Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Queen of Hearts, Dead Man's Hand, Double or Nothing

by Kristen Painter

  There were more sounds she couldn’t identify. “What are you doing?”

  “Taking my coat and gloves off.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’ll get in the way.”

  “Of what?” Would a little more explanation hurt?

  “Of me climbing down there to get you.”

  “Oh. Isn’t it kind of a long way down? Don’t you think you should get some help? Fire and rescue or something like that?”

  “I’d guess you’re about thirty feet down. No, I don’t need help.” More pebbles falling. “I’m going to descend a few feet away from where you are so more rocks don’t fall onto you.”

  “Thanks.” She lay there, listening to him descend and wondering how he was going to get her out of there without having any direct physical contact with her, especially with no gloves. Maybe he hadn’t thought that far ahead. Regardless, she appreciated his urgency.

  “Seraphina.”

  A hand was shaking her shoulder. Ares. She opened her eyes. There was a soft glow in the air. “Mmm…I must have fallen asleep.”

  “No, no. Don’t do that again.” He leaned in, concern visible in his eyes even in the dim light. “You’ve got a pretty good gash over one eye.”

  “How come I can see you?”

  He glanced down at his shirt. A streak of soft light marred the black silk.

  She wrinkled her nose. “Is that goblin goo?”

  “Yes.”

  “You did that for me?”

  “I thought it would be easier if you could see a little.”

  A part of her fell hard for him. “You ruined a perfectly good shirt.”

  One of his brows cocked up. “Are you saying I shouldn’t have?”

  She smiled despite the ache in her head. “No.”

  “Do you think you can hang on to me? I can’t climb one-handed.”

  “I think so.”

  “I need you to.” He shifted to look over the ledge. “It’s a long way down. You might be a demigoddess, but I’m not sure you’d survive that.”

  She struggled to sit up. A quick wave of dizziness came and went, but she got herself upright. “What do you want me to do?”

  He pulled his gloves out from somewhere and held them out to her. “Put them on. Then wrap your arms around my neck. Do not touch my skin with your skin. Although my gloves and your leather jacket should help with that. I’ll do the rest.”

  She slid the gloves on as he turned around and crouched with his back to her. “And if I do accidentally touch you?”

  He was silent too long. “Then I guess we’ll find out if you’re immortal or not. But let’s try to leave that a mystery.”

  “Right.” She put her hand on his shoulder to let him know she was ready. He tensed, and a soft hiss filled the darkness. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” The word sounded like it had been forced out from between clenched teeth.

  She used her grip on him to pull herself to her knees, then scooted forward until she could reach him better. “Here I go.”

  He said nothing.

  She slid her arms around his neck and flattened herself against his back. He was solid as stone. But warm. This close, the smell of him, something like spice and smoke, invaded her senses. She leaned in as close as she dared and inhaled. Her head spun again. This time, she wasn’t sure if it was from the knot she’d received or his undeniable maleness.

  “Secure?”

  “Yes.” Although clinging to a man who could take her life with his touch felt anything but secure.

  He pushed to his feet and took hold of her legs, wrapping them around his waist. “Do not let go.”

  “I won’t.” Her head kept going fuzzy, from him or the trauma, she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure which was worse.

  “Here we go.” He began to climb.

  She rested her cheek on her arm and tried to focus on keeping her grip. It wasn’t that hard. Not with her legs wrapped around his narrow waist. Not with her body plastered against his. Every reach, every pull, every stretch of his lithe, muscled form, she felt in her core. The ascent was smoother than she’d expected. No jostling, no sudden shifts or jerks. In fact, he made what had to be a pretty serious exertion seem effortless. He wasn’t even sweating that she could tell. A cottony thickness invaded her thoughts. She forced herself to focus. What had she been thinking about? How strong he was? “Mmm-hmm.”

  He paused. “What?”

  “Nothing,” she mumbled. Were supernaturals all this strong? Or was he this way because of his unique set of parents? Holding on to him was rather enjoyable. His warmth seeped into her, and for the first time, she stopped shivering.

  Sleep pulled at her, and her eyes fluttered closed. A little nap wouldn’t hurt, would it? He was capable enough to take care of both of them. And she was so very tired. A fog drifted over her. It turned into a soft, comfortable blackness that tugged at her and tugged at her until finally, she gave in.

  Ares felt Seraphina’s muscles go slack and her grip loosen a split second before she fell. With his inhuman reflexes, he kept one hand on the rock above him and twisted around to catch her by the arm in time to keep her from plummeting into the chasm below. He squeezed hard, fearing her leather jacket would be all he’d have in his hand otherwise.

  She hung like a rag doll, her head lolled back in the way of the unconscious. He swore softly to keep the panic at bay. He could do this. He would get them out of here.

  He just wasn’t sure if he could do it before Gozer got back. As gently but as firmly as he could, he yanked Seraphina upward, throwing her into the air. A split second later, he snatched her around the waist. From there, he lifted her onto his shoulder.

  Once she was settled and secure, he resumed climbing. The going was tougher now, impeded by the awkwardness of carrying her this way. He was careful to protect her from being dragged against the jagged rocks and picked his way upward slowly.

  Being laid over his shoulder had caused her leather jacket to inch up, exposing a slice of her torso. A narrow ribbon of pale, vulnerable flesh right beside his face. Her perfume surrounded him, intoxicating him in a way that fueled his efforts and gave him wicked thoughts.

  He dug the toes of his boots into a narrow crevice and found a sturdy grip with his right hand, then adjusted her slightly with his left. If he turned his head, he could plant his mouth on that sliver of skin. He could see if she tasted as good as she smelled.

  He ground his teeth together, got her situated and returned to the ascent. No, he couldn’t see if she tasted as good as she smelled. Doing so would kill her. He knew that. Why his brain couldn’t remember that was beyond him. Being close to her was shorting out his mental wiring.

  But why hadn’t the fall killed her? She hadn’t even broken any bones that he could tell. She might indeed be an immortal. A thirty-foot drop would have killed all but the luckiest of humans. He tried not to think about what would have happened if she hadn’t landed on that ledge.

  She sighed and shifted. He stilled until he knew she was all right. Her breathing was soft but steady. He returned to climbing. A few minutes later, he reached the top. He hauled himself halfway over the edge, lifting her over the ends of the rotted planks that had once covered the abandoned shaft.

  Once she was safe, he pulled himself the rest of the way up and collapsed next to her. The climb hadn’t been strenuous, but the stress of what was at stake had taken it out of him. He needed a moment just to be next to her and know she was okay.

  He turned to look at her, the soft glow from the phosphorescence making her look very much the demigoddess. Her dark hair fell around her in waves, and the dark fringes of her lashes kissed the fullness of her cheeks. He ached to touch her. To just, for a moment, know the softness of her skin.

  A spark of anger lit within him. Anger at who he was, the cursed child of two cursed individuals. Had his parents given any thought to the child they’d created? Hadn’t they realized what a tortured existence they’d relegated h
im to?

  She shivered and moaned as she started to come to. He grabbed his discarded coat and covered her with it. He didn’t want to leave her here, but he needed to deal with Gozer, and it would be better to meet the goblin at the mine’s entrance than let him make his way back here.

  Her lids fluttered open, and her hand drifted to the gash on her head, which looked like it was already closing. “What happened?”

  “You passed out.”

  Her eyes rounded. “While you were climbing?”

  He sat up. “Yes.”

  “How am I not at the bottom of the pit?”

  “I held on to you.”

  A smile curved her mouth. “Well, how do you like that? You touched me and I didn’t die.”

  “I never had direct contact with your skin.” He’d just thought about it a million times. “I need you to stay here for a few minutes, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Are you going to get help?”

  Not entirely a lie. “Yes. I need my gloves back, too.”

  “Okay.” She peeled them off and handed them over. “Hey, Dahlia’s safe, right?”

  “Yes, Minka took her home.” He pulled the gloves back on as he got to his feet. “Rest. When I return, we’ll get you to the car, and you’ll be able to see Dahlia for yourself very soon.”

  She nodded, then winced.

  “Or maybe a doctor,” he corrected. “Stay still.”

  She lifted a hand and closed her eyes.

  He took that as a sign of agreement. With a nod, he headed back toward the mouth of the mine, but as soon as he approached the fork, he heard shuffling and smelled the goblin’s pungent odor. Gozer had already returned.

  With a few quick moves, Ares climbed the side of the mine and positioned himself against the ceiling, holding himself there with sheer strength. He waited, but Gozer was taking his time.

  From the sounds of it, the goblin was dragging something. The bag of gold coins maybe. He was talking to himself, a steady stream of goblin interspersed with English. Something about how shiny the gold was and how good the girl would taste.

  Closer and closer the goblin came, until finally, he walked beneath Ares.

  Ares dropped onto him. The goblin squealed like a pig when he went down, flailing his thick arms and kicking with his powerful feet.

  Ares took a shot to the chest that knocked him back. He leaped to his feet. Touching the goblin and taking his soul would be easy, but Ares wanted the murderer to know this wasn’t a random attack, that he was paying for his crimes. He ducked as Gozer swung his bag of coins at Ares’s head. “The girl you kidnapped is safe, you foul creature. Today is the day of your reckoning for what you did to her and for the other girls you murdered.”

  Fear registered in Gozer’s eyes, and he looked like he was going to run. Ares punched him square in the gut before he could move, sending him flying down the corridor and toward the mouth of the fork. He got to his feet and scrambled farther back.

  Ares went after Gozer, pulling at his gloves as he ran but stopped short as the goblin returned to view. He left his gloves on. Gozer wasn’t alone.

  “I don’t think so, wraith.” Gozer grinned back at him and jerked his arm, causing Seraphina to yelp as his hold around her neck tightened. “I still have the girl.”

  “That’s not even the same one, you idiot. The smell of your own stench has fermented your brain.”

  “Quiet,” Gozer shouted. He rattled the bag of coins. “Get out and leave me to my dinner.”

  Seraphina elbowed Gozer in the ribs, but he just laughed.

  Ares took a step forward. That wiped the smile off the goblin’s face. “Give her to me, and I’ll let you keep the gold.”

  “No. I keep the gold and the girl.” He leaned in and sniffed Seraphina’s hair, then licked her cheek, leaving a stringy line of spittle on the side of her face.

  She made a gagging noise, but aimed her gaze at Ares, her look giving him implicit permission to do whatever he needed to.

  Ares answered with a barely perceptible nod. “Take your hands off the girl now, or I will find a fate worse than death for you.”

  Gozer laughed. “The girl will die before you reach me.” He bared his teeth like he was about to take a taste of her.

  Ares’s field of vision went red. He charged forward, caught Gozer by the middle and drove him back through the right side of the fork, tearing him free of Seraphina. They rolled together over the rough ground and into the room where Dahlia had been tied up, coming to a stop a foot before the vertical shaft.

  Gozer screamed and bucked Ares off before scrambling to his feet. He held one hand out in front of him. “Don’t touch me, wraith.”

  Ares stood, his gaze never leaving the goblin. Behind him, the sounds of Seraphina coming up behind him filtered in.

  “He would have killed Dahlia,” she said softly.

  Ares nodded. “He would have killed you, too.”

  Gozer whimpered and shook his finger. “I deserve a trial.”

  “You had a trial. You were sentenced to prison. You escaped that prison, recall?”

  “I deserve a new trial.” The goblin backed up a step.

  Ares held his ground. He didn’t want Seraphina to see him reap a soul. She already knew what he was capable of. He didn’t need to prove it to her.

  She snorted, the sound closer than he’d expected. He glanced over to see her just off his left side. She shook her head. “You’ve already been proven a murderer.” Anger danced in her eyes, and Ares knew he was seeing a very dark side of her. She stabbed a finger at the goblin. “You deserve to die.”

  The goblin had the good sense to stay quiet. For about thirty seconds. He hissed at her, spittle flying from his lips. “Stupid human. I will not by judged by my dinner—”

  With a guttural cry of anger, Seraphina flew past Ares, her hands out in front of her. He knew instantly she meant to push Gozer into the open shaft. He grabbed the hem of her jacket and hauled her back before it was too late. “No, Seraphina.”

  “Why not? He deserves to die.” Her chest heaved with unspent energy.

  Gozer’s ugly laugh ricocheted off the mine’s walls.

  “Because,” Ares said, “that’s my job.” Before she could argue, Ares vaulted forward, planted his foot on Gozer’s chest and shoved him into the abyss.

  The goblin’s scream ended in a low, meaty thunk. Seraphina stood there, head throbbing, body aching, and just listened as the remnants of the sound faded into stillness. Ares said nothing, just stood at her side as if giving her whatever time she needed.

  She reached out blindly, found his arm and grabbed it. She couldn’t tear her eyes off the blackness and the last place the goblin had been. In the moment, she’d thought herself capable of killing Gozer, but now that the deed was done, she no longer felt that way. “I know you said you did that because it was your job, but that’s not the only reason, is it?”

  “No,” he said quietly.

  She stared into the darkness. “Why then?” She wanted him to say it. Wanted him, the man who didn’t want to be friends, to admit what he’d done for her.

  “I did it because you shouldn’t be the one to carry the weight of another creature’s death for the rest of your life.”

  She finally looked at him. Tears she couldn’t explain blurred her vision. “And you should?”

  He shrugged and shifted, but she held on. “I’m used to it. It is my job.”

  “Thank you.” The words were inadequate for what she felt, but she was too overwhelmed to say more. She released his arm, searching for something else to express how she was feeling, but failing.

  Finally, he spoke. “I don’t want to rush you, but the sun will be up in an hour.”

  She furrowed her brows. “And?”

  His mouth bent in a grim, tight-lipped smile. “The sun is very uncomfortable for me.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry. Of course.” He was half vampire. How could she have forgotten that? “We should get ba
ck to the house anyway. Check on Dahlia.”

  “You need your head looked at, too. Although at this point, I think it’s just dried blood. The cut seems to have healed.”

  “I do heal pretty fast. Part of that whole demigoddess thing, I guess.”

  He nodded, but looked like he was thinking about something else. “Are you all right to drive?”

  “I think so.” She reached around and felt the knot on her head. The swelling had maybe gone down a little, but her head still ached. “Maybe it’s better if you do. Just in case I pass out behind the wheel or something.”

  “Wise.”

  She dug into her inside pocket, snagged the keys and handed them over.

  He closed his fingers around the keys. “Thank you.”

  That was the end of the conversation until they walked outside the mine. Already, the horizon seemed lighter.

  He pulled his phone out as they walked to the car. “I have to make a call.”

  “Go ahead.”

  He dialed and put the device to his ear. “Job’s done. Yes. Good. No. Headed home.” He hung up and tucked the phone away.

  “That was short.” She watched him as they kept walking. His face rarely changed, rarely showed any expression. Only his eyes ever gave him away. Not this time, though. She had no idea if he thought that call had been a good one or a bad one. “Everything okay?”

  He started to nod, then took a deep breath and sighed, his gaze on the car just ahead of them. “Everything is just as it always is.”

  Something about his words seemed so final. From the depths of her soul, she wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him it didn’t have to be that way. She turned her head enough to see his face, hoping her hair would hide her study of him. There had to be a way around his inability to touch or be touched. She just didn’t have the right to be the one to force the issue. They’d known each other for a single night. Long enough for her to know he wasn’t going to welcome her desire to solve his problems.

  “Stop it.”

  She quit looking at him and jammed her hands in her pockets. “Stop what?”

  “Looking at me like you can fix me. You can’t.”

  She took her hands back out of her pockets to balance herself as they climbed a ridge. “Why would I fix you? You’re not broken.”