He nodded. “Don’t be sorry. I’m grateful we had a chance to talk.”
“Me too.” She walked away without looking at him again, but then she turned to look at him when she opened the door. “Are you coming back inside?”
“In a bit.”
“I’m really glad you followed me up here.” She smiled. “It was great to talk to you before you head back to Russia.” Rather than wait for him to respond, she walked inside and shut the door.
It was true. In the morning he planned to return to Russia. He realized part of her was relieved he was leaving. In all honesty, he knew distancing himself from her was for the best. He’d managed to touch her, shake her hand, without hurting her. He managed to avoid burning her when she reached out to touch him, but the danger was still present. At any time, if either of them made one wrong move, he could kill her.
He stood there for several minutes. Just as he decided to go back inside, Adam merged with him. Where are you?
The roof.
Adam took his physical form a few feet from Gabe. “Are you stargazing?”
“How did you guess?”
He glanced around, lifting his head as if scenting the air. “You were up here with a woman. Where did she go?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.”
“What’s the plan?”
“I’m going to the club to talk to Demetri. I want you to stick around the hotel until I return.”
“Is Hanna in your suite?”
“Yes.”
“Is she a runner?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her.”
Gabe laughed. “I’ll do my best to make sure she’s here when you get back.”
“Actually, I don’t want you to approach her if she leaves. She has been tortured and held captive by demons. She has many reasons to fear us all. Just keep an eye on her and keep her safe.”
“Will do. Are you going to the club alone? I’ve heard it’s packed full of trouble.”
“I’m taking Rowdy and Jax. I plan to leave them to aid Demetri.”
“That’s actually a great idea. They’ll have no trouble fitting in.”
~ FIVE ~
Demetri Demidov opened his hand and looked down at the blue elastic hair tie in the center of his palm. He’d taken it from Sara’s hair the last time they were together. He’d carried it with him for years. It was the only thing he had of hers. He ached to feel the silky texture of her hair against his skin and breathe its sweet scent in again.
A few recent trips to the future convinced him that he would no longer exist in six months. He was running out of ideas and out of time. His heart, thoroughly broken, constantly ached. He had to find her before it was too late. But how? He was stuck. He was trapped. He had so much power and none of it could save her. He'd gone to the past a few times, attempting to pinpoint the exact moment she’d been taken, but the moment was guarded by a spell, hidden beyond a dark void. Then he decided to return to the past to find her before they met. He couldn’t find her. The same spell hid her entire past from him.
When Adam Vlacic walked in, he appeared to be looking around the club for something or someone.
Are you looking for trouble?
Adam shared an image of a woman with him. She was seen in here shortly before disappearing.
They killed her. I didn’t know until it was too late. Was she important to you?
My mate met her at the shelter that was blown up. She was worried about her. I hoped to give her some good news.
You came to the wrong place to dig up good news.
I also wanted to let you know that I’m planning to extend my stay here. I know your situation. Let me know if you need any help.
Why are you staying?
I’m going after Evolved.
What do you know about them?
Not much. But I’ve encountered the leader. He likes to be addressed as God.
God? That’s odd. Are you sure he’s a demon?
Yes.
Who is it?
I don’t know yet. He hid his identity.
Be careful. Don’t lose sight of your mate. They have the ability to place voids in time.
You’ve tried to alter the past to get your mate back?
I never had an opportunity to do it. I haven’t been able to get to the moment Sara was taken.
What about before she was taken?
I end up in a void.
Are you saying her entire past is in a void?
I am.
Not many demons can create actual voids in time. It takes an incredible amount of energy. I’ve never encountered a demon with the ability to put an entire lifetime in a void.
They also have the ability to block another demon’s power. They can use another demon’s spells to strengthen their own. Their power is getting stronger at an alarming rate.
As I remember, you’ve always had a knack for siphoning power from other demons.
Not as well as they do.
Do you think the group’s attempt to alter DNA to make themselves more powerful has worked?
No. I don’t believe it has actually made them stronger. I think they’re using older, darker forms of magic. Maybe the demon who claims to be a god is older.
I can’t think of a living demon much older than you. Do you really think they’re using magic that has been around longer than you?
Absolutely. I’ve never seen anything as dark or as powerful. Over time, we’ve lost power. The shortcuts we’ve learned to use creates holes or weak spots. Anything we use to counteract their spells are just too weak to make a difference.
It sounds like we need schooling.
They’re schooling us. We’re all getting failing grades.
I’ll help you. They had my mate as well. She escaped.
Demetri stood up. I want to talk to her.
Not now.
Right now.
Later.
When?
She needs rest. Tomorrow at the earliest. I’m leaving the wolves, Rowdy and Jax, here with you.
No. I don’t want them hanging around here. Take them with you.
They can help.
No thanks, Adam. You have a reputation for surrounding yourself with backstabbers.
They had my mate. They still have yours. I am not leaving you alone. Since I know you’ll come after me if they fuckup, I wouldn’t leave them if I didn’t trust them. They know what they’re doing. They’ll stay out of your way, but they’ll be ready to get a message to me if you need help. They can also create a diversion if you need one. Most importantly, I trust them. I don’t trust many of my soldiers.
I will kill them if they do anything to endanger Sara.
You know me. I wouldn’t leave you with anyone other than the best. They won’t do anything to jeopardize Sara’s life. Work with me. We’ll get your mate back. We’ll destroy the leader of Evolved. We’ll kill the entire damn group before they acquire any more victims.
Kazimir showed up here with a few wolves. Demetri said.
When?
A few days ago. I figured he came to town to play war games with you.
I should’ve finished him off years ago.
Why didn’t you?
He’s sloppy. He has led me to several beings worse than him. Adam explained.
An unwitting informant?
That’s right. But I think the time has come to look for a new one. The bastard sent my favorite ship to the bottom of the sea.
I heard about it. He has always been a pain in the ass. I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear the wolves with him are your trackers.
I know. We’re getting ready to do some weeding.
That’s a good idea since your mate makes an easy target for them to take shots at.
****
After leaving Jax and Rowdy with Demetri, Adam returned to the hotel. Joined by Gabe and Javier, he walked down the hall toward Joseph’s office. “We need to keep gathering as much information as
possible concerning Evolved. We need to identify Mr. God Complex.”
“What happened at the shelter?” Gabe asked.
“Evolved blew the damn thing up.”
“I know about the bomb. Do you have any more details?”
“The bomb was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The entire basement was the damn bomb. It was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. The idiots had dozens of barrels of gasoline and other chemicals. And there were hundreds of wires going everywhere. I can’t believe its construction went unnoticed with so many humans staying at the shelter.”
“Are we still leaving for Russia in the morning?”
“No.” Adam shook his head, wondering if Gabe had listened to a word he said. “We’re staying here, and we’re destroying Evolved. Why else would I tell you we need to gather information?” For as long as Adam could remember, he didn’t allow himself to give a damn about anything. He created chaos and war. He hunted evil. He slaughtered it. The end. “Besides, I won’t leave her unprotected.”
“I assumed you wouldn’t leave her at all.”
“Then why would you wonder if I had plans to return to Russia.”
“I thought you’d bring her with us.”
“Once we’ve destroyed Evolved she’ll want to stay in her home country. I am sure it will help her establish a better life.”
“You said she’s your mate.”
“I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to accept me. You know she was tortured by demons.”
“You’ll be able to walk away from her if she doesn’t accept you?”
“If I must.” He knew damn well he wouldn’t leave her. He wandered from place to place, following evil no matter where it led him. He enjoyed wandering. Not anymore. He couldn’t. He needed to establish roots. He couldn’t drag Hanna around the world with him. It would be unfair. She needed a home. She needed stability. She needed peace. She needed time to heal.
“How far are you willing to go to destroy Evolved?”
“As far as it takes. You might as well settle in and get comfortable. You need to deal with the fact that we are not leaving anytime soon.”
“What about Kazimir?”
“What about him?”
“Are you still planning to go after him?”
“Not now.”
“Letting Kazimir go right now is a bad idea, Adam.”
“We’ll deal with him but doing so is no longer my priority.” Hanna was his only priority. Nothing else mattered. She was his to keep, to protect, to hold, and to love.
“He’ll see your retreat as a sign of weakness.”
“I don’t give a damn what he sees it as.”
“He won’t stop coming after you just because you’ve decided to back off. He’ll come after you with everything he has to kill you.”
“I hope he does. He’ll save me the trouble of going after him later.”
“You’re underestimating him.”
Adam stopped and turned to face Gabe. “Don’t fuck with me. I know damn well you’re not afraid of Kazimir coming after us.”
“I didn’t say anything about being afraid.”
“It sure as hell sounds like your trying to convince me you’re worried.”
“Fear has nothing to do with my belief that we should stick to our plan. It’s a good plan. We should return to Russia.”
“We’re staying here, and Kazimir is no longer my greatest concern. Does my decision to focus elsewhere change your loyalty to me?”
“You know better.”
“If that’s true we don’t have a problem, right?”
“We’re going to have a mess to clean up if we allow Kazimir to get away from us.”
“He won’t get away. He’s here.”
“What?” Gabe asked. “How long have you known he has been here?”
“Just a few minutes ago. Demetri said that he came into the club with a few of our trackers.”
“That’s not good.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Some of our soldiers will rebel against you if they believe you’re no longer planning to go after Kazimir.”
“Who?”
“I know you’re aware of the fact that many of your recent recruits are only following you because of their hatred for Kazimir. They view you as their best chance to take him out. They will retaliate against you if you back down.”
“Our recruits. And nice try spinning it. I am not backing down from anyone. And why the hell are you allowing the lack of loyalty of our recent recruits to bother you? If you think they’re a threat get rid of them.”
“All of them?”
“Yes. I cannot risk having anyone around who…oh, hell.” Adam stopped and turned to face Gabe. “We need to do some serious weeding. Get rid of anyone you believe could be a potential threat to Hanna. If you have a problem with any of them let me know and I will deal with them.”
Gabe nodded. “Consider it done. Does that mean you’ve changed your mind and decided to keep her?”
“You know damn well I’m not giving her up. Since I’ve decided to extend our stay, I need to purchase a home here.”
“I already found two defendable properties for you to choose from.”
“When?”
“It’s my job. I always find a backup residence or two when we stay in any given place more than a few weeks.” He shrugged, handing his phone over to him. “You never know what’s going to happen. Besides, we have a way of wearing out our welcome.”
“That’s true.” Adam looked at the properties. “This one, by the ocean, looks perfect.”
“It’s just over seventy acres. The closest home belongs to Nikolas Drake.”
“Being his neighbor will present some challenges. I’ll talk to him. If he’s willing to have us as neighbors, we’ll purchase it.”
“If he’s not?”
“We’ll check out the other property. I’m not willing to start a war with him over it. We haven’t always gotten along. I’ll talk to him soon. We’ll make a decision in a few weeks at the most.”
Adam reached out to open Joseph’s office door when it opened. He took a step back to let Larissa Farley walk out into the hall. “Hello, Larissa.”
She frowned. “You’re taking all your pals back to Russia with you in the morning, right?”
Adam had been around long enough to know better than to beat around the bush with Larissa. “Are you having trouble with one of them?”
She took a deep breath and released it with a hiss of irritation. “Not one. A few of your slimy bastards have been giving our female staff trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” he asked.
Joseph appeared at the door. “Unwanted attention.”
“Not unwanted attention. They were abusive.”
Joseph nodded. “I was just heading up to your suite to tell you to take care of it.”
“Can you name the offenders?”
“Larissa has their names and room numbers in her office.”
Adam turned and motioned for Javier. “I want you to go with Larissa and…”
“I’ll take care of it,” Gabe interrupted, positioning himself between Javier and Larissa.
Adam glanced at Gabe. Is Javier part of the problem?
No.
Are you going to tell me what’s up?
No.
Judging the protective nature of Gabe’s stance, he knew something was up. He’d never seen Gabe take a serious interest in a woman. He was slightly tempted to push Gabe by insisting Javier could handle it, but he decided against it. “Wonderful. That’s even better.”
Larissa glared at Joseph. “I don’t like this. Are you sure leaving it up to them is the best option? They’re…they’re together.”
“I know how you feel about them. I respect your opinion.” Joseph nodded. “But I already told you that, in this matter, they will take care of it much more effectively than the authorities.”
“I want any possible chance of it happening again el
iminated.” She turned her head slightly to look at Gabe. “Permanently.”
Gabe smiled at her and nodded his head once. “It will be my pleasure to make sure it never happens again.”
Adam looked at Joseph. Does Larissa have any idea what she’s asking Gabe to do?
Nope. And I don’t give a damn. Just make sure he doesn’t kill anyone on my property.
He knows the rules.
You both have a habit of breaking them.
Adam noticed the way Larissa turned her entire body toward Gabe, moving closer to him. She looked up at him for a few seconds as if searching for something or contemplating something. “They scared the hell out of me when I tried to intervene.”
****
“They hurt you,” Gabe stated, his voice deepened, resembling a growl. “Why didn’t you say something to me earlier, Larissa?”
She looked up at him and shook her head slightly. “I didn’t know about the problem when we were together.”
He tilted his head to the side. “The text?”
She shrugged. “I knew I had a problem to deal with, but I didn’t know the details.”
“Damn it, Larissa. You didn’t say anything about them harassing you,” Joseph said.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Go to hell, Joseph. You didn’t ask. And why the hell would it make a difference? All of our employees are just as important.”
“You should’ve told me the minute it happened.”
Her entire body visibly stiffening, Larissa turned and glared at him. “Don’t you dare lecture me on what I should’ve done, Joseph. You’re the idiot who decided it would be a wonderful idea to let a bunch of lowlife thugs and perverts stay here.”
Gabe needed to comfort her, to calm her down before he lost it. He settled for reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder. Luckily, it worked, bringing her attention back to him. “I am sorry they scared you, Larissa.” He wanted…no, he needed to be the man she chose to rely on. “And, you’re right, they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with abusing or harassing anyone.” He paused. “They won’t. I will get rid of them.”
Lifting her chin, she stared up at Gabe for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “Since you’re with them, I sure as hell hope you mean it.”
INSATIABLE BREATH OF DARKNESS Page 7
