She damn well wasn’t stupid.
“She’d never get a chance to put a knife in my heart. If by some freak chance she managed, it would only piss me off, not kill me.”
Once upon a time, it might have. But he’d changed and evolved, far more than either being in front of him. By necessity, he’d been forced to grow or die. Growth was painful, but better than the alternative, especially since he had no idea where he’d land when life ended and wasn’t in any hurry to find out.
For eons, he’d kept that tidbit to himself. No need to draw their attention unnecessarily. He’d been content to live and let live. But they were determined to drag him back into their never-ending schemes for power and dominance, each of them trying to prove their dick was bigger than the other’s. It was aggravating.
“One likes to cover all the bases.” Lucifer then turned to Gabriel. “I find myself surprised to find you here, brother.”
“Fuck off, Lucifer. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, it most definitely does. Morrigan is my hunter. And I will have her back now.” He held out his hand. “Come.”
She stiffened beside him but didn’t budge. Either she was too scared or assumed he’d protect her.
He caught the slightest movement. She did have a third option. She was getting ready to fight, putting her weapons in a better position to use them. Morrigan was willing to take on both men with nothing more than a gun and knife, neither of which would make a dent in them.
So, he told the king of Hell the same thing he had Gabriel. “No.” It was oddly satisfying to see the shocked expression on the devil’s face at being told he couldn’t have something. Gabriel smirked at his brother, which only made him angrier.
“I’m not talking to you. Morrigan, come.”
“I’m not a dog,” she muttered.
“What was that?” Lucifer’s eyes began to glow. “You’re not a dog? But I can make you beg like one, even bark.”
Fear bled from her pores, leaving a nasty stench in his nostrils.
A smile crossed the devil’s face. He was enjoying himself just a little too much.
Help came from a surprising quarter. “You need to leave,” Gabriel informed his brother.
“Stay out of this. She is my hunter. Thus, this comes under my domain. Go back to Heaven like a good boy.”
A faint light seeped from the pores of Gabriel’s skin, a sure sign of his agitation. As entertaining as it might be to watch the two of them battle it out, it was neither the time nor the place. Not with so many people around.
Usually, they took great pains to hide their activities from humans. They were masters of manipulation, keeping a stranglehold on access to information, controlling and manipulating what was known about angel and demonkind.
After all, information was power. With it, they spun lies or told the truth, depending on what they wanted to achieve.
Maccus pushed out of the booth. Both men took a wary step back before they caught themselves.
He inwardly smiled with satisfaction. They didn’t know what to think. And he was going to keep them guessing.
He held out his hand to Morrigan. She slipped her gun in her shoulder holster, but kept her knife in her left hand, turning the blade so her jacket covered it. Then she took his hand.
“Your contract still belongs to me,” Lucifer reminded her.
“As a bounty hunter,” she agreed. Her voice shook, but she looked square at her boss. Her fingers squeezed his hard. If he’d been human, his hand would be broken.
“And if you die on the job, your soul comes back to Hell,” he reminded her. “Then, I’ll torture you for all eternity.”
Punching the bastard in his smug mouth would be satisfying, but he managed to refrain. It was more of an effort than it should be. This was about gathering information, not fighting. A good hunter was patient and controlled. And he was the best there was.
“Excellent idea. Take her.” Gabriel stood back and held out his hand as if clearing a path for them. “And sign the damn contract.”
Maccus waited with her by his side. He’d wait forever before he’d let either one of these two be at his back.
Alone, he might take his chances. It would be interesting to pit himself against them both at the same time. But he had Morrigan to protect.
Lucifer broke first. He glanced at his watch and gave an aggrieved sigh. “I have a meeting to attend. I’ll deal with you later,” he warned her before striding out the door without a backward glance.
“I guess I’m next.” Gabriel gave them both a little salute and followed, pausing at the door to give a little wave.
“Holy shit,” she breathed when both men were gone. When she started to slump, Maccus dragged her upright.
“Not now. Not here.” He tossed enough money on the table to cover their breakfast along with a decent tip and headed out with her hand still locked in his. No way was he letting her go until they were safely back in his apartment.
…
Lucifer was waiting for him when Gabriel left the diner. By unspoken agreement, they kept silent until they were well away.
“Why did you send the hunter to kill Maccus?” It was brilliant. Gabriel was annoyed he hadn’t thought of it himself. Although, the hunter was under his brother’s control, not his.
Lucifer led the way down the narrow alleyway and leaned against the brick wall, not the least bit worried about the filth. Dirt wouldn’t dare soil his jacket. How his brother lived in those suits was beyond him, but the word was he only wore them when he was topside, rarely in his own realm. Gabriel had never personally been to Hell and planned to keep it that way.
Lucifer tugged down the cuff on his right sleeve until it was aligned to his liking with the jacket. “I knew you wanted her dead. I thought it expedient to bring them together more quickly.”
“But now he’s protecting her,” he pointed out, which pissed him off to no end. Maccus was a killer. He should have signed the damn contract and already fulfilled it.
“Yes, he is.” Lucifer smiled. “And isn’t that interesting.”
Admittedly, his brother understood the nature of humans, demons, and angels better than he did. “He’s less likely to kill her.”
Lucifer shook his head and sighed. “Have you learned nothing over the eons you’ve existed?”
His fingers itched to draw his golden sword and smite his brother. But if such a thing were possible, he would have done so a long time ago. “I’ve learned plenty, but please, enlighten me.”
“Think of it. The closer they become, the more it will destroy him when he has to kill her. And it will happen. Her life and that of her sister hang in the balance. At some point, she’ll attempt to end him. When she does, he’ll finish her.” He brushed his hands together as if dusting them off. “Job is done, and everyone is happy. Well, we are. And that’s all that matters.”
Gabriel smiled. Maybe his brother wasn’t totally useless after all. “That’s why you showed up at the same time I did. To put the pressure on.”
He shrugged. “I had nothing to lose. Either I took her back to Hell, tortured her a bit, and then sent her back to try again—or Maccus decided to put her under his protection for the time being. Both are wins for me. I never lose.”
That was debatable since Lucifer was in Hell and not Heaven, but Gabriel was willing to let it go. “So, what now?”
“We wait.” He glanced at his watch. “I really do have a meeting. And if things progress too slowly, I’ll send her on another bounty hunt. She can’t say no. If she does, her contract is forfeit and it’s straight back down for her.”
Lucifer disappeared in a puff of smoke. Gabriel waved his hand in front of his face. He hated it when his brother did that, and the bastard knew it.
Gabriel strode back to the street, enjoying the way the humans stared at him as he pass
ed. Some were drawn to the power they sensed in him, others to his looks. All he cared was that they were in awe of him.
He lived to be worshiped and adored.
Everything was arranged. All the players had to do was to follow their instincts, do what their natures dictated.
So much was riding on this. Maccus had always been a problem—too honorable, too much the straight arrow in Heaven, blocking Gabriel’s path to power without even trying or knowing he was doing so.
Maccus was supposed to have perished in Hell. Problem solved.
But his former friend had surprised him by becoming so powerful that even Lucifer had kicked him out of Hell.
Things were at a tipping point, and he was determined to push the scales in the right direction, which, of course, meant in his favor.
As he strode down a street in one of the most exciting cities in the world, a sense of purpose, of destiny filled him.
He tilted his upward. Heaven was his domain, and he’d do whatever it took to protect it. He wasn’t giving up an ounce of power or sharing it with anyone.
…
She was still alive. That was a bit of a shocker. Her entire life had flashed before her eyes. Several times. And neither time was any better than the one before it.
Lucifer scared the crap out of her. She wasn’t afraid to admit it.
Why had Maccus stopped Lucifer from taking her? “You could have been done with me.” Easier for him to let her boss take her, rip up Gabriel’s contract, and go back to his life.
With his hand still shackling her wrist, they made the quick trip back to his home and rode the elevator. It was surprisingly quiet for a mechanical device. He remained silent until they stepped back into his home.
“I need to do some digging around, see if anyone knows anything.”
“Is that even possible?” Her contact with people and demons was limited by choice. Anything to avoid remembering the endless days of torture and pain she’d lived through.
It had taken her years to stop having flashbacks every single day. As it was, she still had them during times of extreme stress.
Talk about PTSD taken to the max. It didn’t get any worse than Hell.
“Doubtful, but it’s always better to check. There are others out there who bow to neither Heaven nor Hell.”
That was news to her. She was ignorant of so much regarding the paranormal world at large. Keeping to herself might have protected her, but it also left her in the dark.
Information was key in any situation, and she’d deliberately cut herself off.
Maybe someone out there knew a way out of her contract.
Hope bubbled inside her, but she ruthlessly shoved it down. Better to be realistic and concentrate on survival.
“How do you contact them?” Were there some arcane blood rituals to summon them? A secret meeting place? Whatever was necessary, whatever it took to get the information she needed, she was prepared to make the sacrifice.
“Internet.”
He dropped the word so casually her mouth fell open in shock. “Internet?”
He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa. “There are places online if you know where to look.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
Maccus had layers she hadn’t even imagined. But it made sense. He’d been around a very long time. And he was intelligent. Gathering data, gaining knowledge would be second nature to him.
He strode down the hallway. Annoyed at his ignoring her, she followed him into what was obviously his office. A huge desk dominated the center and floor to ceiling shelves ringed the entire room.
“Wow.” All her irritation fled at the sight of all the books and artifacts. The room was alive with energy, both dark and light. She wandered closer, needing a better look.
“Don’t touch anything.” His command brought her frustration roaring back.
“I hadn’t planned to.” But now she might, just because he’d told her not to. Childish? Maybe. Stupid? Undoubtedly. But she was sick and tired of men telling her what to do. Her entire life had been upended yet again on the whim and actions of another.
He sat at his desk and opened his laptop. Ignoring him for the time being, she studied the thick, leather-bound volumes and ancient stone tablets that filled the place. There were parchments with writing she couldn’t even begin to decipher.
But he could.
And then there were the weapons. They were all museum quality, all deadly, and she had no doubt he was the master of them all.
Finally, she followed the clicking of the keyboard and stood behind him, staring over his shoulder. He was navigating a website she’d never seen before. It was surprisingly titled: The Forgotten Brotherhood.
“Really? It sounds like a video game.” And maybe that was the point. Hide in plain sight. But there were layers to the site, and he navigated them easily with a series of long passwords that he typed too fast for her to memorize.
“It’s very real.”
“So what exactly do you do, besides kill people, that is? Do you strictly deal with paranormal creatures, or do you go after humans, too?” That didn’t seem very fair, but no one ever said life was fair.
He ignored her and kept on typing.
Maccus had more layers than an onion. Smart, obviously well-read if the books on his shelves were any indication, a master with knives and swords, and totally fearless. She’d sweat through the shirt she was wearing back at the diner. But he’d acted like it was just an ordinary day. It annoyed her even as she admired him.
She ran her hands up and down her thighs and then forced herself to stop. She took a deep breath. Then another.
Why was she so pissed with him?
She wanted him to help her because he liked her, not because he needed the information as much as she did.
How lame was that?
It wasn’t like they were dating or anything. They’d had sex. Sure, it was off the cosmic charts hot, but still only sex.
He’d played her body like a master—every stroke or lick designed to drive her crazy. Her blood thickened, and her panties grew damp. Good thing the shirt she wore was so large; otherwise, her nipples would be poking the material.
His head was bent, the longer length of his hair falling to the side. Having the sides cropped close gave him a savage appearance. Not that he needed the help.
He had muscles on his muscles, all sleek and hot. She closed her hands to keep from reaching for him. She licked her lips, wondering if he’d notice if she nibbled on his thick neck.
No! No! No! This isn’t happening. I’m not falling for him.
But it was too late. The emotional connection was there.
Nope, just sex. And if she told herself that enough times, she might actually believe it.
“I’ve sent out some queries, and we’ll see what comes back.” He lowered the lid and pushed his chair away from the desk.
“That’s it?” She’d been expecting, or at least hoping, for more.
“For now.” He studied her intently. She could practically see the wheels spinning in his head.
“No sex,” she told him. It would only deepen the connection she had with him. She was already in over her head.
He tilted his head to one side. “Why not?”
Yeah, why not? Ignoring the whiny little voice in the back of her head, she continued. “I need to focus on a plan to stay alive. Lucifer is pissed.”
“How good a hunter are you?” Maccus walked over to one of the shelves. After inspecting several weapons, he withdrew a long slender dagger and tossed it toward her.
“Good enough to get the job done.” She plucked the weapon from midair and tested its balance. It was double-edged and sharp and fit her hand like it had been made for her. She didn’t think he was threatening her. Not his
style. If he decided to kill her, she’d never see it coming.
That was Hunter’s reputation. You never saw the blade that killed you. Maybe it was all hype, but she didn’t think so.
“Let’s find out.” He left the room.
Chasing him was becoming a habit.
Fingers gripping the knife, she followed him to the living room. He’d shoved the sofa out of the way, clearing the large area.
Standing in the center of the room, he curled his fingers in a “come ahead” motion. “Show me what you’ve got.”
She shrugged out of her jacket and gun holster and set them aside. Then she did the same with her sword. If she was going to spar with him, she needed to be fast.
She had a dagger, but his hands were empty. “What about you?” she asked.
A weapon appeared out of thin air. There was also an empty space on his forearm where a tattoo had been. He’d somehow managed to store his weapons on his body in the guise of tattoos. It was brilliant. It was also something she’d never encountered.
Just as fast, it winked out of sight and was back on his arm.
Before she could ask how he did it, because that was something a girl in her business needed to know, he lunged at her, and the fight was on.
Chapter Nine
Holy shit, Maccus was fast. She’d seen demons battling one another during her time in Hell, but she’d never seen anyone move as silently and swiftly. She ducked and rolled, barely keeping from being struck by his hand. If he’d been holding a weapon, she’d be dead.
Popping back to her feet, she swept her blade upward. The back of his hand struck her arm and sent her stumbling back. Once again, he tempered his strength, going easy on her.
Balanced on the balls of her feet to stay ready in case he attacked, she pointed the dagger at him. “What’s the purpose of this? You could squash me like a bug.”
It sucked to admit, but she was no match for Maccus. The guy was stronger, faster, and had magic tattoo weapons he could use at will. And those were the skills she was aware of. Who knew what else he could do? Not to mention he was a freaking assassin.
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