His aura is powerful, and he’s obviously meant to be a leader, but he’s only in consideration because the real school leader fucked off to college. He gives us a cheeky grin, and I sigh in annoyance.

I’d really like a break from fucking surprises for a day so my blood pressure doesn’t make me pop a vein.

“You’re wondering why I’m here, yes?”

Rebel glares at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “Among other things, yes.”

“I’ve heard it through the grapevine that my errant brother has a powerful new ally and might come our way for a little visit.” Tracer’s tentacles flex and unflex as if in irritation and I don’t even try to keep my fascination off my face. “I’d like your assurances that the future Geminis won’t support him making a play for our family’s interests.”

“You’re here to ask us to snub your brother if he shows up for that stupid meeting?” I snort, shaking my head. As if I fucking care who the hell runs the sea shifter gangs… oh. I guess the demons do, which means Angelo and Damon have to.

Damon gives the kraken an odd look. “Slade has no interest in the family business, T. He made that clear when he left. I should know; I was there when he and your father went toe-to-toe at graduation.”

The shifter snaps his fingers with a devilish grin. “That’s right . You were pretending to date one of my cousins to hide fucking that mage. Now I remember—fun times, little D. But I need Angelo here to confirm his agreement as well because the vines are shaking about this lovely mate of yours.”

Stepping forward, I toss my hair like the biggest mean girl on the planet and eye the dude like I’m assessing him. I know what role I have to play now to get him to fuck off and I’ll do it without batting a lash. “Look, calamari. My boy said his friend doesn’t want your crusty throne. His twin will not correct that assertion, nor am I. You have your answer.”

“Shit… does she bite? Fuck, I bet she does. Hot .” The green-haired gangster grins widely and stretches a tentacle towards me, only to be stopped mid-grope by Archie.

“I’d reconsider, Trace. The Pride won’t take kindly to assaulting her, either.”

Damn, this protective thing is sexy even if it’s dinging my feminist card by the second.

Rebel just smirks as Archie holds the wiggling appendage, shrugging. “Besides, her dust is… not something you want to experience. Let’s just say the Sons would look for another heir when you’re no longer available.”

“Reb!” I hiss and he just grins like a fucking cat that got the cream. “Fine. I can take care of myself, boys. This idiot should know that if he’ll be at that stupid meeting. Keep your fins, tails, and tentacles away if you want to survive intact.”

“Or to avoid war with beings who have zero moral compass and an entirely different realm to go to if they raze the city,” Angelo adds as he drapes an arm over my shoulder. “Between Rogue and us, we can leave if the damage is bad, but you assholes can’t.”

I guess we’re threatening to destroy the world now; who knew?

“I forgot how uptight you dicks are,” the uninvited sea-man says as he sighs. “Fine. Be shitty about it, but you have to admit Slade isn’t cut out for running a criminal enterprise. He’s too soft and it would get him killed. This alliance is as much to protect him as it is to help me.”

“We know you don’t hate your brother, Trace,” Damon says as he tugs me toward a chair to sit. “And this doesn’t have to be so confrontational. Unlike the generations running shit in Bay City now , our group of heirs actually want to work together to maximize our interests. War doesn’t do that.”

“But that doesn’t mean we won’t start one if someone comes for our mate,” Angelo snarls. “Which we believe Merra Stuhll, my father, and possibly an unknown player are, so you understand if we need to set stringent terms with you.”

Tracer frowns, scratching his chin. “That’s odd. My source on campus tells me that Slade and his new people are being hunted as well.” He looks at Rebel and I roll my eyes—misogynists make my ass twitch. “Has the Council or the Society big wigs mentioned supes being chased in other areas or realms?”

Damon and Angelo give him a subtle head shake; they don’t want him to mention Hell. But my step-brother nods anyway because we both know there are rumors about this circulating that don’t involve Hell. “I’ve heard things about specific players and groups having trouble all over the world. No one will say much because they don’t want to cause a widespread panic. However, it seems like powerful females are being attacked and no one knows why.”

Why the fuck didn’t I know this?

“That’s no bueno, man. Now I’m worried about my sisters.” Our kraken friend rubs one of his tentacles over his chin as he thinks for a moment. “Then it’s bigger than turf wars. But who the fuck would risk this kind of heat and have such a big reach?”

“We don’t know,” Archie admits. “The attacks on Rogue seem to tie to locals, but a smart mastermind would treat local talent like terror cells. They’d only know what they have to do and when, but not a single centimeter of the bigger picture.”

“You watch too many crime shows,” Reb grumbles as he flicks his tongue bar around. It’s a habit when he thinks, and it’s always been sexy. “But that doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Nor does it mean we should start anywhere but our home field advantage. Tracer, when is your brother coming?”

“I don’t know exactly ,” he admits. “My sources are good, but they’re not direct. It’s more of a… catch tidbits surveillance. His damn mage friend would figure it out if I used closer methods.”

Leaning forward, I look at him seriously. “So who might he be bringing along to this damn circus? Because I got sent a fucking dress, and I’m sure showing up dressed normally would get those people on the shitlist of every crime syndicate in the city.”

Let’s see if he picks up on my hint that he needs to warn the brother he supposedly cares about.

“Oh. Uh, well, his longtime roommate is a mage from some old money family in the South. They’ve gotten attached to a scandalous woman, a Prince, a dragon, and another rich kid. I assume they’re all coming. My dad will lose his everloving shit, by the way. He’s so damn angry with Slade for yeeting himself out of succession.”

Angelo grins at that. “As is Luca because we announced a mate he didn’t approve of or bargain for. His war chest didn’t get bigger by auctioning our dicks, which is making him and Lola furious.”

“How is dear old Mom, anyway?” Tracer smirks, and my eyes widen.

He’s not going to say ? —

“Gross, man. We all know you banged their mom. She’s never pretended to be faithful to Luca unless demon players are about,” Javier says.

I realize he’s been awfully quiet, but that’s one of his traits. He’s not great with social shit unless it’s within our family. “Javier King, that’s terrible. I don’t care if it’s true; I met the woman and I might puke.”

My disgust amuses the fuck out of our guest. He shakes his head, sighing deeply. “Look, she Stiffler’s Mom’d me in high school. I’d never even met her before that day and just thought I was a lucky shit to lose the big V to a cougar. Turns out, she had no idea what to do with a kraken, and it was a total mess. But I like to mess with the twins over it, just like Angelo…”

“ Shut up, Tracer .” Angelo is glowering at him and it becomes clear he got revenge in some totally dude-ish and inappropriate way I don’t want to hear about.

“Oookay. Before one of us gets in trouble for shit that’s long over with, you should skedaddle.” Javier looks at the sea-shifter pointedly. “The past is the past, but now we’re all sharing info. Happy days, right?”

“If you say so, man.” Tracer winks at me and gives a little wave to the guys before walking to the steps that lead down to the beach.

Damnit, that’s how the mother fucker got in.

We’re covered on land and underground, but not by air and sea. Damon has work to do.