Protected in Darkness (Misplaced Halos, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

He went to work putting the film on the window. He’d done it enough, it was second nature at this point.

  “What does?”

  “All of it. Running for my life, abandoning said life.”

  Obsidian hoped that in time, she would want a life with him and the past would be right where it was, behind them.

  “Part of me thinks we should’ve stuck it out,” she continued. “Fought these demons. Won’t they eventually catch up to us?”

  “It’s possible.” He tucked the remainder of the film in his bag, then sat on the edge of the mattress beside her. “I’m sorry for upending your life, but I have to keep you safe.”

  Penelope nodded, then reached up and removed the dark shades from his eyes. She set them on the particle-board nightstand before coming to stand in front of him.

  He brushed her hair back over her shoulders, cupped her neck in his hands. She was the most beautiful female he’d ever laid eyes on, and by the grace of God, she’d been reserved for him and only him. He figured he owed some time on his knees, thanking the man upstairs for being so kind. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until he got her to safety.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked as her gaze skimmed his face.

  “I feel safe with you.” Her words were a soft rasp.

  That was a start, he figured.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you, Penelope. You’re the most important thing in my world.”

  Pulling her toward him, Obsidian melded his lips to hers, then shifted to the side, dragging her down to the mattress. A soft sigh escaped her as her arms slid around his neck. He got lost in her warmth, the sweetness of her kiss. The hunger was a flash fire, igniting in an instant. He was seconds away from ripping her clothes off her body when a knock sounded on the door.

  Instinct had him on his feet, gun in hand, aimed at the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Reidar. I’ve got food and I need a key.”

  Obsidian glanced through the security hole in the door before unlocking it and allowing Reidar inside. When he passed over the key, his ladeare sauntered back outside, returned a minute later.

  “Where’s Oliver?” Penelope asked, running her fingers through her hair as she stood beside the bed.

  “Gerran’s getting him settled in.” Reidar turned to face her. “Look, Penelope. I can promise you I won’t hurt your brother. He’s a major pain in my ass, but I can assure you, I’ll get him to the mansion in one piece. Not sure how long he’ll survive once we get there. But he’s safe in transit.”

  She laughed softly. “He can be a pain, but he’s harmless.”

  “More so because he’s tied up,” Reidar informed her. When she frowned, he added, “For his own safety.”

  Obsidian was surprised when Penelope didn’t come to her brother’s defense. Instead, she smiled, thanked Reidar for the food and drinks, then snatched the ice bucket.

  “May I?” she asked, moving toward the door.

  The only reason Obsidian agreed was because the ice machine was in the alcove between the two rooms. While she headed that way, he stepped out onto the sidewalk and kept an eye on her.

  “How long until Seraphina gets suspicious?” he asked Reidar, dividing his attention.

  “I shot her a text from Oliver’s phone, said he was tied up for a few hours.” The male smiled, clearly realizing the double meaning. “I figure she’s realizing he’s gone right about now. Which means, if she’s planning to follow, we’ve got a decent head start.”

  It certainly helped that demons didn’t have the ability to teleport, nor could they venture out in the daylight.

  “They’ll follow,” he assured Reidar.

  “I figure as much. We’ll seal up the room for the day and take shifts sleeping. Not willing to risk the male slipping out on us.”

  Obsidian’s gaze settled on Penelope as she walked toward the room. “Do whatever it takes. And thanks for the food.”

  “No problem.”

  Penelope gave Reidar a sweet smile before she stepped into the room, trading places with him as he exited. When the male cleared the doorway, Obsidian closed the door behind him, locked it, then went to work with the extra security measures.

  “Looks like Reidar’s a bit of an overachiever. I’d be surprised if the restaurant has any food left.”

  “He’s proactive,” Obsidian told her, keeping his attention on the door and the sensors he was positioning.

  Once everything was in place, he tucked his tools in his bag, then set it on the floor beside the bed. When he turned to see what Penelope was doing, his breath lodged in his throat.

  “Lord have mercy,” he whispered.

  To his surprise—and delight—his amsouelot was standing completely naked at the foot of the bed.

  She smiled shyly. “Unless you wanted to eat first.”

  Within a second, he had her flat on her back, his lips fused to hers.

  He wanted to take his time, to graze every delicious inch of her with his lips, but his body ached for hers in a way that shocked him. Based on the way she clawed at his T-shirt, fumbled with the button on his jeans, she felt the same. With surprising dexterity, they managed to strip off his clothes and finally … finally, Obsidian was sliding into the warm haven of Penelope’s body.

  A rough growl erupted from his chest as heat coursed through him. This was the only place he ever needed to be, right here with her, their bodies joined as one. He propped her knee over his forearm and angled his hips, pushing in deep, retreating slowly, their tongues gliding, dancing.

  Every muscle trembled as Obsidian slowed his pace, wanting to drag Penelope up to the height of exquisite ecstasy before sending her over. When she cupped his face, he pulled back, stared into those beautiful eyes. They were locked together both physically and emotionally, the high unlike anything he’d ever felt before, stealing his breath.

  Riding that razor-sharp edge, he thrust into her again and again, slow and deep as her body clutched his. It was the sound of his name on her lips that sent him over, following her right into oblivion.

  Chapter Thirteen

  PERFIDIOUS WATCHED THE FEMALE STROLL ACROSS THE crowded casino floor, offering drinks to the pathetic humans feeding the slot machines. He turned his attention to the others wearing the same sad outfit, seeking one in particular.

  Okay, that was a lie. He didn’t give a fuck about Penelope, though she should’ve been his only concern. Without a doubt, Lucifer would be sending for him if he didn’t complete his mission within a reasonable amount of time, and there was no doubt, their definitions of reasonable were far from aligned. Of course, since Lucifer was the big boss, Perfidious couldn’t argue that he preferred a more relaxed working environment. The devil didn’t much care about Perfidious’s preferences.

  Unfortunately for all, Perfidious was far too preoccupied to worry about the human right now. Even as he should be looking for Penelope, his eyes were scanning the area for Asmia, the Fae who’d plagued his mind since their first introduction. Because her presence the other night seemed to line up perfectly with Penelope’s shift, Perfidious was expecting to find her waiting in the wings, protecting the pitiful amsouelot.

  “Well, well, well.”

  Definitely not who he was looking for.

  The seductive voice came from behind him, causing him to slowly pivot. He caught sight of the statuesque demon strutting his way, damn near every eye in the vicinity locked on her.

  Could’ve been the board-straight black hair that hung to her waist. Or perhaps the voluptuous curves or the fact that she was six feet tall and wearing a sinful red dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. No doubt she’d teased at least a dozen males with her generous helping of tits and ass, which were both spilling out of that tiny piece of fabric.

  As she approached, Perfidious gave ample attention to the delicious swells of her breasts even as he fantasized about the blonde he craved more than air.

  “I’m glad to see you’ve shucked
the outdated skin,” he told her, thinking about the former blond cheerleader Seraphina had been sporting the last time he’d seen her.

  Seraphina cupped her breasts. “The human finds it quite impressive. You like?”

  “It suits you better.”

  Her smile was devious. “I found this one downtown at this seedy little place. Much more to my standards.”

  Seraphina and seedy did seem to go hand in hand.

  As they chatted, several men strolled by, their eyes eagerly caressing her as though they stood half a chance.

  “Why are you here?” Perfidious asked, dragging his gaze away from her to resume his search for Asmia.

  “I got tired of waiting for you,” Seraphina crooned, stepping into his personal space, her hand sliding around his neck, blood-red nails scraping sensually against his skin.

  He probably should’ve pushed her away, put the demon in her place, but he didn’t. There was something about this creature that seduced him, brought him to his knees. And she was right, he had missed her. Despite the fact he’d been in town for a couple of days, he’d yet to make contact with her. He should’ve known she would seek him out.

  Seraphina’s hand eased between his legs, cupping him intimately. “I’ve certainly missed you.”

  Yes, he knew she had.

  But it wasn’t her Perfidious was thinking about as his cock thickened, the ache reigniting from his previous encounter with Asmia. He would partake of what the demon offered, of course, but in his mind, he was definitely indulging in something he wanted far more.

  “Would you like me to take care of this for you?” Her fingers dipped into the waistband of his slacks.

  Before she could go to her knees in the hotel lobby, Perfidious gripped the demon’s wrist and led her toward the casino floor. As usual, Seraphina didn’t ask questions. She simply moved, drawing the eye of every human they passed.

  He followed the path designed on the gaudy carpet, stopping at a recession in the wall. Had it not been for the fact that Asmia was possibly in the hotel, Perfidious wouldn’t have given two shits who saw them. However, he figured a bit of discretion wouldn’t hurt in this case.

  Once partially concealed, he slammed Seraphina against the wall and crushed his mouth to hers. That viper-like tongue thrust into his mouth, but it was the sounds resonating in his head that had his cock rock hard and aching. Asmia’s delicious moans, those soft pleas. They were so vivid, if he kept his eyes closed, Perfidious could almost see her offering herself up to him, accepting what he so eagerly wanted to give her.

  “Why are you here?” he asked Seraphina again even as he freed his throbbing shaft from his slacks before hiking the demon’s leg up over his forearm and guiding himself into the scorching heat of her body.

  He grunted as pleasure assaulted him from all angles.

  “I figured you’d be here,” she rasped. “And I’ve got some news. But it’ll cost you.”

  Of course it would. The demon preferred the coy seduction. Always had, always would.

  “What do you think you deserve?” he taunted.

  “One orgasm,” she moaned softly. “And you better make it good.”

  With his hand on her throat, Perfidious forced her head back, refusing to look in her eyes. She was merely supplying the vessel to sate his lust. She certainly wasn’t the one he was fucking.

  Seraphina fought him as she usually did, having a taste for rough, brutal sex, biting his finger as he drove into her roughly.

  Though not completely out in the open, they were visible to anyone who took the time to look their way. Perfidious wasn’t worried about the humans seeing them. Should one be daring enough to interfere, he’d simply absolve them of their soul.

  “Harder, Perf,” Seraphina hissed. “Fill me up.”

  Pulling out of her, he spun her around, gripped her hips, and slammed into her from behind. Seraphina adjusted so that she was bent over, that tight red dress hiked up to her waist as he pounded into her. In his mind’s eye, Perfidious saw Asmia, his hands gripping that luscious ass as he drove them both to an explosive orgasm.

  “Fuck yes!” Seraphina shouted, no doubt hoping one of the humans would come looking.

  His full attention was on the tight clasp of her sex as he drove as deep as he could. The thought of Asmia’s soft body taking every inch of him triggered his release. He came, jerking and pulsing inside the demon, though it was Asmia’s body he filled in his fantasy.

  When he was momentarily sated, Perfidious pulled out, tucked himself away, then headed in search of a drink. The demon followed, righting her clothing, her satisfaction evident in the sexy sway of her hips.

  Good thing about Seraphina, he could fuck her all day and all night and she would never tire. In fact, this particular neilloh had been known to take him and Sirius on at the same time and never grow weary. It was about the only thing she was good for. And pretty soon, Perfidious wouldn’t even need her to indulge some of his darker urges.

  An older brunette approached, her smile wide. “Drinks?”

  “Why, yes, Judy,” he said kindly. “My lovely friend and I would like a Jack and Coke.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Perfidious glanced over at Seraphina. She was touching up the blood-red lipstick on her lush lips. He couldn’t help but envision them wrapped around his cock.

  As though reading his mind, her ice-blue gaze swung over to him. “Would you like my lips on you before or after I give you the bad news?”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know my lover?”

  He narrowed his eyes, ensuring she saw his impatience growing rapidly.

  “He texted me a few minutes ago.”

  Perfidious didn’t give a shit about the human.

  “The angels have him,” she hurried to add.

  Squaring his shoulders, he stared at the demon, his fury igniting.

  “Seems they took a little road trip last night. He’s not all that happy about leaving, either.”

  If they took the brother, Perfidious could only assume the entire clan had skipped town. Including Asmia.

  “Where are they?”

  “He didn’t know, but it wasn’t hard to locate him.” She smiled, white teeth gleaming. “On their way to Darkness, Colorado.”

  He growled. “Son of a bitch.”

  “Thought maybe you’d want to get out of town,” Seraphina said.

  Without waiting for his drink, Perfidious headed for the parking garage, the demon right behind him.

  THE ONLY THING THAT WAS POSSIBLY MORE unbelievable than the fact that Obsidian was an angel was … well, the mansion he lived in.

  After they’d caught some z’s during the daylight hours, plus five more hours on the road, their destination turned out to be a massive estate immersed deep within a forest, surrounded by mountains. Penelope had never seen anything like it, which was why she found herself gaping as Obsidian steered the car up the circle drive toward the house.

  She wasn’t exactly sure what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t this.

  Closer to the house, the wide circular drive narrowed, the enormous trees giving way to smaller trees and bushes, a few flowers tucked neatly in for color, leading to a covered space, providing the owners with shelter from the elements. Even in the dark of night, the colorful petals and greenery were highlighted by the lights discreetly placed throughout. Ivy snaked up thick pillars, winding overhead in a dense jungle of green, brightly accented by the recessed lights. Three wide steps, bookended by stone borders, led to a set of sturdy round-top, thick wooden doors. It gave off a very old-world vibe.

  When Obsidian opened her door, Penelope stepped out, stretched her aching muscles. The crisp breeze brushed over her skin, chilling her. Considering it was July, she didn’t expect such cool temperatures, and it had her wondering if she’d packed sufficiently.

  “Where exactly are we?”

  “We’re only a few miles from Telluride.”


  Geography had never been her strong suit, so she couldn’t picture it on a map.

  As they moved toward the porch, the front door opened. A dark-haired man wearing a perfectly pressed black suit stepped out, a smile on his face.

  “Welcome back, sire,” the man greeted. “Shall I park your car in the garage?”

  Obsidian tossed him the keys. “Jeffrey, I’d like you to meet Penelope. Penelope, this is Jeffrey, one of the heurosp.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” she greeted and earned an answering, “It’s a pleasure to have you here, madam.”

  Without any additional pleasantries, Jeffrey scurried along, making his way to the car.

  “What do you think so far?” Obsidian asked, taking her hand and leading her up to the doors.

  “All this is yours?” The sweet scent of flowers drifted on the breeze.

  “It is. Mine and quite a few others’, mind you.”

  “Oh, well, if you have to share it”—Penelope grinned—“then it might as well be a shanty.”

  Obsidian laughed and she found she loved the sound.

  “Welcome to our shanty,” he said, motioning for her to precede him inside the open door.

  She paused in the circular foyer, attempting to take it all in. The Mediterranean theme was carried into the house. Rectangular stones in a variety of gray tones lined the floors and the walls, carrying up at least four stories to the glass dome overhead. A chandelier the size of a dining room table dangled from up high, an intricate combination of iron and glass to blend with the rest. It was breathtaking, really. Any other time, Penelope would’ve been in awe of the charm, the design. But right now, she figured a quick peek was far more than her sluggish brain could handle.

  “Stairs to the second floor,” Obsidian said, gesturing toward a dramatic curving staircase, its hardwood and wrought iron spindles gleaming.

  “What’s on that floor?”

  “Game room, the fiestreigh’s private quarters,” he said simply before nodding his chin to the right. “This is one of the libraries.”

  Sure enough, the walls of books pretty much gave it away.