Avarice Read online

  Logically, he knew she was trouble.

  However, logic wasn’t what made him walk with her, discussing the different stands, feeling the heat from her body soak into his skin as if she were the sun and he had been stuck all too long in darkness. He debated asking her about the man who had threatened her, but instinct told him she would clam up tighter than a captured enemy spy.

  His phone buzzed in her purse. Ody raised a brow at her. “I think someone is calling you, darlin.”

  The woman blushed slightly. Interesting. She seemed too experienced to have such an amateur tell.

  Waving a hand dismissively, she stopped at a display of scarves. “I’ll call them back. It’s rude to be on your phone while in the presence of company.” Again with the lashes. She ran her fingers along the scarves, pulling up a green and gold one to her face, looking at him all the while.

  Fuck, she was stunning.

  “What’s your Affinity?” he asked.

  The woman froze. It was considered bad manners to ask such a thing, but Ody was never one to care about posturing. He had never seen anything like her before. She moved with the grace of something winged, and he wondered if that was why he felt such a deep connection to her.

  She swallowed, bringing Ody’s eyes to the column of her throat. “Peacock. You?”

  Peacock? He believed that as much as the “Amy” nonsense.

  “Griffin,” he replied, surprised at his honest response. She must have been as well, because she stopped her perusal of the pretty scarves.

  “Truly? I’ve never met a Griffin before.”

  He shrugged, grabbing the scarf she had been handling and quickly purchased it from the merchant. Ody then gently wrapped the scarf around her shoulders, his fingers sliding along her skin.

  “Are...are there a lot of Griffins in this area?” she asked.

  Was that fear in her voice? His gaze went to hers, concerned. He didn’t want her to fear him. Did he?

  “Some,” he replied, leaving his hands on her shoulders a moment longer than was necessary.

  They stared at one another, their gazes trying to unravel the secrets within.. She was nothing like anyone he had ever met. Sweet and sinister. Light and dark. Her entire being was a juxtaposition, one he wanted to explore thoroughly.

  Clearing her throat, she stepped back, smiling down at the scarf. “Thank you, Ody. It’s beautiful.”

  So are you, he thought. Instead of speaking that treacherous thought, Ody merely nodded and offered his arm once more. He needed to get back on task. To focus. He would not let himself forget that this woman had his mother’s soul. She was a conman. A thief.

  And her legs were…

  No. Stop it.

  Ody shook himself. His instincts perked up, and he lifted his gaze to the crowd. Ramé stood at a stand a few yards ahead, leaning against a display of jewelry and chuckling to a pretty girl.

  He felt the woman beside him tense.

  “Let’s go back this way,” she said, tugging on his arm in the opposite direction. “I saw a hat that would look perfect with this dress.”

  Ody allowed her to pull him along, but not before he noticed his brother’s reaction. Ramé watched them, nostrils flared, a look in his eye that he had seen on many occasions.

  Hunger. Lust.

  She would obviously know Ramé from the night before; had seen him on the boat. That must be why she was panicking, Ody thought. She didn’t realize Ody had been there as well.

  He put a hand on her back, instinctively wanting to comfort her as well as protect her. It might have been a bit patronizing, but he had been brought up to cherish and protect women. Even thieving women.

  He could feel Ramé behind them now, following them through the crowd.

  How was this going to end, exactly? Maybe he should’ve just asked her for the ruby back. Explain what it was.

  He sighed. Odyeus, master tactician, had no plan. He felt like a cub out in the wilderness with no clue on where to go. How had such a small woman caused such an upheaval within him?

  Taking a deep breath, Ody let her scent calm him. Nothing mattered but the ruby. He couldn’t risk telling her about its importance. Who knew what she would do with that information? No, the plan remained the same. Extract the woman, get the ruby.

  “Ody?”

  Startled out of his own thoughts, he looked down at her, lifting a brow. “Yes, sunshine?” Sunshine again? Granted, it fit, but they weren’t exactly on nickname terms.

  The smile she gave him lit up her entire face. A wicked gleam appeared in her eyes, and she stepped back towards an alleyway off the side of the marketplace, pulling him with her.

  Ody felt himself harden as she tugged him deeper into the shadows, her grip on his hand tightening as she molded herself to his front. He wanted to apologize for his dick, but there wasn’t a very polite way of doing that. A lady wasn’t someone you spoke to about erections.

  “Kiss me, Odyeus,” she whispered, leaning back against the cool brick, her breasts jutting out slightly.

  Ody swallowed, nerves flaring. Fuck. He wasn’t a fucking virgin. Why was he acting like one?

  Stepping into her, Ody cupped her face, letting her heat warm him. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, his breath stuttering as her tongue flicked out to touch him.

  Before he could talk himself out of it, Odyeus brought his mouth to hers. She tasted exactly as she smelled, like the sun and the sea. Groaning, his hands cupped her jaw, his lips devouring hers. Her palms slid up his arms, and he suddenly wished there was no clothing between them. His tongue met hers, and all thoughts of propriety vanished.

  Ody gripped her thighs and lifted her off the ground, her legs wrapping around his waist. Pressing her into the wall, they worshipped each other with their mouths, as her hands scratched over his scalp. He wished he had longer hair for her to grip, to pull on as their passions mounted. He ground himself into her, feeling his cock thickening even further as she whimpered.

  Then she bit him. Hard. Her teeth jerked against his lip, and he cursed at the pain, rearing back. He reached up and touched it, shocked at the blood smeared across his hand. Looking back towards her, he was surprised to see nothing but brick in front of him. He glanced down the alley just in time to see the flip of her dress rounding a corner.

  “Fuck!” he barked, reaching into his pocket for the phone that wasn’t there.

  Groaning, Ody took off after her. His brothers would never let him live this down. The great Odyeus, war strategist and planner of plans, brought down by a kiss and a sundress.

  Chapter Eight

  Ava

  What the fuck was that? Ava cursed at herself as she kicked off the flats, letting her bare feet pick up the speed she needed to escape. How could she have been so stupid? She had known the minute she locked eyes with that man that he was trouble. She recognized him from the marketplace, of course, but she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her stupid Wyvern gold-lust flared and she just had to touch him, had to put her hands on that golden skin for just a moment.

  She hadn’t expected him to be so sweet.

  Walking through the marketplace, she had forgotten completely about her life and her struggles. The hole she was constantly trying to fill with gold and jewels seemed to become less deep as she held onto the golden masterpiece by her side, as if he were the treasure she had truly been seeking. She told herself she was only distracting him until she could figure out an escape, but she knew better. She had enjoyed being with him.

  And that kiss...

  Ava licked her lips, the taste of his blood like the sweetest of wines on her tongue. She swung herself up onto a fire-escape, climbing the wobbly ladder as fast as she could in her dress before slipping through the first open window she could find. The apartments here were thankfully empty and were a frequent crash spot for the local homeless.

  Sprinting through the room, she was relieved that no one was around. She paused, allowing herself a moment to catch her breath.

&
nbsp; How close was he? Did he see her come in here? What would he do if he caught her?

  Closing her eyes, Ava thought back on the man she had met. His golden skin had been marked with scars. Nothing too noticeable unless you were obsessing over his skin like some love-struck teenage weirdo. Those scars combined with the haunted look in his eyes told her two things.

  One, he wasn’t someone she wanted to fuck with. If he was searching for the woman who stole from him, she really didn’t want him figuring out it was her.

  Two, they were kindred spirits. His pain matched hers in a way she couldn’t put into words. They were bonded in their pain.

  Sighing, Ava slid down the wall until she was sitting. She thought about the way that pain had faded as they talked, how his body had felt pressed up against hers.

  Ava frowned as she felt the treasure-tug, as she liked to call it, pulling at her. This way… it purred. Ava knelt, slowly moving towards the windowsill and peeking out.

  Her three golden boys stood beneath the window in the alleyway below. Ava quickly ducked, her heart racing. Stupid Affinity. People weren’t treasure. These were headhunters, and she was their prey.

  “What were you thinking?” one of the golden men roared.

  “I don’t know,” Odyeus replied softly.

  Ava chewed her lip. She should run before they could catch wind of her. But desire froze her in place. She wanted Ody, not just carnally. Her inner treasure siren was roaring, practically begging her to throw herself out of the window after him. She curled her hands into fists, breathing deeply.

  “Calm down, Midas. Honestly, I’m just relieved to know Ody’s dick still works,” a honey voice carried up to her. She knew that voice. He was the one she had seen on the boat.

  “Fuck you, man,” Ody barked, and she could hear the shuffle of their feet, as if they were scuffling.

  “Enough!” the third man shouted. This must be the mysterious Midas. “Get it together, for fuck’s sake! We need to find her. Fast. Dolor and Mattheus are meeting us tomorrow for the trade. It’s the only chance we’ve got.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll turn up,” honey voice said. She really needed to find out his name.

  “Really, Ramé? Do you truly think she’s just gonna show back up at the market? That was our best shot of taking her,” Midas said, frustration lacing his words.

  “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know what happened. It’s not...I don’t... Fuck.”

  Ava almost felt sorry for Odyeus as she listened to him. She was sure he wasn’t the type to deviate from a plan. Maybe he had been just as affected by her as she was of him.

  Someone sighed. “Look, Ody, I get it. Shit happens. Now we have to figure out how to fix it,” Midas grumbled.

  “She must have a place down by the docks. She smells like salt-water. Maybe if we go down there we can pick up her scent.” Ody’s voice was firm, more in control now.

  “Not a bad plan,” Midas said.

  “She lives like a pirate, so surely the local crew must know where she stays. We can go after the mark and interrogate her once we have her. Two for one,” Ody said. They continued brainstorming, the two of them going back and forth about this mystery mark and where they could find her.

  Where was the honey voiced one? Ramé, they said his name was?

  “Well, hello again.”

  Ah, there he was.

  Chapter Nine

  Midas

  Midas stared up at the fire-escape where Ramé sat on the windowsill like someone from a romance novel. He spoke over the window’s ledge to the woman who started all this mess. They had tracked her scent to the alley, using their hand signals and old military gestures to discuss the best way at securing her before she could escape. But before they could come up with a solid plan, Ramé had acted.

  Impulsive bastard...

  Shaking his head, Midas and Ody swung themselves up the ladder, hurrying when they heard Ramé curse as he crawled into the open window.

  They quickly followed after him, and Midas got his first up close view of the thief.

  She was… everything.

  Her skin was flushed, her blonde hair ruffled as she fought against Ramé’s hold. He held her back to his chest, arms crossed over her stomach, her breasts pushed up deliciously from the struggle.

  At first glance, she looked almost innocent, with her sundress and golden curls. But Midas knew better. Her fingers were curled into wanna-be talons, her feet lashing out as she tried to gain purchase on Ramé’s much larger body.

  “Calm down, wildcat. We just want to talk to you!” Ramé barked, struggling to hold her.

  Ody stepped closer, his eyes narrowed. Anger and lust pulsed around him, his aura affecting Midas’ own. Midas could read auras better than anyone he had ever met. It allowed him to be the peace-keeper among the brothers, as well as scout out who could be trusted in their business arrangements.

  It also gave him the ability to clearly see Affinities.

  Returning his focus to the long-legged problem at hand, Midas felt his heart stutter as he took in the Affinity before him. “Holy fuck,” he whispered. “You’re a Wyvern.”

  Her aura furled out around them, fabulous wings of power that shook the air, making it difficult for him to take in a full breath. So much power trapped within her delicate shell.

  The woman snarled, her eyes landing on him. “What of it?”

  Midas had never met one of the Ancients before. They were thought to be extinct. Griffins were rare, but Wyverns were practically legendary. Midas was a bit of a nerd when it came to Affinities. Being able to clearly see them, their colorful auras pulsing around those he saw, made it all the more fascinating.

  He stepped towards her, careful to stay out of reach of her kicks. Ody moved slightly, almost as if to put himself in between them. That was strange…They had shared women before. Not that anyone was sharing her, of course. No. That was absurd. They were going to get the ruby back and move on. They weren’t going to focus on how creamy her legs were, or how powerful her eyes looked as she gave the brothers a death glare...

  They were so fucked.

  “I’ve never met one of you before,” Midas said calmly, closing his hands into fists to resist the urge to reach out and touch her.

  “Yeah, well, we like our privacy,” she sneered. Pain licked up her aura, betraying her words. She was alone. The loneliness practically oozed from her.

  Midas’s empath ability saw right through her. He ached to hold her, to ease that loneliness. Instead he said, “Where’s the ruby?”

  “What ruby?” she replied, eyes widening in faux innocence. Ramé snorted.

  “Our mother’s ruby,” Midas said, allowing the sentimentality to seep into his voice. He felt the flare of uncertainty in her and intuited where her thoughts led. Mothers, she understood. Pain, she definitely understood.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She lifted her chin, stubborn as the day was long.

  Ody stepped forward, gripping her chin. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, sunshine. Just give us the jewel and we’ll be on our way.” His tone sounded harsh, but Midas saw how his fingers rubbed the spot he gripped, how his aura lashed out, wings tangling with hers.

  That was not good.

  “What will you give me in exchange?” she asked, her eyes deliberately avoiding Ody’s.

  Ramé chuckled, running his nose along her neck. “What would you like, wild cat?” he whispered.

  The woman blushed.

  “Ramé,” Ody warned, the militant tone sharp.

  Ramé leaned back, smirking at them both. He was hopeless.

  “What would you like?” Midas asked, shocked to see he had moved forward another step without realizing it. Their reactions were not normal. Something wasn’t right here…

  She shrugged. “You had quite a bit of gold on that pretty boat. We’ll make a trade.”

  “This woman has bigger balls than you do, Ody.” Ramé laughed, squeezing he
r a little. It was more an affectionate hug than threat, however.

  They needed to go. To be away from this creature and regroup.

  “Fine. Take us to the ruby,” Midas said, noticing that Ody hadn’t moved his hand; instead, his fingers moved along her jawline, tracing the delicate curve there.

  Yep. Time to go.

  “Let me go, and I’ll bring you the ruby,” she quickly replied.

  Ody snorted.

  “Forgive us if we don’t exactly trust you,” Midas said.

  “And I’m just supposed to trust you? How do I know you won’t take the ruby and slit my throat? Or worse, leave without giving me the gold?”

  They all blinked at her.

  “You have our word,” Ody said, as if that closed the matter.

  The woman scoffed, shaking her head. “Gonna need a bit more than that, handsome.”

  Midas watched Ody’s aura flare at the flattering term. His Affinity’s tail reached up and slid along her back.

  The longer they stood there, the more their auras entangled.

  Striding forward, Midas withdrew his blade. The girl’s eyes widened, but before fear could fill her, he slid the tip of the knife along the flat of his hand. Then he grabbed her wrist, making a shallow cut along her own palm.

  “Our word is bond. We will exchange the ruby for the gold, and no harm shall befall you.” Midas spoke the old words and pressed his wound against hers, ignoring her curse.

  He wasn’t expecting the flare from both of their auras. Golden sparks shot through them, until he could feel them wrap around one another. He could sense his Affinity brush up against his brothers, interacting in a way they never had before.

  What the fuck was going on here? He had done blood oaths before. Nothing like this had ever occurred.

  He shuddered a little, leaving his hand in hers as he met her gaze. Her pupils were dilated, her lips full and pink. She was gorgeous.