Maya chuckled and threw Amara a wink. “A bit overprotective, aren’t they?”
“Very.” Amara had to admit it to herself, though—after so many years of not feeling protected, or even wanted, it was sort of nice.
Out in the foyer, a woman’s voice, commanding, yet rich and throaty, spoke. “You must be Keegan.”
“Yes,” he said. “The living room is this way. We can talk there.”
Her voice grew louder as she got closer to them. “You seem tense. Getting ready to move out on Asmodeus?”
“As I told you on the phone, we don’t need—”
“Listen, I got a good sense from our conversation that this ass munch isn’t going to live to see the inside of a Council prison. That’s good. I think we can find a way to help each other. If you don’t want to leave the job to me, at least bring me with you. You could always use another set of hands, and I sure as hell could use the money I’ll get if I can claim a role in taking him down. Jobs have been pretty scarce lately.”
“You’re financial needs aren’t my concern,” Keegan said.
“Like I said, I’m willing to split some of the take with you,” the woman said without missing a beat. She paused. “Have we met before? You seem familiar.”
“No.” Keegan said dryly. “I would have remembered.”
Amara moved to peer over Ronin’s shoulder when the woman appeared in the entranceway. She was tall, blonde, and one of the most beautiful women Amara had ever seen. Her long hair flowed down her back in loose waves, ending right around the waistline. Black leather pants showcased her long, trim legs and her black bustier reminded Amara of what the heroine on that old show, Xena: Warrior Princess, wore.
“Holy fuck,” Dagan choked out, barely loud enough for Amara to hear him. But it wasn’t his reaction that preoccupied her. It was Ronin’s. His entire body froze as he stared at the woman. The expression on his face was a cross between disbelief and wonder.
Amara’s heart stuttered and crushing pain numbed her body.
She knew that look. How many times had a man given it to her before? Like she was the answer to his prayers.
She’d thought Ronin...well, if not loved her, then at least cared for her deeply. How could she have been so wrong?
“What do you say?” the woman continued. She hadn’t spared even a glance inside the room yet, and clearly hadn’t noticed the rest of them. “I hope you’re not one of those men who thinks women can’t fight, because let me tell you, I could kick your ass if I wanted to.”
Ronin sucked in a breath, practically choking on it, and Amara suddenly realized that it wasn’t lust on his face. No, it was something else entirely. He appeared shell-shocked. Like he’d seen a ghost.
“Ronin, are you okay?” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
The woman gave a start at the sound of Amara’s voice and peered inside the living room for the first time. She raked her eyes over Taeg, Dagan, and Ronin. Then over to Amara, before flinching and shooting her gaze back to Ronin. Frown lines marred her otherwise perfect brow, and her jaw went slack, a mirror of Ronin’s.
“Xa—Xander?” Her voice came out small and girlish. “Is that you?”
Ronin wavered, and Amara steadied him. “Do you know her?”
All eyes turned to Ronin and he nodded.
“What’s going on?” Keegan asked.
Even though Ronin opened his mouth, nothing came out.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Taeg finally said to him. “Who is she, bro?”
“She’s—” Ronin choked on the word and let out a cough. “She’s my sister.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Deafening silence filled the room, making Ronin perfectly aware that he’d shocked the hell out of each and every person there. He couldn’t worry about them right now, though.
Lina. His little angel, Lina. She was standing here right in front of him...only she wasn’t so small anymore.
A cacophony of words crushed the silence as everyone found their voices at once.
“What?” Dagan and Taeg said in unison.
“Your sister?” Keegan asked.
“I don’t understand,” Amara said, her soft, sultry voice calming him enough that he regained use of his motor skills.
He moved toward his sister. “Lina. I can’t believe it’s you.”
Lina trembled, and her face crumpled. For one second he thought she was going to throw herself into his arms. But then she composed herself and slid back, distancing herself from him. “It’s Iolina. I go by my full name now.”
Ronin stopped short, feeling uncertain. Disappointment pounded through him at Lina’s clear rebuff. It appeared this wasn’t going to be the happy reunion he’d always envisioned. If her cold tone was any indicator, she wasn’t at all happy to see him.
“I...I didn’t know what happened to you,” he said.
“No, Xander. You have no idea what happened to me.” She took another full step back.
“Okay, stop.” Keegan threw his hands up in the air. Lina froze in place and Keegan turned to Ronin. “You need to tell us what the fuck is going on here. Who’s Xander?”
“I am. Or...I was.”
His brothers exchanged astounded glances.
“Explain,” Keegan said.
Ronin nodded, keeping his eyes on Lina. She squirmed like she was going to bolt at any minute. “You need to hear this, too. Stay. Please.”
She hesitated before giving him a curt nod.
“Come into the living room.” Keegan motioned toward the couch.
Lina averted her gaze and walked farther into the living room. She gave Ronin wide berth as she headed toward the wall of windows. Though she had to be as surprised and off-balance as he was, she had the assured stride of a strong, fearless woman. When had his angel grown up?
“Ronin,” Keegan said, and Ronin realized with a start that he hadn’t moved from his position. He took Amara’s hand and led her back to the leather sectional, where she sat next to Brynn. Dagan and Taeg gathered around, staring at him expectantly.
Hell, where was he going to start?
Whiskey. That would help.
Ronin turned and headed to the bar before pouring himself a tall glass of Johnny Walker. He was about to gulp it down when he observed Lina once again. Though her casual pose suggested she didn’t care, her mouth was tight and her eyes were suspiciously bright. He lowered the glass and offered it to her. She took it, then downed the liquid in one smooth swallow.
“Are you okay?” Amara asked.
Was he okay? He didn’t know. But that wasn’t what they wanted to hear, so he nodded and took a deep breath...and started at the beginning.
“I was born Xander, son of Flavia. Byproduct of rape by an evil demon, Mammon. But she loved me anyway.”
Taeg’s hands curled into fists. “Why the fuck didn’t you ever tell us your real name, bro?”
“Let him tell his story, Taeg.” Maya put her hand on Taeg’s shoulder and he relaxed into her touch.
“Like I said, she loved me despite how I came to her,” Ronin continued. “And when she heard that the parents of a beautiful little angel from a neighboring town had died of disease, she knew she would love her, too.”
Damn, this was so hard. Moisture threatened to blind his vision. He blinked it away. “So we sought her out. She’d been taken in by some neighbors, but they had too many mouths to feed already and she had no other family. I was seven and she was”—he addressed Lina—“you were three.”
“I remember,” she said without meeting his eyes. “It’s one of my first memories.”
He told the rest of the story to his brothers, who wore their hurt right on their faces. “Mother adopted Lina. She was like a sister to me. For over two years we were a happy family,
until the day I decided to go to ground with my friends.”
“I told you not to go,” Lina whispered.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I lied to you when I told you I’d be back.”
She flinched but didn’t respond.
“What happened?” Keegan asked.
“Mammon found me and forced me to go with him. Told me my name was Ronin. You know the rest.”
“I don’t understand,” Dagan said. “Why didn’t you tell us about her?”
“Because I didn’t want Mammon to know.”
Dagan gestured angrily. “That doesn’t mean—”
“Bro, he didn’t want Mammon to hurt her,” Taeg said, placing a hand on Dagan’s shoulder. “He did what he thought he had to do to protect her.”
All the fight left Dagan at Taeg’s words.
Keegan shook his head. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell us your real name, though.”
“Because...” An unaccountable burst of rage flowed through Ronin at the thought of Mammon and what he’d made him give up. He turned to face the windows, blindly staring out of them. Only once he’d composed himself did he turn back. “Because Xander died that day. And Ronin was born.”
“Oh, Ronin.” Tears marred Amara’s cheeks. She absently wiped them away, and something inside of him melted at the sight. To see that she suffered so much for something that had happened to him in the past, it only made him love her more.
Love.
Love?
Oh hell, I love her.
The words threatened to rip out of his throat right then and there, but he bit them back. Now wasn’t the time or place. Soon he would tell Amara everything he felt for her, but now. Now was about Lina.
“I’m so sorry I left you, Lina. Not a day has gone by since then that I haven’t thought about you.”
A tear escaped Lina’s eye. She rubbed at it and met his eyes for the first time since he’d started his tale. “It’s Iolina now, and as you see, I turned out fine.”
The bitterness on her face broke his heart. She blamed him for what had happened, and she was right. If only he’d obeyed his mother. If only he’d listened to her.
But then you wouldn’t have met your brothers.
He probably wouldn’t have met Amara either. As much as he lamented the past, being taken by Mammon had led to good things, and he couldn’t regret that.
His whole body seemed wound so tightly he could barely move. Ronin forced his fists to unclench. “What happened to you? To mother? I searched for you last year but there was nothing but a shell of our old town.”
Lina’s brow crinkled. “You searched for us?”
“Yes. After Mammon was arrested by the Council.”
Her confusion read loud on her face, almost as if she didn’t know whether or not to believe him.
“Flavia died five years ago,” she finally said.
Her words wrenched his heart, leaving him short of breath. “How?”
“Low-level plague, much like the one that killed my parents. The town was wiped out. I was one of the few who survived. Those of us who were left moved on to other places. We couldn’t bring ourselves to continue living in a barren ghost land.”
“Where did you go?”
Something dark flickered in her eyes, but when she answered all she said was, “Here and there. Landed in New York City almost two years ago, and I’ve been here ever since.”
There was a lot more to the story, that was clear. He let it go. For now. Hopefully, he would have the occasion to press her more on it in the future. He could only pray.
“Did Flavia live a good life?”
“Yes. She missed you.” He froze, feeling like something inside him would shatter, and she seemed to notice it because she added, “She was happy, though.”
For a long moment there was nothing but silence.
“I can’t believe you never told us this,” Dagan finally said.
Maya pinched Dagan and gave him a glare, adding, “We understand why you didn’t.”
Lina sniffed and rose to her full height, once again like the self-assured warrior queen who’d taken his breath away when she first walked into the room. His adopted sister. All grown up.
“Now that we’ve got the family reunion out of the way,” she said, her gaze flitting over everyone but him, “let’s talk about Asmodeus. What’s going on with him? Really?”
Keegan gave him a questioning glance and he shrugged. So Keegan filled her in on the events of the past week.
Lina cocked her head at Amara. “He still has your mother?”
“Yes. Unless...” Amara’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat, clearly trying to remain brave. “Unless he’s decided she outlived her usefulness.”
Lina curled her hands into fists. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s go kill his sorry ass.”
“I think I’m going to like her,” Maya murmured to Taeg.
Dagan made a soft sound of approval. From the glint in his eye, he approved of Lina far too much. Ronin would have to talk with him later about that. Much as he loved his brother, there was no way he was going to let him anywhere close to Lina. Not when Dagan’s love-em-and-leave-em philosophy often extended to multiple women in a single day.
Keegan started to pace between them. “It’s settled, then. We’ll go in tonight. The street will be less crowded after two in the morning, so we’ll plan on doing it at that time. Iolina, you and your team will join us. We should all rest up until then.”
“Sounds great. We’ll meet you back here at midnight to go over logistics.” With those words, Lina started toward the door.
“Wait.” Ronin headed after her, feeling suddenly panicked.
Lina turned around, the same unreadable expression on her face. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”
His muscles relaxed. Maybe she felt the same way, too—the irrational fear that they’d disappear from each other’s lives again.
“I wouldn’t miss out on this for anything,” she continued coolly. “As long as I participate in taking Asmodeus down, I’ll earn a huge payday.”
“Oh.” He tried to hide his hurt at her callous words. But when her eyes flickered, he got the feeling maybe she’d been trying to hurt him all along. “I really am sorry, Lina. I never would have left you if I’d had a choice.”
“Yeah?” She shrugged. “I did fine on my own.”
It was the second time she’d said that, and he didn’t believe it any more than the first.
“See ya, Ronin.” She turned and left.
He watched her back as she exited the living room, and gave a start when Amara’s hand closed around his.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Her presence eased the tight pressure in his chest at the thought of Lina. His perfect, sexy Amara. The woman he loved. With her, he could face anything.
“Yes. Everything’s okay now.”
She smiled and tugged him to her, closing her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his chest. “Tonight we’re going to defeat Asmodeus. Then the whole future is ours.”
“I don’t know anyone I’d rather face it with,” he told her honestly.
Amara pulled away, giving him a flirty, promising grin. “Come on. We only have a few hours left until night, and I know how I’d most like to spend them.”
His body hardened with lust and he followed her to the door. Later, he’d have to talk with his brothers, make them understand why he’d kept such a big secret from them. They felt betrayed, and he couldn’t blame them for that. But that conversation would have to wait.
Right now was about Amara, about showing her how much he loved her. By the time tonight was through, she’d have no doubt about that.
Chapter Twenty-Six
She led him to the bed and urged him to sit, then curled onto his lap. “Why didn’t you tell me about your sister?”
“It was never intentional.” Ronin ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. “I supposed I’d become accustomed to not speaking about her. That seemed the obvious thing to do when Mammon took me.”
She turned her face into his chest, inhaling the pure, masculine scent of his skin underneath his cotton T-shirt. As always, a shiver of longing swept through her body. She knew now she would never tire of him.
“Rationally, I know she was probably safe,” Ronin continued. “Mammon wanted his flesh and blood, not random children. But deep down I guess I always feared that if he knew about Lina, he would come back for her. Or worse, do to her what he did to my mother. Or kill them both. She was only five when I was taken.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me.”
“I want to. I need to talk about it.”
The vulnerable note in his voice broke her heart. She hugged him to her, pressing soft kisses to his throat and his jaw. “You can tell me anything.”
“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”
“Yes. I’m positive of it.” She placed her fingers on his cheek and turned his face so he met her eyes. “You saw how furious she was when I told her about Asmodeus having Solara. There’s strength and loyalty in that woman. In that she’s like you. It may take her some time to warm up to you again, but she will.”
He nodded and smiled, grasping her hand and placing a kiss to her palm. “How did I get so lucky to meet you?”
“I ask myself that same question about you, every moment of the day.”
His eyes grew dark and wild, and he drew her in for a sizzling kiss that left her body weak and trembling with desire for him.
When he pulled away, she confessed, “I want you so much.”
Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3) Page 25