The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)(25)
Author: Gena Showalter

Danika recalled thinking how odd the men were, a strange combination of ancient and modern. They hadn’t known anything about human medicines, yet they had a plasma-screen TV and an Xbox. They dressed like warriors of old, weapons strapped all over their bodies, yet one of them constantly partied at the local nightclub. They pampered Ashlyn but sought to destroy Danika. The contradictions had confused her. Still did.

"Yes, I remember Aeron," she finally said.

"The gods ordered him to slay you and your family."

Her eyes widened, disbelief storming through her. "You’re lying. One, there are no gods. Two – "

"There are no demons, either, I’m sure."

Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form a coherent answer. Stefano had used the same logic on her. She was sure the two wouldn’t be pleased to know how closely their thoughts had aligned.

"The Darkest Pleasure"

"There are gods, and they do want you dead. The sooner you start believing that, the sooner you can protect yourself."

"Fine. But why? I’ve done nothing wrong. My family has done nothing wrong."

"We do not know why. I had hoped you could solve this mystery for me."

"Sorry, but no." She laughed again, and this time the sound was like broken glass being scraped on a chalkboard. "I used to go to church every Sunday. I always tried to be nice to the people in my life and I never purposely hurt anyone." A pause as the dying man’s visage filled her head again. "I can’t say that now, can I? Until I met you and your friends, I liked to think that I was a pretty decent human being."

"You are."

Her gaze narrowed on him. "You don’t know anything about me, and I don’t want you to. I want you to take me the f**k to see the man – " Realization slapped at her and her anger faded to shock. "It’s Aeron, isn’t it?"

Reyes nodded reluctantly.

She nearly vomited at the thought of facing the winged warrior again, but she repeated, "I want you to take me to see him."

Still, Reyes’s features remained calm, collected. "I have a tray of food in my room. You know what you must first do."

Grrr! There would be no talking him around. Determination radiated from him. "Fine," she said, wasting no more time. "I’ll eat." She gripped the banister and pulled herself up. Her knees quickly gave out.

Reyes’s arm wound around her waist and held her in place. That arm was hot, like a brand.

She hissed at him. Hissing was safer than purring. "I said no touching."

He didn’t move away from her, but swept her up, cradling her against the hardness of his chest. His heart pounded against her shoulder, strong and sure.

"Let me go." Her cheeks heated as the breathlessness of her tone registered. "Just let me go. Please."

"I am afraid I will never be able to let you go."

REYES CARRIED DANIKA back to his room and eased her onto the edge of the mattress, careful not to disturb the plates resting nearby. She refused to look at him as she scooted away. She concentrated on the food, reaching out and grabbing one of the sandwiches. The turkey on wheat. She nibbled on it for a while, then popped several of the grapes into her mouth.

Her eyelids closed, ecstasy coating her expression.

He stepped away, palming a dagger then hiding his arms behind his back to sink the tip into his wrist. Good, so damned good. All the while, he watched her. She had not reacted to his demon confession as he’d feared. He’d expected terror, screams, even disbelief. Instead, she’d accepted everything, remained calm and hadn’t demanded proof.

That meant she’d already known.

What else had the Hunters told her?

Much as she hated Reyes and his friends, Reyes had a sudden fear that the Hunters had convinced Danika to work with them as Bait. And if she was acting as Bait, that meant she’d allowed herself to be drugged. Probably so he wouldn’t suspect what she was. It saddened him, that she might be pushed to such extremes.

Was her job to distract him and lead his enemy inside the fortress? Or was she simply to learn everything she could about him? Because of her earlier questions, he suspected the latter. She’d wanted to know about Lucien’s abilities. She’d wanted to know about Reyes’s demon. Would she relay everything he’d told her to the Hunters?

If something had happened to her family, she would betray him, no doubt about it. Can you blame her? No, he couldn’t blame her, but neither could he suppress the hurt that came with the thought that she would turn – had turned – against him.

Maddox had nearly killed Ashlyn over these types of suspicions. And if the others thought, even for a moment, that Danika might be Bait, they would demand Reyes slay her immediately – or they would do it themselves.

Except for these past few months, he hadn’t battled Hunters in thousands of years. Still, he remembered the beginning of their blood feud very well. The fights and the deaths, the screams and the destruction. Theirs, his. Every shadow had been suspect, every stranger a possible assassin.

Reyes hadn’t lived in fear, for he’d been a warrior to the core even then. He’d been cocky and arrogant and sure of his success, in battle and with women. He’d killed without remorse, taken every woman who desired him, showing them the pleasure found in pain, totally unconcerned about the aftermath.

Some had beaten their next partner to powder, some had sought beatings for themselves. All had become shells of their former selves, as desperate for pain as he was.

He would not do that to Danika nor would he let his friends hurt her. No matter what her purpose was. He had worked too diligently to save her, needed her with him too badly, and did not think he could function any longer without her. He would either win her affections so that she would not betray him or stop her from contacting the Hunters.

Decided, he nodded. He just, he couldn’t let her go. She…eased his torment, he realized. Every time he neared her, his need for pain slackened considerably. Not once had he felt compelled to jump from the fortress. Not once had he craved broken bones and shredded organs. A few cuts here and there seemed to be sustaining him. Amazing.

"The Darkest Pleasure"

"Thank you. For the food," Danika offered grudgingly. She popped another grape into her mouth, chewed.

"My pleasure." Already her color was brighter, her limbs less shaky. Dirt still smudged her cheeks, but the blue veins he’d been able to see before were no longer visible. "When you are done, you will shower."

She tensed but didn’t face him. "That will just waste time."

"Does not matter."

"Does Aeron refuse to speak with unclean women?" she snapped. "I didn’t realize demons had such strict standards of personal hygiene."