Mercy's Protectors (Mercy Ashby Book 1)

by A. M. Hardin

  “Unfortunately, the man that was arguing with my father was one I had seen at a distance whenever he came to visit. There was another there, Jerome, who was watching the two of them fight with a blank expression on his face. Until he saw me. When his cold eyes came to me, I froze. I knew I needed to leave but I couldn’t move, I was scared.”

  I look up as Parker brings a cup of coffee to me and I let it warm my hands before taking a drink.

  “Anyway, when he saw me he laughed and told my dad that he did a good job of hiding me. Of hiding that he knew where I was or that I had even existed. That made my dad and the guy he was arguing with to turn towards me.” I pause and take a deep breath. “That was the only time I saw my father’s face show fear. It wasn’t fear for himself, it was fear for me. The man, he came toward me and cupped my cheek, making me look at him. I begged my legs to move but they just wouldn’t. My dad tried coming between us, even though he was powerful, he wasn’t any match for Jerome and his boss together. My mother was out with friends or something so she couldn’t do anything to help me.”

  I stop as I think about that night, the fear I felt for me, for my dad. Seeing my dad unconscious on the floor had scared the ever loving fuck out of me. I fight back the chill that crawls up my spine and take another drink of my coffee.

  “What happened when your dad tried to help?” Hunter asks.

  I jump a little, forgetting that they were even there, listening to me tell the story. “When they subdued my father, knocking him out they both came for me. My legs finally listened to me and I ran. I left my house and I don’t remember exactly how far I ran but it wasn’t far. I don’t think I even made it out of my yard before they had me.”

  Moving away from the window, unable to handle standing for this next bit of my story. I tuck my legs beneath me and stare at the floor in front of me, not wanting to see the guys’ expressions.

  “When they got me, they took me to Hell. I’m not entirely sure where in Hell they took me, though. I don’t know why exactly he didn’t kill me. Although something Jerome said tonight makes me wonder.”

  “What’d Jerome say?” Hunter asks.

  “He said something about me being given to him after his boss gets my kids?” It came out sounding like a question because I have no idea what the fuck that was about. “My scars all came from my time there, although that’s not all they did. They healed the rest of what they did to me. I’m thinking they healed it because it would have interfered with me having a baby since there was so much done internally, especially to my stomach at those times. I was never raped, but I was tortured. They kept me there for four years until my dad and my uncle found me. My dad died saving me from him.”

  “Who is Jerome’s boss?” Kai asks, looking between me, Hunter and Warwick. I guessed Hunter knows who he is but I wasn’t sure if Warwick did. Judging by the look on his face he knows who he is too.

  “Lucifer’s only living son,” Hunter says. “Payne. He’s nearly as powerful as his father.”

  12

  Chapter Twelve

  Mercy

  “Are we done yet?” Warwick whines and I have to fight a snicker.

  No matter the species, most men can’t stand to go shopping. Especially, clothes shopping.

  “We’ve been here for like fifteen minutes,” I point out.

  “How the hell did I get conned into being on bodyguard duty while you shopped for clothes that you can just buy online?”

  “Warwick, if I bought them online I wouldn’t be able to try them on to make sure they fit like I need them to.”

  “Seriously, Mercy, call me War. It’s a hell of a lot easier to say than Warwick. It’s a weird ass tongue twister. Even I fuck it up sometimes,” he says with a chuckle.

  “Why not change your name if it’s that much of a pain?” I ask while I grab a pair of black pants to look at the size.

  “Because my mom picked it for me. I might shorten it to make it easier on everyone else but I’d never make her feel bad about picking my name so I keep it.”

  A demon with a heart. That’s almost unheard of. At least around me. My dad and my uncle are completely different, nearly every other demon I’ve been around has always tried to kill me.

  "Okay, so War it is," I concede.

  "Seriously though, are we almost done?" War asks, still whining a little.

  I roll my eyes. "Dude, patience is a virtue."

  "I'm a demon," he points out unnecessarily. "We're notorious for being impatient. It's one of our best qualities."

  I snort at his cheshire cat grin. "Yeah, okay." Getting a better grip of the pants and shirts I've got in my arms I walk towards the dressing room so I can try them on.

  "Oooh, are you gonna model for me?" He sounds like a kid in a candy store. Only thing he's missing is jumping up and down and clapping his hands.

  "Uh, no?" My statement comes out like a question.

  He smirks at me when we get to the rooms. "I wouldn't say no if you wanted to model some of that lingerie over there." He nods his head towards the lingerie section of the store.

  "Perv."

  He shrugs. "I'm an incubus, Mimi. What do you expect?"

  I shut the dressing room door in his face before I strip. "Yeah, well, you're also male, so that's kind of a given that you're a perv."

  "Hey," he protests through the door. "I resent that. There are plenty of females who are perverted. Trust me, I know."

  "I don't doubt that. I'm one of them," I admit and grin to myself when he makes a strangled noise, but no other words come out.

  Looks like I just left the sexy incubus speechless. Score.

  One point for Mercy and zero points for War.

  "War? You okay?" I ask him, my voice trembling with laughter.

  "Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. You're absolutely evil though. Are you sure you're not a full-demon?"

  I throw one of the jeans that didn't fit right over the top of the dressing room, aiming for him and it hits its target if the muffled curse is anything to go by. "I'm pretty damn sure. My mom is completely human."

  "Did you have throw your pants at my face?"

  "Of course I did. It was moral imperative," I say simply.

  He snorts. "Whatever. Are you done yet?"

  "Jesus, you're like a little kid," I snipe. I make my voice sound like a little kids while I mock, "'Mom are we there yet? How about now? How much longer? Can you make my lunch?'"

  "Oh, speaking of lunch, can you make food?" He asks, sounding completely serious.

  I pull my original clothes on and open the door. Walking out with the clothes piled on one arm while I reach the other out to punch War in the shoulder.

  "Don't be a sexist dick."

  "Hey, don't hit," he laughs. "It was a legitimate question."

  "No, I can't cook. I actually almost burned our house down a couple years ago trying to make food. My mom wouldn't let me near the kitchen after that."

  "Good for your mom," he says with a smirk when we get to the register to pay for the clothes I chose. He meets the eyes of the cashier and she blushes.

  Can't blame her for that. She's only a human, incubi and succubi have the uncanny ability to flood a human's body with desire to make it easier to seduce them. Although, with their looks a majority of them don't even need to use their sex demon allure. It's not always a conscious ability. It depends on the breed of sex demon. For some of them, their allure is just natural. They don't even have to try.

  "Did you find everything you need?" The cashier asks, her eyes trailing across Warwick's body, completely ignoring me, even though I'm the one who's actually buying the shit.

  "We got everything," I snap, not even willing to think about what the jealousy that I feel coursing through my veins as this woman gives War bedroom eyes means. "Thanks."

  She blinks and finally looks to me, her gaze travels across me dismissively.

  I roll my eyes.

  It's always the same thing. "Can you just ring us up please?" I ask as I s
tart to get impatient.

  "Oh, of course," she says plastering a fake smile on her face while her cheeks flush a darker red.

  War's shoulders shake in a silent laugh as the cashier rings up my items. I pay for the clothes and don't bother thanking the chick before turning to walk out of the store, forcing War to follow after me instead of wasting our time with flirting.

  "A little snappy there, eh, Mimi?" War asks from behind me, a smile in his voice.

  "Bite me, jackass," I grumble, not wanting to talk about my snappiness with the woman in the store.

  Fucker knows he's hot, so he really shouldn't be surprised by her reaction or mine. I mean, I was right there. For all the girl knew he could have been my boyfriend for Christ's sake.

  I shake my head, clearing it of all thoughts of a boyfriend. Having a boyfriend right now is definitely not what's important. Especially if that boyfriend would be someone on the team that's protecting me. I’m about ninety-nine percent positive it'd fuck things up if I got involved with any of the guys.

  "So where to next?" War asks after a few quiet moments of following me down the sidewalk outside the mall.

  "I'm honestly kind of just walking," I admit. "I haven't been for just a normal walk for a few weeks. I want a little bit of normal."

  War falls into step beside me. "But you're not normal. You're a half-demon."

  I grin humorlessly. "I'm impressed."

  "With?"

  "You managed to say that without any disgust in your voice."

  War glances sideways at me. "I've got nothing against half-demons as a breed. Yes, there are some half-demons that are ridiculously stupid or violent, but I don't lump you all into the same... category, I guess is the right word."

  "You mean like Talon obviously does?" I ask, trying to keep the bitterness out of my tone.

  Warwick sighs heavily. "It's nothing against you, Mercy. Just give him time to get used to you and he'll see that you're different. It's his story to tell or I'd tell you why he reacts the way he does to you."

  "I never said that I believed it was against me as a person," I point out. "I just really don't like being compared to others of my kind when I didn't even want to be a part of this world to begin with. I would have been happy if I was just left to live life as a human after my father died. Hell, that's pretty much what I did."

  "Live like a human?"

  I nod. "Yeah. I went to high school with humans. I can't say my friends were humans because the only friend I had was Xena. When she disappeared I was alone. I couldn't make friends because I'm honestly not the nicest person around."

  War snorts. "You may not be the nicest person around, but you're definitely real. That's probably intimidating to some people." The way he says it makes my cheeks flush a little.

  "Whatever," I mumble, not comfortable with the direction our little chat was taking.

  "Since Talon's house isn't far from here can we just walk back? Can someone come get the car later? I don't want to be stuck in a car."

  I steel myself for him to say no so I gape when he nods. "Yeah, that's fine with me. We're still waiting on the Head Orderly to get back in touch with us about how the internal investigation is going."

  "Internal investigation?" I ask. The guys haven't really told me much about what's been happening back at the Order, and truthfully, I haven't been all that interested unless it involved Xena. I talked to her last night so I know she's safe and doing okay.

  "Yeah, he's trying to figure out who told Jerome about your whereabouts the other night."

  Gods, had it really been three nights since I was face to face with Jerome again? A shiver runs down my spine. Definitely not enough time between the last time I saw him when I was twelve and a few days ago. I'd have preferred if he kept his evil ass away from me. No such luck though.

  "You know we won't let anything happen to you right?" He asks after we walk in silence for a while.

  "I know you guys will try. Honestly, it's nothing against you guys, but I don't feel that I'll ever be safe until Jerome and Payne are gone." However, since just thinking about killing Lucifer, Satan's right hand man's son can be a death sentence, I'm not holding out much hope.

  "We've got your back, Mercy. We'll do everything we can to make sure they don't get near you again. Trust in that, if nothing else."

  I give him a soft smile. "I do. It's weird, but I do trust you guys."

  "Why is it weird?"

  I give him an odd look. "What do you mean? It's weird because I don't trust easily. It's weird because I don't really know you guys at all, but I still trust you all with my safety. Even Talon."

  "Well, I'm glad," he says with a small smile. "Talon will come around Mercy. Just give him a little bit of time."

  We're in front of Talon's house now, the walk took less time than I thought it would. I place my hand on the door and meet War's eyes. "That's the thing, War," I say softly, remembering what Xena said the night before. "I don't know how much time we have left."

  I open the door without waiting for his response and walk inside and am instantly assaulted by the smell of food cooking.

  It smells absolutely fantastic. I moan. "Please tell me foods almost ready," I say to no one in particular.

  Hunter chuckles from the couch where he's reading a book. "It'll be ready soon. It took you guys a while at the store."

  "Mercy wanted to walk, or we'd have been here sooner," War says, throwing me completely under the bus before leaving the room with a wink.

  I gape after him before looking to Hunter. "Uh, he said it would be fine," I say defensively.

  Hunter snickers, his red eyes that are usually so hard, sparkle in amusement. "It's fine, Mercy. Next time text or call one of us and let us know so we don't think something's happened."

  I raise a brow. "Yes, mom." We flinch simultaneously. Yeah, never calling him that again.

  "Please don't call me that. That's just wrong."

  "Yeah. Don't worry I won't. That was just weird. Next time I'll just call you dad," I joke with a wicked grin.

  He laughs. "Not that either. I may be old but I'm definitely not a father."

  I pause at that. "Wait, how old are you?"

  Hunter's eyes sparkle. "Much older than you, Doll."

  I glare at him. "Seriously? That's like the most vague answer, ever."

  He shrugs. "That's the best you'll get out of me."

  I roll my eyes and plop myself onto the couch across from him, grumbling under my breath.

  13

  Chapter Thirteen

  Warwick

  Looking around the table after I’ve finished eating I notice that Talon’s gone. I don’t remember him sitting to eat but I do remember him coming in to get food.

  “Where’s Talon?” I ask the table.

  Hunter looks like he’s annoyed. Either that I asked the question or at Talon’s absence, but otherwise doesn’t answer.

  “He’s probably in his office,” Parker says with a shrug.

  Mercy meets my eyes from across the table and I can see the hurt in her gorgeous violet eyes before she looks down at her plate.

  She may understand most people’s feelings for half-demons but that didn’t mean she was okay with it. In some ways she’s like a lot of those half-demons that others despise, the only difference being that she doesn’t want to be that way. The things that happened to her in her life is what caused her to become hard and unmerciful.

  “I’ll go see what he’s up to,” I say after Talon’s cook takes my empty plate from in front of me.

  I leave the dining room and make my way to Talon’s office. I knock on the open door and see Talon with his face in his computer while he types away, his food left untouched beside him.

  “Hey man, everything good?” I ask.

  He grunts. “Fine.”

  “You wanna try that again?” I raise my brow, daring him to tell me I’m wrong.

  Talon closes his eyes. He brings his thumb and forefinger up to pinch the bridge o
f his nose. “It’s fine. I’m just…” He trails off.

  “Avoiding being around Mercy any more than necessary?” I question, though I already know that’s exactly what he’s doing.

  His eyes open. “It’s not that,” he denies.

  “No? So you no longer have a problem with what she is?” I challenge.

  He looks everywhere but at me and I can’t help but scoff.

  “That’s what I thought. It’s been a little over a week since she’s been with us, how long will it take for you to realize that Mercy isn’t like the others?”

  Talon slouches back into his chair. “It’s not that I don’t realize that. After spending so much time with her it’s actually pretty easy to see how different she is from them.”

  “So then what’s the problem?” I ask more than a little confused about his attitude about her.

  He sighs. “It’s nothing. I’ll work on it, okay?”

  I look at him for a heartbeat longer than necessary before nodding once. “Alright. Just, try to talk to her like she’s an actual person to you. She’s hiding it around you and all of us, but I don’t think she really likes the stereotypes that are thrown at her because of what she is. I’m pretty sure the way you’ve been treating her has been hurting her.”

  He tilts his head, conceding that. “Alright. I can do that.”

  “Good.” I lift my hand in a half-assed wave and leave his office without waiting for him to say anything else and make my way to the gym in the basement.

  I chuckle when I see Parker and Kai on one side of the mat watching Hunter and Mercy spar. Stepping in between them I ask, “How long have they been going at it?”

  “Shortly after you left the dining room Hunter asked Mercy if she wanted to spar. We obviously just wanted to watch and be lazy for a little while,” Parker says with a grin.