"THIS TIME, stay here," Reyes said.
He deposited Danika inside his bedroom and left to do God knew what, shutting the door firmly behind him. She waited several long, agonizing moments before sitting on the edge of the mattress, her gaze never leaving the entrance. When he failed to reappear, she relaxed and tugged the tiny cell phone from her jeans pocket.
Stefano had figured the Lords would search her and take it, maybe use it to try and track him, but he had thought giving her a phone worth the risk. So had she. Everyone carried phones nowadays and she hadn't thought the Lords would automatically assume she'd gotten it from the Hunters. Now, she almost wished Stefano hadn't tucked it into her pocket before drugging her, or that the warriors had found it. Then she wouldn't have had a choice to make: to check in or not to check in?
In theory, it was an easy decision. Family won. Always. Things were not always that simple, as she was coming to realize. The Lords had known her family's location but had never struck. A point in their favor. Then again, the Hunters had never tried to hurt her family - but what if she chose to help the Hunters, and they failed to stop the Lords? After all, they had failed all these centuries. The warriors would - perhaps - learn she helped their enemy and they would - definitely - come after her with more fervor.
If she failed to check in, though, the Hunters might try to sneak inside the fortress and save her. There might be a fight. If Ashlyn returned, she could be hurt, and thereby the baby. Anya, too. Reyes.
Her gaze lowered to her hands. The cell's keypad blurred. Reyes had taken such good care of her. Tomorrow, he was escorting her to her family. Oh, God, her family. All of her conflicting thoughts melted away, her mind focusing completely on her loved ones.
Danika's lips curved in a happy grin. They were alive, and they were together. She didn't know why Grandma Mallory had left her friend's house without word yet had remained in Oklahoma, and she didn't care. She didn't know why the three women had decided to risk capture and stay together; she didn't care. They were alive! That was all that mattered.
She would have to call Stefano and buy herself a little more time to figure this out. And she would have to do it now, before Reyes returned. Tamping down a wave of dread, she dialed the number. Her hand shook as she placed the phone at her ear.
"Happy House," a deep voice said.
"It's...me."
There was an energizing pause, and the faux overworked-employee persona faded. "You're still alive."
"The Darkest Pleasure"
"Yes. They've been good to me," she admitted.
"The devil always smiles before rendering the final blow." Static crackled over the line. "What have you learned?"
"There's another demon out there, Hope, and he's their enemy. Other than that, nothing. They've kept me isolated, asking questions about you and your group."
"Another demon?" The sound of a pen sliding against paper echoed. "What have you told them?"
"That you guys asked me questions about them, but I didn't have any answers for you." That, at least, was the truth.
"Is it possible to search the fortress for journals, pictures, information about anything they've been up to?"
"No. I've been locked inside a bedroom."
"No good with locks?"
"No." Another lie.
"Have you considered..." His voice trailed off.
Seducing one for answers, she finished for him. "I - I - " She couldn't force an answer to form.
"Just think about it." There was a pause. "Everything you do is for the greater good. Remember what I told you. Peace, harmony. No more adultery, no more suicide. The welfare of your family."
In his fanatical way, he really did care about the world and its people and was willing to do anything to save them. Not altogether altruistic, but he did believe perfection waited just around the corner, the Lords the only thing blocking the way.
Danika wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Reyes had said there would always be evil in the world as long as people had free will, demons roaming the land or not. "I'll think about it." But she knew she wouldn't. She wouldn't whore for him, no matter the cause. If she slept with Reyes, it would be because she desired him.
"We've been watching the fortress," Stefano said, "yet there's been no activity inside. Any idea what they're doing?"
If she admitted most of the Lords were in Rome, the Hunters might view the fortress as fair game and sneak inside. Torin and Cameo and anyone else who'd stayed behind couldn't fight them all.
"I don't know," she finally said. God, am I possessed by the demon of Lies? "I'll try to find out."
"Have you heard - "
"Wait. Someone's coming. I have to go." Yet another lie, but she hung up and shoved the phone back into her pocket. For a long moment, she simply sat there, shaking. Then her shoulders slumped, and she covered her eyes with her hand. She had trouble drawing in a breath.
What's wrong with me?
She'd asked herself that very question a thousand times, it seemed. For once, she thought she might know the answer. Infatuation. She was infatuated with Reyes, and had been since the beginning.
There. She'd admitted it. No excuses this time, no talking herself out of it. He drew her; she wanted him, and she needed to not want him. Her desire had begun to color her every action, her every thought and what little common sense she had left.
Danika jumped to her feet. Her knees nearly buckled, but she latched on to the bedpost and held tightly. Being with Reyes wouldn't be pleasurable. It couldn't be. She'd have to stab him. But maybe she needed to experience it firsthand. Maybe that would finally drive him from her mind and her fantasies.
She could purge him from her thoughts as surely as she purged her nightmares when she painted.
Just the idea caused goose bumps to form on her skin and shivers to trek the length of her spine vibrating through her so that the shaking in her limbs increased. Her mouth dried. Desire and nervousness swam through her bloodstream, a balance of good and evil. The thought made her laugh, but it emerged as a croak.
Licking her lips, she released the post and stumbled forward. No telling how long Reyes would be gone. She'd have to keep herself busy, distracted, or she would be a bundle of anxious energy and sickness when he returned, unable to crawl into bed for anything more than sleep.
There was only one thing she knew of that would absorb her concentration completely. Painting.
Her hands were itching with anticipation before she reached the closed door. The metal was cold against her skin as she twisted the knob. As she stepped inside, she expected a closet full of supplies. Instead, she found another bedroom, spacious, airy - and converted into an artist's studio.
She drank in the luxury, a shocked gasp escaping her. Canvas after blank canvas awaited her, each propped on an easel. Against the far wall was a table lined with multisized brushes and tubes of color.
He did this for me. Not because he'd wanted to see into her dreams. He hadn't known about them when he'd done this. But simply because he wanted her to be happy. The realization was as shocking as the studio itself, and she found herself softening all the more toward him.
"What am I going to do with you, Reyes," she whispered.
How many times would Reyes surprise her like this? First the clothing, then his attempts at soothing her fears, and now this dream studio. Everything he did, everything he said, battered against her sense of self-preservation. Danika's hand fluttered over her racing heart. Even at home, she hadn't had such an elaborate setup. She'd made a livable wage painting portraits, but spare cash had been a rarity.
"The Darkest Pleasure"
Before she became aware she'd taken a step, she was standing in front of the table, lifting the brushes, testing their weight and feeling their bristles. Reyes wanted to see the images from her dreams, the angels and the demons, the gods and goddesses. Suddenly she wanted to give him anything, everything.
But as she studied the palette of colors, both oils and acrylics, she knew her dreams would not be the focus of her first painting tonight. He would.
REYES PREPARED ANOTHER MEAL for Danika. Thankfully Paris had gone shopping before leaving for Rome, so there was plenty to choose from.
He carried the tray of fresh fish and salad to his bedroom, experiencing a slight twinge of panic when he didn't spot Danika right away. A quick search, and he found her in the studio, serene as she sketched something on one of the canvases. So absorbed was she that she didn't hear him enter. Did not even look at him when he called her name.
Her eyes were glazed, as if she were in some sort of trance. Her wrist flicked up and down the blank board gracefully, her body swaying from side to side in a fluid dance. His chest ached, his cock swelled. Pain battered against his skull to get to her. None of that.
Not wanting to distract her, he left. Breathed in and out, trying to still his raging heartbeat. He didn't think her lovely image would ever leave his mind. Hair hastily tied back, several strands escaping. Black smudges on her cheek and jaw. Lips red and glistening from the sharp nibble of her teeth.
He was rock hard and shaking uncontrollably by the time he reached the entertainment room. He hadn't realized he'd done it, but he'd already palmed his blades. Desperate for pain, he plopped onto the dark red couch; the men refused to buy any other color upholstery because of him, a fact that sometimes embarrassed him.
At least he didn't feel the need to jump from the fortress roof again.
"So what's a guy have to do to get some action around here?"
Reyes's head whipped to the side at the sound of that unknown voice. One of his daggers was soaring through the air a second later.
An unfamiliar warrior lounged in the plush red recliner, legs extended, the very picture of tranquility. He captured Reyes's weapon without a blink and studied the hilt. "Nice work. You make it yourself?"
Recognition suddenly dawned. "William." Anya's friend. Not many people could make it up the hill and into the fortress without setting off Torin's traps and sensors. But Torin had turned them off for this man, and Anya had warned everyone in the house to leave him alone or suffer the consequences.
"Yep, that's me. I know, I know. You're humbled I'm here, feel like throwing rose petals at my feet, blah, blah, blah. No need, though. Just try and think of me as a normal guy."
Reyes rolled his eyes. Anya had failed to mention the immortal was an arrogant ass. "Yes, I made the blade. Why are you here?"
Frowning, William tangled a strong hand through his black-as-night hair. "Boredom, my friend. Boredom. Everyone just took off, no welcome party for me or anything. I decided to watch some TV, but the only movies you've got are porn and as I've been without a female for the past few weeks, they're just making me jealous."
"The movies belong to Paris," he said.
A laugh. A shake of William's head. "Say no more. I met the man."
"I did not mean, why are you in this room. Why are you in Budapest? Why are you in this fortress?"
William shrugged those big shoulders. "Answer doesn't change. Boredom. Well," he added after a moment's thought, "maybe it changes a little. Anya came to visit me not too long ago and put me in a tight spot with the new god king. I failed him, so he burned my home to the ground - even though he got what he wanted anyway. I've got nowhere else to go and Anya owes me big-time."
Reyes stiffened, every muscle in his body going on alert. "If you came to hurt her, I will - "
"Relax." The warrior held up one hand, palm out. His blue eyes twinkled as he raised his shirt with the other. "I couldn't hurt her even if I wanted to, and believe me, I've wanted to. She stabbed me right here."
His gaze lowered to the man's stomach. A long, thick scar slashed through his navel. "Nice."
"Girl always has been good with knives." William dropped the shirt and grinned.
Except for the scar, looking at William was like beholding the most perfect being ever created. Perfect skin, tanned and smooth. Perfect nose, sloped and straight. Perfect teeth, perfect cheekbones, perfect jaw. He was leanly muscled and exuded confidence. Reyes did not want the man anywhere near Danika.
Thinking of Danika caused his stomach to knot. "You said you desired a woman?" Reyes asked him.
William sat up, his features practically glowing with anticipation. "Have one in mind?"
"Meet me at the front door. Fifteen minutes."
Without another word, Reyes marched from the room and into his chamber. Danika stood in the exact same spot he'd left her, still lost in her painting. She hadn't even begun adding colors yet, but was still sketching the outline.
"The Darkest Pleasure"
He didn't know much about the process, but suspected she would be at the task for hours more. His body was on fire, more so than before, and he needed pain. Taking matters into his own hands had not helped, had only managed to shock Danika and embarrass him.
Tomorrow they would be traveling and in close proximity. He would smell her sweet scent constantly. He would hunger for her desperately. And he might not be able to cut himself as he would need. If he didn't completely sate himself tonight, he could end up hurting or scaring Danika. Pain might try and force her to do things she wouldn't want to do. Things that would haunt her for the rest of her life. That, Reyes would not tolerate.
Perhaps he would take another woman.
The idea plagued him as he showered. Clean and dry, he strapped weapons all over his body, pulled on a fresh shirt and leather duster. As he tied his boots, he watched Danika work. Bedding a woman was dangerous, and could quite possibly be disastrous. How many lives had he already destroyed?
Maybe it won't be like that anymore. Maybe enough time had passed to dilute the demon's power so it would no longer affect his partner. Maybe. Besides, Reyes had better control now. But the thought of being with another woman sickened him. He wanted this one. He wanted her body underneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist, squeezing him, her pleasure moans in his ears.
But he couldn't have her, and he knew it. Not now. Not yet. If the woman he bedded tonight showed no signs of bloodlust...maybe. All he could do was breathe Danika in deeply - gods, that sea-storm scent drove him wild - and stalk from the room.
William was already at the front door, pacing. When he spotted Reyes, he stopped and grinned. "Where we going?"
"Club Destiny." Before Reyes could talk himself into staying home, he strode past him, out the door and into the daylight. The air was slightly chilled, rain clouds in the muted sky. Several rays of sunlight seeped from the canopy of trees.
"Anyone going to be there?" William asked, keeping pace beside him. "It's only midday."
"Someone will be there." Many someones. "Paris visits the club at all hours of the day and night, so women stay there, waiting for him."
William rubbed his hands together. "Humans, right?"
"Yes." He maneuvered around the thick base of a tree, careful of its limbs. One touch, and poisoned darts would be released, slamming into his chest.
"Not into human females?"
He flicked the warrior a glance. "What do you mean?"
"There was disgust in your voice just now."
Oh, yes. He was disgusted. With himself. "I like human females. Be careful of that rock," he added without pause. "A pit waits on the other side of it."
They steered clear, already halfway down. Wind rustled the leaves and whistled through the stones. "Why all the traps up here?" William asked, clearly intrigued. "I mean, I noticed the trip wires, the poisoned darts and the hanging stones on my way up."
"Hunters once came knocking."
"Ah. Say no more. Let's get back to the blonde."
Reyes's hands fisted at his sides, bereft without his blades. He felt as though unseen gazes were boring into him, spotlighting his flaws, his mistakes. Judging. Condemning. This might be the wrong decision, leaving her, but he didn't know what else to do. He wanted her so badly, had to have her, but couldn't until he'd proven she was safe from his demon. Which meant being with another woman.
But would she want him if he first took someone else?
"She's feisty. I like that."
"She is not up for discussion," Reyes snapped.
"Ouch. Touchy subject. I see your little demon awakens when she's mentioned. Your eyes glowed neon-red, just like Lucien's tend to do when he looks at me." Chuckling, unafraid, William held up his hands in surrender. "I'll never bring your girl up again, swear."
"You are odd," Reyes told him. "Most would tremble at the thought of my demon. You laugh."
"You forget. I fought Anya, and she's fiercer than all of your demons put together." William slung an arm around Reyes's shoulder. "Ten minutes with me, and I can help you forget the person I'm not supposed to talk about. You'll see."
They strode in silence for several minutes and soon hit the bottom of the hill. The sensation of being watched increased, and Reyes studied the surrounding area, gaze cutting through the shadows. Nothing seemed out of place, no one lurked nearby, but he didn't relax his guard.
"Let's get this over with," he said, and moved forward.