BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance)

by Walker, Violet

  Jade licked her lips. Panic was rising, and it was bringing some acid bile with it. “If that’s true, then you’re holding someone’s fucking soul in the palm of your hand.”

  The man waved his hand, and it disappeared. “In this day and age, manipulating souls isn’t all that useful. I can capture the newly dead before they pass, but I won’t command them to do anything.”

  She closed her eyes. “It’s just a magic trick. No. It’s not even that. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming, and I’m going to wake up now because this cannot possibly be real.”

  She cocked one eye open. They were still there. The dark haired beauty smiled softly. “Why don’t you sit down before you fall down?”

  At the suggestion, Jade’s knees buckled. “My name is Lana, and just a few months ago, I was also trying to process all this. Sierra is a little better off. She grew up in a family of demon hunters. But I’m a stripper.”

  “Exotic entertainer,” Cole grumbled.

  Sierra smiled. “I was attacked by a demon, and trust me, it did not feel like real life.”

  “None of that explains what I’m doing here. I own and sell a bunch of old books,” Jade muttered. “And he was the only person that attacked me.”

  “Cresher is more…”

  “Stop.” Lana cast an irritated glance as Damien stopped forward. “There is no need to give her more information that she needs to know. We still don’t know if we can trust her.”

  “She sells a bunch of dusty books,” Lana said with a frown.

  “And she’s in possession of a very powerful and very old book,” Cole said quietly. “Cresher could do a lot of damage with the spells in here.”

  “I’ve already told you. I don’t know how I got the book,” Jade said defensively. “It came with a shipment, but I didn’t order it.”

  “Cole,” Damien said quietly. “See what you can find out. Preston, take the women home. I want to talk to Jade alone.”

  Sierra stepped forward. “Damien,” she said warningly. “The woman is human. She has no weapons on her, and you have very little reason to suspect her of anything.”

  “Relax, huntress,” Damien said as he stared at Jade. “I won’t hurt her. I just want some information.”

  Lana grabbed her hand. “He won’t hurt you,” she whispered.

  “Don’t go,” Jade said, but the group was already sliding away. When the door shut, it was just her and the gorgeous man.

  And he did not look happy.

  Damien watched the woman as she paced slowly around the living area. “You have some nice things here,” she said slowly.

  He growled in response. She was stunning. Long blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and a body that had him stirring. And although most of her delicate features were hidden behind her large dark framed glasses, he thought she looked lovely with them.

  But looks were deceiving. She could be as sweet and innocent as she looked but she could also be the person standing in his way of killing Cresher.

  “What did Cresher say to you?”

  “First of all, I don’t know that’s his name. Just because you look like him doesn’t mean that you’re his brother. And all he did was ask for certain books. He wanted something in mysticism. He didn’t threaten me. I just got one of those headache things, and I asked for his information. He refused to give it, and he left.”

  “This headache thing? He was probably trying to make it so that you forgot what he looked like. I have a problem with your story, Jade. You see, Cresher doesn’t ask for things. He simply takes them.”

  Jade tried to look as small as possible against the ornate wallpaper. “I don’t know what to tell you. He was very polite.”

  “Unless you’re lying.”

  “Sure. I’m lying to the man who could rip my soul out of my body. That makes sense.”

  “I wouldn’t rip your soul out of your body.”

  “And I’m not lying to you. Yesterday was the first time I’d ever seen him. Just like today was the first time I met you. And your friends. And the inside of your home. Seriously, do you live here? Some of this stuff looks centuries old!”

  “I do live here, and some of this stuff is centuries old. And none of this is the point. I intend to kill Cresher, and I’m not letting you out of my sight until that happens.”

  “Just so we’re clear, I’m stuck here until you kill your brother?”

  “Yes.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you at least have a book I can read?”

  He moved, and in the blink of an eye he was over the couch and pushing her against the wall. “It is as if you have no idea how dangerous and important this is,” he said in a low voice.

  Her breath hitched, and he watched her eyes dilate. Was she scared? Or turned on? Because he was definitely turned on. He breathed in her scent, and it fanned a flame inside him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this.

  “Well, I certainly feel in danger when you’re standing this close to me,” she whispered. He watched the pulse flutter at the base of her throat.

  He reached out and slid his finger over her throat. “So that’s fear I’m sensing and not desire?” he murmured.

  “Fear.”

  It was like a dose of cold water. He immediately backed up. “You will not leave this place. When this is all over, you can be your own way, and you will never speak of this. And believe me, if you do, there will be consequences.”

  “It’s not like anyone would believe me.”

  “Right.” He watched as she inched herself away from the wall to put as much space between him and her as possible.

  “Where are you going now?”

  “None of your concern,” he growled before he stomped out of the room. The faster he finished this and got her out of his home, the better.

  Chapter Four

  The brothers were already seated when Damien finally entered the room. The murmuring he heard through the door immediately ceased. The Slavante Brotherhood was an old organization meant to protect humanity against the dangerous hybrids.

  He’d been their leader for a number of decades, and he’d hated every single second of it. The guilt of his brother haunted him.

  “Brothers,” he said as he nodded his head. “I apologize for calling you away from your lives, but an opportunity has arisen. Cresher is more vulnerable than ever before. He has no nest or demon to protect him, and he’s scrounging for old books. He’s looking for something to protect him, and now we must act.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “I want him surrounded, but he belongs to me,” Damien growled.

  “And if you have the chance, will you follow through? You don’t exactly have a great record.”

  A flash of anger raced through him. “I understand your concern, but do not worry. Cresher is unfinished business, and I do not intend to have to deal with him for much longer. Cole? His whereabouts?”

  “We’ve narrowed down the area, but it’s still a nine or ten block radius.”

  Damien nodded. “That’s close enough. We’ll strike on the new moon. He will be at his weakest.”

  “So will you.”

  Damien narrowed his eyes. “Don’t worry about me. I have enough rage to fuel me through just about anything.”

  “And the woman that you’re keeping? What role will she play? Is she working with Cresher?”

  Damien felt a jolt inside him. “I’m still interrogating her. She is immune to demonic power, so I find it hard to believe that she’s innocent, but there are no other indications that she’s involved.”

  “Immune? That’s a rare gift.”

  “Yes it is. And I find it hard to believe that it’s a coincidence.” Damien clenched his teeth. “I will have all the information we need by the time we finished this.” He looked around. “I know I made a mistake fifty years ago. Believe me, I have spent every second regretting it. And when I’ve finished this, we can finally discuss Preston’s promotion.”

  “Damien,” Preston
said quietly. “I’m not sure…”

  “Meeting dismissed,” Damien said quickly. The brothers nodded and dispersed. Cold and Preston stayed behind.

  “Damien, you are a great leader. I know you think that you stayed in power until you could finish Cresher, but you stayed in power because you were born to do this. And I won’t fill your shoes until you’re dead,” Preston said quietly. He scooted his chair back and stood. “Get your shit together, Damien. You have bigger concern ahead of you.”

  He wasn’t meant to lead, but Preston was right. He did have bigger concerns. “Anything about Jade?”

  Preston raised his eyebrows. “Jade?”

  “The woman in my apartment.”

  “Right. Jade seems to be as clean as they come. I can’t find any information that links her to Cresher. And I even dug deeper into her family. Her grandfather was the last known demon hunter in the family, and he had quite a collection of anti-demon paraphernalia. I guess he didn’t pass the knowledge on.”

  “A demon hunter? Why would she be with Cresher?”

  “I think Cresher just got wind of the books she might be selling. I don’t think she has a clue about her real bloodlines.”

  Damien nodded. So Jade was born in a long line of demon hunters. The real question was whether she was as innocent as Preston seemed to think.

  Jade tried every door and window in the house. Everything was locked, and the windows were either painted or boarded up. She couldn’t even try to flag someone down for help. When it looked like an exit wasn’t an option, she started looking for a weapon.

  She brushed her fingers along the elegantly carved woodwork and sighed a little. The place really was beautiful. “Focus, Jade,” she muttered to herself. Just because her kidnapper was incredibly sexy and apparently very old and rich didn’t mean that he wasn’t dangerous.

  “Let’s see. I’ve got some books,” she said as she opened the bookcase. “And a letter opener.” She fingered the silver instrument before sliding it into her sleeve of her sweater. “”And a lantern.”

  She kept moving around the room. “Some paintings, a statue that I can’t pick up. And a sword.” She cocked her head and pulled the sword out of its sheath.

  “Planning on doing something with that?”

  Jade gripped the sword and whirled around. Damien was only feet away from her. How did he move so silently? She gasped softly. “Just admiring it. I love a good sword.”

  He moved even closer. “So you’re familiar with swords.” Her back hit the table as he reached over and pulled out the other sword.

  “Sure,” she said as he brushed the flat metal against her neck. “I love it when things are shiny.” She swallowed hard when he backed away from her. God, heat was radiating from him. She didn’t know whether to lean over and lick his skin or scream for help.

  He poked her gently with the sword. “Let’s see what you’ve got,” he muttered.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, I can’t really do anything with this,” she mumbled. But he was already raising his sword to bring it down.

  Jade shrieked and ducked. “Are you insane?”

  “So you aren’t familiar with swords play?” he said as he backed away. He raised the sword again.

  “I sell books,” she hissed. “I’m not a connoisseur of weaponry.”

  “And what about fighting styles? Is there another weapon that you’d prefer? Or do you like hand to hand?” he asked as the sword swung through the air again.

  This time, she brought the sword down to deflect it. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You descend from a family of hunters, Jade. It makes me wonder if there’s something you aren’t telling me.”

  “Hunters?” she cried out as the sword came down again. “I grew up in the city. No one in my family hunts. We’re very big on grocery shopping.”

  He smiled. “You’re so good at playing innocent aren’t you?” He brought the sword down again, and she ducked and fell to the floor. The sword bit into her shoulder, she pushed it away and kicked behind his knee. When he stumbled and fell on top of her, she pulled out the letter opener and held it to his throat.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered. “No one in my family hunted, and I don’t have any kind of fighting styles. I’m just a bookstore owner.”

  “Says the woman with the sharp weapon at my throat,” he murmured.

  “Survival instinct,” she whispered. Although, right then, her instincts were telling her something different. As his weight pressed against her, she was already opening her legs. The blade shook and clattered to the floor.

  He dipped his head so that it was only inches from hers, and it took everything she had not to beg him to kiss her. “You’ve got some slick moves for someone who doesn’t have any experience.”

  Her heart pounded, and her skin flushed. “You have no idea how slick I am,” she muttered.

  “Christ,” he muttered and dipped his head. As his lips touched hers, she moaned. It was just as hot and passionate as she imagined it would be. Chill bumps rose over her arms as she reached up and slid her fingers through his hair. He thrust his tongue inside her.

  Her legs came up and circled his waist and his tongue made a path down her neck. She arched her chest as his hands came up to cup her breast.

  “Wait,” she said as he gently massaged her. “Wait!” She pushed him away. Panic seized her when he lifted himself and stared at her. She tried to scramble out from underneath him.

  “What exactly are you talking about? What do you mean a family of hunters?”

  He grabbed the back of her knees and lifted them. “Demon hunters. Your grandfather was an active demon hunter.”

  Her heart skipped a beat when he ran his hands down the back of her thigh. Even through her jeans, his heat seared her. She tried to focus. “And you think I’m a demon hunter?”

  “No.”

  She squirmed when his hands reached under her shirt. The touch of skin on skin jolted her, and she gasped. “Why not?”

  “Your fighting skills are terrible,” he muttered. “No one trained could fake it that bad.” He dipped his head and followed the path of fingers with his tongue.

  “Terrible? I had you at the end of a weapon,” she said as she squirmed.

  “I saw an opportunity, and I took it.”

  She moaned when he popped her out of her bra and licked her nipple. “Oh God,” she cried out. She knocked her head back on the floor as her nipples tightened under his talented tongue. “What? An opportunity for what?”

  “An opportunity to taste you.”

  She closed her eyes, and when he raked his teeth over her nipples, she finally reached up to touch him. Under his shirt, she explored his muscles and raked her nails over his skin. “Damien,” she gasped.

  There was something so intense about his touch. Never in her life has she felt so turned on. As his rough beard scraped over her skin, she knew she needed more.

  Jade reached down and unsnapped her jeans. Her hips bucked as she wiggled out of them, and he moaned as rubbed up against him.

  “Eager, aren’t you?” he muttered.

  Her legs came up and rubbed up against him. The rough jeans covering his bulge raked over her sensitive spot, and she arched her back and cried out.

  Shimmying down her body, he moaned. She felt bereft when his weight lifted. “No,” she said begged, but then he was kneeling between her legs.

  “So wet,” he murmured as he pulled her panties aside. He pressed a finger inside her. “So tight.”

  “Fuck,” she gasped. Her insides were turning to jelly as he moved his finger in and out. She twisted around desperately seeking a release. He added a second finger, and she clawed at the floor. “More. Please, more.”

  “My pleasure,” he muttered. He reached in and licked her. Pleasure shot through her until it was almost unbearable. She wrapped her thighs around his head and urged him more.

  Jade closed her eyes and stilled as h
e drove her up and up and up. She stopped breathing. “So close,” she murmured. “Oh, God. Don’t stop. Please. Please. Please! Ah!” Her body convulsed as her pleasure peaked.

  He didn’t let her down. He licked her again until she was twisting to get away. “Sensitive,” she muttered. “So sensitive.”

  She twisted her body and sprawled on her belly on the floor. Her legs were still shaking, and she shuddered. God, how could one man make her feel this way?

  She heard the unbuckling of his pants, and she felt his hands run up her legs.

  Damien stared at her moist pussy as he separated her legs. He was hard and heavy as he imagined how he would feel inside her body. Gripping her hips, he flipped and lifted until she was on all fours.

  She made a sweet little mewling sound as he rubbed up against her. He watched her hands reach to grip something as he probed her entrance.

  “Jade,” he whispered. His heart was pounding as he watched her sweet bottom rub up against him. Never had he been so aroused in his entire life. There was something about her that he just had to have.

  Inch by inch, he slid into her. “Christ,” he gasped. She cried out and tried to take more of him.

  “Wait, baby,” he moaned. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Please,” she cried out. “More. You’re almost there.”

  He stilled. “Where?” His voice was low and husky with desire.

  “My spot. My sweet spot.” She wiggled her hips.

  He reached around and fingered her clit, and she moaned. “Tell me what you want, baby. I want to hear it.”

  “God, I need to come. Please,” she begged.

  He growled and slid all the way to the hilt. Something primal awoke inside him and roared, and he had to force himself not to ravage her.

  “Jade, you feel amazing,” he muttered. God, her muscles were tightening around him. He shuddered.

  “Damien. You’re right there. Please.” She slapped her hands on the floor. “Fuck me, Damien. Hard.”