by Kate Baxter
Assholes. It wasn’t his fault they refused to bet on a sure thing. “I don’t owe your boss or anyone else a gods-damned cent!” His hands balled into fists at his side. Sasha took three steps toward him and one to the left and he mirrored her actions to keep distance between them. “Tell the male who holds your leash to go fuck himself! He deserves to lose his money for betting against a warlord.”
Gods, Ewan was sick of big talk being used as a battle tactic. Why couldn’t someone just try to stab him or pull a gun or some shit? He’d much rather fight than beat around the fucking bush.
“We could take payment as a pound of your flesh,” the demon suggested. He craned his neck to look past Ewan and his hackles rose. “Or maybe take it from the flesh of your lover.”
Power flooded Ewan’s body in a wave of angry heat that caused sweat to bead his brow. Rage blanketed his thoughts until nothing remained but a violent urge to send these bastards straight to the underworld where they belonged.
“Take even a single step toward her,” Ewan warned, “and I’ll tear your throats out before you can utter another word.”
The demon’s derisive snort only served to further ignite Ewan’s temper. He glanced Sasha’s way once again and his lips spread into a sinister smile. “How’s her arm?”
Ewan’s gut tied into an unyielding knot. This was the son of a bitch who’d burned her? He took a lunging step forward before he checked himself. The demon was trying to goad him into making the first move. He wanted Ewan enraged and off balance. He needed to keep his fucking cool and maintain the upper hand.
“You won’t get close enough to find out.”
The demon’s smile didn’t fade. Nor did his attention wander from Sasha. Intentionally goading Ewan by showing him exactly where—and on who—they planned to launch their attack. Fucking cowards knew they couldn’t take him in a fight and so instead, they’d go for his one weakness.
Sasha had quickly become Ewan’s Achilles’ heel and the realization kicked him straight in the gut. The demons knew it and he suspected Gregor knew it as well. Would have been nice if he’d realized it himself before tonight. He’d only recognized the hold she had on him after she’d walked out of her apartment tonight, forcing him to go out in search of her. There was no turning back now. She was under his skin. And now he had no choice but to defend her at all costs.
Ewan stepped into the demon’s line of vision. It was ill advised to be the first to attack but that’s exactly what he was going to do. “Stay back, Sasha!” He hoped that for once, she’d heed his damn warning. He drew on the power that pooled in his gut like molten lead and let it overtake him. The bright-colored flames of the hellfire transformed to shades of gray and black. A low growl built in Ewan’s chest as his thoughts grew hazy. His feet dug into the soles of his boots and he propelled himself forward with an angry shout.
It was time to send a message. Anyone who sought to harm Sasha Ivanov would meet a violent end. Ewan would make sure of it.
* * *
Sasha stood in awe of Ewan. The ferocity with which he attacked stole her breath. She’d seen him fight in the arena but it didn’t hold a candle to what she beheld now. He embodied everything she’d ever been taught to fear. Berserker. Force of destruction. Violent. Mindless. Bringer of death.
He was all of those things and none of them at the same time. Ewan was a force of nature. A storm that couldn’t be stopped until it ran its course. He was beautiful and graceful. Every step precise as though choreographed. His focus seemed singular, and yet, Sasha noted that he never moved far enough away from her to leave her vulnerable to attack.
Gods, he was magnificent.
The demons scattered under the onslaught. He moved with blurring speed, knocking one off his feet a split second before he barreled into another, sending him flying into the concrete piling that braced a section of highway above them. The force of the impact vibrated in a loud boom that echoed over the din of the still burning hellfire and sent chunks of concrete flying around them. Shit was about to get messy and Sasha hoped no innocent souls would be caught in the crossfire.
A brawl of this magnitude in such a public place would be frowned upon by all factions. She couldn’t believe the demons would sanction something like this. The fallout could be disastrous. Obviously, not Ewan or the demons he fought gave a single shit about discretion.
“Sasha, stay behind me!”
Good gods! He had bigger things to worry about than where she was standing. Did he really think she’d just hang back and watch while he fought? The demons weren’t going to hurt him—or her—no matter what Ewan thought to the contrary. Sasha knew what they really wanted and this production was just to help convince her to play ball.
“Your berserker lover is going to die either way.” The demon’s words from last night resonated in Sasha’s mind. “He can die in the arena and keep you safe, or you can both die slowly in a torture pit. Take your pick, vampire.”
They wanted Sasha to sign Ewan’s death sentence. Or more to the point, convince him to sacrifice himself in the arena so they could walk away with a fortune. Their flaw was in thinking she cared so much about her own safety that she’d so willingly sacrifice his. Fifty thousand dollars wasn’t even close to what they stood to gain if Ewan lost in the arena. They goaded him tonight and made their ridiculous demands to agitate his temper. They knew he’d never willingly sacrifice himself. No one with an ounce of sanity would! No, their strategy was to push, and push, and push some more. Threaten Sasha and put them in one dangerous situation after the next until Ewan was out of his mind with worry and desperate to do anything to protect her.
The problem was, the demons assumed Ewan was in love with her. That she meant something to him. Boy, did they ever have it wrong. Sasha didn’t know what this was between them, but it sure as hell wasn’t love.
All of this was a waste of energy. And aside from coming clean with Ewan about what the demons wanted—which wasn’t going to happen—she had no idea how to stop him. They’d played Ewan and he let them. Greedily swallowed their bait. Sasha rolled her eyes to the sky. The only way this would end was if she intervened.
He was going to be pissed, but she’d deal with the consequences later. Ewan thought he was the biggest, baddest creature around and that might be true. But Sasha wasn’t completely helpless and it was time Ewan realized it. She’d been taking care of herself just fine before he came along.
Sasha dodged to the right and as though a length of rope connected them, Ewan echoed the motion. How in the hell was he able to focus like that? Especially with her behind him where he couldn’t see her? The shift made his left side vulnerable to attack. The demon smirked as he dusted himself off and opened his fist, palm facing toward the sky. Hellfire sprang to life in his hand, the flames eager as they danced.
“We both know you’re not going to do anything with that, so why don’t you and your cronies fuck off and go home!”
Her snarky words were wasted on the two stubborn males. Figured. The demon used Ewan’s shift as an opportunity to attack. This might have been a scare tactic, but they were going to get their licks in any chance they got. He pulled back his hand and pitched the ball of fire straight to Ewan’s exposed side. Sasha knew the excruciating burn of hellfire and without even thinking, she launched herself at Ewan, determined to intercept the ball of flames before it hit him.
Ewan caught her in midflight. He jerked her against his body as he turned to his right, taking them both to the pavement before the hellfire could hit either one of them. His reflexes were unlike anything Sasha had ever seen, even in a berserker. Almost precognitive, as though he knew what she was going to do before she did it. He caged her in with his massive arms and cradled the back of her head with one palm, taking the brunt of the impact as they rolled.
“Gods-damn it, Sasha,” Ewan ground out from between clenched teeth. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Her? He was the one who thought it was a good idea to act
like a living shield! Sasha pushed away from Ewan, too worried about a second fireball to respond. The sound of retreating footsteps barely registered over the din of hellfire that still burned thirty yards to their left. A car door slammed and tires squealed as the demons sped away. Cowards. They never would’ve beaten Ewan if they’d stood and fought.
The frantic beats of her heart slowed and Sasha’s worry was replaced with anger. Ewan’s carelessness made her want to take him and shake some damned sense into him. “That was stupid, Ewan!” The words left her mouth in a thoughtless rush. “They could have burned you to ash!”
In a motion that defied gravity, Ewan rolled and managed to bring them both to a standing position without releasing his grip on Sasha. His core muscles must have been constructed with steel rods. It was no wonder the supernatural world feared the berserkers. They were ultra-supernaturals. The most extraordinary creatures on the planet. Sasha had no doubt that gods would bow at Ewan Brún’s feet. But not even his magnificence would distract her from her anger.
“They could have burned you!” Ewan steadied Sasha before he put her at arm’s length. His eyes went wide and his jaw, slack. “What the fuck were you thinking by putting yourself in the path of that fireball?”
“I was trying to protect you!” She brought her finger up and poked it at him. “You’re not indestructible, Ewan!”
His gaze went to the sky and he let out a disbelieving bark of laughter. “Look who’s talking! Jesus, Sasha! I would’ve survived it a hell of a lot better than you would have.”
The sky lightened from navy blue to hues of gray as they stood beneath the damaged underpass. Hellfire burned in the distance, inextinguishable until the fire ran its course and burned out on its own. Sasha’s skin tingled with the coming dawn and exhaustion pulled at her muscles and tugged her eyelids downward. Her apartment was still a good ten minutes away and the tiny Honda wasn’t going to do much to shield her from the sun once it rose. Somehow, winning this argument with Ewan seemed much more important than finding shelter.
“I’m not the one with the death wish!” The faint howl of sirens in the distance meant they wouldn’t be able to stand here and argue for much longer. “I mean, seriously! Since the night I met you, all you’ve tried to do is get yourself killed!”
Ewan averted his gaze. She’d hit a nerve. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
The calm levelness of his voice was more disturbing than any shout. Sasha wanted to take back her words, or at the very least take back the intent behind them. Why had she let her temper get the better of her? Damn it. She didn’t know why Ewan was so upset, but it didn’t bode well.
“Ewan, I—”
“Sun’s rising.” He turned and headed for the car without saying another word. “We need to go.”
Sasha fell into step behind him. All the fight and anger drained out of her and all that was left in its place was regret. So far, her plan to remain detached and emotionless was working out just like she thought it would.
In complete and utter failure.
CHAPTER
20
He had a death wish? He wasn’t the one about to be fried to a fucking crisp by the sun! No creature on the face of the earth could push his buttons like Sasha did. He fought the urge to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and toss her in the damned car. Instead, he turned on a heel and walked away. His decision to let her follow on her own wasn’t doing anything for the urgent sense of worry that was about to lay him low, however.
Gods. Did she not understand that sunrise was only a few minutes off?
Unspent energy pooled in Ewan’s muscles causing an acidic burn that he was desperate to work off. Fucking coward demons didn’t have the balls to stay and fight. Instead, they’d run off with their tails tucked between their legs. They weren’t going to get money—or anything else—out of him. And if one of them so much as turned a caustic eye Sasha’s way ever again, he’d make them eat their own hellfire and watch as they burned from the inside out.
Gods, he needed to blow off some steam.
He reached for the door handle of the Civic and gave it a solid yank. The door ripped from the hinges and hung in Ewan’s grip. Fucking hell! Like the damned thing wasn’t already a piece of shit. Thanks to his preternatural strength, it now looked like something that had rolled out of a junkyard.
From behind him, Sasha cleared her throat. The sound carried a little too much humor for his taste and Ewan’s lips curled into a disdainful sneer as he turned to face her. “I’m sorry.” He cocked a brow and kept his tone even and clipped. “Did you say something?”
Any amusement that might have been present in Sasha’s expression faded in an instant. The petulant pucker of her lips would have been sexy as hell if he weren’t so pissed off at her. She gingerly opened the passenger side door and just as delicately settled herself into the seat. If she was trying to further aggravate him with her dramatic show, it was working.
In the distance, the demons’ bonfire still raged and the flashing lights of the approaching fire trucks bounced off of nearby structures. Ewan could only imagine what sorts of conclusions the humans would jump to when they assessed the unquenchable fire. Hazmat crews would be called in. The area would be shut down and blocked off. Not to mention the damage done to the overpass that probably wouldn’t support the weight of the upcoming morning commuter traffic.
Bastard demons had really fucked a lot of shit up tonight. Way to be discreet, assholes. There was nothing Ewan could do about it. It wasn’t his mess to clean up and he was more concerned with Sasha’s vulnerable state.
“Don’t you think you should buckle your seatbelt?”
Ewan fought the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. Seriously? It’s like she wanted to drive him insane. He turned the key in the ignition, silently daring the fucking car not to start. The engine groaned but turned over on the first try and Ewan let out a slow breath of relief.
“Worried I might fall out?”
Sasha’s face remained passive. “Something like that.”
“Well, don’t. I’ve lived through too much to worry that something as minor as a little road rash is going to do me in. I haven’t managed to die yet.”
Sasha’s brow furrowed. Her eyes flashed with feral silver as her temper flared. “Not for lack of trying, I’m sure.”
On the western horizon, the sky brightened from shades of light gray to peach. Ewan’s jaw clenched as he put the car into gear and stomped his foot down on the gas pedal.
“Nope.” The more Sasha pushed, the more he wanted to push back. “Probably not.”
Things had been simpler when their relationship was nothing more than hookups. If they were fucking, they sure as hell weren’t fighting. But now that they’d moved past that, it opened up the door for all sorts of complicated bullshit. Like fighting. And passive-aggression. Fan-fucking-tastic.
Ewan sped in the direction toward Sasha’s apartment building. His teeth gnashed together. Tension tapped at his chest like some sort of torture technique and grew more unbearable with each mile. The sky transformed from light peachy orange to vibrant pink and the steering wheel creaked with his grip. They weren’t going to make it.
“Sash—”
She slumped in her seat and Ewan’s heart stuttered in his chest before taking off to five hundred beats per minute. The car swerved as he let go of the wheel to try and straighten her in the seat. As though her posture was somehow the deciding factor between life and death.
Jesus fucking Christ, Ewan. Get your shit together!
He’d always been cool under pressure. Calm and composed. His thoughts focused and sharp. He could handle any hostile situation with ease, but this … He forced himself to take a breath. The thought that something was seriously wrong with her caused his brain to freeze up and cease function. He couldn’t form a coherent thought, couldn’t focus on anything but the worry that overtook him with the force of a hurricane. These foreign emoti
ons were unwelcome and equally uncomfortable. It made Ewan feel like a squatter in his own skin, a stranger to his own thoughts and experiences. He wanted it gone. All of it. And he worried the damage that had already done was irreversible.
“I’m okay.” Her exhausted tone juxtaposed her previous shouts. In the space of a few seconds, she’d gone from alert and feisty to quiet and lethargic. “The sunrise. Need to sleep.”
He knew vampires slept during the day. That the hours of sunlight left them vulnerable. But he had no idea it would debilitate her in such a way. For all of Gregor’s research, the knowledge he’d drilled into their heads over the centuries, there was so much about the vampires they didn’t know. Gods, what fools they all were.
“Just hang tight.” Helplessness wasn’t a feeling Ewan was accustomed to, and he hated it. There was nothing he could do for her aside from getting her indoors and away from the sun. “We’re almost home.”
Sasha offered a lazy laugh. “Home.” Her soft snort was almost a snore. “Is that what it is?”
He scowled at her bitter tone. “Fine. We’re almost to your fuck pad.” If she wanted uncaring and crass, he’d give it to her.
“Better.” She slumped in her seat once again, and knocked her head against the window.
“Sasha?”
“Mmmm?”
She tried to respond, but all that came out was a jumbled mess of syllables that made no sense. Ewan stomped his foot down on the gas pedal and the car protested. The engine clanked and the frame shook. He’d drive the damn thing into the ground if he had to. Five more blocks. And now, it was a race against the sun.
By the time they pulled up to Sasha’s apartment building, the sun had crested the horizon. Ewan jumped out of the car and hustled to the passenger side door. He nearly pulled that one off its hinges as well before he ducked inside and gently cradled Sasha in his arms. She weighed nothing. Spun sugar in his hand. She betrayed the illusion of strength because Ewan knew that in reality she was fragile and delicate. The sun continued its ascent and he took a stumbling step as wisps of steam rose from Sasha’s exposed skin.