Warrior

by Rose Wynters

  “I’m leaving tonight myself,” she informed him, in a practical voice. Anna wasn’t sure where she’d go, but there definitely was not a shortage of hotels in Las Vegas. “In fact, I was hoping you could make the arrangements for me.”

  “You can’t,” Ian exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Your life is in danger out there. Why would you risk yourself like that? Shayne would kill me if I just let you leave.”

  “I’m not asking permission, Ian,” she replied, standing up. The sooner she packed and left, the better she would feel. “As for Shayne being upset that I left, I wouldn’t bet on that, and you shouldn’t, either.” She let out a short bitter laugh and continued, “After all, he walked right out of the door himself, without a backwards glance.”

  Ian's blond eyebrows had lifted with each word she said. For a moment, he looked too stunned to speak. “Look. I can see you're upset. And being pulled into this makes me want to go out and kick Shayne’s ass for leaving me in this situation. When it comes to women, the only way I know how to handle them is in bed. However, something tells me you wouldn’t appreciate those skills. Right?” Ian stopped talking, a question in his eyes.

  Anna vigorously shook her head and then exhaled loudly. She wondered what the hell she'd gotten herself into. “I’m going upstairs to get packed. Could you call me a cab?” She quickly left the room before he had a chance to reply.

  “SHIT!” IAN EXCLAIMED out loud, jumping up out of the chair to pace back and forth. He slammed his fist into the wall, trying to figure out how to diffuse the situation. He vowed the next time he saw Shayne he was going to hand his ass back to him on a platter. “Women,” he irritably muttered, “are more trouble than they are worth.”

  Suddenly, he had an idea. A big, smug smile crossed his face as he realized exactly what he needed to do. There really was something to drinking your problems away, and it was time Anna was introduced to it. If nothing else, she’d end up too drunk to remember why she wanted to leave in the first place. As possessive as Shayne had been, Ian felt sure his friend and comrade would be back soon.

  Then they could both thank Ian for his intervention later. For now, he needed to get his plans in motion, the sooner, the better. Ian quickly raced out of the room, certain he had stumbled across the perfect solution to his unwanted problem.

  AN HOUR LATER, ANNA found herself sitting in the darkened nightclub, the music thumping all around her. Instead of taking her straight to a hotel, Ian had convinced her to go there. She was sipping her first Blue Hawaiian.

  Ian seemed to be in his element. He was dressed tastefully, in a black shirt and dress slacks. His golden-blond hair was tousled, and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked like an elegant and rich playboy. Anna remembered the admiring looks cast his way, as they had cut through the crowd in their search for a table.

  An empty shot glass sat in front of him. The music was loud enough to make conversation difficult, which seemed to suit them both. Although he looked relaxed, Anna could see that he was completely aware of everything around him. Ian had a carefree and easygoing manner, but there was an edge about him that could prove lethal to anyone who decided to cross him. He was not a man to be underestimated, which made him the perfect endurer, at least in her opinion.

  Her drink was almost empty. Ian raised his finger and signaled for more. The old Anna might have declined a second one, but for the moment, she simply no longer cared. Nobody knew what the next hour held for her, much less the next day. She might as well enjoy it while she had the chance.

  The waitress quickly replaced their drinks. Ian payed her, with a generous tip. The waitress gave him a big smile and left. Raising the glass in a silent toast to Ian, Anna leaned back against the comfortable chair and let the dark and heady atmosphere soak into her. It wasn’t as if the hotel she would later head to was going anywhere.

  The dance floor was packed with bodies grinding against each other in wild abandon. Anna didn’t have any interest in dancing, though, it was enough for her to just be sitting here. The tension was quickly easing out of her body, and she had moved beyond thinking about Shayne every single second. Already, life was improving.

  “Oh, shit,” Ian suddenly growled, leaning forward across the table for a better look. “Just my bloody damned luck,” he muttered, his face twisted in a grimace. He cupped his hand across the top of his forehead, attempting to conceal himself.

  Anna looked around, but she couldn’t see the cause of his anxiety. She shot him a puzzled look and lifted her shoulders as if to say 'What?'

  “See the woman in gold by the edge of the dance floor? She’s obsessed with me,” he explained. Anna discretely scanned the room until she found her.

  The woman was gorgeous, with long coal-black braids and a bronzed skin tone. The shimmering gold halter top and matching miniskirt set off her skin and body to perfection. She was so beautiful she could have been a model. As far as Anna knew, maybe she was one.

  Looking back at him, Anna said over the loud music, “I hate to break it to you, Ian, but I don’t think your cover is working.” If looks could kill, Ian would be a goner.

  The woman was staring at Ian, her expression grim. Her eyes shot fire at their table, visible even from the distance. She looked like she wanted to tear Ian's head off and stomp it into the ground with her four-inch heels.

  “Is she watching me?” he leaned over and asked, in an exaggerated whisper. It was comical to see the huge heartthrob of a warrior put into a panic by a woman. Anna fought back the urge to laugh. Instead, she just nodded, in what she hoped was a sympathetic manner.

  Ian leaped to his feet. “Quick, dance with me.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up and yanked her towards the dance floor.

  Wait,” Anna hissed, as he led her through the dancers. “I don’t know how to dance.” She gave one last lingering look at the table and the nearly full drink waiting for her.

  Ian ignored her, leading her to the opposite end of the dance floor. Far, far away from the woman who was glaring at him. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied, pulling her into his arms. “Just go with it.”

  A slow song started. Anna preferred it to the faster-paced song that had just gone off. She couldn’t imagine her body doing hip hop. With a sigh, Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and followed Ian's lead. Surely he wasn’t foolish enough to think that dancing with her would make the other woman jealous?

  Another song went by before he leaned down to her ear. “Nastassia is a female endurer,” he muttered. “It’s rumored that she’s a descendant of a very powerful Voodoo priestess, and she's not someone you want to mess with.”

  Anna was surprised. She hadn’t realized there were any female endurers. She said the same to Ian.

  “They are not as common as the males, but we do have them,” he replied.

  He paused for a moment, then said, “Nastassia and I had a very brief association—a one-night stand—about a year ago. Although we both agreed that our involvement wouldn’t be anything ongoing, she quickly changed her mind after we had sex.” Ian smirked and added, “Not that I could blame her for that.”

  Anna rolled her eyes, with her face pressed against his chest. The conceit of the endurers was legendary. “So now you’re trying to avoid her?”

  “Yes,” he said, simply. “Her grudge has made it impossible for me to be around her anymore, professionally or personally.”

  Anna pulled her head back to look at him. Ian tried to look pitiful, didn't succeed, and with a shrug, he asked, “Do you know how long a scorned woman can make your life hell? I'll tell you. Years.”

  Unfortunately for him, Anna didn’t feel any sympathy. It would have been better for him to simply have kept it zipped up. She wondered if he felt the brief pleasure he'd experienced with Nastassia was worth it. Anna frowned. Obviously, a man could live for hundreds of years and still never learn that there was more to life than a quick bedding.

  She genuinely liked Ian. It was obvious he was a dedicated e
ndurer who honestly cared about the human race. Hopefully, he had learned a lesson from his experience, and he realized he was sending out the wrong signals. A one-night stand never benefited anyone, not unless both people genuinely had no desire for any type of relationship. But Anna felt that situations like those were rare. To her, having sex for just one night was the cruelest form of rejection. It meant that in some way, one person felt the other was lacking.

  She sighed. If anyone knew about rejection, it was her, and it sucked when that message was delivered, loud and clear.

  Anna was relieved when Ian led her back to their table after a few songs. He must have felt the coast was clear when it came to Nastassia. The conversation between them had stalled after his revelation. However, she was okay with that. Her only mission was to finish her drink and start to work on another one.

  Ian slammed his drink down in one gulp, as she sipped at hers. They were both lost in their own thoughts. Before she knew it, her drink was gone, and she was ready for a replacement.

  The tension was completely gone, and Anna felt pretty good for a woman who had been rejected. She actually felt quite dreamy. The music soaked into the very essence of her body, as if she could feel every beat inside of her. Everything slowed down, taking on a surreal quality. The blood pounded in her ears, as heat began to spread throughout her suddenly weightless body.

  Her unfocused gaze settled on Ian. He was staring at her intently, his green eyes burning with a carnality she wouldn’t have expected to see. The heat of his eyes flickered across her lips and breasts before moving to her face with a question in their green depths. Lust sizzled along her nerve endings, fueling a fire that already burned deep inside of her. Now that she’d experienced passion, she realized how much she craved it. She gave him her answer in her elevated breathing and hardened nipples.

  A small part of her knew it was a bad idea, but the thought was eradicated by the need pulsating within her. Her body simply didn’t care. It throbbed and burned, waiting and wanting to be filled.

  The music called to something deep inside of her. Sliding out of the chair, her hips began to slowly move to each beat of the music. Her voluptuous body was pure seduction, her curves begging to be conquered and tamed. Closing her eyes, Anna gave herself over to the feeling, sensually gyrating her hips.

  Large hands slowly slid down the sides of her body, pulling her up against a solid male form. Hardness prodded against her back, and Anna moaned in pleasure. It was the prize she was seeking, the only thing that could ease the fire devouring her body.

  All of her thoughts centered on getting that hardness deep within her. Anna dropped her head down to the floor, her hips arching and searching for his maleness. Ian's hands guided her, as he pressed the length of his erection against the groove between her cheeks, making her gasp.

  Any traces of modesty were already gone. They were in the darkest, most private part of the club, but it wouldn’t have mattered to her at that moment. Anna wanted him to push her skirt up and take her, right then and there. In fact, she was doing everything in her power to make sure he did.

  But instead of giving her what she wanted, an arm wrapped itself underneath her breasts, as he pulled her back against his chest. Anna whimpered in need. Warm lips moved down the side of her neck before Ian released a sound of pure lust.

  “Outside, now,” his voice growled in her ear. “I'm very close to bending you right back over, here and now, and taking you hard and fast. Either way, I’m getting in. I'm so fucking turned on I feel like my cock is going to explode.”

  For a moment, Anna felt confused. She couldn't understand where she was or why someone was talking to her in that way. After a long moment of bewilderment, she identified the voice as belonging to Ian. Then her turmoil fled. His hands were already guiding her to the door, urging her out as quickly as possible.

  As soon as they hit the pavement, he spun her around and lifted her. Anna didn’t need any encouragement to wrap her legs around him. Her mouth met his, and in a brief moment of clarity, she realized something didn’t feel quite right.

  The thought passed again at the first thrust of his tongue. He was an outstanding kisser. Ian, Shayne, it didn’t matter. Her body wanted what it wanted, and it hadn't specified any names.

  Her sex settled right up against his dick. Her slit was spread wide open, only inches above satisfaction. She instinctively knew his hardness would make the heat go away. It was the only thing that could.

  Ian went around the side of the building and into a deserted alleyway. Without missing a beat, he pressed her back into the brick wall and jabbed his hardness against her. They both groaned at the contact.

  With one hand, Ian reached down and released himself from the confines of his pants. “I can’t wait,” she gasped, without any filter. “I have to have you inside of me, now.”

  He moved her into position. Her panties provided a thin barrier she didn’t want or need. With a quick pull, he ripped them off.

  “Yes, please,” Anna whimpered, impatient for anything to satisfy the ache inside of her.

  SHAYNE WALKED INTO the club, a scowl across his face. He was dressed in black, his weapons strapped across his back underneath his jacket. He looked more like a man ready for battle than someone out for a night of clubbing. He couldn't have cared less.

  He moved forward into the throng of people. One look at the expression on his face, combined with his large body, was all it took to clear a path. Even intoxicated, the crowd realized he was not a man to cross.

  The club was loud and packed full. A huge fish tank ran across the center of the building, and multicolored lights flashed over the dance floor. The seating areas around the walls were dark and dimly lit. It was the last place Shayne wanted to be, and he wondered why Arch had called and asked to meet him there.

  When it came to the angel, Shayne already had a bone to pick with him. He hadn't seen Arch since his return to Las Vegas. The angel was avoiding him, and he couldn't understand why.

  Shayne patrolled the edge of the dance floor, but he didn’t find Arch. Hell, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was just another nameless crowd of humanity, eager to have an exciting night. Shayne turned to walk out to the parking lot, hoping to catch Arch before he made it into the building, when a feeling of unease came over him.

  He stopped and concentrated on everything and everyone around him in the darkened club. The music muted in his mind as he slowly perused the crowd. There! Beyond the flashing lights, something caught his attention. Shayne widened his eyes in disbelief. Then his face darkened with rage.

  “What the fuck is this?” he growled, savagely. His fingers bunched up as he glared at the sight in front of him.

  Ian’s lips were nipping at the side of Anna's neck, with her back pressed against his front as if it had been glued there. Her reddish-blonde hair hung across the right side of her body like a lush curtain, her eyes closed in pleasure. As Shayne watched in agony, Anna let out a passion-filled moan.

  Violence filled him. Shayne knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he was going to kill the bastard that very night. Ian was a dead man walking. He just didn't know it. Yet.

  The man standing next to Shayne heard his growl. He glanced at him and then did a double take when he saw the expression of pure fury on Shayne’s face. Gathering his friends, they quickly left the club. Clearly, he knew a killing look when he saw one, and he felt it wasn’t his night to die.

  Shayne was oblivious. He couldn't have cared less. Everything faded away, except the sight of Anna sensually moving up and down Ian’s body.

  He stalked forward with purpose in every step. The bastard had dared to touch his woman. Where was his loyalty? Shayne had invited Ian into his home, even shared his subs with him. He flexed his fingers in anticipation. He was going to tear Ian from limb from limb, not only for messing with Anna but also for the giant grocery bill he hadn't contributed to.

  He was halfway across the dance floor when he saw them turn
and head for the exit. Shayne's feral eyes never let them out of his sight as he followed. Each caress the two exchanged just made the rage increase inside his body. Shayne advanced on the pair, his thoughts wild and primitive. He had one purpose now, and it was to destroy the man who dared to touch her. Who dared to arouse her.

  It hadn’t taken Ian long to move in on what was his. Had he been planning it since the moment they met? They acted like they couldn't keep their hands off of each other, as if their very existence depended on fucking each other.

  Shayne roared like an animal when he saw them leave through the glass doors. It caught the attention of a security guard standing nearby.

  “Hey buddy, is there a problem?” the guard asked Shayne, a wary expression on his face as he approached him. Shayne walked right past him, never even acknowledging him.

  “We don’t put up with any fighting around here,” he hollered, at Shayne's departing back. But he didn't try to pursue him.

  Shayne shoved the doors open, not caring if they shattered. There was no sign of Anna or Ian, so he decided to check Ian’s car first. He felt disgusted. With the way they were acting, he doubted they had enough self-control to make it out of the parking lot.

  He should have never left them alone. “Damn Ian and his good looks and whoring ways,” he muttered, to himself. Ian couldn’t wait to pick right up where Shayne had left off, enjoying the fruits of his labors. He was the one who had stoked that fire, and he’d be damned if he let Ian reap the benefits.

  Discovering Ian's car empty, he stalked back to the building. They were there somewhere, and Shayne wouldn’t leave until he found them. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

  Shayne spied an alley next to the building and quickened his pace. All thoughts of Arch, demons, and the fate of the world had disappeared. Only one man would be walking away, and it damned sure wouldn’t be Ian.