The Darkest Pleasure
REYES STRODE to Lucien's private hallway, careful to avoid the other warriors. He was too on edge, his body too hot. All of his strength had been required to leave Danika. Even now, water was probably sliding down her curves, pooling in her navel before dripping into the curls between her legs.
He wondered what she tasted like. Sweet, like the angel she appeared to be? Or wicked, like the devil in her eyes? His demon wondered, too, pacing the pathways of his mind, practically sobbing in curiosity.
" - put Willie in the bedroom next to ours," Anya was saying, her voice muffled through the door.
Reyes had to strain to hear, his demon growing louder with every second that passed. Danika.
"I don't want him here, woman," Lucien said. "He must leave."
"I put up with your friends every damn day," she pouted. "You can put up with mine for a week, at least."
"Your friend tried to kill you."
There was a whoosh, as if she'd tossed something in the air. "That's the past. I hardly remember what I did five minutes ago, much less a few weeks."
"The Darkest Pleasure"
"You hate him."
"Who are you kidding? I love him. We have history. He was my first real friend back in our Olympus days."
"Woman. He also tried to kill me and I recall you swearing to punish him for the rest of his miserable life."
"How better to punish him than to have him close to me? Wait, that came out wrong. Look, everything turned out okay, so I'm willing to give him another chance."
Lucien gave a warning growl. "The warriors will kill him. You're lucky they have not done so already."
"Why would they want to slay the man who will divert my attention away from them?"
Twenty minutes, Reyes reminded himself, and then he could be with Danika again.
Danika. It was a pitiful whimper he could not blame on his demon.
Though he didn't want to interrupt the couple, he knocked on the door.
Their voices stopped abruptly. Footsteps pounded. A second later, the wood swung open and Lucien stood there, frowning at him. Anya peeked over his shoulder and grinned.
"Hey, Painie," she said. Her arms wound around Lucien's waist, her ice-blue nails rubbing the skin just above his heart. "What's happening?"
Jealousy was a hot poker inside him, and he hated himself for it.
Danika.
"I am ready to take you to Aeron," he said.
A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN.
Reyes's words continued to echo through Danika's mind after the door closed behind him. What had he meant by that?
She could have pondered it forever, but she doubted the answer would ever come to her.
Finally full and strengthened, and feeling, well, human again, she quickly rifled through Reyes's dresser, shocked to find women's clothing. In her size. What the hell? She lifted two shirts and held them out, studying them. They wouldn't fit the warrior's extra-large body, so that ruled out cross-dressing. Either he had a girlfriend Danika's same height and weight - why did the thought cause her stomach to clench? - or he'd bought them specifically for Danika.
Since they were soft T-shirts, sweaters and faded jeans like those she'd brought with her on her vacation, she suspected the latter and gulped. Why had he done this?
Does the answer really matter?
Gulping again, she gathered a shirt and a pair of pants. Didn't dare glance at the underwear, just grabbed a bra and pair of panties amid the sea of colorful lace.
She rushed through a shower, the soap and shampoo reminding her of Reyes. Woodsy, sultry, enveloping her in a warm cocoon. He's a demon. You can't forget.
By the time a gentle knock sounded at the door, she was dressed in a gray tee, black sweater and stylishly ripped jeans, wet hair dripping down her back. Some of the dye had washed out, leaving her with a skunklike mane she did not want Reyes to see. Didn't matter what he thought of her, she supposed. Vanity was not something she could afford.
She patted her ankles to make sure the daggers she'd removed from the wall and hidden there were anchored solidly. They were. "Come in," she called. She braced her feet apart, preparing for war if Reyes had changed his mind about taking her to see Aeron.
The door creaked open and a woman stepped inside, surprising her. She gasped, drawing a honey-colored gaze to her. A second later, the woman was rushing forward with a delighted smile. "Danika!"
"Ashlyn." Smiling, too, for the first time in what felt like forever, Danika spread her arms and welcomed the best memory she had of this place: her friendship with Ashlyn. Having both been held in this fortress against their will, they'd bonded quickly and for good.
They embraced, both sighing happily. Danika had known she'd missed her friend, but she hadn't realized how much until now.
"I've thought about you every day," Ashlyn said, squeezing her tight. "What have you been doing with yourself? How are you?"
"Running. And honestly? I've been better. How are you?"
"Don't hate me, but I've been doing wonderfully, if truth be told." Pulling back, the sweet woman looked her up and down. Her smile faded into a frown of concern. "You've lost weight you couldn't afford to lose and there are circles under your eyes."
"And you look amazing. You're glowing. The men really have been treating you well."
"Like a queen." Ashlyn paused, studied her again. "Is there anything I can get you? Anything you need?"
"A ticket home. My family. Reyes's head on a platter. Other than that, no. Nothing."
Ashlyn's smile returned, and this time it was laced with feminine knowledge. "Reyes isn't so bad. He's intense, but sweet."
She intertwined their fingers and led Danika to the bed. "Listen, I don't want you worrying about anything while you're here. Things are different now. It's not an all-boys club anymore. Anya and Cameo moved in and are helping to keep the men in line. Have you met them? No? Well, you'll like them when you do. Together we'll find a way to save your family, I have no doubt about that. And the guys will help. They have hearts of gold, once you get to know them."
"The Darkest Pleasure"
"I hate to break this to you, Ash, but they're demons. Real, honest-to-God demons from hell."
"Yes. I know."
Danika gaped at her, unsure she'd heard correctly. "You know? And you're staying with them anyway? Of your own free will?"
"Yes." Ashlyn looked at her through the thick shield of her lashes. "In fact, say hello to the next generation of demon. Maddox and I are having a baby." Practically purring with contentment, she rubbed her slightly bulging belly. "I can't wait!"
"Oh, Ash. Congratulations." Danika was genuinely happy for her friend, and wanted only the best for her. "You're sure Maddox will..."
"He'll be an amazing father," Ashlyn said confidently.
If I don't help bring him down. She closed her eyes against the new complication. Hurting Maddox would hurt Ashlyn, one of the sweetest people she'd ever met. And what about the baby? What would Hunters do to the innocent child of a demon?
"What's wrong? The color in your cheeks is fading."
"Headache," she lied, rubbing her temples.
"Oh, you poor thing. You've been through a lot these past few months. This, however, I can fix. You once flew into town to get me some Tylenol, and now I get to do the same for you." Ashlyn gave her another tight squeeze. "Actually, there's some in the kitchen - Maddox stocks it by the truckload these days just in case - so I'll be right back."
The bed bounced and footsteps sounded. Hinges squeaked. I'm in deep. So deep. Destroying Ashlyn's life was not a possibility she'd considered, and the thought of doing so sickened her.
But Danika had no opportunity to think of a way to meet her objective and prevent Ashlyn's downfall. The bedroom door swung open a second time, slapping into the wall. Her eyelids pried apart as a warrior she didn't recognize stepped inside the bedroom. He was tall and muscled like all the others. Yet while they had appeared harsh, savage, he had an all-American face, square jaw and puppy-dog brown eyes.
She jumped to her feet, wet hair dripping down her arms. "Who are you? What do you want? Where's Reyes?"
"I'm Sabin," he said, and she'd never heard a more cocky man. He punted the door shut behind him but didn't move any closer to her. "I came to ask you some questions. And I don't have any clue where Reyes is."
"Well, you can leave." Her fingers itched to grab one of the daggers. Steady, hold your ground. No reason to reveal her secret. Not yet. You've been trained. You know what to do if he attacks: go for the throat, eyes and groin. In that order.
Rather than leave, Sabin pressed his back against the door and folded his massive arms over his middle. He was a handsome man, in a rough sort of way. Women probably melted for him. She'd rather cut out his heart. "You're one of them."
He stepped toward her, caught himself and backed off. Why? "One of who?"
She was surprised by his calmness. His gaze was sharp enough to slice her in half. "The demons."
"Did Reyes tell you we were demons?"
"Yes."
Dark eyes gleamed with menace. "I doubt he'd be such a naughty boy. Want to know what I think? You recently spent some time with Hunters. I bet they told you."
"So?"
"So. Interesting that you don't have to ask me who and what the Hunters are, or what their purpose is."
Damn it! She raised her chin all the higher. "Again, Reyes told me." And he told you never to repeat what he'd said. Grr! I will not feel guilty for ratting him out to his friend. And this demon will not make me feel guilty for having been kidnapped by Hunters.
"What did they ask you to do to us, hmm? Tell me and I might let you live."
Her blood instantly chilled, ice chips crystallizing in her veins. Surely she paled. "They asked me to kill you," she said, sticking to the truth as much as possible. Less chance of slipping up that way.
His anger softened into surprise, as though he hadn't expected her to admit such a thing. "Do you plan to try?"
Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "Depends on what I learn about my family."
Expression unchanging, he withdrew a dagger and a rag from his pocket. Slowly he began polishing the sharp sliver with practiced strokes. "I won't allow anyone to hurt my friends. Ever."
Acid burned in her chest. "And I won't allow anyone to hurt my family." Please, let them be all right. "Is the weapon supposed to scare me?" Well, it worked. Bastard. Not that she'd back down. "You'll have to try harder than that." Please don't.
"You're on their radar now, you know?" he said casually, as if she hadn't spoken. "The Hunters will never leave you alone. And if you betray them to help us, which I doubt you're willing to do, they'll hunt and torture you. If there's anything left of you after I'm done, that is."
"So I'm screwed either way?" She laughed, another of those ugly sounds. The happiness she'd felt at seeing Ashlyn already seemed a distant memory. "News flash. I had already figured that out, moron."
His lips twitched. In amusement? Irritation? "You should know that the Hunters' torturing will seem like child's play compared to what I'll do to you if you so much as look as if you're going to fight my friends. They aren't evil, they aren't the source of the world's problems and they deserve to be happy."
"The Darkest Pleasure"
Something in his flat tone struck her. "And you don't?"
Again, he ignored her. Reyes and company were masters at evasion, she was coming to realize. They answered those questions they wanted to and discarded everything else as if it had never been uttered.
"You should know that my family means everything to me and I will decapitate any immortal who even thinks about hurting them."
"Spoken like a true Hunter," he said with a shake of his head. "Well, guess what. Cut off their heads and you can kiss your pretty world goodbye. Their demons will be loosed, a source of havoc unlike any you have ever seen."
"Saving my loved ones is worth any price."
"I feel the same about mine." There was another warning in his voice. "I protect mine, though."
If they die, it will be my fault.
Tears suddenly burned her eyes. Tears of shame and horror. She was responsible. She'd been so scared the night Lucien and Aeron had come to her hotel room, she had frozen. She hadn't screamed. She had let them bundle her up, gather her family and cart them here.
How could she have been so...passive?
Sabin gave her a look of total understanding. "Perhaps you'll take care of matters on your own, huh? Save me the trouble."
Meaning, perhaps she would kill herself. He didn't know her very well. Suicide would never be an option for Danika. Too vividly she recalled the strain her grandmother's attempt had placed on her family. She remembered her mother's tearstained face, remembered seeing her quietly sob in a darkened corner. She remembered the lies everyone had told her, shame whispering in their voices and glowing from their eyes. Your grandmother had an accident. She's going away for a few months to recover.
Behind closed doors, they'd said something else entirely. Why would she do something like that? She has a great life, no reason to end it.
Now that Danika thought about it, that was funny coming from her dad. He'd had a great life, but not long after her grandmother's breakdown, he'd packed up and moved on to a new one. God, where were these depressing thoughts coming from?
The door suddenly banged closed, jolting her. A scowling Reyes had entered the room, the scarred Lucien on his heels. Seeing her beautiful nemesis, her breath caught in her throat and her traitorous heart skipped a beat.
Enemy, she reminded herself. How many times would she be forced to do so? Why could her mind not get the message? She tried to look away from him, but her gaze snagged on an ugly cut decorating his cheek.
The two men must have fought. Both of them sported bruises on their faces, bleeding scratches and savaged lips. Mud streaked their skin. There were crimson splotches on Reyes's T-shirt, as though he'd taken the brunt of the beating.
I will not be concerned about Reyes.
They carried the scent of roses and...old eggs? Her nose wrinkled in distaste. Ugh.
Reyes spied Sabin and his scowl intensified. He glanced from the warrior to Danika, from Danika to the warrior. Fury blazed over his expression as he stalked to Sabin, his hands fisted. "What are you doing here?"
The two men faced off.
"Someone needed to question her," Sabin said, brows dancing into his hairline. "You refused to do it, so I got it done."
"You were not to come near her."
Their muscles bulged, their bodies tensed. If Danika hadn't been so torn between fear and disgust, she would have enjoyed the view.
"She's alive, isn't she? So what's the problem?"
Reyes licked his lips, the action somehow menacing. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Sabin said dryly. "Thanks for asking."
"Not you. Danika, are you hurt?" Reyes never removed his lethal attention from Sabin.
Physically? "I'm fine." Her throat constricted around the words.
Reyes shoved Sabin, and the warrior stumbled backward. "Don't come near her again."
Danika gasped, expecting the narrow-eyed man to launch himself at Reyes and for the two to roll on the ground in a bid for dominance. He didn't. He popped his jaw, ran his tongue over his teeth.
"I did you a favor, boy. You'd do better to thank me."
Danika stepped toward them. What she planned to do or say, she didn't know. In the end, she didn't have to think about it. Lucien moved in front of her, blocking her forward progress.
"Enough," he said to the men. "Sabin, get your team ready. We leave for Rome in the morning."
"This isn't over," Sabin said.
"I know." A weary sigh.
"Why did the plans change?" Reyes asked Lucien.
"Researching was getting us nowhere," his friend said. "We'll go back to the temple, see if we find anything there."
Anticipation sizzled and snapped along Reyes's olive skin. Truly flickering, making him look like a walking electrical socket. His dark hair even stood on end. Why anticipation? The thought of having her alone? Then Danika's eyes widened. Did it matter? The supernatural occurrences were stacking one on top of the other. Pretty soon, she might leave normalcy behind forever, unable to return.
"The Darkest Pleasure"
When have you ever been normal?
When she was a child, the girls in her class had wanted to play Barbie. Danika had wanted to play angel. So many times she'd pretended to have wings, pretended to fly through the playground and battle evil. And yet, when evil truly did knock on her door, she hadn't battled. She'd curled into a fetal ball and cried for her mommy.
Never again.
"This isn't over," Sabin said again, and stalked from the room. The door slammed shut behind him.
Danika gulped. Alone with Reyes and Lucien. Don't you dare lose your courage. She raised her chin.
Slowly Reyes turned to face her. His dark eyes were haunted, his features strained. "You had tears in your eyes when I entered." A muscle ticked in his temple. "What did Sabin make you doubt?"
That ticking usually meant a storm brewed inside of him. She might not know much about him, as she'd told him earlier, but she did know that. "Doubt?"
Reyes nodded, the action clipped. "He made you doubt something about yourself."
"No. He warned me not to hurt you."
"He wouldn't have spoken the doubts aloud. You would have heard them in your mind."
"What are you talking about? The only thing I doubted was - " Dear God. She gasped. "That's his demon? That's his power? Making people doubt themselves and their actions? Making them feel terrible about what they've done or haven't done?"
Another nod.
All the grim thoughts that had snaked through her mind in Sabin's presence echoed once more. "That bastard! I'll kill him." Growling, she lunged for the door. She'd track him down and -
Reyes caught her by the arms and held her until she stilled. "What did he use against you?" He moved his hands up, slowly, gently, and cupped her cheeks.
A tremor slid down her spine. She couldn't pull away. He offered comfort from her shame, and she gladly accepted. His palms were warm, calloused with scabs, giving her exactly what she needed. "M-my family. My fault."
He shook his head violently. "Not your fault. The gods' fault, our fault, but never yours."
Tears again burned her eyes. That's all she seemed to do lately, start to cry then stop it from happening. "I didn't fight."
His grip tightened. Not hurting, but no longer gentle. "We are warriors. Immortal, no less. We have been trained to slay, to hurt. What could you have done against us?"
"More," she said simply. God, it felt good, being touched by him. Why had she ever thought to deny herself this bliss?
"Nothing would have changed."
"No way to know that now." How wonderful would it feel to burrow into the hollow of his neck? Inhale his scent? Remaining still proved one of the most difficult things she'd ever done. "Is there?"
His mouth curved in a gradual smile. "You are stubborn."
The sight of that smile nearly melted her bones. Every time she'd been with him, he'd frowned, he'd raged, he'd cursed, but he had never smiled. The glorious expression lit his entire face, softening his eyes to a warm honey.
Another shiver trekked down her spine, and she forced herself to rip away from him. No more stimuli. No more being near him, taking comfort when she knew better. Softening. Hungry. You deny yourself the bliss because it could be your downfall, she reminded herself.
If she had stayed close, she would have reached for him, perhaps fallen into the cradle of his body. Perhaps tangled her hands in his hair and kissed the breath right out of him.
His arms fell to his sides, and he sighed. Danika dug her nails into her palm to remind herself that this was reality. A reality fraught with pain, desperation. Determination. There was no time for romance. Especially with Reyes.
"Here's the Ty-lenol," Ashlyn stuttered, having walked into the room and spied them. Her palm was extended, two red-and-white pills resting in the center. In her other hand, she clutched a glass of water. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"You're fine," Lucien assured her as Reyes backed away from Danika.
Damn, she'd forgotten Lucien was still in the room. "Thank you for the pills," Danika told Ashlyn, glad for the reprieve. She closed the distance between them and took the offered items. Her head might not have been hurting earlier, but it was throbbing now. She tossed the medicine back with a single gulp of the water.
"Ashlyn," Reyes said. "Thank you for caring for my - for Danika."
"My pleasure." Ashlyn shifted her focus between the two warriors, as though she wondered what was going on but didn't want to be rude and ask. "I'm sorry I took so long. I ran into Maddox, and well...If there's anything else I can do...?"
Danika shook her head. Part of her wanted to glom onto her friend, leave this room and never look back. "I'm good."
"Sorry I'm late. Ashlyn tells me - " Another woman strolled into the room, tall, pale and utter perfection. She wore a short blue dress that veed low between her breasts and matching heels that laced up her calves. Her equally blue gaze performed a single sweep of the area, and she grinned. "Cool. A secret gathering. I'm Anya, by the way."
"The Darkest Pleasure"
"Nice to meet you," Danika told her. Ashlyn had mentioned her, but not which warrior the woman belonged to. Whoever it was obviously treated her well. Never had Danika seen a happier female.
Lucien released a sigh. "What are you up to, Anya? You only grin like that when you have something planned."
Scarred Lucien was her man? Wow. A true beauty and the beast.
The gorgeous woman twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, throwing the warrior a come-and-get-me look. "Just wanted to do a little girl bonding, that's all." Those electric blues slid back to Danika. "These boys treating you well, sugar?"
"I - I - " Didn't know how to answer that. They were, with the exception of Sabin, but she didn't want to admit it. Every minute that passed, something new seemed to rise up and stop her from wanting to act against these men. These demons.
"They don't, you just tell little ol' Anya and I will personally cut out their hearts," Anya said. "That's a promise. Not that I can be trusted. Lying is a hobby of mine. Lucien, honey, you gonna be long? I wanna throw William a welcome-to-the-fortress party and I'd like your help picking the decorations."
Lucien closed his eyes and shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I'm thinking masked ball with a creatures of the night theme."
Anya changed directions faster than Danika could keep up, but Ashlyn took everything in stride. "No party. Not with the box and the artifacts and Hunters and God knows what else hanging over our heads. Danika, you call me if you need anything, okay? Anything at all." With that, she dragged a protesting Anya from the room.
Such sweet women. Smart, too. So what were they doing with these warriors? What am I doing with these warriors? Danika sighed. What artifacts had Ashlyn meant? "I'm ready," she said, bringing everyone back to Topic One. "Where's Aeron?"
Reyes and Lucien shared a dark look.
"What?" she demanded.
Reyes faced her again, his expression blank. "Here," he said. "Aeron is here, in the fortress."
Anticipation rushed through her with dizzying speed. "Take me to him." She had to know. For better or worse, she had to know. "Right now. Please. I want to see him."
"He is chained, but you cannot go near him. In his case, chained does not mean helpless. Promise me you will remain at a distance."
At the moment, she would have promised him the moon and the sky. "I promise." But if Aeron refused to answer her questions, Danika thought she might leap at him and attack. Maybe even add a number two to her kill list. If only her former self-defense instructor could see her now.
Reyes glanced up at the ceiling, as if praying for guidance. Then, "Very well. Come. I hope you receive the answers you wish."