Tempting Evil

"Oh, they're serious. People do get hurt—broken bones and bleeding is something Starr insists on. Which is why most of those recruited for the ring are either shifters or weres. Healing is then not a problem."

Because shifters, like weres, were capable of healing when shifting. Of course, the fact that shifters generally thought themselves "superior" to weres in every way could make for some interesting times in the ring. Especially seeing most weres thought the same about shifters.

And really, the only real difference between any of us was the fact that weres were forced to shift with the full moon and shifters were not.

"You think this is the way I should go in?"

She nodded. "Those who fight in the ring have free run of the main house and grounds."

"And why would he give the fighters freedom and not the hookers? Surely he wouldn't trust them more?"

"No. But as a general rule, I've done a more intense background check on the fighters. And his halls are monitored by security twenty-four hours a day. He trusts them to keep an eye on what is going on."

"So it's just cameras?"

"And motion-sensing devices."

"Infrared?"

"Not yet in the house. There is infrared around the zoo, and I know he plans to install it elsewhere." She grimaced. "There was an attack by a rival recently that convinced him of the need. The vampire got very close."

"What happened to the vampire?" And was it perhaps my vampire? Though I guess that made no sense—if Qui

"The vampire was staked and left to the sun."

Definitely not Qui

"Starr keeps a collection of nonhuman freaks." She shrugged. "It amuses his human guests."

I just bet it did. And it was a brilliant way to hide a growing force of specially bred assassins. "Isn't it a little dangerous to have humans around during the rising of the full moon?"

"Oh yes. But the moon dances provide good blackmail material, so Starr considers the risks well worth it." She smiled thinly. "What politician's family is going to raise a raucous if their loved one dies in such a compromising position? Few, let me tell you."

I raised my eyebrows. "So it has happened?"

"Of course."

"Ask her if she'd be willing to name names?" Jack said. "We need to check what they might have been forced into doing before their deaths."

I repeated the question, and Dia nodded. "I will provide a full list of everyone who goes to Starr's dances."

I studied her for a moment, then said, "You're being awfully helpful, and I'd like to know why."

Her smile was tight. "Because when Misha died, Starr did something to me he should never have done."

I raised my eyebrows at the low fury in her voice. "And that was?"

Her gaze came to mine, and a chill ran across my skin. I'd never really understood the phrase "if looks could kill," but it became all too clear as I stared into Dia's unseeing eyes. The devil himself would have quailed at the depth of anger and hatred in her powerful gaze.

"Deshon Starr took my daughter away from me," she said softly. "And I will destroy him—and destroy his whole filthy organization—if it is the last thing I ever do."

"Has he killed her:" I asked, even as I wondered why I was feeling sorry for a woman who'd obviously allowed herself to be evil's pawn for a very long time.

Or was that being unfair? Misha had once told me that he had no choice in some of the things he did, simply because Starr was far more powerful and could control them all. Misha had skirmished from the edges, but he'd never managed to break free of the leash. Why would Dia, for all her abilities, have any more luck?

She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "No. But he only allows me to see her on the weekends, and even then, only for several hours." He gaze came to mine again, the vibrant depths dry but hinting at an agony I might never experience, but could certainly empathize with. "She's only six months old. She should be with her mother, not being raised in the cold, sterile environment of a lab."

"Like you were," I said softly, wondering if she meant the main lab—Libraska—or another one we didn't know about.

Her laugh was short, bitter. "Yeah, like me."

"And this lab is on his estate's grounds?"

She nodded. "It is a small research lab, nothing major." She paused, studying me. "I gather the Directorate knows about Libraska?"

"Yeah. What can you tell us about it?"

She shrugged. "Not a lot. Starr keeps that lab's location very secret. I'm not even sure Alden and Leo know."

I had to hope she was wrong, because otherwise we were up shit creek. Rhoan hadn't inherited any psychic skills, so there wasn't a chance of him ever reading Starr's mind. And I certainly didn't want to try. I might have untapped depths of psi-power, but I wasn't about to test it on someone as unhinged as Starr. "Someone beside Starr must know. The lab has been around for over forty years."

She raised an eyebrow. "The Directorate knows more than I presumed."

I smiled thinly. "They always do." I crossed my arms and leaned on my knees. "So what are the chances of you drawing me a map of Starr's estate?"

She smiled. "Already done. It's yours the minute you agree to all my terms."

"I thought we had?"

"Not quite."

"Then what else do you want?" But even as I asked the question, I knew. She was a mother missing her child. It was natural she'd be top of the list.

"Before you take Starr out, I want my daughter out of there."

"That will warn him something is happening."

Her blue eyes bored into mine. Determined. Furious.

Scared. It was the last one that got to me. Made me trust her. She needed my help, and until I got her daughter out, I could at least depend on her to keep her end of the bargain.

"That is a risk you must take, because I will not help, otherwise. He has her wired—the minute he senses anything out of the ordinary, he will kill her. I will stay and help, if you insist, but she must be taken out of there, regardless of the cost."

"No," Jack said. "I will not risk the mission for the sake of a clone's child."

I didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything, because anger had become a block in my throat. Starr might be a bastard, but in many respects, so was Jack. For God's sake, it was a tiny baby we were talking about. It deserved a chance of life, no matter who its mother was.

And, of course, my own dodgy future with conception only made me all the more sympathetic—and Jack should have known me well enough to guess that.

I stared at Dia for a few seconds longer, then reached across the coffee table and squeezed her hand, just the once. Her answering smile was one of relief.

"Everything else we will agree to," I said, for Jack's benefit.

Dia nodded. "Then I will give you the plans to study, but destroy them afterward. The bus for our recruited fighters leaves the old St. Kilda train station at two this afternoon. A man named Roscoe will meet you."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're not going to be there tonight?"

She smiled thinly. "No. I have one more night of whore recruitment. But I will see you tomorrow."

"Why is he collecting so many women this time?"

She hesitated. "Because it is a gathering."

"A gathering?"

She nodded. "Every major person in his cartel will be there."

"Holy crap, we've hit the jackpot," Jack said. "This is fantastic!"

If it was so fantastic, why did I suddenly feel sick? Maybe because Starr wouldn't be taking such a risk unless the prize at the end of it was worth it. Or maybe it was simply a matter of the shark-infested pond I was diving into suddenly getting a whole lot more dangerous. And I wasn't sure if I was ready for a mission of that magnitude.