An answering throb began deep in her core.
Maccus tipped her back, supporting her weight in his hands. The new position pushed her breasts upward. He wasted no time before bending forward and capturing one of her peaked nipples between his lips. The erotic tug set her entire body on fire.
She retaliated by squeezing his erection and pumping her fist up and down.
Holding her steady with one hand, he reached between her legs and cupped her. When he dipped a finger inside, he discovered she was already wet for him. She was panting heavily, suspended on a wire of pleasure that threatened to snap.
Refusing to delay any longer, she guided the head of his shaft to her entrance and slowly pushed herself down. It was always a tight fit at first, her inner muscles rippling around his hard length.
Maccus gripped her waist and pushed his hips up to meet her. Their eyes met, his, hot and possessive. She had no idea what hers reflected but feared it was way too much. He hadn’t returned her declaration of love. Not that she expected him to. That wasn’t his style. His deeds spoke for themselves.
In her books, actions spoke much louder than any words ever could.
His arms shook with the strain of not thrusting, simply allowing her to sink onto his erection. It was exquisite torture.
This should have been a fast coupling, a celebration of life after facing death, but was so much more. Their gazes never wavered as she dug her fingers into his shoulders for support until she’d taken all of him inside.
“Whatever you need.” His fingers tunneled through her hair. It was the only time in years she wished it was longer. The caress continued over her forehead, down her cheeks, and along her jaw before dipping lower.
She had to move. The pulsing of his cock stimulated every nerve ending. As incredible as it was, she needed more. With his hands on her hips, he helped lift her as she found a rhythm that pleased them both.
Her orgasm took her by surprise, surging forward and swamping her. She cried out, her inner muscles clamping down hard on his cock. On a deep groan, he found completion.
There were no words.
She closed her eyes and swallowed back the words that hovered on the tip of her tongue. When he wrapped his large arms around her, she let him, clinging to him in return, offering him a safe haven in her embrace. They stayed like that, neither of them in a hurry for the precious moment to end. He swayed back and forth, rocking her slightly.
The sweat dried from their bodies, and she shivered, chilled at the reminder that they could hide no longer. It was as though some internal clock inside her was ticking down.
A ringing sound broke the silence. “That’s my phone.” It was the one Emmett used to contact her.
Still partially erect, his penis dragged over her sensitive inner walls as he slipped from inside her.
The phone rang again, and she pinpointed the direction of the sound. Her jacket was laid across the back of a chair with her pants alongside.
She scrambled off the bed and dug her phone out of her jacket pocket on the third ring. “Hello.”
“What took you so long?” Emmett demanded. “No matter.” He kept right on talking. “I have a job for you. Most unusual, but it comes from Lucifer himself. A half-breed demon.”
Her stomach churned. Dread settled over her—a heavy cloak, a premonition. Even before he said it, she knew what was coming.
“Goes by the name of Kayley.” After that, she heard nothing else over the buzzing in her ears. Not the instructions as to where she’d pick up the cuffs she’d need, not anything. She must have said something right because Emmett ended the call.
“She’s dead. You said she was dead.” The protective case on her phone cracked around her white knuckles. “That’s what you said.”
It hurt her throat to speak. Her entire body ached as though she’d been beaten.
Lightheaded, she fell to her knees, unable to process. Her sister was alive, but she was Morrigan’s bounty, to be hunted down, cuffed, and sent to Hell.
Maccus went down on one knee beside her, pried the phone from her hand, and tossed it aside. “My knives struck her. Lucifer disappeared. Her body was lying in the alley when I left.”
The image made her flinch. God, that was so sad. How had it all come to this? Hysteria bubbled up inside her. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She had to give the devil his due. He knew just what to do to inflict the most pain. Didn’t matter if it was a demon, human, or hunter.
He was going to make her hunt her sister and send her to Hell. If she didn’t, then she’d forfeit her own life.
Once again, he was giving her a choice, the way he had all those years ago. Would Morrigan save Kayley, or would she let her rot in Hell for eternity?
…
Lucifer had interrupted the most perfect moment of Maccus’s life. Sex wasn’t new. He and Morrigan had engaged in sex many times. While it had been explosive and different from anything he’d ever experienced, what had just happened between them was on a whole other level.
There’d been a depth of emotion with each kiss, every touch that rocked him to his core. He couldn’t be sure, but it might have been what humans referred to as making love.
Not that he loved her. He didn’t. He couldn’t. Wasn’t capable of such emotions. But she’d told him she loved him earlier, so maybe that’s what made the difference. That, and having her basically come back from the dead.
The devil was wily, the bastard. He was hitting Morrigan right where it would hurt the most.
“Lucifer must have come back for her after we left, somehow managed to save her.” As Maccus had done for Morrigan. It was the only explanation. “They’ve been together a long time. Maybe he’s changed her somehow to make her harder to kill. She’s not fully human,” he reminded her.
He should have anticipated something like this. But Lucifer wasn’t known for caring. That he would expend any energy to save Kayley was shocking. It made a twisted kind of sense, though, when Maccus considered the motive and impact behind the action.
Everything was just a game to him.
“Will you do it?” That was the big question. “Will you hunt her?”
She nodded and rubbed the back of her neck. The smell of sex clung to her skin, but the mood was gone. They were back in battle mode.
“He’ll give me the same choice as before, her or me.”
She hadn’t reasoned this through yet. “No, Morrigan.” It got her attention when he said her name.
“Then what?”
He only stared at her and waited for her to come to her own conclusions.
Awareness dawned. “You for her?”
“Maybe. Or maybe you kill me, and Lucifer spares both of you.” She would not choose him over her sister or her own life.
He’d never put anyone else first. How could he expect anyone else to do it for him?
He’d saved Morrigan’s life, but that was different. She’d fought alongside him, protecting his back during their battle. Giving up your soul for eternity was a whole other level.
Still, the yearning to come first with someone was an insistent ache that never went away.
Leaving her before he did or said something he’d regret, he headed to the bathroom. They could both use some time alone with their thoughts. It seemed essential to rinse her scent from his body before they faced their next challenge. It would make the betrayal easier to handle if he couldn’t still smell her sweet release on his skin.
And could he really call it a betrayal? Lucifer had put her in a situation where she had no choice at all. “You’ll have to decide what you’re going to do,” he tossed over his shoulder before entering the bathroom.
He’d just stepped under the spray when she joined him. The short hairs on the back of his neck rose, and his fingers itched to hold a blade. It went against ever
ything inside him to turn his back on a potential enemy.
Morrigan might be his lover, but she could still be his killer. Damn Lucifer and damn Gabriel.
She wrapped her hand around his arm and yanked. He allowed her to pull him around to face her. Water cascaded down on them both.
Her green eyes flashed. Her scowl was fierce. Tall and proud and very naked, she faced him. She was magnificent. “What the hell did you mean by that?” she demanded.
With a nonchalance he wasn’t feeling, he reached around her, grabbed a bar of soap, and rubbed it over his chest. “Just what I said. You’ll have to choose between your sister and me, or maybe between my life and yours. That’s no choice at all.”
“You expect me to just kill you.” Why was she so shocked? The options were clear.
“It’s what I’d do.” There was no point in lying. Better they both knew where they stood.
She dropped her hand from his arm as though his flesh burned her and took a step away. This was what he’d wanted, wasn’t it? To put some space between them? To create distance?
It would make it easier for her to try to kill him and for him to kill her.
Only for the first time in his existence, he didn’t think he could end a potential target. Because Morrigan had come to mean something to him.
Fuck, he was so screwed up. Life used to be so simple, everything black and white.
“No.”
What was she talking about? He tossed the soap aside and stood under the spray. “No, what?”
Hands on her hips, breasts high and proud, she was indeed a warrior to be reckoned with. “No, you don’t get to push me away. This isn’t a simple choice. There has to be a way out of this or around it.”
Something warm expanded in his chest. He ignored it. No matter what she hoped, there were no other options.
“There is no way.” He reached out to turn off the water, but she caught his arm again.
“I don’t believe that. I can’t.”
Refusing to accept the inevitable didn’t change it. He backed her up against the tiled wall until she had to crane her neck to look up him. “It doesn’t matter what you believe. It is what it is.”
“Coward.”
He roughly gripped her hips and lifted her right off her feet. “Listen to me and listen well.” He managed to keep his voice low and level when he wanted to yell so badly the muscles in his neck ached from holding back. “You will kill me, or I’ll kill you.”
It was the kind of statement that had made demons piss themselves and angels try to flee.
Morrigan kissed him.
The passion that had only been banked roared to life like an inferno, burning everything in its path. Where earlier had been soft and easy and slow, this time was hard and fast.
Their lips met in a fury. Her fingernails scored his shoulders. The bite of pain spurred him on. He shoved his hips between her legs, making a space for himself.
If she’d fought him, he would have stopped, but she wrapped her thighs around his waist and angled her pelvis toward him.
There was no finesse, only animal need, as he shoved his cock into her welcoming warmth. Throwing back his head, he roared. Fury and passion drove him to claim her.
They clung to each other as the madness overtook them. He slammed into her, hips working like a jackhammer. And she welcomed him, heels digging into his ass, her sweet whimpers filling his ears.
Desperation pushed him. Faster. Harder. He couldn’t get enough of her. Would never have enough.
When his orgasm hit, it ripped his very soul from his body. Cock jerking, balls aching, he emptied himself inside her. Her hot core rippled over his cock, milking every ounce of his release until he was empty.
Lungs heaving like he’d done ten miles at a dead run, he came back to his senses. Fuck, had he hurt her?
The water still rained down on their bodies, the steam surrounding them in a foggy cocoon. He pressed his hands against her wet cheeks, wondering how much was from the shower and how much was tears.
And then something miraculous happened. She smiled at him. It wasn’t a big smile, more of a tilting upward of the corners of her mouth.
He lowered his forehead to hers in defeat. She was fearless, but the devil would have his due.
“What are we going to do?” she whispered.
“Whatever we have to.” It was the motto he’d lived by and might well be the one by which he died.
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time they’d dressed and eaten, the sun had gone down. They were on their way to her motel room to pick up the cuffs that would have been delivered for her bounty. While she might be staying with Maccus, she’d kept her motel room just for this very reason. No way was she giving Emmett his location. Plus, she wasn’t giving up her bolt hole, just in case something went sideways. In her experience, something usually did, which was why she’d stashed a change of clothes and another knife here. Better to be safe than sorry.
Lucifer’s plan was diabolical—his bounty hunter hunting his former lover. Oh, and by the way, they were sisters.
“You don’t have to come with me.” Maybe it was better if she faced Kayley alone. It had begun with the two of them and should end the same way.
“Not an option.” He’d said little since their frantic lovemaking in the shower. Of course, he rarely said much, so that was no gauge of his mood.
She stopped outside the cheap motel where she’d checked in for a week only days before. Not much time had passed in terms of human reckoning, but it seemed an eternity to her. It was difficult to remember what life had been like before. Maccus was such a huge presence.
Morrigan placed her hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. Or rather, he decided to stop. There really was no halting him once he set his mind on something.
“Listen to me.” She wasn’t sure she could do this, but there was no choice. “You need to go back to your place and hunker down until this is over. Lucifer will get angry when I capture Kayley, especially if you’re not there.” She tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry. “He’ll take me back to Hell, and that will be the end of it.”
“No.” He stepped around her, yanked open the door to the motel, and waited.
Hands on her hips, she tilted her head back and stared at the heavens, wondering if there was anyone up there listening who had compassion or if they were all like Gabriel, determined to kill Maccus, not caring who else got hurt in the process.
She released a pent-up breath and entered the building. As when she’d checked in, there was an older man at the counter reading a magazine. He grunted but otherwise ignored them. Since she was paid up, there was no need to have any interaction with him.
Leading the way, she took the stairs to the second floor and unlocked her door. As she was about to enter, Maccus pushed past her and walked in ahead of her.
Is he protecting me? More likely, he wanted to be the one to get first crack at any demon or angel in the room.
She entered and shut the door behind her. The room wasn’t large, but it seemed downright tiny with Maccus sharing it. She ignored the bed that dominated the space and went straight for the small package sitting on the tiny table by the window.
Sure enough, there was a pair of titanium cuffs etched with symbols. Energy pulsed from them in a never-ending rhythm. She stuffed them in her pocket. “I’m going to change.” Yes, she had clothes that fit, thanks to Maccus, but putting on her own reminded her who and what she was.
He crossed his arms over his massive chest and stared. He was good at the silent intimidation thing. Good thing she wasn’t afraid of him anymore.
Keep telling yourself that.
He was a wildcard. She had no idea why he was really here or what he would do.
She grabbed the bag with her extra gear and went to the bathroom, shutting the door
behind her. If it had a window, she’d be tempted to climb out and go off on her own.
He’d find me. The thought was fleeting but true. They were in this together until the end.
After carefully folding the top he’d bought and paid for, she stored it in her bag. It wasn’t expensive, just a plain tank top. But it meant something to her because it had been a gift from him.
She’d never lived anywhere long enough to buy clothing online and have it sent to her. And before she’d gotten into her current predicament, she hadn’t had the money. Her life might be completely different, but she still bought her clothes in the same place she had when she was a regular human—the thrift store or Walmart.
Of course, she’d never truly been fully human, was a demon-human half-breed. A shiver snaked down her spine. She had more than enough to worry about without adding to it—one problem at a time.
A heavy thump sounded on the door. “You ready yet?”
“Almost.” No time to woolgather. They had places to go and things to do. She grabbed a clean tank from her bag and pulled it on before swapping to clean underwear and pants. By the time she’d pulled her boots back on and zipped her coat, she was ready to face whatever lay ahead.
Head high, she opened the door and stepped into the room. She tucked her bag under the bed. If she survived, she’d be back for it.
Not that it really mattered. There was nothing there but some clothes. Her extra money, identification, weapons, and cuffs were all in her jacket.
There was no reason to hesitate any longer. “Let’s go.” She didn’t look at him as she left the motel room. It was the same as a hundred others where she’d stayed. The closest thing she’d had to a home was the time she’d spent with Maccus.
He shut the door behind them, making sure it was locked.
“Which way?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I usually get a starting point, but not this time.” So much of Kayley’s human life was a mystery to her, but there was a place to begin. “The gallery.”
Fury Unleashed Page 21
