“Are you saying Mia was face to face with your demon who thinks he’s a god?”
“It appears so.”
“That is even more unacceptable.”
Expanding his mind, Adam reached out to Hanna. Where are you, Hanna? Nothing. No response. Hanna, please, answer me. Not even the smallest hint of a response from her. He knew it was the demon with a blood bond. The son of a bitch was blocking him or blocking her. Every attempt to breach the barrier and merge his mind with hers failed. “She’s my mate. How the fuck is the son of a bitch preventing me from reaching her?”
“Don’t waste your time trying to figure out how he’s doing it.” Joseph looked up from his computer screen. “You need to find him and kill him. You know it’s a blood bond. You need to complete the ritual to break it.”
“I left her unprotected in the suite.”
“That’s not true. He couldn’t have reached her inside the suite.”
“The demon shouldn’t have been able to make it onto your property without alerting you. The bastard walked right through our safeguards. And he had to have helped Kazimir’s men get to the basement without alerting you. He’s starting to resemble Erebus more and more.” Adam said. “I should’ve taken her with me.”
“To the club? No.” Joseph shook his head. “That’s the last place you should ever take her.”
“She’s in danger because I left her alone in the room.” A powerful sense of dread, like a jagged knife, plunged deep into his chest, pierced his heart. For thousands of years, he’d perfected the art of war. Patience. Plotting. Waiting for the right moment to attack, to ruin, to crush his enemies.
He started to pace again. A persistent, ever-increasing roaring in his ears accompanied by a terrible pounding in his head, forced him to keep moving. Unable to remain still, he continued to pace from one side of the office to the other. “I should’ve taken her away from here.” How could he allow her to totally disappear? “I should’ve kept a closer eye on her.” He stopped in front of Joseph’s desk. “Anything yet?”
“Nope.”
“You’re not as good at hacking as you claimed.”
“You’re making it very difficult to concentrate,” Joseph said. “Isn’t there something you could preoccupy yourself with for a bit?”
He stopped to look at Joseph. “Like what?” Nothing mattered more than finding her. He couldn’t even consider doing anything else.
“You could start packing up.”
“You’re not booting them out here with everything going on,” Mia said.
“He’s the reason everything is going to hell.”
“You can’t blame Adam for whatever the hell Evolved decided to do. It was only a matter of time before they started screwing with us. They want to get rid of you all before you stop them.”
Adam started to pace again. Frustration ate away at his normal sense of calm. Not so much frustration. It was Fear. Mostly fear. What if he never won her over? What if she never learned to trust him? Terror lived in him. It was growing, a terrible gut feeling swelling in him, driving him insane. He had to keep moving. She was in danger and he couldn’t find her.
“Come here.” Joseph motioned for him to look at the computer. “Are these idiots your trackers?”
“Damn it.” Rage seethed in him at the sight of two werewolves, his damned trackers. dragging her across a street. “Where is this?”
“It’s from a few hours just outside the library a few blocks north of here.”
Adam reach out to Gabe. Get to the library a few blocks north of the hotel.
On my way.
Adam shifted to the location without taking any effort to shield himself from humans. He didn’t give a damn if anyone saw him.
Gabe walked up from behind. “What are we doing?”
“Two of our trackers were dragging her across the street a few hours ago.” He pointed. “That way.”
****
Cold through and through, her body shivering, Hanna clenched her jaw to prevent her teeth from chattering. She felt Adam’s presence a second before she saw him moving toward her from across the street.
“Release her.” A wave of Adam’s hand tossed her captors away from her.
Time stopped. She couldn’t force herself to look away from him. Not that she wanted to. Her heart raced at the sight of his powerful masculine physique. She wanted him. She wanted him so damn much. Attempting to convince herself she didn’t want him, only made her want him, need him more. Everything about him, including his dark, violent aura, appealed to her.
He was directly in front of her, his intense gaze focused on hers, setting her body on fire with dark desires. He draped his jacket over her shoulders. “You’re not an easy woman to find, babe.”
The sensual heat in his eyes echoed in his voice, but it didn’t change the fact that his nonchalant attitude irritated the hell out of her. “I thought they were with Evolved.” She held her hands up to show him the zip tie.
He took her hands and the zip tie fell off. “I am sorry they hurt and frightened you.” He turned her hands over and traced the red marks around her wrists with his finger. She felt healing energy surge into her.
“She didn’t…”
“Quiet,” he cut the man off without looking at them.
“It was him. He looked and sounded like you. He told me that I needed to leave.” She pointed at the men who’d claimed to be sent by him. “Why the hell did you send these jerks after me?”
“You knew it wasn’t me?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave the suite with him?”
“I didn’t know until we were in the elevator.”
“Are you injured?” He reached out and, taking her hand in his, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
She gave her hand a tug, but he didn’t release it. “I want to know why you had these idiots and their friends kidnap me.” she asked, hoping he couldn’t see the insatiable hunger, the burning desire, the aching need to feel his lips against hers in her eyes.
“I am sorry they treated you poorly. There were others?”
“Two more.” She looked at the men, both visibly cowering. “You shouldn’t have sent them. I was trying to get back to you. They didn’t need to force me to come to you.”
“I didn’t send them.”
“We just thought that…”
He repositioned his head slightly and glared at the man, silencing them. “You thought wrong. I will be coming for you soon. If you want a head start, you ought to get your asses moving.” Then, opening her hand and pressing her palm against his chest, his expression changed, every sign of anger vanished, replaced by tenderness. “I nearly lost my mind when I realized you left. I sent my trackers out to find you.”
Being so close to him, feeling the heat radiating from his body, caused her entire body to ache for his touch. “You said you didn’t send them.”
“I didn’t send those men.” He bent his head and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “I wouldn’t have sent anyone stupid enough to frighten you. And I sure as hell wouldn’t have sent anyone dumb enough to harm you. They will die for it.” He wasn’t bragging about being a badass. He was stating a fact. They handled her roughly. They would die.
“Men? You mean demons.”
“Actually, the majority of my trackers are lycans.” He paused. “Gabe is the only other demon in my…with me.”
“Wolves for trackers?”
“Yes.”
“I never would’ve guessed you the sort of demon to play with puppies.”
Adam laughed. “I have a few more surprises waiting for you to discover. For now, let’s get back to the hotel.” He kept her close, tucked under his arm, as they made their way down the sidewalk.
“You’re in a hurry. You think somethings going to happen.”
“With everything going on I just want to get back. Being out in the open isn’t a good idea.”
“I happen to a
gree.”
They quickly returned to the hotel. Within a few minutes, they were in the elevator. It was packed full of people. She hated being in confined spaces. Everyone moved to the sides to make room for them, but she felt crushed. Her heart started pounding.
He turned her around to face him and wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You don’t like elevators?” he whispered in her ear.
“It’s not the elevator. I don’t like being in confined spaces.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Do it, babe.”
She nodded, closing her eyes. He lowered his forehead to hers. She was instantly standing with him in the what appeared to be a desert. She knew it wasn’t real. It was a product of his imagination.
It’s not my imagination. It's a memory. This is where my parents found me.
You don’t need to tell me anything. I was wrong to pry.
No. I was wrong to avoid sharing the truth with you. I wandered alone for many years. They died to protect me.
Why alone?
I didn’t want to cause anyone else to die.
I saw you. It wasn’t your fault. You were a young child.
I was a demon child.
That doesn’t make you any less an innocent child.
They died to save me. They died rather than expose me. They would’ve been spared if they would’ve handed me over to them.
Is that why you surround yourself with so many dangerous supernatural beings? I know you feel their contempt for you.
Not all despise me.
Too many would rather kill you than help you.
I am weeding the bad ones out.
Why now? Why didn’t their presence bother you enough to get rid of them earlier?
They were never able to hurt me because I didn’t have any…
Weaknesses.
No. I didn’t have you. I didn’t have the love of my life. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I simply refuse to keep anyone around who might attempt to hurt you to get to me. And, as you well know after today, some of them would.
She smiled. That makes me a weakness to you.
It means you’ve given me a reason to care.
She knew it was only seconds, but it felt as though they’d stood together for hours. No one in the elevator touched them. She knew they couldn’t. His presence kept everyone at a distance.
“This is us.”
She opened her eyes. “Thank you for making the elevator more tolerable, Adam”
“It was my pleasure.” He turned her around as the door opened. Then, he was at her side, his arm draped over her shoulder as he led her out of the elevator and down the hall.
Once they returned to the suite, he explained. “I need to question my men to figure out which ones took part in harassing you.”
“You’re leaving?”
“No. We’re doing it together. We’re going to have several of them in here soon. Some might try to intimidate you. None of them can or will touch you. I want you to let me know the instant you recognize the other two who stopped you on the street.”
“You know I’m not comfortable with this.”
“With what?” he asked.
“Any of it. And I don’t want to see them again.”
“It’s important for you to be here when I talk to my men about what happened today. They need to know you’re my equal. After today, you will never see the ones who harassed you.”
“You plan to kill them?”
“Do you really want to know what I plan to do with them?”
“Yes.”
“I plan to kill them. I plan to kill anyone who presents a threat to you.”
~ FOURTEEN ~
Larissa motioned for Anne, a young woman from the shelter and applicant for a housekeeper position, to sit down. “Have a seat.”
"How are you doing?”
“Fine. Thank you.”
She started to read her application. “I notice you don’t have any past addresses listed.”
“I’ve been staying with…honestly, I don’t want to leave an easy trail for my ex-boyfriend to find me.”
“It’s okay. I understand. You don’t need to give me any details about your past addresses.”
"Thank you.”
“You have a restraining order against him, right?”
Anne nodded. “I do.”
“I would like to keep a copy of it in my office. Do you have one with you?”
“No. I wasn’t able to grab it when I left the shelter.”
“What county issued it?”
“Multnomah.”
“I’ll track down a copy. You should have one on you at all times. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure you and your baby are safe here.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be around for long.”
“We have a permanent room to offer you.”
“I can’t afford to rent a room right now. Not here. Maybe after I put in a few weeks.”
“There is no charge for the room for as long as you work here. How far along are you?”
“About six months.”
“Have you been able to receive any prenatal care?” Larissa asked.
“No.”
“I’ll get an appointment set up for you to see an obstetrician.”
“I can’t afford it right now.”
“Don’t worry about money right now. Did you graduate high school?”
“No.” Anne frowned, shaking her head. “I only went until the tenth grade.”
“I want you to get your high school diploma. It’s important. You can attend classes in the daytime and work a few hours each night and on weekends. We’ll sit down and figure out a schedule that will work best for you. I can’t offer you any health insurance because you won’t be a fulltime employee. But I will take care of your medical expenses until you’re able to get coverage.”
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I need to know why you’re helping me.”
“I understand. We all need help at some point in our lives. Once you have your diploma we can look at options for furthering your education. I want to give you as many options as possible. I want to give you a chance to succeed. Once you do, I know you’ll have the ability and desire to help someone else.”
Anne smiled. “You really care.”
“I do.” Larissa stood up and offered her hand to Anne. “I believe in you. I believe you can conquer all that has happened in the past.”
She led Anne to the door and opened it. Her heart sped up when her gaze landed on Gabe’s and he smiled. He had one hell of a sexy smile. She was thrilled to see him standing in the hall. She handed Anne an envelope with cash and a keycard. “Get yourself settled in and we’ll sort everything out in the morning.”
****
Gabe couldn’t go from one step to the next without seeing Larissa. He needed to make sure she was well. And he just needed to be near her. He’d heard every word exchanged between her and the young woman. Larissa’s kindness touched him. It was a part of her he hadn’t yet witnessed. She cared about Anne. A stranger. He would make sure the expectant mother was protected.
“You didn’t knock.”
“I knew you were busy.”
“Adam’s wife?”
“She’s safe.”
“That’s good.” She tilted her head to the side, looking up at him as if searching for something. “Is something wrong, Gabe?”
“No.”
Frowning, she narrowed her gaze on his. “You look worried.”
“I just needed to see you. Are you doing okay?”
“I am fine thanks to you. I won’t lie, I’m a little freaked out. I can’t believe someone woke up today and decided to kill me.”
“The world can be a very dark place.”
“I know. I just don’t understand why people choose to live violently.”
“It’s not always a choice.”
<
br /> “That came out wrong. I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.”
“I know. Don’t apologize to me.” He wrapped his arms around her, needing to hold her.
“Are you going to come in?”
“I can’t. I need to take care of a few problems. If you need me don’t hesitate to call me.”
“You think something is going to happen.”
“I wouldn’t allow myself to be distracted by other things if I thought you were in danger. I just need to know you will call me if you need me.”
“I already promised. Are you coming back tonight?”
“Do you want me to come back?”
“I am really starting to enjoy your company.”
“It might be late.”
“That’s okay. I’m hoping to keep you for the night.”
“You know you just made it much more difficult to leave.”
“You can’t blame me for trying to keep you all to myself.”
“You don’t need to try.”
“I don’t know what is happening to me. I swear I’m going crazy. I can’t do anything without thinking of you.”
“Same here.” He smiled. “What room do you have the girl staying in?”
“You heard?”
“I did.”
“I put her in 302.”
“Do you have a picture of the guy?”
“No. I plan to get a copy of the restraining order. She filed right here in Multnomah county. I am also going to try to get his criminal record and his mug shot.”
“Let me know if you need any help.”
“Thank you, Gabe. I shouldn’t have a problem getting everything.”
“Give my number to her and tell her to call me if she hears from him or sees him.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all. Whatever or whoever is important to you is important to me.”
****
Two male voices talking in another language caught Hanna’s attention. She looked at them and instantly recognized them. The one standing at Adam’s left had tackled her to the ground and put the damn zip ties on her wrists.
Adam spoke to them in Russian. His voice sounded harsh, demanding, and just plain angry.
The men looked over at her, glared at her. For a second, she felt their hatred. Then, shocking her, Adam growled. They looked back at him and shook their heads. One answered him. Part of her wanted to know what they were discussing. The other part of her, the smarter part, didn’t want to know anything about their conversation.
INSATIABLE BREATH OF DARKNESS Page 16
