He hurdled over the hood of a car, slowing me down a bit. He was making more of an effort to get away from me this time around—a good sign that this wasn’t another trap.
A chain link fence stood in his path next, and I was gaining on him again. This was my chance. He leaped up, grabbed the top, and attempted to fling himself over, but I got a grip on his calf and jerked him back down...too hard. He fell back down on top of me. His side rammed into my chest, knocking the air from me and jabbing the cuffs into my poor butt.
“Stupid bitch. You didn’t learn the first time?” He brought his fist around and made contact with my jaw.
I grabbed for him as his body lifted from mine, but I only caught air.
He stood at my feet, staring down at me with those gorgeous brown eyes and that nasty smile. “Stay down, bitch. Good girl.”
“I don’t think so.” I kicked my leg out and swept him off his feet.
He stopped his fall with his hands and launched forward into another run out toward Twenty-Second Street.
Damn, I was going to lose him. I hopped to my feet and followed, maybe too far behind to be able to catch up this time. I was a fast runner but not that fast.
He was almost to the sidewalk when I saw a motorcycle stop short in front of him, blocking his path.
Simeon. It was Simeon! Oh, he was so going to be rewarded for this.
Piper stumbled and turned back to see me seizing his wrist and twisting it around toward his back.
He fought me until I kicked out his feet again and pushed him face down into the concrete. Simeon hurried over and helped confine him while I put the cuffs on.
“Simeon Keller?” Piper said with his cheek smashed into the ground. “You’re helping the Angels?”
Simeon didn’t respond. He looked at me. “Where’s your car?”
I scanned the parking lot and saw my VW sitting in the corner. “It’s not far. I can handle it now.” I nodded toward my prisoner. “Thanks for this.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he said in a gruff tone. “Answer your phone from now on. I don’t want to worry about you.”
Piper let out a wicked laugh. “Worried about a fucking Angel? Are you kidding? The Lord of Hell is going to punish you, Keller. Once he finds out you’re helping this bitch, you’re going to experience pain you’ve never felt before. And I’m going to enjoy your suffering.”
Simeon gripped a handful of Piper’s hair and leaned over him. “You’ll keep your mouth shut, you subservient piece of shit,” he threatened. “Do you think anyone will believe you? You’re nothing. Worthless.”
“And who are you? The bastard―”
Simeon lifted Piper’s head and slammed it into the ground. The brutal act shocked me, and I fought to keep a tight hold on Piper as he curled up in pain.
Angels were all about protocol and control. We followed the rules and maintained our anger. If we didn’t, well, we’d end up with a desk job. So needless to say, watching Simeon use excessive violence took me back.
On the other hand, I couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that he was on my side...this time.
“You know who I am, Peter,” Simeon whispered angrily into his ear. “And you know what I can do to you. Consider this a warning.” He grabbed Piper by his coat and dragged him to his feet.
I held on to his wrists, feeling annoyingly petite next to the two large demons.
“Abigail is going to take you for a little road trip now, and you’re going to be good.”
“Fuck you.” Peter spat at Simeon’s face. “You’ve fucked with the wrong guy, and you’ll go down with the Angels now. I hope this bitch’s pussy was worth it.” His laugh stopped short when Simeon threw a swift cross hook to Piper’s already bloody jaw. The demon’s body jerked to the side, but I held him upright.
Enough already. “You can stop roughing him up now, Sim. Geez. I need him to be able to talk.”
“I won’t allow him to disrespect you, Abigail.”
“I’ll be fine. Sticks and stones, you know?” I began to push my grumpy prisoner toward the car.
Simeon followed but then stopped short. “Call me if you need my help.”
“Don’t worry,” I shouted over my shoulder. “I’ll be super.”
And, hopefully, now that I have Peter Piper in custody I won’t have to seduce and betray you.
Chapter Fourteen
Now that we had Piper blindfolded and almost fully swathed in duct tape, Pauline settled into her seat and stopped fluttering her eyes. Piper had thrashed, kicked, and spat at us when we’d loaded him into the car. He’d left us no choice other than to bind him from head to toe. That tape was going to hurt like a mother when and if we decided to pull it off. Funny, I didn’t feel the least bit guilty.
“Who was that man who helped you?” Pauline asked with a shaky voice.
“Hmm?” I was surprised she’d noticed anything at all. I’d found her curled up in the passenger’s seat all nice and cozy when I’d finally made it to the car with Piper.
“The man with the motorcycle. Who was that? He resembled the demon we thumbed last night. What was his name? Simon Keller?”
Peter mumbled through his taped mouth from the backseat, so I pressed on the brake, jerking him forward.
“Simeon. Yeah, that was him,” I admitted.
She’d find out eventually anyway.
“Oh...” Her finger tapped on her chin. “Is that the demon you, uh, had, uh, you know. It’s been a few years now.”
“Yep, he’s the one.” What was the point in denying it? “He’s part human though.”
“I see. It was all true then. I never knew whether to believe the rumors.”
Rumors? Lois had practically announced it over the loudspeakers. She’d been determined to make every Angel aware of my “traitorous lechery” as a way to punish me, seeing how MOG had excused me without even a warning. I guess MOG thought the backlash I received from the other Angels would be enough. And it had been. Believe me.
I glanced in the rearview mirror. Piper had settled down and was listening to every word we said. “Maybe we should save this talk for later. Why don’t you call in and let them know we’re coming.”
I drove up and down a few wrong streets before heading to Demon Control just in case Piper had an entourage. Leading the wolves to the sheep was the worst thing that could happen at this point.
Pauline snapped her phone shut and looked at me. “Lois said she’d send out two Ex-Angels to help us bring him in. Where do we take him? I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“We’ll play it by ear.” I drove into the garage, pressed my thumb to the scanner, and waited while the metal gate rolled up.
My breath caught when I noticed Judd standing beside Felix by the basement door. His arms were crossed across his chest as he watched me with those intense blue eyes.
A vivid image of him kissing me in the closet flashed into my head, and I had to shake it off. I couldn’t get all nervous and gooey around him now. No way. I wasn’t that type of woman. Especially when I had serious work to do.
Focus, Abby.
Pauline perked up beside me when Judd opened her door. “Hi, Judd. How are you?”
“Great. Why don’t you step out so Felix and I can retrieve our little prisoner?”
“Oh, he’s hardly little.” I yanked the passenger seat up after Pauline got out. Certain parts of my car were temperamental and required the “Abby touch.”
Piper started in on the tantrum again while Judd and Felix lugged him out. He jerked back and forth until he whacked his noggin on the door panel, knocking himself unconscious.
“What a fucking idiot.” Judd dragged Piper to the ground and then held up his upper half while Felix lifted his lower half.
“Nice binding job, Abigail,” Felix said with a chuckle. “Enjoy that, I bet you did.”
“Shut the hell up, Felix,” Judd said before I could respond.
“I can speak for myself, Judd.” I locked up
my car and followed them.
Pauline scanned her thumb on the door and propped it open so the two men could carry Piper inside the hallway.
“Fine,” Judd said to me over his shoulder. “You want to do everything your damn self. You don’t even answer your phone when I call you. I don’t know why you insist on being so goddamned stubborn.”
“I didn’t need you.”
“No? Your beat-up face tells me different.”
I swept my fingers across my bruised jaw where Piper had gotten in a lucky shot. It wasn’t that bad.
Pauline cleared her throat. “Abigail had help from a half-breed,” she announced, smiling at Judd as if he held the only key to the house behind the white picket fence. “It was very interesting.”
Judd wrenched his head back to glare at me. “Unfuckingbelievable, Abby.”
We walked the rest of the long hallway in silence. I had nothing to say to Judd. Or the other two, for that matter. Where was the gratitude for bringing in one of the bad guys? Where was the love? Sure, I’d had help from Simeon. So what? Without him, Piper might’ve gotten away, and we’d be back at square one.
Heck, if we didn’t have Piper, I’d be shopping for lingerie and spy gear. Chew on that, Judd.
Felix directed Pauline to open the next door on the left, and we all clambered inside the room. I watched curiously while Judd and Felix carried Piper into the holding cell and set him on what looked like an electrocution chair. Yikes. I’d never seen that before.
Pauline let out a small gasp. “Well, I’ll just be in my apartment if you all need me.” She turned on her shaky heel and left.
Judd looked up at me, emotionless. “Why don’t you go with her?”
“I’m not going anywhere. We’ve got work to do.”
Without further ado, the two men cut and ripped off the duct tape along with the demon’s clothes. Piper woke up with a jolt and started murmuring against the tape on his mouth. He thrashed about, but Judd and Felix fought to secure his wrists, ankles, and forehead with leather straps, bounding him tightly to the chair. Naked.
I turned my head, unable to watch. “What are you going to do to him?”
“Nothing if we don’t have to. But we have permission to do whatever the hell we want.” Judd tore off the tape on Piper’s mouth. “Start talking, demon.”
“Suck my cock, fairy boy.” Piper spat toward Felix. “Or suck his if that’s the way you do things around here.” He smiled up at me wickedly, and I couldn’t help notice an erection growing between his legs. “You can set the elfin bitch on my lap. I’ll show her what a real man feels like.” He lips twitched. “Or did Keller already beat me there? Huh, Angel cunt?”
“Get out the whip, Felix.” Judd grabbed me by the arm and walked me out the door and halfway down the hall. “Go up to your apartment and stay there.”
I jerked away from his grasp. “No. He’s my prisoner. I found him, I detained him, and I brought him in. Not you. Not Felix. And are you kidding about the whip?”
“Please,” he whispered through clenched teeth. “If I have to hear another word about you and that half-breed, I’m going to explode.”
“Explode then. See if I care. But I highly suggest getting a grip. You’re going to give yourself an aneurism.”
“No, you’re going to give me... Never mind.” He shook his head and backed me up against the cold brick wall. “Abby,” he whispered. “Didn’t that kiss today mean anything to you?”
“I don’t know,” I said stubbornly. “Was it supposed to?”
“Abigail.” Lois’ stern voice sent unpleasant shivers up my spine. Judd backed up, allowing me to face her.
“Hi, Lois.” I gritted my teeth. It wasn’t easy stifling my irritation. “We have Peter Piper in the interrogation cell. What would you like us to do with him?”
Her eyebrows rose above her thick black glasses. “Judd and Felix already have orders, Abigail. Didn’t they tell you? You’re free to go play or whatever it is that you do on your time off.”
I sensed a whole heck load of condescending in her voice. “But he’s my prisoner.”
“Not anymore. I’m employing the Ex-Angels for this particular job.” She brushed past me and headed to the interrogation room. “Come, Judd. There’s no time to waste.”
“I’m sorry, Abby.” Judd pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I have to do this. I’ll tell you what happened when it’s all over.”
Chapter Fifteen
I pounded on Simeon’s door and rang his doorbell, but he didn’t answer. Darn. He wasn’t home. I’d wanted to be anywhere but Demon Control after being dismissed by Lois. I’d pushed myself to the limit to bring Peter Piper in, and what did I get for it? Certainly not the respect I deserved.
Nope. Lois and the other Angels’ poor opinion of me would never change. What was the point of trying? Well, other than being an Angel was my identity, and demon law enforcement was my job. Who or what would I be without it?
That didn’t change the fact that I was furious. And disappointed. And all I craved right at the moment was to be touched like I mattered. I wanted to talk to someone who held me in high regard, who didn’t look down on me.
Usually, that was Judd, but damn it, he’d betrayed me tonight. He hadn’t thought twice about taking that job right out from under me. And oh, I bet he felt good about it too.
Men!
The faint roar of a motorcycle drew closer, and I watched gleefully as Simeon pulled up in his driveway next to my VW. His shoulder length ink-black hair was windswept, and his silvery eyes took me in with curiosity.
I walked to him as he got off the bike, clad in black leather. I pursed my lips to keep from drooling.
“Are you okay? What happened?” He drew me close. He smelled of sweet autumn breeze mixed with his sensual musky scent.
I breathed him in and suddenly felt calmer. “I’m fine. Nothing’s happened yet. That I know of, anyway.”
“I thought you’d be heavily probing Peter by now.”
“The case was taken away from me. I don’t really want to talk about it.” Talking was the last thing I had on my mind.
He nodded thoughtfully. “You want to come in?”
“Yes, please.”
“Why don’t I park your car in the garage as a precaution? I don’t want your friend banging at my door again tonight.”
I’d agree to just about anything right now. I handed over the keys and went to wait for him inside.
The interior of his house was colder than it was outside, and I wondered if he ran the air conditioner all year. Or maybe as an Angel, I was too sensitive to wintry temperatures. Either way, I sank down into the couch, grabbed the chenille blanket that hung over the couch, and wrapped it around me.
The sound of my keys hitting the dining room table brought my attention to Simeon. He laughed when he saw me cuddled up in the blanket.
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s adorable, my little iron-deficient Angel.” His sexy smile didn’t fade as he draped his leather coat over a chair and walked into the living room. “This might help.” He flicked a switch on the wall to start the fireplace.
“Instant gratification. Impressive.”
“You like that?” He sat down beside me and gathered me into his lap, enveloping me in a warm embrace. “What about this?”
“This is okay too.” I wasn’t quite up at the seductress level. Even though MOG had given me the green light.
Become Simeon’s friend. Or more than a friend, if that’s what you’d like.
But I didn’t want to think about betraying and seducing a man I was starting to respect. Possibly, starting to fall for. Whether I wanted to or not, it was happening. So what if his father might be behind the attacks? Simeon hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he’d proven to me tonight that he was on my side. He hadn’t let me down.
He was good. He had a soul. I could feel it deep down in my belly as I sat so close to the beating of his heart.
Two fing
ers tilted my chin up to meet his eyes. “You want to talk about why you decided to visit me? Not that I’m complaining. Just curious.”
I shook my head.
“No? You want to discuss anything else?”
“Not really.” I slid my hand up and down the ridges on his stomach to give him a better idea about what was really on my mind.
He grinned knowingly. “Hmm... Let me think. You want to look for bad guys on my computer? You want to question my integrity? Wait. You’re here to give me another strike. Am I warm?”
“Don’t tease me. I’m not in the mood for teasing.”
“What are you in the mood for, love?” He slipped his hands around my neck and into my hair. “You don’t have to be shy with me. I’ll give you whatever you ask for. I think I’ve proven that tonight.”
“You did. Thank you.” My body trembled as I readjusted to straddle his lap. I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted him to ease my anxiety. Make me forget about Peter Piper. Forget about the attacks. Forget about my guilt. Forget everything and everyone.
Leisurely, he swept off my jacket and the blanket covering me. “I don’t think we need these anymore. I’ll keep you warm.” He wrapped his powerful arms around my waist and crushed me to his lean, taut body.
The inside of my thighs quivered from just listening to the sound of his honey- smooth voice. It occurred to me that I wasn’t the seductress. I was the prey. Frankly, I didn’t care one teensy bit now that his mouth was on my neck, licking and lightly nipping at the sensitive area just below my ear.
Mesmerized, I ran my hands up and down his biceps, over his wide shoulders, and across his chest. Every inch was solid perfection. I wanted to explore more of him...with much less clothing between us.
As if reading my mind, he reached and tugged off his T-shirt. “I love the feel of your hands on me,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to my lips. “Be careful of your thumb though, love.” He grinned playfully. “I don’t want to be deported from heaven to Hell without a good reason.”
“Don’t give me a reason then,” I joked along but casually tucked my thumbs into my palms. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Mystic Realms: A Limited Edition Collection Page 51