by Mina Carter
Jason misread her gasp. “Yeah, disgusting, isn't he?"
Neri ignored him; she only had eyes for Knuckles. He was magnificent. Tall, well over seven feet, he had the body of a… Well, she'd say a Greek god but that would be clichéd. Heavily muscled and defined, he could have given any superstar a run for their money in the sheer sex appeal market. Okay, so his ankles were odd and the feet…definitely not human. Nothing human had claws that clicked and scraped the concrete as he walked. The differences didn't stop there. The wings folded along his back—hooked tops visible over his massive shoulders—and the tail lashing around his legs gave the non-human game away as well.
"No, he's beautiful,” she murmured. Her eyes ate him up as he stopped in the middle of the space, dominating it, and looking around at the meager forces Jason had managed to marshal. Contempt filled his eyes.
"This all you could manage, Carrick? A couple of pathetic demon traps and a bunch of badass wannabes?” His voice was low, a rumble which hit Neri low in her ears, rasping against her eardrum like a heavy bass beat in a club.
Despite the situation, heat filled her, shooting through her bloodstream and settling in her center. Christ, what was it about the guy that just his voice could turn her on? Then she realized it wasn't his normal voice—or his more human voice anyway. It was the deep rumble of his natural voice.
She looked around realizing Knuckles was right. A grin stole over her face. The odds were not stacked in Jason's favor. She didn't know much about gargoyles, they were one of the more mysterious of the Night Races, but even she could see Knuckles was built to fight.
Heavy claws topped each finger on his hands and on each of his toes. Compact muscle covered every plane of his body and he moved…oh, the way he moved. Neri could feel herself getting wet just looking at him. More than being built that way, he knew how to fight. It was obvious in the way he carried himself, the way his eyes tracked his opponents. She had no doubt he was aware of every person in the room.
Even as she thought it, she knew something was off, something was wrong. She knew Jason and despite the new transformation to the “evil undead,” he was still the same person underneath it all. Right about now he should be blustering, doing the whole macho routine to convince Knuckles, the other men in the room, and himself that he really was the badass he pretended to be.
Yet he was calm, his body relaxed where he held her pinned against him. Then he nodded and the room plunged into darkness for a second before a spotlight snapped on, trained on Knuckles. She blinked at the sudden change in lighting, still not sure what was going on. Two of Jason's bully boys stepped into the ring of bright light, sledgehammers in their hands.
"You know the thing about gargoyles, don't you, my dear?” Jason asked, his voice smug. “Get them in the sunlight, or under high intensity sunlamps in this case, and they're just stone to be broken up and reclaimed."
They were going to kill him.
Neri's heart stopped in her chest. No, this couldn't be happening. Surely a man—she refused to think of him as a creature—as strong as Knuckles couldn't be defeated by something as simple as a few sun lamps and a couple of hammers? Life couldn't be that unfair, could it?
A low growl split the air, drawing her attention, and she looked straight into Knuckles’ eyes. Apology filled them as his body started to freeze into place, the sun lamps rendering his limbs to stone and a dull gray tint spreading up over his body. As she watched, he turned into a statue.
The guys with the hammers moved into place, swinging the implements of Knuckles’ death high up over their shoulders.
"You shouldn't have left me, Neri; no one ever leaves me,” Jason whispered as his grip on her neck tightened. A tear broke away, leaving a wet trail down her cheek as Jason tilted her head. “Now the last thing he'll see is me ripping your throat out."
Inside Neri, deep inside, something cracked. There was no more fear of her own imminent demise, which some might have found odd, but she'd always known she would die young. Orphaned and shunted through the social services system, she'd ended up living by her wits on the streets. It was only a matter of time before she ended up a statistic on some homicide sheet somewhere. It broke her heart to bring Knuckles down with her. All he'd done was offer her kindness. He didn't deserve to be involved in Jason's sick games.
"I love you,” she mouthed as the gray stone creeping over his body reached his neck, wanting the last thing he saw to be love shining in her eyes.
Because—unbelievably—she loved him. She'd gone from being someone who didn't believe in love to falling in love at first sight. The irony wasn't lost on her, and she closed her eyes as she felt Jason's tongue rasp along the skin of her throat. She didn't want Knuckles to watch the life drain out of her eyes.
"I'm sorry,” she whispered, somehow managing to force the words out past the huge knot which had taken up residence in her throat. She didn't know whether he would hear her but she had to say the words.
Jason's teeth pressed into her skin and she whimpered, terror filling her at last. This was going to hurt. A lot. Knowing Jason he would string out her agony as long as possible just for the fun of it.
A tremendous crack, like gunfire, sounded. Neri's eyes snapped open to stare at the ceiling as Jason lifted his head. “What the fuck?"
Another crack, and then another. What were they doing, using shotguns on Knuckles as well? Weren't the sledgehammers enough? Jason's grip relaxed. Instantly her eyes went to the bully boys with the hammers, but they hadn't moved.
They were frozen into place, matching looks of surprise on their faces. Neri followed their gazes to Knuckles, expecting to see him frozen into immobility. He was and he wasn't. The “stone” covered him from head to toe except for his eyes. His eyes stared back at her—no, at Jason, and the hatred in them made her shiver.
Crrrr—acckk.
The sound went off again, sending a spider web of cracks over Knuckles’ stone-bound body. As she watched, the stone on his left arm crumbled and fell away, leaving the limb free.
"Now, on the whole, sun lamps… I gotta give it to ya, man, that's sneaky.” A new voice broke into the conversation, and a tall, blond man stepped from the shadows. Neri held her breath. She'd seen him at the club earlier. He'd seemed to be one of the bosses, handsome, charming…and totally suicidal. He didn't seem to be the sort who was handy with his fists at all. He was glib-tongued, but one lucky blow was going to spread that classic nose all over his face.
He didn't seem concerned by the predicament he was in, casting a nonchalant glance toward Knuckles, who was flexing all the muscles in his body and cracking the stone holding him prisoner like a thin layer of plaster.
"Wha… That's not possible,” Jason argued. “Hey, you two, grab him,” he ordered, motioning at the sledgehammer-carrying minions.
"Oh, sorry. They aren't going to be much good to you now. They're mentally replaying every sick and twisted little fantasy they've ever had but as the victim. You know the saying; do unto others as you would wish?” He grinned. “You bet they're wishing they'd paid attention to it now."
Neri could feel the anger vibrating through Jason's body as his plan fell apart. “So who the fuck are you? And do you know who I am?"
Blondie smiled. “Oh, I know who you are. Jason Carrick, the dumb shit idiotic enough to take a gargoyle's mate."
"Mate? You mean you fucked him?” Jason demanded, shaking Neri so hard her eyeballs rattled in her skull. “You sick whore! He's an animal. They all are."
She chuckled, the sound emerging as little more than a squeak thanks to the cruel grip he had on her throat. She turned her head and looked him in the eye, a sense of power filling her.
"Yeah, I did. And you know what? It was good, Jason, better than anything I've ever had. Now kill me if you're going to, or fuck off before Knuckles gets out, because he's going to rip you limb from limb, wannabe vampire or not."
It felt good, damn good, to be taking control. It was probably the last thing she w
ould do since Jason had a hair-trigger temper and would likely tear her throat out in the next three seconds, but even so, it was liberating. She smiled, reading the confusion in Jason's eyes.
Crack…craaaa-cck…
"Tick-tock, tick-tock,” Blondie said behind her. “Run, Carrick. See if you can outrun a feral gargoyle. I hear they're like greyhounds when their women are threatened. And you know the best bit about ‘em?"
"Vampire bites do fuck all.” Knuckles’ gravelly voice filled the silence, making the vampire jump.
Everything happened too fast for Neri to take it all in then. Something hit them at speed, throwing her to one side as Jason was wrenched off her. The next second, Blondie from the club steadied her and set her back on her feet. As soon as he touched her, a sense of calm wrapped around her. The effect was so marked she realized it; there was no way she'd calm down this quickly on her own. No, right about now she'd be going into hysterics, or should be anyway.
She looked up, right into one of the most handsome faces she'd ever seen, as he undid her wrists. It was the sort of face which should have graced a catwalk, or pouted from the pages of a glossy magazine. But even though she'd have taken a second or third look at that magazine in the past, she felt nothing, no pull of attraction, nothing.
"Not human either?"
"Nope, not remotely. Incubus.” He grinned, a flash of white teeth in a charming smile.
"Ahh…” She didn't get to say anything else. The short conversation was broken up by the sounds of violence behind them. Jason screamed. It had to be Jason; there was no way Knuckles would have managed such a high pitch with his voice. A scream was followed by wet tearing sounds she didn't want to think about. Then everything went silent. She looked up at the tall man next to her, who was looking into the shadows.
"Err, is that it?” she asked, confused by his nonchalant stance beside her. “What about them?” she nodded toward the two men with the hammers, both locked into place like a bad waxworks display. “Are they okay?"
"If they are, they soon won't be,” her companion replied with a grim smile. “And I'm a lover not a fighter. Besides, Knuckles seems to have everything under control."
"Under control? Under control? ” Neri lost her temper, her voice rising in anger. It seemed her little outburst at Jason had opened the floodgates, and there was no going back now. No more Ms. Mousey for Neri. No, from now on she was going for the throat.
"What part of Knuckles about to be smashed apart with sledgehammers counts as under control? They nearly killed him,” she ranted as she tried to hold onto her temper and failed. Her fingers itched to wrap around his throat and throttle him for being so blasé about the danger her man had been in. The feeling was so strong she actually started to lift her hands.
He stepped back before she could touch him. “Why would he need me when you're here to release him from sun slavery? And I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me. Not with the mood Knuckles is in. I kinda like my limbs where they are."
Neri dropped her hands and frowned. “Me release him? What are you talking about? I thought you'd cast a spell or something to break all the stone off him."
Blondie gave her such a look of surprise and disgust a chuckle was startled out of Neri. “A spell? Have I got ‘Warden’ tattooed across my damn forehead?"
"Warden?"
"Ugh…a wizard? We call them wardens—” he explained, pausing mid-sentence as his gaze slid behind her. He went very, very still. Inhumanly still. If Neri had to describe it, she would have said this guy was the one who turned to stone in the day, not Knuckles. Then she became aware of the silence behind them.
The screams had stopped. All that was left was silence and the feeling of being watched, the feeling of being watched intently.
"Okay, I'm going to back up very slowly now.” Blondie's voice held a hint of nerves. “Whatever you do, don't run. Gargoyles like to chase."
"Huh? What do you mean ‘chase'?” Neri asked, starting to turn in the direction he was looking.
A pair of eyes flashed in the darkness. Dangerous looking eyes which were trained directly on her.
Chapter 7
Neri swallowed. “Knuckles?"
Her voice emerged as little more than a whisper. There was nothing human in that silver gaze as his eyes caught the light, a reminder that he was a night predator.
"Don't panic. You'll be fine.” Blondie's voice reassured her from the other side of the room. “You're probably the safest person in here right now. He won't harm you."
Neri flicked a glance over her shoulder. “You sure? I don't think he even knows who—” She stopped speaking as the air beside her moved and a prickle up the back of her spine warned her someone was nearby.
Shit, he was right next to her.
Neri squeaked in surprise and maybe a little fright as Knuckles loomed over her. How the hell had he moved so fast?
"Oh, he knows who you are, all right. Do me a favor and keep him occupied, would you? They can be violent when they're like that, and as I said before, I like my arms and legs where they are."
Neri locked her knees as she looked up at Knuckles to prevent landing in a pathetic little heap on the floor. She'd seen him in his natural form before but never like this. Before, she'd always been able to see the man in his eyes before, but now she could only see the feral gaze of the creature inside.
She took a tiny step backwards, an action which drew a grumble of warning from Knuckles’ massive chest. “Great, so we just let him rip my arms and legs off instead. Sorry, handsome, but your plan sucks. Big time,” she quipped, swallowing a “meep” as Knuckles lifted a hand to her hair, expecting to see blood and gore on his hands, but they were clean. How, she didn't know, but she was grateful for small mercies.
He wound the strands around, letting them slide through his fingers with every evidence of pleasure. Then he pulled her closer, yanking her into his arms so he could bury his nose in the tumbled mass of her hair.
"Mine."
Blondie's chuckle was dirty and knowing. “He's more likely to tear your clothes off and screw you on the floor. So if you can slow him down a little that would be great. Last thing I want is to see Ugly there butt nekkid. I'd have to bleach my eyeballs."
"Oh.” The penny dropped for Neri with a resounding crash, like a truckload of cymbals had been dropped in a library. “Ohhh…"
The grip of her hands splayed out over his bulging biceps, changed and became less of a grasp for balance and more of a caress. He tilted his head and looked at her questioningly, as though unable to work out the change in her.
She stroked his hard skin. She'd been fascinated as soon as she realized he had more than one form. Did that make her some sort of shape shifter pervert? She'd liked the tail; that was for sure. As though thinking about it summoned it into existence, something warm wrapped around her ankle, looping and holding fast.
"Hey there, big guy. It's Neri. Remember me?” She smoothed a hand over his cheek and talked for the sake of it, saying anything she could think of to bring him back. His hand spread over her back in answer as he tipped her backwards. His lips nuzzled her neck, and the warm, wet rasp of his tongue against the skin there made her jump and melt as liquid heat flooded her body.
Oh, hell yes, she was definitely a pervert. Here he was struggling with the darker side of his nature, and all she could think of was how good his tongue would feel over her clit or plunging into her pussy.
"Hmmm…” The rumble of interest made Neri blush as he slid a hand down her spine to her ass. He cupped it and hauled her hips hard against his. Her eyes widened at the bulging hardness pressing into her belly. Christ, he was huge. Well, she knew that, but like this he was even bigger. There was no way all that would fit inside her.
She bit her lip, desire and fear warring inside her. He could obviously smell her excitement, but she didn't want it to be like this, with him not knowing who she was. It wasn't right.
He locked eyes with her again and the feral intere
st gave way to something else. As she watched, the feral light faded, and a more human intelligence leeched into his eyes. Dropping his head, he buried his face in the curve of her shoulder. A huge shudder racked him as he changed back to the human form she was used to, a full body shudder which covered every inch of his skin like he stood on a vibrating plate.
Concern filled Neri, banishing her arousal to the corners of her mind. “Knuckles, you okay, sweetheart?” Please let him be okay, he has to be okay. Please let him recognize me, she prayed and held her breath. Relief hit her hard as familiar washed-black-denim eyes met hers. Knuckles smiled.
"I'm okay now.” His arms tightened around her possessively. “I thought I'd lost you. That he…was going to kill you, and I couldn't do anything to stop him…” He shuddered, darkness entering his eyes again.
She nodded, emotion coursing through her as she smoothed her hands over his massive shoulders, trying to comfort him. “I'm so, so sorry to put you through all this.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
His arms tightened around her and he slid a finger under her chin to make her look up. “You didn't drag me in. As I recall, I destroyed half a wall to get in here to you,” he pointed out with a nod toward the ruined doorway, which was when Neri realized they were alone. Blondie and the waxworks had pulled a disappearing act.
Alone. With a hot man…errr, gargoyle. Neri's smile turned naughty as she pressed closer. They said that people who'd been in danger of their lives felt the need to indulge in pleasure—eating, drinking, having sex—to reassure themselves they were alive. It was a theory Neri intended to test thoroughly at the first opportunity.
"So…” She paused to run a finger down the middle of his broad chest. “When are we going to get to the ripping clothes off part?"
Knuckles gave her a confused look. “Huh?"
"The guy that was here before. Blond guy? Looked like a model or something—"
"Jaren,” Knuckles supplied.
"Yeah, Jaren.” Neri waved her hand dismissively. She wasn't interested in much at the moment beyond the man who was holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world. “He said you were dangerous. And something about having to bleach his eyes if he saw you naked."