“We can collect wood,” I argued. “There are trees everywhere that have been down long enough that they are dried and easily brought in to burn.”
“There’s no time, and sending people out to collect it is dangerous and unneeded,” she scoffed. “Lucian has enough room to hold us, as well as the other witches who were already heading to the abbey. We will be safer with him and his people.”
“We don’t know whose side they are on!” I growled angrily, uncaring that he listened as I challenged his loyalty.
“I’m on whichever side Lucifer isn’t,” he said smoothly. “It’s already been settled while you were gone. Tell me, Lena, where were you while the abbey was being attacked?”
“Surviving,” I snapped as I turned to face him. His gaze slid over my body, slowly lifting back up to my battered and bruised face. “Is the abbey cleared?” I asked over my shoulder, where my grandmother observed our argument in silence.
“It is, you should pack,” she suggested as a sadness I couldn’t fathom or deserved crossed her features. “Is anything broken? The car had little left of it when Lucian had it brought to us. We feared the worst had happened.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said as Lucian’s jaw ticked at the mention of the word. “I have to grab my things.”
“Lena, take Lucian with you. The rooms have yet to be cleared, but everything was moved to the front of the abbey, minus your belongings, by Lucian’s men. We didn’t know if you had been taken or if you hadn’t…”
“Died,” I said it for her. “I almost did.” I laughed soundlessly. I ignored Lucian as I entered the abbey, taking in the damage that had been done. The inside looked like a war zone, with black burn marks everywhere. My guess would be it was the same energy like bombs that had hit the car, sending it flipping out of control.
I continued deep into the abbey until my arm was grabbed and I was pushed up against the wall. Onyx eyes stared down at me as I glared up.
“Where the fuck have you been?” he demanded.
“That is none of your business anymore, now is it?” I snorted as I examined the tick in his jaw hammer wildly.
“It is when I scoured Hell to find you,” he warned.
“And why would you do that?” I asked, hating that his touch sent my heart beating wildly against my chest as my stomach did little somersaults.
“You fucking disappeared, and both Spyder and I felt no connection to you. That doesn’t happen, so fucking elaborate on where the fuck you were hiding and who you were with, now,” he growled.
“I don’t have to answer to you,” I said as I pushed him away from me. I didn’t leave the wall; it was supporting my weight and I felt weakened with having walked as far as I had already.
“You don’t want to push me right now, Lena,” he cautioned. “I have your entire coven on its way to my club and I only offered them protection, nothing else. You want them to starve; you keep your fucking secrets.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” I uttered hesitantly. He would. He held all the cards and he knew it.
“Try me, Lena,” he presaged as he stepped closer, forcing me to lift my head to keep eye contact. “I’ve told you before: I’m not a nice guy. I get what I want, and right now that’s answers to where the fuck you were and who you were with. If that means leaving those busses full of your coven here, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”
“You’re an asshole,” I grinded out between clenched teeth.
“That’s not the answer I asked for,” he seethed as he lowered his mouth to my ear, inhaling my scent as his hands boxed me in. “Someone hid you from me, and I want to know who it was and how they blocked us from locating you.”
“Jealous much?” I asked softly as his lips hovered inches from mine.
“I don’t get jealous,” he laughed coldly. “I get evil, so tell me what I want to know or go tell your coven to get the fuck off my busses.”
I stared at him, unsure what to tell him. The truth put Benjamin on his radar, but the other left us exposed and without a way to protect ourselves. The abbey was in tatters, unable to be defended against an attack from Lucian if he showed up again.
“Benjamin; he pulled me from the car before it blew up,” I whispered as his angry glare narrowed at the discovery. “He mended my wounds until I woke up. I don’t know how he blocked you, or why he did. If he hadn’t pulled me out, I’d be dead.”
“And what did he have to tell you, sweet Lena?” he muttered.
“Nothing I already didn’t know about you,” I growled thickly. “He warned me that you were dangerous, that you’d break me into tiny fucking pieces, but he’s a little late to stop that from happening.”
“Get your things,” he said, pulling away from me as I was left shivering without his heat. “You shouldn’t have left the abbey, but you seem incapable of listening to advice.”
“It’s not advice when it comes in the form of a demand,” I muttered as I swayed on my feet, pushing from the wall.
“You’re not healed,” he growled as he pulled me against his side. “Which room is yours?” he asked, already walking towards it.
“You already know which is mine,” I grated out as I rolled my eyes. He knew which one I’d slept in, either by scent or however he knew everything he did. There seemed to be little he didn’t know or wasn’t aware of anymore.
Once we were inside my room I collected my things as Luna, the little traitor, jumped into Lucian’s arms and immediately began purring. I pulled out my bags and filled them with the things I needed before grabbing for the picture of my family we’d taken before Joshua had gone off to war.
With my clothing packed, I opened the drawer and pulled out the small message that had been wrapped and hidden in Luna’s collar. I pushed it into my bag and paused looking down, eying my bloodied and torn clothing, then sighed.
“I need to change,” I said sternly, hoping he’d take the hint and leave.
“So change,” he smirked roguishly.
“I don’t suppose if I asked you to turn around, you would?” I asked.
He grinned and I frowned deeper as I turned around, giving him my back as I pulled out a pair of joggers and a tank top. I carefully pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and set the clothes beside me before I started to peel off the pants. I winced and groaned as I slid them down, ignoring the gasp as Lucian took in the rest of my bruises. I didn’t turn around as I felt him closing the distance between us.
“Bloody fucking hell, Lena, you’re lucky to be alive,” he growled angrily.
“I’m fine, Blackstone,” I repeated. I slipped the panties down and reached for the new ones, only to feel his mouth as it kissed my hip where the worst of the bruises were. I stiffened as I tried to ignore the urge to cave and allow him to continue. “Stop,” I warned, looking at him as his gaze held mine from where his mouth was inches away from my pussy. He didn’t force the issue. Instead, his angry stare took in the other bruises as I lifted my shirt and gave up trying to hide myself from him. Propriety and Lucian didn’t even belong in the same sentence.
He stood up, staring at the bruises covering my naked chest as I slowly pulled on a top. I knew I was fucked up; I felt it even though Benjamin had done his best to heal the inside of my body. The outside was only getting worse. The bruises were a mix of reds and blues, and I looked as if I’d been thrown around for fun by a giant.
“They won’t get to you inside my club,” he murmured as he pulled me close to him, uncaring that I didn’t want his pity or attention. His arms cradled me like I was made of glass as he placed a soft kiss against my temple. “If you don’t stop taking chances with your life, I will chain you to a fucking bed and keep you there until this ends, or he is dead.”
“I’m not yours to protect, and isn’t that why we’re here in the first place?” I asked, stepping back from his
embrace. “Because you fucked me,” I laughed coldly. “Maybe we should stop doing that, since it ends up getting me hurt in the long run.”
“Get your stuff, we’re leaving now,” he growled.
“I have to grab some things from the library,” I stated firmly as his lips quirked into a seductive smile.
“It’s being brought with us, along with a few other things your grandmother requested. If you’re good, I may let you read some of it.”
“You think you have me right where you want me, don’t you?” I mumbled.
“And where is that?”
“At your mercy,” I murmured as I stepped closer to him.
“Oh, Lena, I don’t have any fucking mercy.”
Chapter 25
We stood in line waiting for rooms as Lucian stood mere feet away from me, issuing orders. They were removing items from rooms as each person who waited in line was sent to them. I knew what kinky shit they were removing from those rooms. However, no one else seemed to have a clue what the holdup was. Every once in a while, my gaze would drift to Lucian, who wore a pair of faded, ripped up jeans and a regular T-shirt, something you didn’t often see him dressed in. It was a welcome change from the suits he wore.
“Your face is seriously killing me,” Kat announced as she slid back into line, handing me a bottle of water. “I think it’s gotten worse since we got here.”
“Thanks, I had no idea,” I deadpanned as I forced my gaze away from the muscles rippling beneath Lucian’s shirt and eyed her with a look of utter disgust. “I wouldn’t have guessed it unless you had pointed it out so delicately.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, you seriously look like you bounced your face off the floor,” she replied flatly. “The guys coming in are all looking at you and it’s not because you’re hot. More because you look like roadkill,” Kat rambled as she did a double take of a group of guys who were passing us.
I’d noticed a ton of witches flowing into the club since we’d arrived. Lucian apparently had a much longer reach than my grandma, because the ones she’d reached out to had shown up less than twenty minutes after we had, and there hadn’t been many of them.
I still had to confront them about what I’d discovered. But between the pain and my wounds coming back as if the accident had just happened moment’s ago, I’d decided to wait. I wasn’t up to it, not with my insides twisting from red hot pain that was making it difficult to remain standing in this never-ending line, let alone dealing with a difficult confrontation.
I leaned over to see how many more people were in front of us and started to fall, only to have a stranger catch me.
“Wow, sweetheart,” he murmured as he took in my face with a wince. “You okay?” he asked smoothly. He had dirty blond hair, vivid green eyes, and a smirk that bespoke of sin.
“I’m good,” I muttered in embarrassment.
“This is Lena,” Kat piped up as she helped me back up against the wall for much-needed support. “Normally she’s not such a klutz, but gravity is kicking her ass today. I’m Kat, and you would be?” she asked as she extended her hand and grinned like an idiot.
“Falcon, Falcon Sutton,” he announced as he accepted her outstretched hand and placed a kiss against the back of it. “I look forward to seeing you ladies around.”
“As do we,” she giggled, and I rolled my eyes as his green ones lingered on me longer than I liked.
I would have watched him walk away, but turning my head hurt more than it would have been worth. I did, however, find Lucian glaring at me as he took in my battered face. I dropped my head back against the wall, closing my eyelids as I tried to ignore the burning pain growing inside of me.
“I think he noticed your face,” Kat mumbled in warning.
“Who?” I wondered out loud, but didn’t have long to wait to figure it out.
One minute I was against the wall, ignoring the world, and the next I was being dragged from the line. I opened my eyes, a shocked cry exploding from my lips as the subtle movement sent pain spiraling through my entire body.
“Stop,” I cried out, noting he did as I asked. Everyone stared at us, and tears rolled down my cheek as the pain became overwhelming. Whatever Benjamin had been trying to do to heal me had failed. I was steadily getting worse with every tick of the minute hand that went by. Lucian’s midnight irises ate away at mine and then slowly lifted above my head to where the line of witches watched us.
“You’re coming with me; either walk or I will carry you. Choose, Lena,” he demanded softly. “You’re getting worse; whatever your brother attempted to use to heal you is failing, and I don’t give a shit if you want my help, you’re getting it. So start walking or I’ll put you over my shoulder and carry you.”
“Lead the way,” I mumbled as I slowly stepped closer to him, wincing as pain enveloped me. I followed him until we reached a hallway without witnesses and then leaned against the wall, unable to go any further. It had taken everything I had in me not to fall on my face as we’d left the club’s main room. “Blackstone,” I called out when he’d continued walking without a sign of stopping.
He spun around and eyed my weak ass as I started to slide down the wall, unable to even hold myself against it.
“Bloody hell,” he growled as he hefted me up into his arms, cradling my body against his chest as we moved through the hallway. “You should have said something.”
“I’m not your problem,” I stated, hating that I had to be carried, but unable to stop myself from inhaling his masculine scent greedily as my nose touched his neck. My eyelashes fluttered as I gave in to the security he made me feel. I wasn’t afraid of him, I was afraid to be alone with him. Something about this man made me need him, want him.
I craved his touch and scent. As if my soul was attached to his by an invisible thread, and we’d been tied together. No matter how much I ignored it, fate kept shoving us together in one way or another.
“Is that what you think? I told you from the start, little witch,” he purred smoothly, “you’re mine, and I don’t care what you say about it. It doesn’t matter if I am fucking you, I claimed you. It can’t and will not be undone, not even by you. You’re mine to protect, and you’re safe here. Let those walls down, Lena, and let me inside to help you.”
“Those walls? I put them there to protect me from being hurt,” I laughed soundlessly as I opened my heavy eyelids to find him watching my response. “I let them down with you last time and you fucked me, so don’t expect me to make that mistake again. What you did shouldn’t have happened. Not after I let you in and trusted you, only for you to wreck me at the first chance you got. I’m not some stupid girl who falls for the same mistake twice, Lucian,” I whispered as I tried to keep my eyes open.
“You’re not stupid, but you’re already craving what I can give you. You’re pissed, so be pissed at me. I couldn’t care less if you like me, Lena, as long as you know that you’re mine. You were mine from the moment I saw you outside your house staring at it like you were lost in memories. The moment our lips touched, you were a goner whether you wanted to be or not. You want to know why Lucifer wants you. Because you are the first woman I’ve laid claim to in centuries. So fucking hate me if it makes you feel better, but know this: if you touch another man, he dies. I won’t fuck around when it comes to you. I did what I did to protect you. I couldn’t lose you, and if that ends with you hating me, fine. At least I know I did what I could to save you. I’m not the guy who gives a shit if fucked up things happen to people, but I cared if it happened to you.”
He kicked a door and I cried out as it sent a wave of fresh pain running through me. His words shook me, and yet I couldn’t ignore what I now knew. He’d taken my tattoos, my memories of us. He’d made me think I was going insane, and worse, he’d fucked me beneath the moon and I remembered everything. I’d kidnapped him, and he’d allowe
d me to and for a moment, he’d let me come back to him only to push me away again. The things he’d said and done had all come back with a vengeance that had torn me apart inside, leaving me more broken than anything he could have done to me.
The man turned me inside out and watched me fade away as he’d maintained his selfish choices. He’d come here with a goal, one that I didn’t fit into, or maybe I did and neither of us had known it.
I hesitated as he sat me down inside his bedroom. My vision moved to the bed, the very one he’d claimed me in as his men had watched us. It took effort to tear them away from it and to stare at him as he moved to the other side of it, punching a code into the wall.
He stepped back as the wide doors swung open, revealing a secondary room which had been hidden behind the paneling. I wondered how many more secrets this club of his held. Many, would be my guess; he was full of secrets.
“Get your ass in here,” he growled when I continued to sit on the bed, hesitating on whether I should ask to go back to the line, or follow his lead. Lucian had healed me before, a few times. Whatever Benjamin had done was coming undone quickly, and that scared me. I had no idea how bad my injuries from the wreck had been when he’d taken me.
I moved, albeit slowly as I followed him into the room. There was a huge tub in the room. One big enough to fit a few people if they wanted to sit closely which, considering where I was, may or may not have happened a time or two.
“Have you…” I started to ask the question and paused. What, Lena? Ask if he’s fucked other women in it. Hey, Lucian, have you happened to have had an orgy in your tub? You know, just checking and stuff? Brilliant.
“Used it with other women?” he snickered as he turned those midnight orbs of seduction in my direction. “Jealous of them?”
“Envious,” I shot back, and then faltered. Maybe I’d sustained brain damage in the accident.
Sleeping with Monsters (Playing with Monsters Book 2) Page 26
