by Lori Sjoberg
Another morning, another round of sparring with Dmitri. He’d hauled Ruby out of bed before the sun broke over the horizon, giving her barely enough time to pull on shorts and a tank top before dragging her up to the fitness center. After fifteen minutes on the treadmill and a few short rounds of stretching, they faced each other in the aerobics room.
Truth be told, she welcomed the distraction. Her mind was a jumbled mess of emotions, tugging at her from so many directions she couldn’t think straight.
Funny, sex usually centered her mind. But what she’d experienced with Jack seemed like so much more than just a roll in the hay. Something had shifted deep inside her last night, something that thrilled and terrified her at the same time.
“Don’t try anything fancy,” Dmitri instructed, snapping her from her thoughts. He’d yet to mention the fact that she returned to their cabin in the middle of the night. Hadn’t bothered to ask where she’d been or what she’d been doing. Odds were he already knew and preferred not to discuss it. “Demons are stronger and faster, so your best chance is to stick to the basics, fight dirty, and show no mercy.”
“Got it.” Pushing Jack out of her mind, she focused her attention on her opponent.
Dmitri lunged for her, and she dodged his advance with a quick dart to the left. Whirling around, she made contact with a kick to the back that sent him stumbling forward.
“Very good.” He spun toward her, a look of approval on his face. The dark stubble shadowing his jaw made his teeth look even brighter than normal. “But don’t stop there. Press the advantage when the opportunity presents itself. You may not get a second chance.”
He came at her from a different angle this time, countered her blow with an open palm strike to her right shoulder. Knocked off balance, she tripped over her own two feet and tumbled to the floor. A bolt of pain flashed through her upper thigh, but she shook it off as she sprang to her feet and away from his advancing grasp.
Considering Dmitri’s superior strength and ability, he took great pains not to harm her. He never struck with a closed fist, never used more force than necessary to drive his point home. That said, he didn’t exactly treat her with kid gloves.
He came at her again, snatching hold of her wrist and yanking her against his chest. The heat of his body warmed her back as one muscular arm snaked around her neck, placing her in a loose chokehold.
“Under normal circumstances, you won’t have much time before you run out of air.” A flex of his arm added a light pressure against her throat.
Acting on instinct, she dropped her right leg back behind his. The shift in posture gave her the advantage she needed. She drove her left elbow into his torso, using the change in leverage to jar him off balance and break from his hold.
“Well done.” He lifted his shirt and rubbed the sore spot on his abs.
Taking his advice, she didn’t give him the chance to recover. Kick to the stomach. Shot to the ribs. A left lead followed by a right cross. She spun around, building momentum for a roundhouse kick.
His arm shot out, caught her ankle in midair.
“I told you not to try anything fancy. Now you’ve overextended and left yourself vulnerable.” Chest heaving, he cupped her leg at the knee with his free hand. “An opponent could easily break your kneecap in this position.”
“Point taken.” Ruby hopped on her one free foot, waving her arms for balance in an attempt to keep from falling flat on her butt.
Dmitri released his grip, and her leg dropped down to its natural position. “Good. Now let’s run through some drills.”
They spent the next half hour practicing different holds and how to counter them. Pressure points. Submission holds. Techniques for disabling a stronger opponent.
They were taking a water break when the door to the aerobics room swung wide open and Jack stepped inside. The sight of him made her mouth go dry and turned her insides to mush. The questions swimming in his eyes made her regret sneaking out of his bed the night before.
“What are you doing here?”
Eyes never leaving hers, Jack gestured toward Dmitri. “He invited me.”
“He what?” Ruby turned toward Dmitri, her brows raised in silent question.
Dmitri took a long drink from his bottle of water before answering. “If he insists on interfering, then we must gauge his abilities and ensure he is prepared to contribute.”
Translation: Dmitri wanted a valid excuse to tear the stuffing out of Jack.
“I don’t know about this.” Ruby chewed on her thumbnail while she tried to think of a way for Jack to avoid getting beaten to a bloody pulp.
“What’s there not to know about?” Defensiveness crept into Jack’s tone as he tossed his towel to the floor by the water fountain. White cotton stretched tight across his back when he knelt to re-tie his shoelaces. “I’m a big boy. I can handle myself.”
“I’m sure you can.” He’d handled himself just fine in Nassau. But a purse thief was child’s play when compared to a man who’d been trained to kill and was itching to knock his block off.
Dmitri chugged the last of his water and dropped the empty bottle in the trash. He stalked toward the center of the room, eyeing Jack like a lion tracking a gazelle. “What’s your preferred fighting style? Kendo, dambe, jujitsu?”
“I … I don’t really have one.” Jack followed Dmitri, stopped a few feet short.
Dmitri’s eyes narrowed. “Have you had any training? Did you serve?”
“Yes, of course I served.”
“What branch?”
“Navy.”
“How long ago?”
A few heartbeats passed before Jack responded. “I was drafted in 1917.”
Funny, how the answer failed to faze Dmitri. He snorted, his upper lip curled back in disgust. “Okay, so you have zero functional combat skills.”
“I can take care of myself when the situation arises,” Jack said, the anger rising in his voice.
The corners of Dmitri’s mouth twitched. “Then why don’t you show us what you can do?”
“Wait!” Ruby strode across the room and cut in front of Dmitri. She was powerless to stop the inevitable train wreck, but she might be able to minimize the damage. Leaning close, she murmured, “No closed-fist shots.”
His head dipped down in her direction, the challenge clear in his voice. “Why not?”
“Because he’s not much good to us if he can’t blend in with a crowd.”
Dmitri rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Good point, even if that’s not your true motivation.” Before she could deny the insinuation he added, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he remains pretty for you.”
“Thank you.” It was a token consolation, but it was the most she could hope for given the circumstances. She walked back to the side of the room and sat on the floor by the water fountain.
Dmitri stepped back with his left leg, his body facing Jack at a forty-five-degree angle. Knees slightly flexed. Hands dangling loose at his sides. Eyes void of emotion. Lord, this wasn’t going to be pretty. “Let us see what you’re made of, shall we?”
Jack stared back at Dmitri, wondering what he’d done to make karma bite him on the ass this early in the morning.
Truth be told, he simply wasn’t a fighter by nature. Yes, he’d gotten into plenty of scraps during his impetuous younger days, but as an adult he’d learned to avoid confrontation whenever possible. Partially because he didn’t think it was necessary to resolve every dispute with brute force. But also because he distrusted the curse and didn’t know what would happen if it took control in the middle of a heated altercation.
Prior to the scuffle in the Bahamas, his last fight happened because he’d made the mistake of putting the moves on another man’s woman. The guy was drunk and highly pissed off, so he’d only needed a few carefully placed blows to take the guy out of commission. Then he’d apologized and bought them both a round of drinks before relocating to another bar across town.
Dmitri
promised to be a much more difficult opponent. Actually, he looked like the kind of guy who snapped spines for shits and giggles.
He had to admit, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to getting trounced in front of his woman. Actually, he’d much rather be talking to said woman. Just the sight of her knocked the air from his lungs and roused the demon from its state of dormancy.
He was dying to ask why she’d snuck out of his bed after he’d fallen asleep. Sex was sex, but what they’d shared seemed like so much more. At least it did for him. Did she feel the same way, or was last night nothing more to her than a simple exchange of physical pleasures?
“You look well rested this morning.” Dmitri moved in close, his voice too low for Ruby to hear from the other side of the room. “You must have fed well last night while you fucked her.”
Jack stiffened. His blood pressure kicked up as his hands balled into fists. “What happens between me and Ruby is none of your damn business.”
“I beg to differ.” Dmitri sneered at him with obvious disdain. His arm shot out, and Jack blocked the blow. “You’re nothing but a leech on humanity. Sooner or later she’ll figure this out for herself.”
“I didn’t ask to be cursed,” Jack growled through gritted teeth. Anger rising, he took a swing, but Dmitri dodged the punch like it had been thrown in slow motion.
“Perhaps not, but that fails to absolve you from responsibility.” In a blur of movement, Dmitri landed an open hand blow to his chest that knocked the air from his lungs. “And I doubt it has ever stopped you from preying on defenseless women.”
The curse flared to life, a surge of fury coursing through his veins. Jaw locked, Jack inhaled through his nose, forcing the beast back under control.
“How many have you killed?” Dmitri’s lips peeled back from his teeth. Lashing out, he swatted the side of Jack’s head so hard his ears rang. “A dozen? More?”
He pictured Victoria on their wedding night, her eyes wide with shock and wonder as the life force drained from her body. The guilt nearly doubled him over. “Just one, before I learned how to control it.”
“Ah, so you weren’t to blame.” Dmitri’s mocking tone made Jack’s blood boil. “I’m sure that helps you sleep at night.”
“It doesn’t. I think about her every goddamn day.”
The demon strained against its bonds, but Jack managed to hold it in check. He tracked Dmitri’s every movement, searching for an opening to exploit. The asshole dropped his guard for a second, long enough to land a quick jab to the stomach. It felt like he’d just punched a concrete wall.
Dmitri didn’t so much as flinch. Crouching low, he jabbed the heel of his hand to Jack’s kidney. Jack’s knees buckled as he dropped to the ground, the pain like electricity searing through his lower back.
A flash of vision, and Jack almost lost control. He pushed back against the mutiny, asserting his dominance through sheer force of will.
In the distance, he heard Ruby say, “Dmitri, that’s enough.”
Dmitri watched from a few feet away, patiently waiting for him to recover. He’d barely broken a sweat. “A woman like Ruby must be a great prize for you.” He glanced in Ruby’s direction, a hint of worry shadowing his face. “She’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
“I said that’s enough.” The concern in her voice was replaced by anger.
Jack shook off the pain so he could think more clearly. With unsteady legs, he pushed to his feet. “The gift that keeps on giving? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t play stupid with me.” Dmitri’s accent grew thicker as his anger intensified. “She’s immortal. An endless buffet for a creature of your kind.”
It took a few moments for the words to sink in. “Are you implying—”
“Dammit, Dmitri—”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m stating a simple fact.” Dmitri huffed in disgust. “Filthy fucking parasite. Is it a game for you? Do you enjoy watching them fall before draining them dry?”
That did it. Jack released his hold on the demon, embracing the burst of power that raced through his body. The effect was similar to an adrenaline rush. Accelerated heartbeat. Muscles more responsive. Increased strength and speed. With a growl, he charged toward Dmitri. Coming in low, he caught the big Russian bastard by the waist and rammed him against the wall. By some miracle, the mirrored glass didn’t shatter from the force of the impact, but the resulting boom echoed across the room.
His fist plowed into Dmitri’s stomach. Once. Twice. A third time and Dmitri grunted. Dmitri countered with a blow to the back of Jack’s head that made him see stars. A knee to the gut and Jack lost his grip, staggering backward across the hardwood floor.
Ruby shouted something at Dmitri, but Jack’s ears were ringing too loudly to pick out the words.
Dmitri advanced on him like a tank across a battlefield. His face held no trace of emotion, just the ruthless intent of an apex predator. Jack blocked his first punch, deflected the next two. The fourth landed low, leaving Dmitri open to a left cross to the jaw. His head snapped back, his eyes momentarily losing focus.
“Is that the best you got?” The bastard smiled, a film of blood staining his teeth. He answered his own question with a lightning-fast shot to Jack’s stomach.
A wave of nausea ripped through him, and for a moment Jack thought he might throw up.
Iron hands gripped his shoulders, pushing downward in an attempt to drive him to the ground. When he locked his knees, Dmitri swept his legs out from under him.
The next thing he knew, he was facedown on the floor, gasping for air. Dmitri didn’t give him the chance to catch his breath, swooping down on him like an eagle from the sky. Arms pinned. Head pressed to the floor. Knee painfully wedged into the small of his back.
Dmitri bent down, his breath hot against Jack’s left ear. “How disappointing. I assumed you would present more of a challenge.”
Fingers dug into his hair, yanking Jack’s face up to meet Ruby’s wide gaze.
“He disguises it well,” Dmitri snarled, “but behind the pretty face lies the soul of a true hunter. You would be wise to remember this.”
One final push downward mashed his face against the floor, and then the hold pinning Jack released.
He staggered to his feet, only to find Ruby and Dmitri at the far end of the room, huddled close in heated discussion. Ruby’s hands gestured wildly as she spoke, while Dmitri stood rigid with his arms folded across his chest. Less than a minute passed before their voices grew quiet and Ruby’s arms dropped to her sides. Dmitri’s hands cupped her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks. Whatever he said made her smile. Then she rose to her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
After casting daggers in Jack’s direction, Dmitri grabbed a black duffle bag from the floor and strode out the door without a backward glance.
Ruby’s head swiveled in Jack’s direction.
“I’m sorry, but he’s a wee bit overprotective,” she said as she crossed the room toward him.
“Yeah, well I wish his idea of protection didn’t involve internal injuries.” He lifted his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow and winced at the pain in his shoulder.
“It’s the way he’s wired. Not that I blame him, but he isn’t exactly the trusting type.” She smiled, and her entire face softened. “To be fair, he kind of took it easy on you.”
“You call that easy?” If that were the case, he’d hate to be on the receiving end of the bastard’s wrath.
Ruby nodded. “You should have seen what he did to this one guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer after I broke things off with him a couple years back.”
The emotions he saw on her face went beyond friendship or appreciation. They ran far deeper, and much more intense.
Jack’s eyes widened as realization hit him like a freight train. “Wait a minute. Did you? With him?” His jaw almost hit the floor. Why hadn’t he seen the signs earlier?
Ruby’s lips pursed together.
“If you’re inquiring about any prior entanglements with Dmitri, the answer is yes.” She pinned him with a withering glare. “You of all people shouldn’t judge.”
“I wasn’t—” He stopped himself from finishing the sentence because yes, he was judging. The thought of her with Dmitri made his vision flash red. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“Damn straight it was.” The ice in her voice chilled the room. She leaned a shoulder against the mirrored wall, crossed one ankle over the other. “Might as well get it out of your system. What do you want to know?”
“Forget it. It’s none of my business.”
“That’s beside the point. Obviously, something’s stuck in your craw. Why don’t you spit it out so we can move forward?”
Jack stared down at his sneakers, his mood vacillating between anger and shame. Unaccustomed to such alien feelings, he struggled to wrangle them under control. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Then another. And another. It was the same technique he used when containing the demon. Funny how that worked.
When his pulse finally slowed to normal, he asked the question that burned hottest in his mind. “Do you love him?”
“Yes,” she responded without hesitation, and Jack thought he was going to puke. “Before you start jumping to conclusions, let me finish. I’ve worked with Dmitri for close to thirty years. In that time, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. And when the stress of the job gets too intense, we’ve turned to each other for comfort.”
“You mean sex.” The words came out harsher than he intended. Ruby arched one eyebrow. “You’re mighty prudish for someone who’s seen so much action. Or maybe you just like playing fast and loose with a good old-fashioned double standard.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” Her eyes hardened. “You seem to have no problem justifying your own activities. But damn if you’re not quick to condemn mine.”
Jack opened his mouth to deny the accusation, only to realize she had him dead to rights.
“As I was saying,” she continued, her voice clipped, “over the years, we’ve turned to each other for comfort, but our relationship runs more along the lines of friends with benefits.” Her fingers toyed with the choker around her neck, this one a simple burgundy band matching the color of her tank top. “In spite of what you believe, he’s a good man. He means the world to me, and I love him.” She paused. “But I’m not in love with him.”