by Cynthia Eden
Josephine was hunting him. She’d hunted plenty of others over the last two centuries. He knew because he’d seen what she’d done. As far as he was concerned, there was no better hunter than the beautiful Josephine.
And that meant…
He had a serious problem on his hands.
Josephine is hired to kill her prey.
He wasn’t in the mood to die.
Josephine turned, heading down a dark alley and then pounding her hand against a wooden door. Malik eased closer, an easy task because that alley was so filled with darkness. He blended perfectly.
Josephine stiffened and glanced over her shoulder, her wide, chocolate eyes sliding around as if she thought danger was close.
She would never be in danger, not from him. She might be there to kill him, but Malik had a different mission. He wanted to protect her, at all costs. And he’d been doing his best to watch over her…for nearly two hundred years.
Sometimes, you get tired of just watching. Sometimes, you want so much more.
Her eyes narrowed. She wouldn’t see him. There was nothing to see right then. He was of no more substance than a shadow.
The wooden door opened. “Oh, hell, no.” A man’s panicked voice. He immediately tried to push the door closed again.
But Josephine just shoved her way inside. “Lawrence!” Her voice was warm. A fake warmth, Malik knew. He knew every nuance of her voice. Her expression. He knew her.
The man—Lawrence—threw his hands over his face. “I’m not ready to die!”
Malik slipped inside what he realized was an apartment—Lawrence’s place. There were strange etchings drawn on the walls and floor, and the place reeked of incense and…sage. Maybe a little lavender?
Josephine grabbed one of Lawrence’s hands and yanked it down to reveal his terrified face. “Wonderful. So glad you’re not in the mood to die because I don’t want you jumping into a grave just yet. I need your services first.”
The fellow—tall, a little thin, with carefully highlighted blond hair—blinked owlishly at her. “You’re not here to kill me?”
“Um, no. I mean, not unless you really piss me off.” She gave a careless shrug. But then her head cocked and she frowned at him. “Wait, why would I want to kill you?”
But Lawrence was frantically shaking his head. “No reason! None! Nothing I can think of! We’re good, right? Tight. Always have been.” He flashed her a broad smile. A killer smile. “Just, you know, I heard through the paranormal grapevine that you were in town. Then…knock, knock, you’re on my doorstep. So, I, ahem, I thought you were hunting—”
“I am hunting.” Her voice was flat. She let go of Lawrence’s hand. Once more, her gaze cut around the room.
She looked right through Malik.
He smiled at her. Thought about touching her again. But in this shadow form, his fingers would just go right through her skin. That had happened before. Too many times.
Josephine began to stroll around the apartment. Her palm slid over a crystal ball. Then she picked up a pack of tarot cards. “I haven’t been in town long at all. This paranormal grapevine of yours must be absolutely incredible.”
Lawrence was sweating. Malik could practically smell the guy’s fear. Smart men feared Josephine Saint.
She was gorgeous. The sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Small, but curved. Full, round breasts. Flaring hips.
And her mouth…Red lips. Bow-shaped.
Her eyes were dark and sensual. Her cheeks sharp, the faint little mole near her mouth something he’d always wanted to touch with his tongue—
A growl slipped from him.
Instantly, Josephine’s head snapped toward him.
Shit. Shit.
“Are we alone?” Josephine demanded.
Lawrence had backed away. He stood in front of a shelf that was full of small bottles. Herbs. Potions?
He’s a witch.
The tension Malik felt increased. He should have suspected this. Josephine had tried to use that enchanted chain on him back at the club. Malik had destroyed it, but, of course, she’d want to try and find another chain. Another way to bind him and trap him so that she could kill him.
Not happening, my love.
He wasn’t about to make things easy for her.
“Y-yes, we’re alone,” the witch stuttered.
But Josephine didn’t look convinced. “Got to tell you, Larry—”
“Lawrence.”
“Bullshit. I knew you when you were Larry from Minnesota. Don’t try playing games with me.” She blew out an angry breath. “Your security is shit here. I mean, you just opened your front door to me, not even using a peephole or something.” Now she stalked back toward the witch. “In fact, you seemed eager to tear open that door. Only that eagerness vanished when you saw me.”
Lawrence’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I…thought you were here to kill me.”
She smiled.
For a moment, Malik couldn’t look away from the sight of Josephine’s smile. This was one of her tricks. Her smile was absolutely beautiful. Almost enchanting. When she used that smile, Josephine didn’t look like a killer. She looked like every dream a sane—or insane—man might have.
“I arrived in town only a short time ago but…someone immediately told the coyotes that I was here.”
Lawrence licked his lips. “Those coyotes have great noses. They—they probably smelled you. And the paranormal grapevine—”
“Lawrence, do I look like some sort of fool to you?”
He gave a quick shake of his head.
Her smile widened a bit. Just enough to show that her canines had sharpened.
“You used your cards or you used your damn crystal ball, and you found out I was in town. You knew I had bad blood with the coyotes, so you immediately sold me out.”
The scent of the witch’s fear grew stronger. Malik didn’t move.
“You told them where to find me. You thought—really, fucking stupidly—that they’d take me out. So…what? Did you expect them to be pounding at your door? Were you going to get a nice, hefty payment for my death?”
Lawrence’s lips trembled in a weak smile. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Josephine…you and I—we go way back. Like you said, to Minnesota. We go—”
Josephine shoved him back. His shoulders collided with the bottles of herbs and potions, and the glass shattered when it fell and hit the floor. “You sold me out.” Her teeth snapped together in an angry bite—a bite that was just inches from Lawrence. “Tell me why I shouldn’t drain you right now.”
Her eyes had taken on a faint, golden glow. That was something about Josephine. She was different from the other vampires. Differences that Malik had noted in all those long years that he’d been watching over her. No other vampire got that golden glow right before a feeding. Or, an, um, kill.
“We can work out a deal!” Lawrence gasped.
“Do I look like I’m Luke Thorne? Do I want to make a deal with everyone I meet?” Josephine gave a disgusted shake of her head. “You sold me out.” Her gaze dropped to Lawrence’s neck. “Now I’m going to drain you dry. That will be my deal.”
Lawrence’s eyes doubled. “Please don’t.” A rasp. “I’ll do anything…give you anything! I-I saw you in the crystal. You were coming to my place. To me. And…you were going for my throat. I had to protect myself. I had to—”
Josephine laughed. The sound was just like some kind of sweet bell.
Malik couldn’t help it. He eased a little closer to Josephine.
And Lawrence cowered back.
“The future is a funny thing. I’ve known a few witches in my time. Actually, I’m pretty tight with one in particular.” A sigh slipped from Josephine. “Unfortunately, Valerie is out of touch at the moment. On her honeymoon of all crazy things.”
Lawrence’s breathing came far too fast and hard.
“Anyway…” Josephine stabbed a delicate finger into Lawrence’s chest. “Valerie told me that our future ca
n change. What you see when you play with your balls—”
Lawrence choked.
Josephine’s grin was wicked. “I mean, what you see when you look into your crystal ball, that shit can change. In this particular case, you changed things. If you had never told the coyotes that you saw me, then I would have been able to finish my business in Vegas and pop out of this town without ever gracing your door. But you changed my future. And you changed your own, too. So now, well, I may just have to kill you on principle. Though you weren’t on my original list.”
“Please…give me a chance…I’ll do anything—”
She raised one dark brow. “Can you make me an enchanted chain that can hold a fallen angel?”
Lawrence blinked. About twelve times. Quickly.
“Come on, Larry,” Josephine pushed. “Can you do it or not?” Her tongue slid over one sharpened fang. “I think I’m getting thirsty.”
“I can do it!” Lawrence yelled. “I just—I need time!”
Her expression immediately darkened. “How much time?”
“Twenty-four hours.”
She shook her head. “Sorry.” Josephine attacked. In a flash, she’d thrown the witch to the floor, straddled his chest, and had her mouth at his jugular. Her teeth were less than an inch from him. “I don’t have that much time to kill.”
“Don’t! Please! Shit, shit! Twelve hours!”
“Make it six. I’ll need the chain before the sun rises.” She lifted her head. Gave the witch another angelic smile. “And if you double cross me, I will make your death incredibly painful.” She winked at him. “If you don’t believe me, play with your balls again and just see what fun plans I have in store for you.”
The witch was sweating bullets. “I won’t double cross you. I just—six hours. I think I can do it.”
“Think?” A hard edge cut the one word.
“It takes time for a spell like that!”
She patted his cheek. “I know. But you’re feeling all motivated now, aren’t you? You can do this, no problem.” Josephine jumped back to her feet. “I’ll be back in six hours. You’ll either have what I need or I’ll send you to hell. So, you know, I think we’re set.”
Lawrence didn’t get off the floor.
She strolled for the door. Josephine walked so close to Malik that he could almost feel her. If he reached out—
“See you soon,” Josephine said. She seemed to be looking right at Malik.
Then she yanked open the door. Headed back into the night.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
“Oh, shit.” Lawrence banged the back of his head against the floor a few times. “We are so screwed.”
Malik didn’t move.
“Uh, angel? You listening to me?”
He knows I’m here?
“I protected your ass from the vamp, and now you owe me.” Lawrence slowly rose. And his gaze slid straight to Malik. “I lied to Josephine Saint.” Then he shook his head, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just said. “I fucking lied to Josephine Saint.” His eyes squeezed closed. “I’m a dead man.”
The witch seemed very alive. At the moment, anyway.
Lawrence’s eyes flew open. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
How did the witch know he was there?
“Angel, this shit is old.” Lawrence bent and scooped up some of the herbs that had fallen in the middle of the broken glass. He lifted his palm toward his mouth and then blew the herbs toward Malik.
Malik heard a whoosh of sound and then instantly, the shadows faded.
Smug, Lawrence smiled at him. “She asked me if anyone else was here. I felt it the instant you crossed my safeguards.” He pointed to the etchings on the floor. Etchings right beneath Malik’s feet. “But I kept quiet for you. You’re the one she’s after, right? So I figure we can help each other. We can take her out, we can figure this—”
Malik moved in a fast blur. His hand closed around the witch’s throat, and he yanked Lawrence into the air. “You figured wrong, Larry.”
Terror flashed on Lawrence’s face.
“No one hurts my vampire,” Malik growled. No one.
Lawrence clawed at Malik’s hold, but Malik wasn’t in the mood to let him go, he wasn’t—
The front door flew open. It bounced into the wall.
“Well, hello, angel,” Josephine called out as her sweet scent swept into the room again. “I suspected I would find you here. Got tired of playing hide and seek, did you?”
His head turned. He found her standing in the open doorway. Smiling at him.
He almost smiled back. Clever vamp. She had known he was there.
“Larry, Larry, Larry…” Josephine sighed the witch’s name. “You can’t lie for shit, do you know that?”
Lawrence wheezed as he kept clawing at Malik’s hand.
“If only you had some sort of magical binding chain nearby. A chain I could use on the angel who seems intent on choking the life from you.”
Larry’s gaze immediately snapped to the left. To a large, wooden cabinet that rested against the wall.
“Thank you, Larry,” Josephine purred. “And, really, was that so hard?”
He had a binding chain. And Josephine was already running for the cabinet. Dammit. Roaring, Malik tossed the witch toward the nearest wall. Then he lunged for Josephine.
Only…Malik couldn’t move.
“The binding…the etchings will only…hold him…so…l-long…” Lawrence gasped as he rose and clutched his throat.
Josephine had yanked open the cabinet. She tossed boxes and charms onto the floor, then let out a triumphant cry as she lifted a gleaming, golden chain.
It looked like a necklace.
Instead, Malik knew it was his ticket to hell. Or heaven. Depended on how you looked at things.
Josephine whirled toward him. “Angel, I could feel you breathing down my neck the whole time I was strolling through Vegas.” Now she strolled toward him, taking her time, her slender fingers casually stroking the chain. Caressing it. “Did you seriously think I wouldn’t spot you?”
He let his gaze sweep over her. Let it linger. Let the lust stir inside. He didn’t have to hold back any longer. Wasn’t that the point of falling? Now, he could do anything. Have anything.
She is what I’ve wanted.
“You didn’t spot me before.” His voice was rough. Rumbling. “Not all of those many times that I watched you.”
He saw the faint flutter of her lashes. Malik knew he’d caught Josephine by surprise. Finally. Especially since she’d just pulled a serious fast one on him.
Had she been working with the witch?
She’d obviously known about the etchings on the floor. Now that he thought about it, Malik realized she’d deliberately avoided stepping on any of the carvings. Smart vamp. She’d been the bait, and he’d walked right into her trap.
“Just how long have you been watching me?” Josephine stopped just a few inches away from him. Her head tilted back as she gazed at Malik.
So close…
He let his shadows slip out, testing the magic that bound him. The binding spell was already weakening. Probably because a witch’s magic wasn’t meant to hold someone like him.
“Malik?” Josephine pushed.
Some of the tension slipped from his body. “I like it when you say my name.”
Her lips parted.
Lawrence inched closer to her. “Put that chain on him, Josephine! Lock that bitch down!”
Malik frowned at the witch. “I don’t like you, Larry.” Then he focused on Josephine once more. “But I like you, my Josephine, quite a bit.”
“Malik—”
“I wonder what it will be like, when you scream my name in pleasure?” He smiled, thinking about it. “I think I’ll quite enjoy that.”
“Oh, angel, have you already gone mad? Been earthbound too long?” She made a tut-tut sound of false sympathy. “Because screaming your name isn’t on my to-do
list.”
He winked at her. “It will be. In fact, I think you’ll be screaming my name within the next five minutes.”
She moved even closer, but didn’t let her feet touch the etchings on the floor. “In your dreams.”
“Always,” he told her, absolutely serious. “You are the only thing I have ever dreamed about. And you have haunted my dreams for so long that I’ve gone mad for you.”
A faint furrow appeared between her brows. “You’ve been watching me.”
“Someone had to do it.” And he’d been the angel to get the job. The angel to find his way into madness. All because of Josephine Saint.
“How long?”
He shrugged.
“Angel, when I get this chain on you, you’ll be helpless.”
He let his gaze drop to the chain. “I turned the last binding chain to dust. You really think this is going to end any differently?”
“I know it will.”
Malik shook his head.
“How long?”
Now he had to push down a simmer of rage. “You didn’t think that you could bite an angel and not face repercussions, did you? You’ve been on our list for a very long time.”
She laughed.
His cock jerked.
Lust. Lust was always there, pushing inside of him when she was near. Pushing him to the edge. Making him want to take and take. But he’d held back. For so long. Held back, only everything was changing now. He was changing.
“I’ve never bitten an angel,” she said, her voice utterly certain. “Do I look like I enjoy a taste for the too sweet treats?”
Anger blossomed inside of him. After everything he’d done…all that he’d risked… “You lie to me?”
“Just bind him already!” Lawrence yelled. He’d backed away. As far away as he could get. And he was grabbing up herbs and broken potion bottles. “He’s big, and I don’t know how long that spell is gonna hold him.”
Not much longer at all.
“I’m many things,” Josephine assured him in a voice that had gone low, husky. Deadly. “But I’m not a liar. Or rather, I’m not lying right now.” She looked down at the chain. “I’m about to bind you, then I’m dragging your ass upstairs. I’ll never see you again, and I think I’ll be very happy about that fact.”