Azrael pulled away to remove his long coat and sat on her couch. He gave her hand a tug until she sat between his parted thighs. His warm fingers began a soothing massage at the base of her neck.
“Do you think she’ll return to your bar tonight?”
“If she hasn’t found whoever she was looking for, yes, I think there’s a chance she’ll be back. How do we protect her?”
“You do whatever it takes to keep her by your side, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Diane couldn’t quite repress a frustrated sigh. When would males realize that women weren’t without skills of their own? She admitted to herself that it was comforting to see such confidence in Azrael. He could handle whatever challenge was thrown his way, but she had strengths of her own. No matter what he believed to be best, she wouldn’t hide in the shadows when trouble came knocking at her door.
Chapter 14
Just a few minutes past the purple dawn, heavy clouds and rainy drizzle worked hard to prolong the darkness of night. The nine-to-fivers had yet to flood the city, and the party crowd was more than likely passed out, oblivious to the city’s comings and goings. Even if the streets had been filled with thousands of mortals, she probably wouldn’t have noticed. She had her own personal clouds shadowing her.
Alia could have easily transported herself anywhere she chose in the blink of an eye. The only thing she needed was a specific destination. The problem was that she didn’t have one. It wasn’t a place that she longed for, but an elusive who. And he stubbornly refused to show.
Where was he hiding, and why would he run from her? She knew he had feelings for her that were just as strong as hers were for him. Why wouldn’t he act on them? It couldn’t be fear. She’d witnessed his bravery, and it matched even her father’s. He’d never hidden from anything in his life. Why would he now? Whoever said men were simple creatures? At the moment she heartily disagreed with that idiot.
She knew that who she was and where she came from were pretty big pills to swallow. Okay, who was she kidding? They were monstrous. As her boots splashed through puddles of dingy water, she would even go as far as to say that if she were in his shoes she might try to deny their relationship as he had.
But damn it all! She wanted that desperate, crazy, all-encompassing love that could conquer anything! Wasn’t she worth it? Didn’t she deserve to be loved that way? In her book, everyone in existence deserved happiness and love. Why couldn’t she have hers? She’d waited over three hundred years for it!
Could something have happened to him? She prayed not. He carried her heart with him wherever he went. If he died, so would she, of heartache.
She couldn’t bear the thought of going to her home, either one of them. She had no desire to go back with her parents. They meant well, but their concerned questions and soothing words wouldn’t help her pain and frustration. She really didn’t want to be alone in her apartment on this side of the gate either. And as badly as she hated to put anyone in danger, staying by herself while Belial was on the rampage was not a bright idea. Since the one she sought was hiding from her that left Diane’s place as the only viable option. And at least she could count on Diane to offer a little comfort without peppering her with too many nosy questions.
She rounded the corner of an old brick building and faced another empty street. She took two steps and an agonized scream shattered the still air. Her foot stopped midair, leaving her in front of a closed Italian restaurant. The heart-wrenching sound abruptly stopped, and the following silence scared her more than the scream. Before her mind could begin to process the scream’s meaning, her feet were in motion running, retracing her steps.
Chapter 15
Lilith’s news had clearly upset Diane, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself from offering comfort. Rarely had he seen immortals so concerned over another’s well-being, but Diane’s worry was the real thing. He’d never met anyone so selfless. Yet the worry caused her pain, and he knew she wouldn’t change it even if she could.
At every turn she amazed him.
And no matter how he tried, he was unable to stop touching her. The satin texture of her skin and the faint scent of lavender and jasmine seduced him. Her quiet, soothing presence had become his drug of choice.
She was one of the few beings, mortal or immortal, who actually listened when he spoke. He hadn’t realized he’d all but given up conversing with others until he’d had no choice with Diane. It was an even larger revelation to realize he enjoyed it. He was nearly struck stupid when she’d asked his opinion on something. No one had ever thought to ask the Grim Reaper his opinion on anything.
When he closed his eyes, he saw an hourglass with its quickly draining sand. He didn’t know how to stop time’s flow. He feared if Luc spent much more time away from Hell’s power seat, the balance keeping Unearth together would begin to unravel.
And if, Heaven forbid, he unleashed any of his powers in front of the humans, the elder gods might be tempted to fry him and be damned with the consequences. The one thing that angered the gods more than any other was the possibility of human discovery.
In his opinion, it made no sense. Why encourage the humans to worship you and at the same time hide from them? Yet the gods had operated that way since the dawn of time.
As dark as the possibilities were, he refused to believe Alia couldn’t be found. They might not have figured out her whereabouts as quickly as he’d hoped, but they would. He refused to accept any other outcome.
Then he would go back to escorting the souls of the dead to their final home, wherever that may be. It was the only thing he could do without fucking up.
He wished he were as confident in his personal world as he was Soul Running. Countless questions and doubts hounded him, begging for answers he didn’t have. A serious relationship would only slow him down, but his strong feelings for Diane refused to be swept aside. He couldn’t have a relationship in his line of work. Could he? Had he ever truly considered having a partner? What would he do with one? She wanted to live here on Earth, and as a mortal, no less. He couldn’t join her and continue his duties. Could he?
He could only see her for the few brief hours of respite that he was given by the Fates each day. But he wasn’t ready for that yet. Was he? Was it fair to her for him to expect a commitment when all he had to offer in exchange was a few short hours of his time each day?
If he couldn’t protect her from one demon attack, what kind of mate would he be? Worthless.
In the last ten minutes alone he must have told himself a hundred times to stop touching her and put some space between them. He should leave the apartment altogether and not come back until tonight when the club was supposed to open. She would close the club for another night, hoping Alia would seek her out. With no true reason for him to stay in her apartment until then, he should comb the streets or do something. He wished he knew what.
Yet he couldn’t make himself stop touching her, let alone leave the building. Her skin was the softest texture he’d ever encountered. Each quiet sigh and murmur that escaped as he used his hands to work the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders cranked his desire higher. It was a new form of attraction, foreign to him. A soothing desire filled with warmth and contentment, it made him think of the kind of comfort a warm blanket brought on a cold night, but it was no less powerful in its intensity. It was also alien and powerful. It was the drive of a primal mating lust coupled with true affection.
His desire to remove her clothes and claim her with his body was staggering. She wasn’t even trying to entice him and she’d given him a permanent hard-on. Something about the fact that she wasn’t even trying to seduce him made her that much more compelling. Important.
Her graceful hands rose to grasp his wrists. For a moment he wondered if she meant to stop him, but they merely lingered as if she didn’t know where to put them. He absorbed her silken touch and allowed his hands to follow a path of their own choosing. They removed her hands and placed them up at his neck. He leaned in c
loser as his hands trailed a path down the exposed skin of her inner arms. The backs of his knuckles grazed touches so light, he wasn’t sure that she felt them. He accepted the dropping of her head to lie against his shoulder and her quiet sigh as proof of her pleasure in his touch.
He looked down as she turned her head to look over her shoulder and up at him. Her sparkling eyes were more vivid now than the first time they’d shocked him with their bright beauty. His mouth watered as he watched her nipples bead with arousal. The thin material of her blouse and bra were no match for the spark of desire that he saw growing in her. He could just make out the shadows of her nipples beneath the borders of the fine silk. The thought of taking them into his mouth one by one and drawing on them deeply made his cock desperately hard.
He shifted their positions so she lay with her back against the suede arm of the couch. With her back arched, her breasts thrust upward, calling to him.
* * * *
A warm fingertip traced a path along her collarbone, whispering and awakening her desire. Her blouse seemed to grow tighter across the heavy swells of her breasts. With each breath she took, her clothing felt more restrictive. Deft fingers untied the knot and slowly drew the sleeves of the blouse from her arms and tossed it away. She tugged the end of a lock of his hair and used it to pull him closer.
When he leaned in close to nip a bite at her jaw, she tangled his shirt in her hands and forced it over his head. The red tips of his raven hair curtained her, and her hands began a journey of their own. With her decision made and her blood on fire, she wasn’t going to waste any time. Her hands went to the waistband of his leathers as his mouth blazed a trail of heat along the edges of her bra. One hand pushed a silken cup down and lifted a breast to the moist heat of his mouth. He growled low in pleasure and drew deeply on her nipple. Liquid hunger burned her from the inside out. Stroking down her sides and around to grasp the cheeks of her ass, he staked his claim. He pulled her hips tightly against his, rubbing the hard evidence of his desire against her clit. She couldn’t help but rock herself against him. Shameless with need, she reveled in his attention.
His deep groan sent waves of heat racing though her. She opened the front of his pants and reached for his thick, hard cock. She grasped it firmly and couldn’t resist running her hands over its length, but she craved him with more than her hands.
She slid down the couch, pushed him to sit, and knelt before him. Hungry, she looked up and licked her lips in a seductive tease. With one finger she traced the seam of his taut sac and continued in a slow glide up to the speared head.
Rapt, his stare followed the digit’s path. A sense of erotic power filled her as she leaned in and traced the same path with her tongue. He was so still she wondered if she should remind him to breathe. Nah.
She circled the dark head with her tongue and took him into her mouth. Solid, heated, and musky, the combo went straight to her head. The intoxication gave her the ability to take him deeper than she would have ever expected. Cupping his sac, she drew on him in great, dragging pulls. The more she took, the more response he gave in return. His hands clenched the edges of the couch in a grip tight enough to crush stone. Tears in the fabric appeared beneath his fingers. Low growls grew until she felt their vibrations run through her. Settling in her womb, his moans melted her and made her pussy throb. Hollow with hunger and wet with need, she ached for a possession only he could give her.
When she’d almost made it to the root, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her away. His cock slid out of her mouth in one quick slide. He tore her pants open and down her legs and put his mouth straight to her clit. He tongued it mercilessly as he held her upright. He worked the little nub until she saw stars. With a final swipe, he ran his tongue from the opening of her pussy up to her clit. He sucked it and released it with a pop. The stars exploded before her eyes.
Boneless, she let him finish stripping her pants. He sat her on top of him and plunged deep into her pussy, filling her in one quick thrust. Stretched with delicious pressure, she whimpered. The pleasure-pain was exactly what she’d craved. Even, wet and ready, his presence was almost too much to take, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
With both hands he held her still as he began to thrust up in quick, hard thrusts. The smack-smack of his flesh against hers filled her ears. Ecstasy came at her in a stampeding rush. It barreled through her in a relentless tidal wave.
With a sudden yell, he slammed his hips hard against hers. The deep press sent her into a tailspin of pleasure. Filling her with hot spurts of cum, he pressed his head to her shoulder and moaned.
His heavy arms hugged her tight against him. Lost, she could do nothing but return his embrace.
A loud banging pounded on her door, destroying the intimate moment and kick-starting their hearts with alarm. Both their heads shot up, and the spell of arousal shattered.
“Again? Fuck me, sweetness. You need a new place to live.” She wished she could kiss his irritation away, but something was wrong, terribly wrong.
“Diane! Let me in! It’s an emergency. Let me in. Please hurry!” Together they raced for the door as she conjured clothing for them. Diane’s hands shook as she unfastened the security chain.
“Alia, I’m here. Hang on.”
“It’s bad, Diane, but I didn’t know where else to go.” The thick door muffled Alia’s distressed voice. With the locks undone, she wrenched the door open to find her niece carrying a scrap of flesh that looked like it might be a battered naked woman. Her little frame stood strong against the weight of a body that probably weighed more than she did.
Blood spattered Alia’s once-innocent face. The crimson spray marked her pale complexion in grisly contrast.
“I couldn’t risk jumping with her. She’s injured too badly.”
Her voice might have sounded scared through the door, but face-to-face, Diane saw the determination of a seasoned soldier in the lines around her mouth. Grief pooled in her eyes.
Alia took two steps into the apartment and then one back when she spied Azrael. Finding a Soul Runner in her aunt’s apartment must have come as quite a surprise.
“Get in here, kid. I’m here to help. I promise that’s all. What happened?” Azrael’s deep voice helped to soothe frayed nerves.
“Shut the door behind me, quick. Oh, damn it, who am I kidding? That won’t help. I am so sorry. They will probably follow me here, but I didn’t know where else to bring her. I know your powers are bound, but maybe you can find a way or know someone who can heal her. She’ll die if she goes to a human hospital, and I can’t take her through the gate. She’s human. You know Dad won’t let her return to Earth.”
“You didn’t lead them to me. Belial already knows where I live, and I have my powers back. You did the right thing by coming here. What happened? You should have gone home to your father.”
“How do you know about Belial?”
Diane took the battered woman who looked like no more than a mop of bloody brown hair and carried her to the couch. Only moments ago it was filled with pleasure. Now it welcomed grief with its open arms.
“If I go home crying to Dad, he’ll find out about this mess and then he’ll kill Mom. She may have done a stupid thing, but she’s still my mother. I won’t have her hurt.” Alia pointed a suspicious finger at Azrael, who came in carrying a blanket to cover the woman with.
“What’s he doing here?”
“He’s been helping me look for you. Your father already knows everything, and you’re right, he’s not happy.”
“Mom?” Lilith was undoubtedly a pain in the ass, but she was still Alia’s mother. Alia would be devastated if anything happened to her.
“Your mother is fine. Her only worry is your safety. What happened? Where did you find this woman?”
“Just a little bit ago I decided to come and see if it was okay if I stayed with you for a night or two. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“Of course not, you’re always welcome in my home, no m
atter the circumstances. What happened to her?” With a gentle grasp on the battered woman’s wrist, Diane could feel the last vapors of life fading from her body. She suffered crippling physical pain, yet her terror was greater. Marred by dozens of psychic fractures, her mind went beyond the term fragile. The slightest upset and her mind could shatter irreparably.
Azrael moved closer to the couch. “I don’t want to touch her, just in case her time might be near. Let me see her face.” Diane gently pulled the long matted mess of hair out of the woman’s eyes. One half of her beautiful face was marred with swelling, lacerations and drying blood. A quick glimpse showed that the rest of her body seemed to be in the same heartbreaking condition. “She’s not supposed to die for years yet. Whatever happened to her did not have the Fates’ blessing.”
“It was Belial and a few of his guards. On my way here I heard this horrible scream. I can still hear it echoing in my head. My feet started running, and I couldn’t stop myself, and before I knew it, I saw them doing horrible things to this poor woman.”
“Honey, that was admirable, but they could be doing the same thing to you, right now. How in the world did you get away with her?” Exactly how had this little waif taken on one of Hell’s generals and a handful of angry Rimmon?
“Um, you know that little trick Dad has?” Alia bit her lip, looked down at the floor, and her pale face turned about three shades of red with embarrassment.
“You used hellfire? Here, on Earth? You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself or burn down an entire city block! Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m okay, just a little shaky, and it wasn’t the entire city block, thank you very much. It was just a half of a warehouse. My aim was off just a fraction, but it worked. That’s all I care about. Apparently now it’s my hellfire, too. Um. But no one is supposed to know.”
Even now they heard the sirens of emergency vehicles racing their way through the city.
Hawthorn, Amy J. - Azrael's Light [Demon Runners of Unearth] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 10