by Cynthia Eden
Seline’s heart squeezed tighter at his words. No. Oh, this was not good.
“Punishment angels can walk between heaven, earth, and hell,” Keenan continued, and his words seemed too loud, echoing in her ears. “And when they enter hell, they can bring anything back to this world with them.”
“Seline . . .” Sam’s voice pulled her focus right back to him. “Tell me about your parents.”
She didn’t want to tell him anything right then. She wanted to run away. Why couldn’t a girl run once or twice in her life? Run as if hounds from hell were on my trail.
But a Fallen and a vampire were blocking the door. And another Fallen had his hands on her.
Addiction.
She wrenched away from him. Fine. “My father was an incubus. I already told you that.”
“What was his name?” Keenan wanted to know.
“Brion.” So she’d been told. “Not that I ever met him. He died right after I was born.”
“Died?” Now Sam was the one pushing.
Whatever. So she’d strip bare what was left of her soul. Maybe then he’d let her walk away, because she sure needed to get out of there. It felt like she was suffocating right then.
“He killed my mother, so, in turn, he was killed. By Rogziel.”
She heard Keenan whistle.
“Who was your mother?” Sam’s eyes had never looked so dark.
“Don’t you mean . . . what was she?” Seline laughed then, but no humor filled the hard sound. “She was an angel, one charged with the task of punishing an incubus who’d been seducing human women.” The shame was there, just as it always was when she thought of her father—and how like him she truly was.
Addiction.
“But instead of punishing him”—the words came quickly now because she wanted this story over—“she fell for him.”
Literally. Her mother had traded heaven for a night in her demon’s arms.
“Too bad for her,” Seline whispered. “She trusted the wrong man. He killed her.”
Just like I trusted the wrong one.
A bit of blue bled back into Sam’s eyes.
“Rogziel was sent for Brion then. He succeeded at his job.” And he’d kept her alive. All those years . . . Rogziel had always been around. Watching. Monitoring her as she grew up. He’d placed her with a family, the O’Shaws—humans who guarded her but reported directly to him.
Then he’d come for her and begun to train her.
Time to punish. Make your mother proud. Earn redemption.
At first, she’d tried for that sweet promise of redemption. Only later, she’d realized that Rogziel’s punishments weren’t always just, and she’d wondered how much of her soul he was stealing away with each kill.
She looked at her hands, expecting to see blood. Two months ago—when she’d found the woman he’d “punished”—her blood had dripped onto Seline’s hands.
She glanced over at the vampire. Unlike many of Rogziel’s flock, Seline didn’t think all vamps were evil.
And that poor girl that Rogziel had “contained” . . . she’d barely looked twenty. H-help me . . .
The girl had been past the point of help. Seline had only been able to hold her hand as death came.
“So now you know,” she told Sam, and forced her chin to rise. “I’m the daughter of an incubus, made for sin, and the child of an angel who fell for her addiction.” She stepped back. “I’m not controlling a hellhound. I’m not betraying you. All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, was to just get away from Rogziel and my past.”
Why was that so much to ask?
She stared into his eyes. “Our partnership”—was that what it had been?—“is over. You think I’m betraying you? That I’m setting you up? Then when I leave, I guess you won’t have to worry about that anymore, will you?” Her lips twisted in a smile that she knew wasn’t pretty. “Wish I could say it’s been fun, but really, I guess it’s just been hell.”
Then she turned on her heel and walked for the door. The vampire’s gaze met hers. Would she have to fight her way out? It would be hard, especially with the memory of another vampire weakening her.
But Nicole’s head inclined slightly toward her, and the vampire pushed the one called Keenan aside, clearing Seline’s path.
She left, and didn’t look back, not even when she heard Sam whisper her name.
Yeah, it’s been hell, but for a moment there, I was hoping for heaven.
She should have known better. Demon half-breeds didn’t get to glimpse heaven. They spent too much time tasting hell on earth.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sam lunged forward, only to find his path barred by Keenan. He leveled a glare at the Fallen. Old ties would only bind so long. “You don’t want to come between me and Seline.”
“She wants to get away from you.”
“We don’t always get what we want.”
The black shadow of Keenan’s wings stretched out behind him.
Sam fought for patience, something he’d never really had. “If she goes out there alone, she’s just a target. Rogziel will find her, or Az will go after her. Seline needs me.”
“Bull,” said the pretty little vamp who had a possessive hold on Keenan. “I think you’re the one who needs her. She’s your addiction, right?”
He almost winced. “Bad fucking word choice—”
“If she controls a hound . . .” Keenan rolled right over his snarl. “Then I don’t think she needs a Fallen watching her back.”
The front door slammed. Seline was gone.
He hadn’t actually expected her to leave him. And she was hurt. He’d done his best to repair her shoulder and tend the cut on her head, but she still had to feel weak. She couldn’t just prance up and down the town of Monclova without expecting to attract attention. The woman attracted attention wherever she went.
“Unless you’re using her as bait,” Nicole murmured.
His mouth tightened, and that was definitely guilt that bit into him.
“Ah . . .” Keenan nodded. “Already done that, have you? And how’d that work out for you?”
Worse than my nightmares. “Az had to pull her out of a burning motel.”
Nicole’s eyes raked him. “No wonder she’s so eager to get away from you. I would be, too.”
But Keenan was frowning. “Az saved her? Az doesn’t save anyone.”
Enough of this shit. Sam shoved Keenan out of his way. “Not without an ulterior motive, he doesn’t.” Seline wouldn’t have gone far. He was sure she was just pacing outside and cooling down. Seline knew she needed him. She’d said herself there was no way she’d be strong enough to defeat Rogziel.
He kicked open the front door. “Seline, dammit, let’s both just—” Calm down. She wasn’t there. The street looked deserted. No, no damn way could she vanish that quickly.
Then he saw the disappearing taillights at the end of the road. Sonofabitch.
A hard hand slammed down on his shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about this . . .” Keenan began.
He was going to hurt the guy. “Think later. I’ve got to track Seline.” Good thing Keenan had brought him a motorcycle. He’d cut through the narrow streets and alleyways of the town in no time.
You can’t leave me.
“I don’t think Seline realizes just what she can do.”
Keenan’s words made Sam pause and glance back.
The Fallen stood in the small doorway, with his vampire right at his side. Figured. Nicole always liked to watch her man’s back.
“She said the hound smelled her.”
Sam waited, his whole body tensed to attack. No, to hunt.
“Rogziel summoned the beast, but maybe Rogziel wasn’t that particular hound’s master. Maybe your girl was its true master, and the hound recognized her scent.” Keenan shrugged, but his intent gaze belied the casual gesture. “That would explain why the beast didn’t try to make a meal of her.”
It sure as shit would. If Seline truly hadn’t kno
wn . . . I have so screwed this up.
Sam jumped onto the bike and revved the engine.
“Better be careful,” Keenan called out to him. “Once a hound gets its master’s scent, there’s no severing that tie. It’ll track her and destroy anything or anyone who tries to hurt her.”
Sam spared a glance for the claw marks that still hadn’t completely faded on his arm. “I won’t hurt her.”
“Yes, you will.” Nicole’s quiet voice was certain. “Maybe you should just let her go.”
Not an option. The motorcycle roared forward, and he chased after those disappearing taillights.
Getting a ride had been easy. Too easy. She’d stumbled outside, walked right into the street—and nearly been run over by a Jeep.
Luckily, the driver had stopped in an instant. Then the tall, dark guy with the quick grin had offered her a ride.
His eyes had offered more.
She’d taken the ride. As for the rest . . . even though her power was burning low, she couldn’t stand the idea of actually touching anyone right then.
No, there was only one man she wanted. He was an undeserving jerk, and he’d seriously screwed her for others.
“Just drop me off at the nearest bar,” she told Javier. Javier Martinez. He spoke perfect English and had a light, rolling Spanish accent. The guy really seemed to fill the interior of the vehicle. She had the impression of raw power and energy and . . . something more. A wild scent clung to him, one that made her a little uneasy.
“Why?” He tossed her another smile. “You won’t find anything at a cantina that I can’t give to you, cariño.”
Right. But in a bar, she could just soak up the sexual energy in the air without actually having to touch anyone.
She needed a boost, but she’d be damned if she would seduce in order to get it. The daughter of an angel . . . forced to seduce and tempt in order to survive. Her whole life had been nothing but a sick punishment.
And Captain Horny over there, driving the busted-up Jeep, might think he’d just found a grand old time in her, but he couldn’t be more wrong. “Trust me,” she muttered, rolling her shoulder to relieve the ache. “You can’t handle me.”
He spun the Jeep to the left and killed the ignition. She instantly became aware of the thick silence outside . . . and she noticed there were no lights around. No houses. Nothing. Civilization had vanished in an instant.
Her night truly just couldn’t get any better.
Claws burst from Javier’s fingertips. “Trust me,” he growled right back at her. “I’m not going to have a problem.” His canines were stretching, sharpening up, even as his cheeks seemed to hollow out.
Oh, perfect. She’d hitchhiked with a shifter. “Coyote?” she guessed because she’d heard the stories about the coyotes running wild in Mexico. Not pack, not anymore. All free, all fighting for survival of the fittest, and all vicious.
His grin widened. Not a friendly grin anymore, not even close. “I’ll be real careful . . .” He leaned forward and his claws slid down her arms. “Not to cut you, too much.”
Wasn’t that gentlemanly of him? Seline took a deep breath and fought to control her racing heartbeat. She might not like what she was, but she still knew how to use her strength to protect herself.
Instead of trying to push away from him, she let her body relax as she leaned forward. “Do you know what I am?” she whispered, and used the last of her sensual energy to entice him to her.
She saw his eyes widen. He licked his lips and inhaled deeply. “You smell like fucking sin.”
Because that’s what she was. Seline didn’t flinch. “I enjoy men like you,” she whispered, and let her fingers rise to his chest. She kept her eyes open and on his—the better to hypnotize. That’s what her kind did, kind of like a cobra with its prey. You lock stares and you don’t let go—not until you strike. His heart thundered beneath her hand. “Men who are strong and dangerous.”
“You’re . . . not scared of me?” Surprise roughened his voice as lust burned in his eyes.
“No.” This time, she was going to let the beast she kept inside out of its cage. How many women had this bastard picked up and then used his claws on? How many? Punish. Rogziel had taught her a few things, after all. “But you should be scared of me.” Then before he could react to her words, she put her lips on his. She kissed him, and his hands tightened on her. His claws scraped over her skin.
No, coyote, I’m the one in charge. She let her precious control shatter. She took his energy, took and took and took.
Because she truly could kill with a kiss.
The coyote shifter gave her all of his power. Too weak to resist, he slipped right under her spell. When he went limp, she lifted her head and smiled. “That was good, but I’m gonna need more.”
It looked like he didn’t have more to give.
He fell back, and his head slammed into the steering wheel. The long honk filled the night. Seline shoved him out of the way—right out of the Jeep. His body hit the ground with a thud. She climbed into the driver’s seat, yanked the gear shift into reverse, and spun the Jeep around. Gravel and dust kicked into the air.
The shifter didn’t move.
“Now to figure out where the hell I am,” Seline muttered. Because she knew the shifter wouldn’t be the biggest threat she’d face that night. Not even close.
He’d just been her warm-up.
Javier stared after his Jeep. Gravel dug into his palms and knees. He’d been trying to rise, but the puta had drained his energy.
With a kiss.
Fucking succubus. He should have known better. But she’d looked so sexy in his headlights. Lost eyes. Trembling lips. Wild tangle of hair. She’d appeared so human and weak.
A perfect snack. Or plaything.
Zorra. Slut. He still couldn’t rise. His whole body felt weighted down, and moving made his head ache. He’d find her. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was track. He’d find her, and he’d make her pay.
A low growl came from the darkness.
Javier tensed. The last thing he needed was an attack right then. He was so weak that his claws wouldn’t even come out.
When I find her, I’ll cut every inch of skin off her body. She’d beg for death, just like the others had.
Another growl, but this one sure was much closer. “Back the fuck off!” Javier tried to roar, but the words barely rumbled out of his throat. He tilted back his head. No way would he bow before another shifter—
No one was there.
His eyes narrowed. His sight was five times better than any other coyote in the area. But right then, he didn’t see a damn thing.
But I smell fire. Ash.
Death.
The ground began to tremble. Fear had his heart racing too fast and his blood chilling in his veins. Javier opened his mouth to beg—
But invisible claws ripped into his throat.
Sam stared at the body on the ground. The blood puddled beneath the man, dark and still so fresh. The scent of death hung heavily in the air.
So did brimstone. Seline and her hound had been at work.
His gaze slid over the dark earth. He’d learned to track long ago when he studied with a Native American hunter who could find anyone, anytime. Sam had followed the Jeep out to that desolate spot and found death.
Not what he expected. Had the hound been protecting Seline again? Had she summoned the beast?
He stared at the markings in the dirt. Seline had turned the vehicle around here, then she’d driven north, toward the lights of the town. His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what her next move would be.
If you were a succubus low on energy, where would you go?
To the loudest, raunchiest bar you could find.
Seconds later, the motorcycle hurtled toward those shining lights.
The bouncer didn’t make the mistake of trying to keep Sam out of the club. He just wisely stepped to the side, and Sam followed the pounding music inside El Diabl
o. Fitting name. The place was packed with Other. Shifters—he caught the flash of their claws. Vamps—two were drinking in the back corner. Demons—so many black eyes filled the room.
Humans mixed with them. Aware? Or just blind? Maybe both.
Dancers twisted in cages that rose above the wooden floor. Lights flashed in a swirling circle. And he didn’t see Seline.
Fuck. He’d been so sure she’d come here. A dozen clubs lined the strip. He’d found the abandoned Jeep, so he’d known that she came this way. He just didn’t know exactly which bar she’d gone into once she’d gotten off the street.
The couple on the right began to claw at each other’s clothing.
The man and woman on his left were nearly fucking right in front of him.
Sam stilled. Damn that was sure one whole lot of sexual energy. An unnatural degree, even for the Other.
Seline.
He looked up, up again . . . and stared harder at the woman who’d just entered the cage lined with steel bars.
She was alone in the cage. The other dancers had vanished. She wasn’t dancing. Her long, blond hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Her arms were up, and she seemed to be pulling energy right from the crowd.
Because she was.
He grabbed the ladder that led to that cage. The music kept pumping behind him, and now he could feel the sensual power in the air. Not normal. Far from it.
Her. Something was different about Seline tonight. He’d never felt this particular rush of power around her. His body was suddenly on edge. His heart raced too fast in his chest.
He leapt into the cage. She didn’t whirl to face him. Didn’t do anything but stand there with her arms up. This close, he could see that her hips were swaying softly in a sensuous flow that made him ache.
He stepped toward her.
“Leave, Sam.” She spoke in a way he’d never heard before. Pure sex. Temptation. Sin.
She might have just ordered him to leave, but his body was determined to stay.
“Seline.” Her name came out raw and hungry.
The music flared louder.
Slowly, so slowly, she turned to face him. She looked . . . different. Eyes smoky. Lips plumper, redder, skin so translucent that it glowed. He looked at her and wanted.