INSATIABLE BREATH OF DARKNESS

by Candice Stauffer

  “He looks at you and touches you like a man in love.”

  Larissa smiled. “He’s pretty amazing. But he won’t be here much longer. He travels.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”

  “Why?”

  “You really don’t see it, do you?”

  “See what?”

  “That man is in love with you. Crazy in love with you.” After a long awkward pause, Anne cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I’ll shut up about it now. I know none of it is my business. It’s just a wonderful thing to witness.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Larissa opened her office door and walked over to her desk. She wrote down a phone number. “Call the doctor and make another appointment.” She picked up her cellphone and motioned for Anne to follow her out of the office. “I need to find Gabe.”

  “As far as finding true love goes, my track record sucks.” Anne smiled. “But I don’t think you’ll regret going after him.”

  “Thank you, Anne. I know it’s too soon for you to even think of finding a man, but when the time comes, I am sure you’ll find the right one.”

  "Nope. I’d rather just go it alone from here on out.”

  “I’ve been in your shoes. Your heart has been broken but as long as it’s still beating there’s a chance you’ll find love.”

  “Well, I guess it’s possible. You might as well let me know if you find Gabe has a brother or a cousin. If not a first, I would go for a second or third cousin.”

  Larissa laughed. “I’ll do some digging.” She gave her a hug and then walked away determined to find and confront Gabe about their departure from the pool. She was relieved to get it done, but she was also worried about where the encounter would lead. She knew he wasn’t human. She planned to ask him what he was. She would end things with him permanently if he lied to her. She wouldn’t pursue a relationship with a man who was unwilling to be honest with her. She couldn’t. Not with him. She’d opened herself up to him. She’d revealed her darkest secret to him. They didn’t belong together if he refused to take the risks involved with opening himself up to her.

  ~ TWENTY-ONE ~

  Hanna’s heart raced the instant Adam entered the boutique. He looked so damn good as he made his way toward her. Just the sight of him ignited a hunger in her. It seemed silly, they’d only been apart for a few hours, but she’d missed him. Truly missed him. Focus entirely on her, he took her in his arms and held her so close that she felt his muscles ripple against her body. He bent his head to hers and brushed his lips against hers. He kissed her deeply, completely. A long, passionate kiss that rushed lust through her. A kiss that promised more to come.

  All the sudden, hearing voices, she remembered they weren’t alone. She pulled away from him. He didn’t try to stop her, but he kept his arm around her when she turned to face the others.

  “Is the club still standing?” Demetri asked.

  “Yes. But you have a few less fleas to deal with,” Adam said.

  “What the hell did you do to piss Gabe off?” Joseph asked.

  “Larissa,” Adam said.

  “She wasn’t at the club, was she?” Mia asked.

  Adam shook his head. “No. He’s just having a tough time sorting out his feelings for her.”

  “I’ll see you all later.” Demetri turned to leave.

  “Thanks for hanging out and gossiping with us girls, Demetri.” Mia placed her hand on his shoulder.

  He faced her. “It was my pleasure.”

  “Don’t worry, Hanna and I won’t ruin your reputation by telling anyone how much fun you are to have around.”

  Smiling, he winked. “And thanks for not incinerating my ass when I came in.” Hanna noticed that his smile didn’t even come close to touching his eyes. He was in so much pain. She wished she could help him.

  “You should’ve incinerated the hell out of it, Mia.” Joseph wrapped his arm around her and pulled her away from Demetri. “I don’t like the idea of you enjoying his company.”

  Demetri looked at Hanna. “It was good to see you again, Hanna.”

  “It was good to see you. And thank you for looking out for us.”

  “Anytime. It was my pleasure.” Demetri’s image shimmered for a few seconds and then vanished.

  “Hanna and I were hoping to have dinner together tonight.” Mia said.

  Joseph shrugged. “Anything you want.”

  “Good. So, you don’t mind if Demetri joins us?”

  “Anything except for sitting down at a table with Demetri.”

  Mia smiled. “Megan started a blog with the new laptop you gave her.”

  “Really?”

  “She said it’s more of a support group for children dealing with unfair fathers,” Hanna said.

  “Oh, damn.” Joseph shook his head. “That’s not good.”

  “You never told me that you were planning to pick a fight with vampires today. What were you doing while Adam and Gabe were fighting with each other?” Mia asked.

  Joseph shrugged. “Nothing much.”

  “You smell like smoke, beer, and butter.”

  “Beer? Oh, wait, I remember now. Gabe spilt his beer on me. I went out back, behind the club, to dry off and decided to make some popcorn over a bonfire.” He looked at Adam. “Isn’t that right?”

  “That’s your story.” Adam pulled Hanna in front of him, holding her close so her backside was pressed against his body as he rested his chin on her head. “Not mine.”

  Mia looked at Joseph. “You like to pop popcorn over a bonfire?”

  “Sure.” He smiled. “What’s not to like about it?”

  “Nothing. But I prefer to use bonfires to roast nuts.” Mia looked at Hanna. “What about you?”

  “Definitely nuts.”

  “Joseph is lying his ass off,” Adam said. “There was no popcorn popping going on behind the club. We went to the club to see it the tainted vampires would react to a tracking spell I transferred from Hanna to myself. While waiting for the vampires to react, Gabe and I had a small disagreement. Joseph decided to stick around and watch us settle it. And despite knowing he shouldn’t drink, he conjured up a beer and popcorn.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Joseph asked.

  “It’s the truth,” Adam stated

  “How the hell do go from being a badass warlord to a cowering puppy on a leash? You’re weak. They didn’t know anything. They were just working us over. I can’t believe you just caved to two women.”

  “I want Hanna to know the truth. I naturally prefer to be honest with my mate.” Adam turned Hanna around to face him. He lifted his lip in a heart stopping, sexy, naughty as hell smile. “I like to think of her as my equal.” He looked over at Joseph and shrugged.” And there’s the little fact that I really don’t want anyone to get the notion that roasting my nuts over an open fire would be a good idea.”

  “They weren’t going to do it,” Joseph said.

  “Really?” Adam pointed at the front of Joseph’s pants. “Because it looks like something is smoldering down there to me.”

  “What?” Just as Joseph looked down, his crotch burst into flames.

  Laughing, Mia lifted her phone to take a picture.

  With a wave of his hand, Joseph extinguished the flames. He looked at Mia. “That was not funny. Not at all. And, damnit Mia, did you just…you posted it, didn’t you?”

  “I did. Oh, wow. And, take a look at this, Megan must’ve convinced Haden to give her laptop back to her. She has already shared it with a few pages. She sure is a quick learner.” She laughed. “I’ll bet anything she puts it up on her blog.”

  “You’re a wicked mean woman.” He turned his head to glare at Adam. “You’re just pissed because Gabe kicked your ass.”

  “I wasn’t going to hurt him.”

  “He wasn’t giving you a chance. You’re damn lucky he went easy on you.”

  “We were just working out a problem.” Gabe looked at Hanna. “Are you ready to get going?”r />
  “Yes.” Hanna look at Mia. “It was great to meet you.”

  “You’ll join us for dinner?” Mia asked.

  “Sure.” Hanna nodded. “That sounds great.”

  Adam glanced at Joseph. “It sounds like we’re going to dinner. Hopefully you didn’t ruin your appetite by consuming too much beer and popcorn.”

  Joseph crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not going unless Hanna leaves her ass kissing snitch at home.”

  Mia laughed. “You had better star playing nice with your friend, Joseph.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t actually want to play with him,” Adam said.

  “We’ll meet you at the restaurant in an hour,” Mia said.

  ****

  After Adam and Hanna left, Mia turned to Joseph. “I’m really worried about something that happened today.”

  Joseph leaned his hip against her desk. “I hope so. And, just in case you’re wondering, you really hurt my feelings. I may never recover from it.”

  “Stop being a baby. It was only a little spark. And that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “It was more like gasoline poured on a bonfire.”

  “Really? A bonfire? That’s odd. I didn’t see you bring any popcorn out to pop.”

  “You know I’m going to retaliate, right?” he asked.

  “I don’t know why. You know I’m meaner.”

  “Not this time. I have the perfect plan for revenge.”

  “Bye.” She blew him a kiss and turned to walk away.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “I am worried about something. And, since you’re more interested in fussing over your slightly roasted dragon nuts, I’m going elsewhere for help.”

  “Elsewhere?”

  “Demetri.”

  “Like hell you’re going to him for help.” With a wave of his hand, he closed her office door and locked it.

  She faced him. “You never learn. You realize you just locked yourself in here with me again, right? How did it end for you last time?”

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “Everyone is gone.”

  “So?”

  “No one is going to hear you scream for help.”

  “I want to help you with your problem.”

  “I don’t believe you really want to.”

  “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “You really want to know?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think Adam would use a compulsion to keep Hanna with him?”

  “No. Not Adam. I am sure he would use one in matters concerning her safety, but he would never treat her poorly by forcing her to accept him.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely. He wouldn’t control her mind to force her to be with him. He would consider it rape. Why?”

  “Something really dark and powerful came over her. I tried to sort it out, but I was completely blocked. For a second, I thought I was getting close to identifying the origin, but I had to stop. My head started to feel as if it might explode.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You were busy enjoying popcorn and beer at the club.”

  “It was a hell of a funny fight, but we’ve been over it a million times. Probably more. Nothing is more important to me than you. You’re supposed to tell me the second you’re in danger.”

  “I wasn’t in danger. Whatever was messing with her left the instant Demetri walked through the door. It obviously didn’t want to challenge him.”

  “What was she doing when you first noticed it?”

  “I noticed it the second she walked through the door. That’s why I thought maybe it was Adam. I swear she was about to run away. I thought she knew deep down and was trying to get away from him.”

  “It’s not him. I’ll talk to Adam about it.”

  “Wouldn’t Adam know if someone was messing around in her head? Wouldn’t he stop it from happening?”

  “He knows. He’s trying to stop it.”

  “And you didn’t mention it to me?”

  “I told you to stay away from her.”

  “I’m not having this argument with you again.”

  “The demon leading Evolved has a blood bond with her. He’s dangerous. I don’t want you to be alone with her again until she’s free of it.”

  “You can start laughing at yourself now.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “It’s not her fault. I am not going to treat her badly because of it.”

  “I am only telling you to let me know if you find yourself alone with her. I want to know if you’re in danger.”

  “And I’m telling you to back off. I can handle myself. And if I find myself in a situation I can’t handle, I have no problem letting you know.”

  “We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

  “That’s why you had Demetri waiting here. You weren’t concerned about Kazimir attacking the boutique.”

  “I was concerned about both.”

  “You should’ve just told me the truth from the start.”

  “For what? You’ve already let me know that you refuse to listen to me. I will always do whatever it takes to protect you.”

  “Do you truly believe you have a right to punish me for having an opinion?”

  “Punish you? What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “You shut me out. You lied to me.”

  “That’s not what I’ve been doing.”

  “What have you been doing?”

  “Respecting your right to follow your heart and doing whatever it takes to keep any harm from coming to you along the way.”

  “By lying to me? By shutting me out?”

  “I told you how I felt. I don’t want you anywhere near Adam or Hanna right now. The demon fucking around with her is dangerous.”

  “Don’t say fucking. You know I don’t like it.”

  ~ TWENTY-TWO ~

  Larissa opened the door. She wasn’t surprised to see Gabe in the hall. She’d planned to talk to him, but she suddenly didn’t know what she wanted to say to him yet. Without saying a word to him, she headed for the elevator. She knew he was following her. That was good. She needed to confront him. Her eyes met his when he got into the elevator with her. But how?

  “How long are you planning to ignore me?”

  “What are you?” she asked.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “What are you, Gabe?”

  “I get rid of dangerous individuals that…”

  “Stop,” she interrupted. “I am not asking what you claim to do for a living. I want to know what you are?” She kept her gaze locked onto his. “You. Are. Not. Human.”

  “I’m not?” He laughed.

  The mocking tone of his voice pissed her off. And, even though she would never admit it, she was hurt by it. He’d destroyed her. She would never be the same. He knew her deepest darkest secret. She’d been dumb enough to share it with him. He would never be open with her. He would never be honest. She couldn’t be with him if he was unwilling to be genuine with her. “You’ve looked out for me. You’ve protected me when you didn’t have to do it. I’ll never hate you, but I want you to stay the hell away from me for now on.”

  He frowned, moving closer to her. “Because you think I’m not human or because you believe I was with another woman?”

  “I know you weren’t with another woman. I also know you’re not human, Gabe.” She took her phone from her pocket, pressed play, and handed it to him.

  He took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, Larissa.”

  “Why? Because you didn’t want me to remember that we were fucking around.”

  He reached out and stopped the elevator. “That’s not true.”

  “You didn’t take the memory from me?”

  “I did.” He took her hands in his. “But it’s…we didn’t…”

  “I’m not an idiot, Gabe.” She yanked her hands free and
turned to punch buttons to get the elevator to move. “I know we didn’t screw each other.”

  He wanted to tell her the truth. She deserved nothing less. He’d hurt her. He didn’t want her to think of him when she remembered the people who’d deceived and hurt her. He didn’t want to admit to being owned by another demon. He didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t free to claim her.

  “You didn’t need to take my memory away. We messed around. It wasn’t a big deal. Not at all. We’re both adults. You never offered your friendship to me.” She glared up at him. “I never offered mine to you.”

  “My friendship? You have it all. You have every bit of me. I want more than a friendship with you. I want to share everything with you.”

  “As long as I don’t have a memory of it. You know that’s sick, don’t you? If not, you damned well should know it.”

  “I want…I need everything with you.”

  “And yet you think it’s perfectly fine to deceive me?”

  “You’re hurt and that’s my fault. I didn’t want to take the memory from you. More than anything I wanted to stay with you.”

  “And yet, you didn’t.”

  “I got carried away. I wasn’t thinking. I shifted with you to your suite. I scared the hell out of you. I didn’t know any other way to calm you.”

  “I don’t want to argue with you. I just want you to stay away from me.”

  “I panicked when I realized I had scared you. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Other than tell me the truth.”

  “I’m not free to claim you.”

  “What are you talking about? I never asked to be claimed by you or anyone. You should’ve just told me you’re married, Gabe. None of this would’ve happened.”

  “What?” He shook his head adamantly. “I’m not married.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “You’re the only woman I want.”

  “You’ve been hanging around because it’s what you do. But I am not your job, Gabe. If I need security, I can provide it.”

  “Protecting you is not a job to me. It’s my privilege, my responsibility.”

  “What am I to you, Gabe?”

  He stared at her for several seconds. “I can’t do this right now.”

  “Relax.” She actually felt bad for him. “I don’t want to know what you are. I don’t want to know anything about you. We don’t have anything between us other than a strong physical attraction. It’s my fault you know my darkest secret. Just because I blabbed to you doesn’t mean you’re obligated to tell me a damn thing.” She laughed to hide her pain. “You’re young. Thirty at the most. I’m a forty-year-old woman. I wasn’t looking for a commitment from you. At the pool, I didn’t ask you to come to my room with me because I wanted to run off and begin a happily ever after with you.”