Unfortunately, he couldn’t think straight. Not when his emotions were tangled into a painful knot.
Right now he was running on primitive instincts. And those instincts demanded he keep this woman safe.
Perhaps sensing that she would be wasting her breath to convince him she should go first, she rolled her eyes. “Are you ready?”
“Wait,” he muttered.
Her brows snapped together, her expression concerned. “Did you see something?”
“No, but I don’t doubt they’re out there.” Flinching as the silver seared his skin, he looped the pendant over her head and settled the chain around her neck. The silver wouldn’t bother her. Then, pulling back, he studied the gem that settled between the gentle swell of her breasts. “I want you to head straight to the jet.”
Of course she couldn’t just accept his order. This female was created to be a pain in his ass.
“What about you?” she asked.
He shrugged. He couldn’t see the Watchmen lurking in the dark, but he could feel them. So far they were content to wait, but as soon as Tiege headed toward the waiting jet they were going to attack.
“I’ll transport myself,” he lied. Unfortunately, he was too drained to call on the power necessary to magically transfer himself from one location to another.
Her eyes narrowed. “No. I won’t go until I know you’re safe.”
He leaned forward, his nose touching the tip of hers. “That was a direct order.”
She grimly held her ground. Hell, she didn’t even flinch. He was a ruthless Master who could make grown Watchmen crap their pants with one glare, but not Sloane.
Which was no doubt why he found her so fascinating.
Well, one of the thousands of reasons he found her so fascinating.
“I’m here to protect you,” she said between clenched teeth. “I can’t do that if you’re trying to do something stupid.”
Tiege knew better than to try and convince her that he didn’t want her in the line of fire. She considered it her duty to act as his guard. Besides, she clearly thrived on danger.
Something that was no doubt going to put him in an early grave.
For now, he had to offer a rational excuse.
“You’re a Blade,” he growled, his hand lifting so he could wrap his fingers around the teardrop gem. He sucked in a sharp breath. Lust blasted through him at the enticing warmth of her satin skin and the feel of her heart beating against his knuckles. Later, he silently promised himself. Once they were back at his private villa he intended to take her to his bed and never let her out. “And right now the most important thing in the world is that pendant. Your duty is to protect it.”
She drew in a quivering breath. “Tiege.”
Angling his head to the side, Tiege brought a sharp end to her protest by the simple process of capturing her lips in a kiss of sheer possession. She stiffened, her hands lifting to grasp his shoulders. But even as he prepared for her to shove him away, she gave a soft sigh and melted against his chest.
Briefly allowing himself to savor the sensation of drowning in sweet honeysuckle, Tiege at last pulled back to give her a gentle push toward her open door.
Dammit.
“Go.”
Sloane wavered, clearly torn between the realization that the pendant needed to be kept safe, and her instinctive need to remain at his side. Then, with a muttered curse, she leaned forward to press a fierce, far too fleeting kiss to his lips before she was jumping out of the Jeep and running straight for the airfield.
At a much slower pace, Tiege stepped out of the vehicle. He was weary from the ceremony, and far from his full strength. Thankfully, however, he was a Master. Which meant that a mere Watchman couldn’t hope to match his power.
At least that was the hope.
Moving forward, he released a breath of relief when the shadows stirred and two forms abruptly appeared before him. He’d depended on the fact the warriors were waiting for him instead of following Sloane, but there was no way he could be certain until now.
Pretending he was unaware of his companions, Tiege walked forward, not halting until a large form was suddenly standing directly in his path.
“Stop,” a deep voice sliced through the darkness.
Tiege halted, taking a quick survey of the males. Both were wearing matching camo pants and black T-shirts. Both had oversized, muscular bodies and arms tattooed with the sigil of the House of Marakel. But that’s where the similarities ended.
The one closest to him had long, dirty-blond hair and a bluntly carved face that gave him the appearance of a caveman. His pale blue eyes glittered with a lust for violence, and a blatant lack of intelligence. One of those “all brawn and no brain” sort of Watchmen.
The one who hovered in the shadows, however, had buzzed-cut hair and a lean face that held a cunning that warned he was the more dangerous of the two. He was at least smart enough to remain at a distance and use his idiot friend to keep their prey distracted.
Tiege folded his arms over his chest, conjuring his most obnoxiously arrogant expression.
It wouldn’t take much to piss off the nearest male. Which would make it that much easier to kick his ass.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
The male flexed his muscles. “Gunnar, a Watchman for the Obsidian Throne,” he said in proud tones. “I have been sent to find you.”
Tiege arched his brows. “Why?”
The male deliberately rested his hand on the hilt of the dagger that was strapped on his hip.
“The Sovereign believes that you have a talisman that should rightfully belong to him.”
Tiege swallowed a curse. It was exactly what he’d been expecting, but that didn’t prevent the stab of annoyance.
There was no way to keep recent events entirely secret. Already the demon world was whispering about the turmoil surrounding the Obsidian Throne and the growing suspicion that the temple was involved. But the fact that Marakel knew about the pendant and had managed to follow him to Vegas meant that someone with inside information had been sharing their secrets.
A traitor?
The mere thought was enough to make him tremble with the need to hunt down the bastard and destroy him.
“The Sovereign is mistaken,” he smoothly lied, waving a dismissive hand. “Now step aside.”
Gunnar puffed out his chest. Tiege snorted. Was the idiot trying to intimidate him?
“I have no desire to hurt you,” the Watchman said, holding out a beefy hand. “Give me the object and you can be on your way.”
“I told you.” Tiege regarded the male with open disdain. “I don’t have it.”
Gunner stepped forward, his expression hard with determination. “Then you won’t mind if I search you.”
With lightning speed, Tiege had his fingers wrapped around the male’s wrist and was squeezing with enough force to crush the bones.
“Touch me and I can assure you it will be the last thing you do,” he snarled, his free hand reaching to grasp the handle of Gunnar’s dagger so he could yank it out of the sheath.
The Watchman made a choked sound of pain, stumbling back as Tiege abruptly released his mangled arm.
“If you don’t have it then where is it?” the male demanded, cradling his arm against his chest.
Tiege shrugged, covertly glancing toward the airfield. Had Sloane managed to locate Jacob?
“I heard that Sorin of House Ebarron had acquired a new bauble,” he mocked, pretending to examine the blade on the dagger he’d just stolen. “You might ask him.”
Gunnar hesitated. The encounter clearly wasn’t going as he’d expected. “Then why were you in Vegas?” he finally blustered.
“Why any male is in Sin City.” Tiege flashed a taunting smile. “Sex. Booze. Sex.”
“Lie.” Gunnar scowled, clearly itching for a fight despite the fact that Tiege had just broken his wrist. “You came to use your powers.”
“Careful, Watchman,” Tiege drawled, re
lief racing through him as he caught sight of his jet pulling onto the nearest runway. No matter what happened to him, Sloane and the pendant would be safe. “You’re about to piss me off.”
Tightening his grip on the dagger as he prepared for the fool to attack, Tiege was caught off guard when the dark-haired male abruptly stepped forward.
“The female has it,” he said in harsh tones.
Gunnar frowned. “What?”
“He’s been distracting you so the female can escape, you fool.”
The male ignored Gunnar’s baffled expression as he turned to sprint toward the plane.
Shit.
Tiege didn’t hesitate as he leaped forward and used the dagger to slice through Gunner’s throat. The blow might not kill him, but it would keep him incapacitated long enough for Tiege to take care of the Watchman’s partner.
Ignoring the blood dripping from the blade, Tiege managed to catch up with his prey just as he reached the chain-link fence that blocked the path to the runways.
He reached out, intending to grab the male’s shoulder, only to be forced to leap to the side as the bastard abruptly turned and slashed a silver dagger toward Tiege’s face. He felt the tip of the blade scrape his jaw, but he’d already struck out with his own dagger, slicing through the Watchman’s lower stomach.
The male sucked in a pained breath, but he didn’t hesitate as he swept his leg toward Tiege, trying to knock him off balance. Tiege easily hopped out of the path, but he couldn’t avoid the blade that slashed toward his shoulder.
Pain exploded through him as the male sliced through his flesh and muscle.
Dammit. His lingering weakness had made him sloppy. Now he was paying the price.
Jerking back, he felt his arm go numb.
He had to end this. Now.
Clutching the dagger, he slashed toward the male’s face. Predictably, the Watchman jerked his head backward, leaving his upper torso vulnerable. Tiege instantly struck, driving the blade deep into the center of his chest.
He hit bone, and then the lung, but he missed the heart. Which meant the bastard was still capable of fighting.
Moving back, Tiege called on the dredges of his swiftly fading strength. He would have one last chance to— Tiege’s dark thoughts were interrupted as the male made a strange gurgling sound, his eyes going wide as he stared at Tiege in disbelief. Then, seeming to move in slow motion, the bastard tumbled forward, landing flat on his face at Tiege’s feet.
Tiege muttered a curse, his gaze locked on the obsidian blade sticking out of the Watchman’s back.
“Sloane,” he muttered, stepping over the dead male’s body and awkwardly climbing the fence.
He managed to make it over the top, but he lost his grip on the way down, tumbling onto the hard ground.
Instantly Sloane was at his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as she urged him to his feet.
“You’re injured,” she chided, as if angered that he was bleeding like a stuck pig.
“I told you to get out of here,” he snapped, hating the fact that she was seeing him at his most vulnerable. For the first time in his very long life he actually cared whether or not a female found him worthy of her respect. “Even you should be able to obey a simple—”
“Not now,” she rudely interrupted, half dragging him toward the waiting jet.
Tiege groaned, trying to remain conscious as he sensed someone joining them.
“I’ve got him,” Jacob muttered, grabbing Tiege around the waist and tossing him over his shoulder.
White-hot agony shuddered through him as he was carried up a narrow ramp. But even as his lips parted to protest the rough treatment, the world began to recede and a ruthless darkness sucked him under.
CHAPTER SIX
They were eight hours into the flight when Sloane heard the faint sound of a groan from the back of the jet.
Instantly she was on her feet and heading into the small bedroom. It didn’t occur to her to allow Jacob or any other member of the staff to check on their Master. She wasn’t really thinking at all.
Who could blame her?
She’d gone through hell after she’d left Tiege and located Jacob, who had the jet fueled and ready to go. The aggravating brute had promised to transport himself, but she’d known he was lying even before the jet had moved into place for takeoff. A part of her had known she should do as Tiege commanded and leave with the pendant, even if he wasn’t on the jet. It clearly was important that it be taken to Jian. But even as the jet revved its engines, she’d been forcing open the door and racing back to join in the fight.
Tiege might be furious, but there was no way she could leave him behind.
Period.
Halting next to the bed, she gazed down at the male lying flat on his back.
Earlier Jacob had stripped him of his filthy clothes and washed away the blood before gently placing him on the mattress. Now Sloane studied the wound on his shoulder that had healed to an angry red scar, and the lingering pallor of his skin.
If he hadn’t been so drained he would be fully recovered. Instead…
Her heart abruptly lodged in her throat as Tiege’s thick lashes lifted to reveal his stunning copper eyes. Heat filled the cabin and her clinical inspection of his injuries altered to something far more dangerous.
Suddenly she was vibrantly aware of the silky black hair that looked as if it’d been rumpled by a lover’s fingers. And the shadow of a beard that darkened his jaw with a scruffy sexiness.
And the hard body that was completely naked.
She shivered, a raw, earthy need pulsing through her.
“Are we in the air?” he asked in a husky voice.
She nodded, lowering herself to perch on the edge of the mattress. “Yes.”
“Good.” His hand lifted, as if he intended to touch her, but he gave a startled grunt when she curled her fingers into a fist and punched him on his uninjured arm. He blinked in shock. “What the hell was that for?”
Sloane grimaced. She hadn’t actually meant to strike him. But dammit…she’d been so freaking worried about him.
“Because you’re supposed to be selfish and arrogant and absorbed with your own pleasure,” she snapped.
He arched a brow, an unexpected amusement smoldering in his eyes. Almost as if he suspected the reason for her ridiculous burst of anger.
“Have you been told your bedside manner sucks?”
She scowled at his impossibly handsome face, her heart thundering in her chest as his fingers brushed her hair behind her ear.
“You aren’t supposed to be a hero,” she informed him.
In the dim light his eyes looked like melted copper as his fingers trailed down the arch of her throat.
“Good.” His fingers cupped her nape, gently tugging her head down so he could trace her furrowed brow. “I’d far rather be the villain.”
She trembled, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. She’d been so terrified that she’d lost him in some idiotic attempt to save the demon world.
Now she didn’t have the strength to pull away.
Or at least that was the excuse she was using as she melted against his chest, her fingers running through the raven satin of his hair.
“You need to heal,” she murmured.
“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” he assured her, his hands skimming beneath her leather jacket.
Sparks blazed between them as his mouth lightly teased over her face before settling on her lips. Perhaps she would never be his destined mate or prevent the disaster that was looming, but for the moment she could give Tiege the strength he needed to survive until they reached Hong Kong.
Shutting her mind to the bittersweet emotions tugging at her heart, Sloane pulled back so she could shrug off her jacket, allowing it to slide to the ground. Then, with more haste than elegance, she was tugging off the rest of her clothing so she could stretch onto the mattress next to him.
Even knowing that every second she spent with Tie
ge was destined to entangle her renegade heart more tightly, she couldn’t deny his hunger that she could feel with every burning kiss and every stroke of his hand.
In return she offered a fervent response that made him groan with approval, gathering her close as he rolled onto his side.
“Sloane…” he whispered, gazing down at her with a vulnerability that seared away any lingering barriers she tried to place between them. “My beautiful warrior.”
She shivered. She’d never felt so vulnerable. Or so perilously exposed.
Holding his copper gaze, she reached up to stroke her fingers over his exquisite face.
“Am I giving you what you need?” she whispered, aching for his reassurance.
“All I need is you,” he promised her softly, bending down to claim her lips in a kiss of raw hunger.
The simple words made something expand deep inside her, and desperate to divert her mind from the treacherous emotions, she focused on the sensation of his hands gliding down her back. Pressing closer to the heat of his body, she explored the chiseled muscles of his chest, smiling as she felt the vibrations of his groan beneath her palms.
She might never have Tiege’s heart, but his body was ready and eager to belong to her.
Refusing to consider how many other women had known him just as intimately in the past and how many were yet to know him in the future, Sloane tilted back her head as he trailed a path of kisses down the sensitive line of her throat.
Until they landed in Hong Kong he was hers. Completely and utterly.
His mouth traced the curve of her breast before he captured the tip of her nipple between his lips, making her gasp in sharp pleasure.
“Yes,” she muttered in approval.
Continuing to tease the sensitive peak, Tiege reached to grasp her hand, guiding it down to his straining cock.
Sloane smiled, curling her fingers around his hard length. She felt smugly powerful as he gave a shaken groan.
Tiege muttered a low curse as she stroked from the tip to the wider base, taking time to discover the soft pouch beneath his erection before stroking upward.
“Shit,” he breathed, his hands moving to grasp her thighs so he could tug apart her legs. “You only have to touch me and I am drowning in desire.”
Masters of Seduction Volume 2: Books 5-8: Paranormal Romance Box Set Page 24