Knight's Absolution (Knights of Hell Book 5)

by Sherilee Gray

  She forced herself to meet his eyes. “You don’t need to offer yourself up like that.”

  His eyes were bright, hard, determined. “When you need to feed, love, you will feed from me.”

  She opened her mouth to argue and shut it again. That look brooked no argument. She didn’t understand why he was so adamant about this. Why he’d even want that?

  Duty. The voice in her head whispered again. His strong, unwavering sense of duty.

  She nodded but had no intention of doing as he asked. No, she couldn’t bear to be that…vulnerable with him again. That was asking too much. Her fragile emotions couldn’t take it.

  He looked pleased, and she ignored the niggle of guilt that she’d lied to him.

  He opened the door that led to the hall outside his apartment. “Right, now that that’s sorted, let’s go.”

  Chapter 8

  Hell

  The door opened and, like always, Scarlet peered around it before she walked in. And, like always, Tobias’s heart smacked to life in his chest. From the moment she walked into this room, his world became her. And the moment she left, he lived until she would come back. Until he could see her again.

  She was the only thing worth fighting for.

  His body was a mess, worse than the day before. It had been “fun with knives” day, and the demon had enjoyed the hell out of himself. Fucker.

  Scarlet moved into the room, and he fucking sucked in a pained breath. Oh, Christ. This had to mean something. How could it not? Yesterday, as she’d tended his wounds, he’d told her how beautiful her hair was, and today, for the first time since he was sent here, she wasn’t wearing a braid. No, her wild, glorious red hair was down and free.

  He wanted to believe it was for him so badly, he yanked viciously at his chains, trying to break free. She stilled and glanced up at him warily from under her lashes, still not meeting his eyes.

  “Sorry,” he said thickly.

  She lowered her gaze again and moved closer. Her scent invaded his senses, and he wanted to fucking cry, to roar in frustration. Why wouldn’t she remember? He needed her to remember.

  Placing her bowl on the floor, she wrung out her rag and began her daily task, cleaning his wounds, healing them for the next round of torture. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as her delicate fingers gripped that rag, moving it gently over his abused flesh.

  And like every day, he asked her the question he was desperate for her to answer. “What is your name, female?” His heart continued to thunder in his chest as he waited, desperate for her to answer, to say anything, to hear her voice again.

  Her hand stilled for a split second, but instead of ignoring him and carrying on cleaning his wounds like she always did, she paused and licked her lips before her gaze darted to his for a split second. “I…I don’t know,” she said softly.

  His fucking legs almost gave out. Her voice. Christ, it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. It would be light and sweet if it wasn’t for that slight rasp she’d always had. He loved that fucking rasp. It hit him in the gut, and he wanted to laugh, fucking weep, from the pleasure of hearing her again.

  She rinsed the rag in her bowl again and brought it back to smooth over his shoulders, up his throat, and along his jaw where the demon had sliced him deeply. “What is your name?” she asked.

  He had to swallow several times to get his voice to work. “Tobias,” he rasped. “My name is Tobias.”

  Her hand stilled, and her gaze met his again for a brief moment. “Tobias,” she repeated like she was tasting it on her tongue.

  “Your hair,” he said. “So beautiful.”

  She licked her lips nervously again. Another thing that was all Scarlet, his Scarlet.

  “Th-thank you, for wearing it down. I’ve been imagining how it would look since I first saw you. You’re so incredibly beautiful, I’m finding it hard to breathe.”

  She shook her head. No. She didn’t see herself the way he did.

  “Yes,” he said.

  She backed up a step.

  “Don’t go.”

  “I have to,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder.

  “Please. Please stay with me, just a little longer,” he begged.

  She shook her head, looking distressed, and turned to leave.

  “Can I give you a name?” he called after her. “Since you don’t have one.”

  She paused at the door and nodded without looking back.

  “Scarlet,” he said, his voice breaking as pain sliced through him. “Your name is Scarlet.”

  She rushed out the door, closing it behind her.

  And Tobias began counting down the minutes until she came back again.

  Chapter 9

  Lazarus nudged him with an elbow as Gunner paused at the end of the hall, watching as Grace, Eve, Meredith, and Mia, armed with bags of “apartment warming” shit, stood outside the room Luna had insisted on having—away from him.

  He didn’t want her down here with the other demi. He wanted her in his apartment, where she belonged. Everyone, his brothers and their mates, knew she was his, his female. Luna was oblivious. And okay, that wasn’t unheard of. Grace sure as hell hadn’t wanted anything to do with Chaos, even though she’d known who he was, and Eve and Mia had been drawn to Zenon and Laz, but they hadn’t understood what it was.

  Luna seemed…indifferent.

  What happened now?

  He couldn’t force her to want him, to fall head over heels for him like he had her the moment he’d opened that fucking basement prison cell and felt her familiar presence.

  “Don’t overthink it, brother,” Laz said.

  Zenon’s yellow eyes slid from his mate back to Gunner before he nodded his agreement.

  Gunner huffed out a breath. “Easy for you to say. Eve actually wanted you.”

  “Give her time.” The muscle in Lazarus’s jaw jumped. “Fuck knows what she went through with that monster.”

  Zenon’s entire face went hard, his irises washing black. “Need to be patient, Gun.”

  Planting his hands on his hips, Gunner met Zenon’s hard yellow gaze head-on. “I know that. Do I want her? I fucking crave her like oxygen, but I don’t need to tell either of you that. I also shouldn’t have to tell you that I would rather cut off my own fucking head than hurt her in any way.”

  Zenon dipped his chin. “You got this.”

  “You just might have to work at it. You know, spend time together, get to know each other.” Laz shrugged. “Woo her.”

  Gunner ran a hand over his beard. “How the hell do I do that?”

  “Fucked if I know.”

  “Awesome.” His brothers were right. Just because Gunner felt it, didn’t mean she did, and he fucking needed her to feel it as well. He needed her close to him. And every time he thought about that fucking demon locking her in that basement, starving her, doing fuck knew what else to her, he had to fight not to lose his shit all over again.

  Shoving through the stairwell door, his brothers right behind him, he took the two flights of stairs to the control room where Chaos was waiting for them. He wanted to talk about their next move, and Gunner was right there with him. If it were up to him, he’d take that demon out, slowly and painfully.

  Kryos and Chaos looked up as they opened the door, Silas as well. Gunner had no idea where the male had been this last week, but he looked as if he hadn’t slept much. In fact, he looked like hell. The angel had managed to text Chaos while he was MIA, after he spoke to Lucifer’s handmaid, and unfortunately when Diemos locked Lucifer out of Hell, he locked his handmaids out as well.

  As soon as they gathered around Chaos, their brother’s gaze slid to Gunner. “What can you tell us?”

  Gunner’s spine straightened, and the constant anger he’d had swirling inside him since he found Luna in the condition she’d been in, shot higher. Silas’s hand landed on his shoulder, no doubt sensing just how close to the edge he was.

  “Not one fucking thing,” Gunner bit out
.

  Chaos let out a breath that could mean a lot of things, none of them good. “We need all the info she can give us, Gunner, you have to know that.”

  “She’s been conscious two days, Chaos. She’s confused and scared…”

  “Rocco’s female…her life, a whole hell of a lot more, could depend on what Luna knows,” Chaos said.

  “She needs more time. I’m not forcing this. We question her now, she could run. She could be caught, I could…” Lose her again. He ground his molars. Yeah, Chaos was right, but he wouldn’t risk scaring Luna by questioning her if she wasn’t yet ready to talk.

  “How does she seem?” Silas asked. “She’s been through some serious trauma, emotionally and physically. What can we do to help her?”

  Chaos’s gaze softened. “I’m not a heartless monster. Silas is right, we’ll do whatever you need to help your female, to make sure she’s solid. But we need answers, and quickly. We need to know what she…”

  “Ask me whatever you want,” a strong but slightly shaky voice said from the door.

  They all turned. Luna stood there with Grace. She was shifting from foot to foot as she took in his brothers, as if she were preparing to run if she had to.

  Gunner moved to her instantly, unable to stay away when she was in the same room. He stopped in front of her. “You don’t have to, love, if you’re not ready.”

  She tilted her head back, her violet eyes catching his. “It’s fine. I’m okay. Ask your questions.”

  Grace moved closer, silently offering her support without touching her friend. She obviously knew about Luna's aversion to being touched.

  Gunner turned back to his brothers, who had fanned out, knowing that all together they were intimidating. Zen had rested against the desk, Kryos had taken a seat. All purposely not staring at her and freaking her out.

  Silas moved forward, smiling kindly down at her. “I’m Silas, and these are Gunner’s brothers.”

  Seeing the two of them together was kind of wild. They both had the same style: all in black. Though, whereas Luna looked like a moody little goth, the six-and-a-half-foot angel warrior with his tattoos, black clothes, heavy boots, and thick black lashes ringing his silver eyes, looked more like some satanic serial killer.

  Luna offered an uncertain smile.

  “Hey, Luna,” Kryos said.

  She bit her lips as she took them all in, still shifting from one foot to the other.

  “You have nothing to fear from any of us,” Silas added. “Nothing you say here will be held against you. No blame, not for anything, do you understand?”

  Gunner frowned. What the hell was he talking about?

  Luna nodded up at him, eyes wide.

  Gunner grabbed a chair and motioned for her to sit. She did, and he moved behind her, taking her back. Something she seemed okay with, which he was counting as a win. Grace pulled up another chair and sat beside her, her gaze locking on her mate. There was no missing what she was telegraphing to Chaos. Upset Luna and she would have his balls, and not in a good way. Gunner suppressed a grin.

  Chaos planted his ass on another desk, not missing her look, trying to make himself less intimidating as well. It wasn’t working.

  Luna, however, sat motionless, shoulders square. “Ask,” she said.

  “Tell us when you’ve had enough, okay?” Chaos said.

  She nodded, her fingers curled into tight fists.

  “How long were you with him?” Chaos asked.

  Her knuckles turned white. “I’ve been with him since I was seven years old. He came with his demons to my home. They killed my mother, and he took my brother and me.”

  Jesus fucking Christ. Gunner’s heart did an almighty smack against the back of his ribs. She’d been with that motherfucker since she was seven. He felt sick to his stomach. And going by his brothers’ expressions, he wasn’t the only horrified one in the room.

  “Do you know where your brother is?” Chaos asked gently.

  “Dead.” Her fingers dug deeper into her palms, and Gunner had to force himself not to stop her from hurting herself.

  “Do you know where the demon is?”

  She shook her head. “His blood, it’s…still inside me, but not as strong after feeding from Gunner. I can’t feel him right now. He’s most likely concealing himself. But I’ll feel him again when he wants me to.”

  Gunner moved to her other side, needing to see her face.

  “And will he want you to?” Chaos asked gently.

  Her lids lowered, hiding her eyes. “Yes. He’ll come for me. I have no doubt about that.”

  “Do you want him to?” Gunner asked before he could stop himself.

  Her gaze shot to him. “No,” she said, voice shaking before she turned back to Chaos. “But if I leave here, if I let him find me, I could kill him.”

  Jesus. “Luna…”

  “I can do it. I can. He won’t lock me away, not right away. He’ll want to question me like you’re doing now. But he’ll have to sleep sometime. I’ll take his head the way Grace showed me.”

  Gunner crouched down in front of her, vibrating with fear and anger. “You don’t put yourself in harm’s way, not for anything. I’ll be the one who kills that motherfucker. Understand?”

  She stared at him with wide eyes, then her jaw tightened and she nodded.

  Shit. She was doing the freezing thing again. Like she thought he’d lash out, take a swipe if she moved a damn muscle.

  Chaos cleared his throat. “What can you tell us about his powers? We’ve been on the receiving end of them enough times this last year to know how strong he is. He’s caused havoc. Hurt so many people. How is he blocking and controlling the demons?”

  Her gaze slid past Gunner, back to Chaos. “It’s not him.”

  Chaos frowned. “Then who?”

  She blinked her slow blink, her tiny body stilling even more, unnaturally so. “Me and Ronan, well, his powers anyway.”

  “You?” Gunner said, rocking back.

  Her gaze moved to Silas. “Do I still have nothing to fear from any of you?” she asked. “What about not holding anything against me?”

  All color had drained from Grace’s face. She’d lost people, lost fighters, friends, because of Luna’s and her brother's powers. He saw doubt, anger, fear slide through Grace’s eyes. If he didn’t get to the truth, and quickly, Grace would lose it.

  Her mate noticed too, and he crooked a finger at her. She went to him immediately, and he tugged her into his side, his big hand cupping the back of her head as he leaned in and said something for her ears only.

  Luna watched, emotionless, eerily still. Waiting. Waiting for them to attack.

  Fucking hell.

  “Why did you help him, Luna? Did he threaten you, force you?” Gunner asked, fucking hating himself for even saying the words.

  That emotionless gaze shifted back to him.

  “Luna…”

  “Are you going to lock me up now?”

  “No, but you need to talk to us. Make us understand.”

  “Will my motivation make a difference?” she asked. “How can you look at me, bear to have me under the same roof, knowing what I’ve done?”

  Silas moved closer, his silver eyes locking with Luna’s violet ones. “Tell them. You are not the monster you believe you are.”

  Her throat worked, the only outward sign of emotion. “He started feeding me his blood when I was sixteen…when I woke up one day with a thirst I didn’t understand. He understood. He’d been waiting. But his blood it…hurt me. It made me sick. And when I gained my powers a year ago, somehow I knew his blood…it affected it, made it into something else. He kept me hungry, always hungry. So I would crave him, his blood. No one else was allowed to feed me. He made himself my…everything.”

  “So what? You did it out of some warped sense of loyalty?” Lazarus asked.

  “Loyalty?” she whispered, pain and anguish in her voice.

  “You’ve been with him since you were seven year
s old,” Chaos said by way of an explanation.

  Her fingers curled tight again, so tight her nails broke the skin, blood bubbling to the surface. “That…fucker killed my mother in front of me when I was just a child. Separated me from my brother. Locked me away until I was old enough to be of use.” Her eyes burned into Lazarus. “I was forced to live among demons who despised me, who hurt me, tormented me any chance they got. He fed me his toxic blood, and because of it I was sick all the time. He threatened the only family I had left, told me if I didn’t do everything…everything he asked, I would lose the only person left on this earth I remembered feeling anything for.”

  Lazarus lifted his hands in surrender. “Luna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  “I did what he said to keep Ronan alive. I stayed in that hell, for him. He used my brother to get me to do his dirty work.” Her jaw clenched. “But it was all for nothing, because he told me…he told me the last time he locked me away that he’d killed Ronan. Killed him, years ago, that a demi with powers like Grace’s took Ronan’s. All that time I thought I felt him, when it was only his powers that remained. It was someone else using Ronan’s powers to block for that sadistic fucking monster. I thought it was Ronan, I did it all for Ronan, but he was dead.” Her voice had risen. “I did all the awful things he said to save my brother, but he was already dead.”

  Her body shook uncontrollably, and blood from her clenched fists dripped from her hands.

  Gunner’s heart clenched, and he looked at his brothers. “She proved her loyalty when she told us where to find the other demi being held prisoner when she helped Grace escape. Christ, you were fucking there when I found her. You saw what he did to her,” Gunner said.

  “I did those terrible things. I did them,” Luna said, sounding hysterical now, lost in her own head. “And Ronan was already dead!”

  Gunner couldn’t take it another moment. He moved in close. “Luna…”

  “I was going to kill Sir, I promise, Gunner. I’d planned it all. I was going to find Ronan, then I was going to kill that fucking piece of shit. I was going to do what Grace showed me and take off his head. Send me back and I’ll do it now. I promise I’ll do it now.”