by Sadie Moss
To be honest, I never planned on seeing her again.
But if she can help us protect the angel, it will be worth it.
Trinity is beautiful and pure. She cares about people in a way that still sometimes startles me. She doesn’t deserve to be hunted by supernatural bounty hunters for simply trying to do the right thing. And she doesn’t deserve to have my twisted past interfere with her hope of removing the bounty on her head.
So here we are, creeping into Valentina’s underground lair.
But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.
Ryland holds up a hand, pressing a button on his Rolex and making a soft light emanate from the watch. He’s obviously had it enchanted, since the light expands much farther than the usual illumination of a watch face would.
He glances back at me over his shoulder, his angular jaw and closely trimmed beard shadowy in the dim light. “Will she have dangerous protections on this place?”
I shrug, although the motion feels like it might crack my shoulders. They’re still tight, despite my efforts to relax them. “I doubt it. Nothing designed solely to kill anyway. She runs a business, after all. If her protections are too stringent, she’ll never get any customers.”
He nods sharply and turns around, striding down the long tunnel as the rest of us follow. Beckett keeps Trinity close to his side, and the rest of us gather around in a tight phalanx, unconsciously surrounding her in a protective knot.
I don’t know quite when it happened—when she became the epicenter of our little group—but it’s hard now to imagine a time when she wasn’t. Some of my brothers are still unaware of it, or at least, still pretending to be. But as the embodiment of Lust, it’s impossible for me not to pick up on the desire that clouds the air between each of them and Trinity.
The attraction they all have to her is easy to understand. With her mocha skin, dark curls, and earnest, heart-shaped face, Trinity is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.
But it’s what lingers beneath the desire that’s more surprising—and more dangerous.
Protectiveness.
Possessiveness.
Genuine affection.
I’m well-versed in every variation of lust and carnal desire that exists, but the feelings growing between my brothers and Trinity go far beyond that. And even more worrisome, I feel them growing in myself too.
I’ve only felt those emotions once before in my entire existence. With Valentina. I could feel them growing slowly inside me, and I could sense them radiating from her like a blinding light.
It was why I ended things. I wasn’t prepared to face the truth of what those emotions meant.
Hundreds of women—and men—have fallen in love with me over the years. But Valentina was the first woman I began to love back.
And now, with Trinity…
My gut twists uncomfortably, and I shove away the thought as my gaze slips toward the angel. I wonder if she’ll curse me when I push her away like I did to Valentina. When I inevitably break her heart.
For some reason, the thought makes my own heart ache a little, and I make a noise of irritation in my throat as Ryland leads us through the winding tunnel that moves downward in a gentle slope.
“Watch out,” Remi murmurs next to me, just as Ryland pulls up short.
Ahead of us, a thick fog fills the tunnel, shining white in the light from Ryland’s watch.
I step forward, slipping past Ryland and approaching the mist. I’m the one who knows Valentina best, so I should be the one to get us through her protection charms. And I meant what I told Ryland—I doubt any of the protections will be designed to kill. Valentina is far from an evil witch, although it would be a stretch to call her a good one either. She’s neutral, abiding by her own particular moral code as she does business with the supernaturals of New York.
Reaching out, I pass my hand through the wafting fog. A sharp zing of pain shoots up my arm, and I grimace. Taking a deep breath and clearing my mind, I focus on my intention for visiting Valentina today, trying to stamp out any thoughts of our history or resentment I hold toward her for cursing me. I think about how I mean no harm to the witch or her shop, and how all I want is to help Trinity remove the bounty from her head.
When I reach out and sweep my arm through the fog again, I feel a tingling sensation as if the limb has gone to sleep, but no pain flares.
I glance back over my shoulder. “Think of your intentions for being here. The fog has some kind of psychic link, and we need to let it know that we mean no harm. Once you’re sure you have that thought in your head, you can pass through.”
To demonstrate what I mean, I step forward, shivering as the tingling sensation expands to cover my entire body. I generally enjoy experiencing new physical sensations, but this is unpleasant.
Maybe that’s because I know it’s bringing me one step closer to seeing Valentina again.
For several steps, my vision is completely obscured by the shifting white fog. Then I emerge on the other side unharmed, and the prickling feeling fades.
The others step out of the mist behind me, and Ryland lifts his light to reveal a large door set into the stone ahead of us.
“Sawyer?” He lifts a brow at me, jerking his head toward the door. “I presume you’d like to do the honors?”
That fucker. He knows there’s nothing I’d like less. But he also knows I’ll do it. I may not be the fighter Ford is, but I’m not one to back down from anything.
Forcing my stride to remain languid and casual, I step forward, reaching for the large golden doorknob. It turns easily, and I let out a small breath of relief. I wondered if there would be another protection spell on the door, perhaps even one specifically designed to keep me out, but it looks like Valentina has decided to make it relatively easy for potential customers to find her.
I push open the door, allowing golden light to flood the tunnel. Then I step inside the shop.
This place is just like I remember it.
The whole thing is deep underground, and Valentina has made no effort to hide that fact. The walls are smooth stone, and the ceiling is made of rougher, less finished stone. Shelves and crates are everywhere, loaded down with enchantments, charms, and potions.
And standing near a large table on the far side of the room is Valentina.
Her dark auburn hair spills over her shoulder as she glances up to see us. Her green eyes widen in surprise, and her back goes nearly as stiff as my shoulders feel.
Well. There we are then. The past has not been entirely left behind.
“Sawyer.” Her voice is throaty and deep, just like I remember. “What are you doing here?”
The entire room is quiet. All of my brothers, even Ryland and Beck, are standing down to let me deal with Valentina. Trinity’s gaze bounces from the witch to me and back again, and I could kill Remi for having told the angel that this is the woman who gave me my scars.
It makes me feel exposed in a way that I’m not used to, and that I don’t like.
“We need your help,” I say, not wasting time with preamble or pointlessly flowery words. “This woman has had a bounty placed on her head. Supernaturals have been tracking her, bent on killing her, and we need it to stop.”
As I speak, Trinity steps away from Beck and comes to stand beside me. Her small, delicate hand slides into mine, and I almost jump in surprise. This is how the angel keeps throwing me off balance.
When I listened to Trinity touch herself in the room next to mine in Brazil, I wasn’t entirely surprised to hear her call out my name. I am Lust, after all, and I was in the room beside hers, stroking myself as I both fed off her desire and urged it on.
But this? This simple touch, this offer of comfort and solidarity?
I don’t know what the hell to do with it.
What I don’t do is release her hand or shake off her grip. Somehow, I can’t bring myself to push her away.
Valentina’s eyebrows shoot up. She glances down at our joined hands, dozens of questions flicker
ing behind her eyes. Is she jealous? Will she attack me—or worse, Trinity?
I tense a little, taking a half-step forward before I consciously think about it, and Valentina looks even more startled. She blinks several times, her gaze returning to my face as she stares at me like she’s trying to penetrate my mind. Then she shakes her head, turning her attention to Trinity.
“Why do you have a bounty on your head?”
Trin shrugs, biting her bottom lip. “Um, well, I tried to close a demon portal. All of us tried. Actually, we did close it, but then more appeared. Then we destroyed those, and I think whoever set up the portals didn’t like that.”
She’s talking fast and a little breathlessly. She’s nervous, and I feel the strangest desire to reassure her, to pull her a little closer to me and lend her my strength.
Not that she needs it.
“We need to find out who created those portals, and why they did it,” Trin continues. “But it’s sort of hard to do anything when people are trying to blow you up to collect a ten million dollar reward.”
My jaw clenches. Behind us, I can feel all of my brothers react. Fuck. I wish she hadn’t said that part, although it’s our damn fault for not telling her not to.
Valentina is neutral, but ten million dollars is a lot of money.
“We’ll pay you to help us,” I say quickly. “We’ll match or beat the bounty.”
I hope Beckett doesn’t mind me volunteering his money like that—actually, scratch that. I know he hates it. But the only way to guarantee Valentina won’t hurt Trin to collect the bounty herself is to offer her a better deal.
The woman in front of us narrows her eyes. The surprise has faded from her features, and now she just looks thoughtful.
“Save your money,” she says shortly. “I will help you, but I don’t require payment.”
My grip on Trin’s hand tightens a little. “Why not?”
“Your cause sounds worthy. Allowing demons to overrun Earth would be devastating for not just humans, but supernaturals as well. It would be bad for business.”
I scowl at her. I swear I can feel each scar on my face twisting with the movement, and I’m intimately aware of every one. They prickle the same way my skin did when I walked through the mist.
“You’ll forgive me for not trusting your supposed altruism. But it’s a little hard to trust you after you cursed me the last time I saw you.”
A touch of sadness washes over Valentina’s face. Her gaze flickers to Trinity again for a second, then back to me. She makes a noise that’s almost a laugh, although there’s no humor in it. “You still don’t understand, do you? You haven’t realized that what I did to you wasn’t a curse.”
It certainly feels like a fucking curse. But I don’t want to get into a fucking argument with Valentina in front of the angel and my brothers, so I ignore her words and press on with the reason for our visit. “Fine, then. No payment. Just help Trinity.”
I could’ve avoided the need to negotiate entirely by using my lust on Valentina. With my power urging her on, she would beg to do whatever she could to make me happy, to make me want her again.
But I refuse to do that.
I’m not quite sure why. I use my power in all kinds of situations, and it’s the most useful tool I have for getting my way.
Not this time though. Not now.
Maybe it’s because, despite the fact that I no longer have feelings for her, I still respect Valentina. Or maybe it’s because I don’t want Trinity to see another woman fawning all over me. Whatever the reason, I keep my lust firmly in check as I lock gazes with the witch before us.
Valentina nods, something in her expression I can’t decipher. “I’ll help her, Sawyer. I promise.” Her gaze moves to Trinity again, and a warm smile parts her lips. “Will you come with me?”
Trin glances up at me, a question in her dark eyes. I give a small nod, and just like that, she releases my hand and steps forward.
She trusts me.
She trusts all of us.
Enough to willingly step into the domain of a witch after the first one she met tried to kill her, just because we told her it would be all right this time.
Valentina leads Trinity into a small back room in the shop, and my brothers and I nearly form a stampede as we crowd into the cramped room too.
There’s a small padded table in the middle of the room, like an exam table in a doctor’s office, and Valentina gestures for Trin to climb onto it. I help the angel up, then remain close by her side as Valentina grabs a thick, blunt wand from one of the shelves and turns to face her.
“This won’t hurt,” she says quietly as she taps the wand against her palm. A bright blue light spills from the end of it, and she begins to run the light over Trinity’s body.
Trin scrunches up her face, staying totally still as Valentina examines her with the light. She catches my gaze and gives me a small smile, as if she’s trying to reassure me, and I wonder what kind of expression I have on my face. How worried do I look?
I don’t think Valentina will hurt her, but I find myself surprisingly on edge at the mere possibility.
The examination goes on for several long, silent minutes. Then, as Valentina scans her light over Trinity’s left shoulder, the light flares, turning almost white. She runs it over the same spot again, her eyes narrowing. Then she presses the tip of her wand to the area.
Trinity’s back arches a little, her eyes flaring wide. Ford growls as all of us tense, but the angel shakes her head. “I’m okay. It just feels cold.”
The light turns even brighter, then dims, turning a pale blue-gray.
Valentina looks up at Trin, her green eyes shining with something almost like worry. “I don’t know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself mixed up in, but you must’ve pissed off some powerful people. You don’t just have a bounty on your head. You’ve been demon marked.”
Trinity jerks, her eyes widening. “Demon marked? What does that mean?”
“It makes you a beacon—for supernaturals everywhere, but especially for the corrupted. It’s like you’re bleeding in shark-infested waters.”
“How did I get demon marked?” Trinity twists on the table as she tries to examine her shoulder. I doubt there’s anything visible there though. Valentina’s spell revealed what the naked eye can’t see.
“Normally, the demon who made the mark would have to come in contact with the person they placed the mark on,” Valentina says thoughtfully. “But I’m fairly certain that if you’d come into contact with a demon of that level, you would be aware of it. This was placed by someone powerful.”
“So how the hell did they do it,” I demand. “If not in person?”
Valentina’s gaze shifts to me, and I let a languid, bored expression drop over my face, covering the concern. I don’t think she’s fooled though. Her voice softens a little, and she grimaces as she speaks. “The easiest way to make a demon mark remotely would be through a spell using the subject’s blood. But since a demon would have no way to get that—”
“Yes, they would.” Ford cuts her off with a curse, his hands balling into fists. “The fuckin’ death witch. Morrigan. She must’ve sold Trinity’s damn blood.”
Motherfucker.
Chapter Three
TRINITY
My mind is reeling, even as I try to act like I’m not freaking out.
My blood was sold to a demon?
Ugh. Gross.
I feel so stupid that we let any of my blood be taken, that we didn’t negotiate some other payment instead. Now a ton of supernatural mercenaries are gunning for me, and they’ve got a beacon leading them straight to me.
Valentina seems genuine in her desire to help us at least. That’s a good thing—or so I keep telling myself. She doesn’t give me the creeps, not like the other witch did, and she was soothing as she touched me to work her magic.
And even if she were being creepy, I’ve got Ford right beside me, growling at her, protecting me. The others are protecti
ve too, of course, all of them surrounding me, but Ford looks like he’ll rip Valentina’s throat out if she even suggests doing me harm. Sawyer is on my other side, looking almost as on-edge as Ford.
Weirdly, it helps me relax.
As much as I can relax anyway, now that I know I’ve been demon marked. From the sound of it, my very presence is a crazy beacon calling all bounty hunters and evil beings toward me.
“So what do we do? How do we keep Trin safe?” Remi asks. He takes my hand and squeezes it.
Valentina sighs. “Well…”
Before she can finish, the door to her shop opens once again, and I hear stomping and voices. Garbled, deep voices that are definitely not human.
We all freeze.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest as I look up at the men, my eyes going wide. Are they here for Valentina’s services? Or did they follow me here?
Knight is closest to the door that leads into the main part of the shop, and he signs something, his dark eyes gleaming with worry. Remi nods and then says out loud for my benefit, “Gargoyles.”
Gargoyles? Those are actually a thing?
There’s so much that I really didn’t know about the world—both the supernatural world and the human one. I feel horribly out of touch and unprepared.
“There’s another way out of here,” Valentina whispers, her gaze shifting toward the sounds. “I’ll distract them. Keep them talking. You all can take that exit.”
She walks over to one of the shelves and presses her finger on the lid of a small box that’s sitting among the other boxes, jars, and equipment on the shelf.
“It only responds to my magical energy and my touch,” she explains as a door I had no idea existed swings open. “Just stay quiet.”
With that warning, she turns and steps out into the main room. Beckett and Nix help me to my feet and then push me toward the exit Valentina opened for us. We’ve almost reached it when I hear someone say, “Hey, what’s—”
The deep voice breaks off, and I look over my shoulder to see a gargoyle peering into the room.
Oh, no.
Gargoyles look just about how you’d expect—like they sprang to life from the top of a church and have swooped down to eat a child. Gray, marbled skin. Huge, fanged, snarling mouths. Horns. Bat-style wings. The works.