“Because despite your moronic behavior when we first met, I like you.”
Amusement flickered in his gaze. Then he shook his head and released her hand. “You shouldn’t. Bad things happen to people who get close to me.”
Saia heard his warning. So the guy had badass written all over him, but he’d protected her from a Caligo. More, he was strong, different, and played by his own rules. She liked that.
“Is that why you blow hot then cold with me?” she asked, remembering his coldness when he’d dropped her off last night.
He studied her for another second, then that look she was fast coming to associate with his wicked humor appeared. “I don’t blow anything, in fact, I like… licking, sucking, and definitely biting a whole lot better.”
Saia was sure her face matched the color of her scarlet sweater. Not to be outdone, she snorted. “Yes, I recall. You still owe me an apology.”
If anything, she was starting to realize that Riley never apologized. You either accepted him for who he was or not. He didn’t seem to give a damn about anything.
“Ain’t happening, sweetheart. Now about this weekend?”
“It’s an early Christmas party.”
He frowned. “If it’s just a party, why do you need a date?”
“You haven’t been to any of my mother’s gatherings,” she evaded.
His brow rose.
Not like she could answer him. How could she tell a guy like Riley that suitor number twenty-nine had been reeled in? She had a bad feeling if she didn’t do something drastic, life as she knew it would be over. When she’d seen Piers with her brothers last night, it felt as if someone had fastened a wedding ring around her chest and was tightening the band, squeezing her into submission.
“Very well. If I do this, I want you to stay with your folks after this weekend.”
And there it was, the codicil. “Why?”
“You ask me why?” His eyes became cold like the gems they resembled. “Did your brother the hunter not tell you anything? There’s a Caligo after you. It will hunt you until its dead or you are. It happened at my bar, I’ll take care of this, but I want you away from here and safe.”
Saia bit her lip and twisted the ring on her finger. She’d just moved out of her home, and now she had to move in again? Wouldn’t Mother be ecstatic?
Nope, not happening. She’d polish her fighting skills if she had to. No way would she live at home again.
But for now, she’d concentrate on the fact that he’d agreed to accompany her home. “All right.”
Riley showered and changed after he got back from the gym that evening. He had to find the Caligo, Trevor, and end him. There was no reasoning with those entities.
Once he did this date stint with Saia, she’d be back in her home and safe with her hunter brother. He sat on the bed to pull on his boots then just stared at the thing in his hand.
His mind drifted to the photo of her he’d seen earlier at Liz’s shop. As a kid with a missing tooth, she’d been adorable and obviously tormented by her brothers, who’d each held a pigtail. Her family had surrounded her—loved her; while at that age, he’d been a poster-child for the unwanted. He couldn’t stop his memories from taking him back to the cold obsidian fortress in Stygia…
“Come on, little brother, awaken. Your sire would speak to you.”
His eyelids blinked open. Groggily, he peered at his foster brother in his soldier’s uniform. Dark-haired, tall, and so strong, Ayperos leaned over his bed. Riley wanted to be like him. Resilient, not have the others tease him or call him debilis.
His chest hurt, tears burned his eyes again. He hated that name. He wanted his sire to be proud of him, like he was Ayperos.
“Why?” he asked as he crawled out of his bed and straightened his spine. His sire would see he was getting stronger. If only he could stop shaking in his father’s presence.
“You’re to be given to a couple in Sheol. It is good, Réomer, you will have a better life there.”
He couldn’t breathe, felt a huge hand squeezing his chest. “No! You lie.”
Ayperos sighed. “Come on, then. Your sire is in the citadel. Talk to him.”
His stomach heaving, shoulders hunched, he followed Ayperos down to the third level of the obsidian fortress. He knew, just knew this was about what had happened yesterday. His stomach hurt again. He’d gotten angry at the taunts, then those villagers had started fighting, and there was blood everywhere—
“Don’t be scared.” Ayperos draped a heavy arm over his shoulders. “I’ll be right there with you.”
He nodded. Ayperos always told him to be strong and not react when the others in the citadel picked on him, called him a runt, a weakling. Debilis. He loathed that name.
Then yesterday happened. He was so glad he’d hurt them, but he’d killed innocent demons, too.
“They don’t matter, Réomer.” Ayperos squeezed his shoulder. “Accidents occur.”
The giant, black door to his sire’s study opened.
Ayperos stood beside him, but all Riley saw was the big male seated at the giant, black desk, in a giant, black chair. He stopped breathing. His heart felt like a trapped bird.
His sire glanced up. He cut Ayperos an impatient look, his lime-green eyes pure ice in his pitilessly handsome face. “What is it?”
“He wants to hear it from you.”
His sire’s glacial gaze shifted to him. He stared at Riley for so long—the images of the village drenched in blood flashed in his mind and squeezed his chest with guilt—the words burst free. “I didn’t mean to hurt them.”
As if he hadn’t spoken, his sire said, “I can’t be around worrying about you. That ability is bound until you can learn control. My decision is final. You will reside in Sheol with your new caregivers.” He nodded to Ayperos. “Get him ready, we’ll drop him off on our way out.”
The bird entombed in Riley’s chest slid to his belly and died.
In that moment, Riley had tasted what absolute hatred was. He’d been tossed aside like unwanted baggage and forgotten until recently.
Still, it surprised him his sire hadn’t sent his golden boy to bring him back. After all, he’d groomed Ayperos into the son he no doubt wished he’d spawned, and not the embarrassment Riley was.
Yeah, great memories to have of one’s sire.
Riley shut off those gloomy thoughts. He’d learned the hard way not to let anyone close. That was a shitload of pain and disappointment waiting to happen. He concentrated on the job he had to do. One he relished. He would never return to Stygia, but he would send his so-called “protectors” back.
Riley grabbed his jacket from the chair and flashed out of his apartment. Moments later, he took form in an alley off Bourbon Street and headed for the strip joint, Bottom’s Up. The strains of sulfur drifted to him. Every time, they ended at the same sordid place. It made his hunt a whole lot easier.
Dull red lights cast an eerie glow around the club. Spotlights brightened the center stage and followed the nearly naked female undulating against a pole. The scent of stale liquor merged with arousal suffused the air. Males with glazed, lust-filled eyes watched the stage in rapture while others chain-smoked as the female removed her last piece of clothing.
Riley scanned for the familiar vibration of those in service to his sire. The strains of their blood oaths made it easier to track them.
There, in an enclosed booth, a brown-haired demon was sprawled in his seat with a topless female straddling his lap. Two more were draped around his neck. Riley’s latest prey appeared to be in paradise. He stalked across the club and snagged the chair opposite the demon. The unattended women looked his way and trampled each other to get to him.
“Leave,” Riley muttered, filling the word with compulsion. Confusion settled on their faces as they drifted away, even the one on the demon’s lap. The big demon blinked, coming out of his sexual haze at his thwarted conquest. Then he laid eyes on Riley. He smirked in apparent recognition. “So you
’re the one.”
Riley ignored the shithead’s attempt at ridicule. He leaned back in his seat with a whole lot of attitude, didn’t say a word, simply folded his arms over his chest.
The demon sneered. “We’ve been ordered to bring you back to Stygia. It will be done.”
Did they really think him that easy? “And how would that work, since you’ll be dead?”
“Dead?” The demon swallowed, his thick neck bobbing like a turkey’s as realization dawned.
Now Riley smirked with a whole lot of nasty. “He didn’t tell you, did he? I find you, you’re dead. See, it’s all a game between him and me. You can hurt me, sure, but kill me? Nope, he’d torture you for that—”
The demon shot up from his seat and took off for the exit. A damn sight annoying to go chasing after the bastard, but it had to be done. These demons working for his sire were far from innocent. He’d send them back, dead—alive, he didn’t care which, as long as his old man got the message and left him the hell alone.
Outside the strip club, Riley scanned the area. The demon thundered down the narrow street, crashing into several drunks, who fell like dominoes. Curses flew. Riley tore after him. Grabbing the demon, he hauled him into a gloomy access-way between two grungy buildings.
The bastard lashed out with a meaty fist. Stars exploded behind Riley’s eyes. He snarled and shook his head to clear the haze. Then a stinging heat blazed across his chest. Hissing, Riley staggered back, glared at the blood drenching his shirt. Damn jackass. Fuck this! Summoning his dagger, he plunged the blade deep into the demon’s chest. He screeched and vanished before Riley could make good on his promise.
Anger buzzing through his veins, he turned. Something heavy crashed into him, slamming him against the wall.
The air exploded from Riley’s flattened lungs. Pain jarred up his spine. He grunted, ducking the ham-size fist coming at him.
So the other minion had found him? Good, he didn’t have to go hunting for his ass.
“You won’t get away that easy,” the black-haired demon snarled.
“Yeah?” Riley wheezed. “Watch me.” He rammed his iron blade home, straight into the heart. A raucous sound exploded as the demon fell to the asphalt in shock, then faded and disappeared, leaving only the dagger behind.
Riley bent over, hands on his knees, and fought to pull more air into his bruised lungs. Shit! His chest stung. Despite the silence in the alley, he was well aware that he wasn’t alone as the scent of spicy apples drifted to him. He straightened and glanced at his blood-drenched shirt in irritation.
“Guess you didn’t need my help here, but they were just demons. Need I ask why?”
Another pained breath, and Riley met the puzzled steely-blue eyes of the female opposite him, not surprised to see her there. She blended into the dark in black jeans and a jacket. A beanie covered her braided hair.
“This one you’d better stay out of, Liz. It’s a past I cannot get rid off.”
She nodded, didn’t push for more. “Thanks for what you did for Saia last night.”
“You came close to revealing yourself.”
She grimaced and rubbed her jaw where Trevor had punched her. “It’s a tough choice, but if it means keeping Saia safe, I’ll break any promise.”
He understood all too well why Liz had walked away from her family years ago. Families could be a pain in the ass with their prejudices, as he well understood.
Liz and her lover had moved in next door to him over a decade and a half ago. He hadn’t had much contact with or interest in them until rogue blood-demons had attacked them. Her lover had died violently, his throat ripped out. She would have, too, if he hadn’t come across them.
Liz was one of those rare humans who didn’t blame him for the atrocities committed by his species when he’d revealed what he was by killing the horde that would have ended her life.
His thoughts went back to the Caligo after Saia.
“I’m accompanying Saia to her home this weekend.” He had no idea why he’d said that. Maybe he just needed someone to kick him in the head, remind him that he was only helping protect Saia, because he certainly wasn’t thinking straight.
Liz smiled. “Yes…and you could have said no just as easily. More importantly, I know you’ll keep her safe with that Trevor on the loose. Talk later.”
“Wait…” Shit, just ask her. “Where is she?”
Liz quietly studied him. “At home. A few of her friends are there. Girl’s night in.”
His heart settled, she was safe for now.
“Riley, have fun at the mansion, but be careful.” Then Liz disappeared into the shadows.
Why would she warn him? It was just a party, right?
Frowning, he flashed back to the bar and grunted in pain. Using this mode of travel while wounded hurt like a bitch. In his office, he pulled off his shirt, pressing it against his chest. The wound was already closing, but it annoyed the shit out of him that he’d gotten hurt so easily.
Gaelin’s words rang like a nasty song in his head. No matter how much he trained, he couldn’t deny the truth. He was losing his psychic strength. The strains tugged at him to return to Stygia.
He ground his teeth and snagged a tee from a drawer in his desk. That life was over.
Heavy gray clouds hung low over the skyscrapers the following day. The sudden cold front added a chill to the air as a fog rolled in.
“Well?” Saia asked. Riley shifted his gaze from the skies and glanced at her Corvette parked at the curb. Really? Did she expect him to ride in that, cramped like a pretzel? Not that he had anything against the car, except its crazy driver. Saia became a maniac behind those wheels. He’d seen her. Besides, he had no plans to arrive at her home driven by her.
“We’ll travel in mine.” He headed for the black Escalade EXT parked in front of her car and tossed her overnight bag, along with his, into the back seat.
She brushed impatiently at the loose, wavy strand of hair that had escaped from beneath her beanie to blow across her face in the light breeze. “You like getting your way, don’t you?”
“And you’re just learning that now?” He opened the door. “Get in.”
She glanced at the elevated truck and snorted. “I’m not scrambling into that monster. You can follow me.” She pivoted for her car.
Riley grasped her around the waist. A startled gasp escaped her and scraped over his already heightened senses. Gold-flecked brown eyes flared and locked on his as he dumped her delectable ass on the front seat. But she didn’t say anything. He strode around to his side, his body wired hard, and got in.
Once he’d eased the truck into heavy traffic, she gave him her address. Then her fingers tapped restlessly on the leather seat. “I guess we should get to know each other, huh? You first.”
Despite everything in him demanding he respond, he kept his attention on the road. Remained silent. Like he’d ever talk about himself, what he could eventually become, or the shitty relationship he had with his sire. He’d rather eat blades. “I own Satire’s.”
When he said nothing else, she laughed. “Okay, then, since we covered that…I’ll tell you about myself.”
Riley cut her a sharp look. And that damn single dimple nearly undid him. He needed a distraction, anything that would drown out this awareness tugging at him like a magnetic field.
“You’ll meet my family soon. There are six of us...” Her fingers continued with that restless, offbeat drumming. “You met Rohan and Zayn the other night, they’re two years older than me. Then there’s Noah, he’s the oldest. And my parents. Don’t worry, all will be well. My dad’s wonderful, you’ll like him.”
No mention of the mother, he noted.
Riley glanced at her, well aware she suspected what he was, but he had to know. “Walking into the home of demon-hunters…not very reassuring for me, is it?”
Her lips curved in mischief. “Scared?”
By the dark gods, he wanted to pull her onto his lap and properly kiss th
at tormenting mouth. “You’re not afraid of me?”
“Should I be? If you wanted to hurt me, you could have.”
He would lay down his life for her. But that was neither here nor there right now. So he asked, “If all is well at home, why am I being dragged in as the pretend date?”
Her shoulder lifted in a shrug, as if that explained everything, and slumped in her seat.
He didn’t push. Whatever reason Saia had for wanting him here, he’d find out soon enough. He planned on being her shadow until he’d poofed Trevor.
The streetlights flickered to life as they left the French Quarter behind. It did little to cut through the fog swirling in the streets. Light rain fell, and the swishing of the wipers was the only sound in the vehicle.
He glanced at Saia and found her worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, her gaze on the zipping wipers. Desire hit him hard. By the nine circles, he had to get his urges under control. No matter how much she tormented him, she needed his help to survive this.
As they passed the elegant antebellum mansions lining the streets of the Garden District, and the closer they got to her home, the quieter she became. The moment he entered the oak-tree-lined cul-de-sac, her tension became a living entity, its cold fingers snaking around him.
Riley slowed the Escalade and drove past massive wrought-iron gates and up the manicured driveway to an enormous two-story neoclassical mansion with towering Ionic pillars at the entrance. He stopped behind a black Ferrari parked in front of the portico.
Saia stared at her home like she was bracing herself for an attack. Riley wondered what lay beyond those doors that tightened her up like a spring.
Then he heard her softly muttered words: “Welcome to Casa Del Diablo.”
Chapter Five
Saia tracked Riley as he got out of the Escalade and rounded the hood to her side.
The steady rain made reading his expression impossible, not that she ever could. She dragged in a deep breath. Make or break time, she thought wryly.
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