The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)(64)
Author: Gena Showalter

He claimed he didn’t want her tainted by the violence of his life. She’d thought she didn’t want to be tainted, either. But as he’d caressed her, as his mouth had devoured her, she’d wanted to meet every single one of his needs.

Other women had hurt him as he craved. Why couldn’t she?

"The Darkest Pleasure"

Danika twisted her head and gazed at Reyes’s sleeping face. Soft and relaxed, the harsh lines of stress were no longer visible. His lips were lush and pink, something she hadn’t noticed while his intense eyes watched her.

Carefully she reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. He inhaled more deeply, but gave no other reaction. Her heart seemed to expand, to grow so big it swallowed her ribs.

I care for him. Though she’d fought against it, there was no denying it.

He’d taken care of her, given her food and shelter and clothing. Never once, even when ordered, had he hurt her. He’d purchased paint supplies for her and created a studio just for her amusement. He’d made love to her as if she were more important to him than breathing.

His strength and courage constantly amazed her; his past fascinated her. He hadn’t wanted to hurt others anymore, so he’d locked himself away. Talk about discipline. Compassion. Determination. He was possessed by a demon, and yet he had the heart of an angel. The contradiction delighted her, and she suspected she could happily spend the rest of her life learning his nuances – and there would still be more to learn.

Oh, yes. She cared. And what the hell was that buzzing noise?

Her gaze circled the bedroom, her cheek brushing Reyes’s white-hot skin. His heartbeat picked up speed. The buzzing continued sporadically, but she finally pinpointed its location: her pants. That meant…

Dread cascaded through her. She was getting a call on the cell phone. Only one person had the number. Stefano. She gulped. For a moment, only a moment, she wished he had been at the club tonight. That he’d faced Reyes, that her struggle with what to do, who to help, was over. When that moment passed, however, guilt scraped at her.

Danika gingerly slid from the bed, watching Reyes for any sign of wakefulness. Still, he remained at peace, unmoving. Part of her longed for him to open his eyes, see the phone and save her from herself. The other part of her prayed he stayed just as he was. She was naked, ni**les now hard from the cool air, and one look at those intense black eyes and she would melt, Hunters forgotten. She would beg for Reyes’s mouth on her, his heat flicking away the chill.

Her legs were shaky as she stumbled to her pants and she almost toppled as she crouched to pull the phone from their pocket.

The buzzing continued.

Another glance at Reyes – still sleeping. What are you doing? Don’t do this.

I have to. There’s no other way to save Reyes.

She padded to the bathroom and quietly shut the door. Alone, she flipped the phone open. Her mouth dried as she whispered, "Hello."

Once again, Stefano didn’t bother with pleasantries. "You left the fortress." A statement, not a question.

Yesterday, she’d been happy to know he was out there somewhere, watching her. Now…"Yes."

"Obviously they’ve released you."

"Yes," she repeated, recalling that she’d lied to him the last time they’d spoken, told him she was locked in a bedroom.

"Where are you?"

"In a bathroom."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"Are you working for us, Danika? Or them? Have you forgotten everything I told you? For God’s sake, they want to kill your family!"

The harsh question hung inside her mind like a noose, ready to hang her no matter how she replied. "You know that I – " What?

"If given a chance, they’ll rape and mutilate your mother. Then your sister. They’ve already killed your grandmother."

She was shaking her head in denial.

"We’re extracting you," he said flatly. "It’s for your protection. My sources tell me the one called Aeron is nearly insane with bloodlust for you. We don’t want you hurt. Unlike the Lords, we want to protect you."

Extracting her? "Wait. You want to take me out of the fortress?"

"As soon as possible."

No. In the morning, she and Reyes were traveling to Oklahoma. "No, I can’t. You can’t. I – "

"You have no choice, Danika. We’re gearing to enter even now. While they place no value on human life, we do. We want you safe."

What? They were going to break into the fortress? There would undoubtedly be a battle, blood and death. She tried not to panic, though ice began to crystallize in her veins and a loud ringing blasted in her ears. "If you think I’m working for them, why did you call? Why are you warning me? Wanting to help me?"

"Anyone can make a mistake. They probably lied to you, convinced you they would leave your family alone if you would only stay with them, maybe help them with something. Maybe even help take us down."

Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged. Everything he said made sense.

"Will you be ready?" he asked.

There could be no more stalling, no more straddling the fence, unsure of who to help and who to bring down. To her surprise, she didn’t have to think about it. What he said made sense, but it didn’t feel right. Sometime in the past few days, her anger toward Reyes had faded completely. Hate had been replaced by…something else. She didn’t know what emotion lurked inside her, just that it was somehow at once both soft and almost violent. She would trust him to help her find her family, which meant cutting her safety net, the Hunters.

"The Darkest Pleasure"

"Yes," she lied.

"Smart girl." Stefano’s relief was almost palpable. "How many Lords are inside the fortress?"

"All of them," she said, lying again. This morning, most of the men had taken off. Had Stefano seen them leave? Or had the warriors simply disappeared as Lucien had done on several occasions?

If Stefano knew the truth, he’d see the seizing of the fortress as easy. Keep lying. He might not know. She plopped onto the toilet lid, legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She leaned forward, elbows digging into her knees. One hand continued to hold the phone to her ear, the other rubbed her temple to ward off the sudden ache. "They’re heavily armed. You shouldn’t risk entering the fortress. Why don’t I sneak out and come to you?" She could tell Reyes where they would be waiting, and he could…take care of things.

"You aren’t trained for that sort of thing. It’s better if we handle this."

What could she do? What could she say to stop this?

"Think you can reach the roof without detection?"