The scent of her wafts down the stairs. “Nothing here, Kade.” Her voice is silk. It drapes itself around me like a person would their lover. We’ve been working for the Elders for two years, and I’ve fallen. Hard and fast. Her whole being seems to cocoon itself inside me, and all I see is her.
Turning to the beauty, I smirk. “Do you think they sent us on a wild goose chase? This is ridiculous. Although, devouring all those darkened souls has made me . . . hungry.” My voice drops to a raspy whisper. She glides toward me, closer than my breath.
“And... .?” Her nail, painted black, trails over the shirt I’m wearing. “What exactly are you hungry for, Kade?” She whimpers the name in the way she knows makes me weak. The way she does when her body finds release under my touch.
“You. It’s always you.” She nods then. This is how we met. On a hunt one night, we’d almost been taken down by a gang of demons when she suddenly thrust herself into my arms. That was the beginning of the end for me.
I’ve always been popular with women. I fucked and devoured women like it was a hobby and I was the goddamn expert. However, when Lilith came along, it was different. She was different.
For centuries, I’d been lost, and now . . . Now I finally feel found. Not complete, because I’ll never be complete without mating with a Craven Witch. It’s in our prophecy, but Lili will have to do.
“You know they’ll never agree to this, to us?” she questions, her body close to mine. I absorb her pain, her confusion. We’re volatile together. Even though we’re compatible, she’s not my perfect mate. And as much as I love her, I know she’s right. We’ll never spend forever with each other. It’s not written in my family’s prophecy.
“I love you, Lili.” My growl is deep, yet she whimpers with desire. The first and only woman to love me as I am. All Warlock.
“I love you, Kade. I’ll always love you.”
That was our last encounter. The Elders had her killed in cold blood. She’d been taken from me in the middle of the night by their Knights, and I didn’t even wake up. I was left alone, angry, and I vowed vengeance.
When I found out about Tali, I thought I could finally put an end to their rule, but now that I’ve let her go, I need to figure out a way to hold onto my Warlock strength and have her in my life. I need to train, to feed. There’s only one place I can go, and that’s back to the depths of Hell to gorge myself on the souls of the wicked.
I’ll find our uncle and ask him for help. To explain how to maintain my strength even though I feast on the light and purity of my woman because she is mine. I’ll make sure of it.
My brother has always wanted what I had, always needed to be the one who got the trophies.
He’s never had a woman he could call his own, to even realize love is possible though we’re darkness. No one has been able to get close enough to Killian to show him what that emotion can bring about. The evil inside him is malevolent, and though I’ve seen the hints of it over the years, I fear when he finally unleashes his full power, I’ll lose him forever.
Talia is the only one who can stop him now. I hope our time apart will give me the strength I need to stand beside her. To show her I’m the man she needs. To make sure that when she and I finally take our rightful places, and I step up to the throne, I’ll be the king she deserves.
As she offers me her light, her purity, and her crown, I’ll return in kind with my strength, my armies, and the darkness over the world mortal beings call Hell, we’ve named Hyl. The fiery pits, along with their demons, will be ours. Once we’ve conquered there, we’ll move on to the beautiful skies and take what will belong to us. What humans call Heaven, we know as Hyev.
Once we’ve taken those realms, we’ll rule over everything, and I can’t wait to see the Elders fall from grace. I’ll avenge Lili, and her soul will be set free. I’ll keep my promise.
Now, all I want is Talia back where she belongs. Beside me.
19
Talia
Spinning in my chair, I face the window, taking in the city below me. When the whoosh of my office door alerts me of someone walking in, I turn to find the statuesque blonde. “Talia.” She murmurs my name in that way she has, almost seductive, yet dripping venom. “I’d like you to do a report on a new client.” She drops the folder on my desk. Her bright red dress hugs her curves as if it’s been molded to her body.
“When do you need it?”
“Tomorrow.” Nodding, I reach for the folder and flip it open. One page of information on the politician who’s been in the newspapers for fraud, and we’re meant to be representing the fucker in court.
“Okay. I’ll get on it.” My response is calm, yet I feel anything but, in her presence. I know she doesn’t like me. I don’t care.
“Listen.” She leans in, placing both hands on my desk. The manicured nails almost digging into the glass top. “Kade needs things you can’t offer him. Why do you allow yourself to play into his game when all he’s going to do is leave you?”
Her vicious intent has my blood boiling. “If you were the one he wanted, he’d be with you. But you’re not. Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do,” I bite back, meeting her cold eyes.
The corner of her mouth lifts into a satisfied smirk. She knows she’s gotten to me. Angered me. “He always does this. Plays with little timid girls, and then when he’s done using them, I’m the one he comes back to. It’s always me.”
Pushing up, I rise to my full height. In my heels, I meet her glare dead on. “It’s strange then. Since you’re the one he always comes back to, why doesn’t he just stick around? Perhaps you bore him. Maybe, just maybe, he was waiting for me all this time and was using you to pass the time until something better came along. Because let me tell you something.” Rounding my desk, I stalk toward her. We’re inches apart. “I’m the one he’ll be with forever. Not you.”
Her laugh echoes through the office. “Ah, sweet little Princess. Once you choose, you’ll kill the only family he has left. Do you really think he’ll want to lose his brother over you? Your pussy may be sweet, but it’s not magical.”
With that, she spins on her heel and stalks toward the door. Fury rages through me. Anger and frustration squeeze my chest. I try not to let her get to me, but deep down, the fear that I’m about to make the biggest mistake of my life still runs through my mind.
The moment she reaches the threshold, I call out to her, “Oh, Ley?” The blonde pivots, facing me with her shrewd glare, but I have acunning one of my own. “The fuck it’s not,” I retort, and with a flick of my wrist, I slam the door in her face, and I’m certain I can hear the crunch of bone.
This choice doesn’t only involve my happiness. It also includes the death of someone else. Am I willing to take a life? Shaking my head, I open the document I’m meant to be focused on and begin working. It’s the only way I can allow myself a moment of reprieve. Time to gather my thoughts and be a normal girl. Just for once.
Since I walked into Montgomery Limited, it’s been nothing but truths forcing themselves on me. Making me realize nothing is always what it seems. That I’m no longer just a girl; I’m going to be a queen. And somehow, I think that’s going to be my downfall.
I don’t feel like one. Like royalty. How do you know you’re ready to take on a challenge like that? To be given a title you never knew was going to be bestowed upon you? To be thrown into a relationship with not one, but two men, even though the one would kill you the first chance he got?
Although . . . Would he? Somehow, I wonder about the man who’s still a stranger to me, Killian Montgomery. If I came face to face with him right now, would he really venture as far as killing me, or would he try to steal me from his brother?
My email pings, alerting me of a new message. Opening my inbox, I find an unknown sender sitting there, taunting me to open it. No subject line. Just mystery. Before I click on it, I know. An innate realization hits me that this is a message from a man I know I’ll need to get to know on some level. A man
who’s going to either be the end of me, or not.
Clicking on it, I wait for it to load.
* * *
I’m nervous when I finally walk into the penthouse at six. Work was busy, and with my mind on this dinner, I’m not sure I gave one-hundred percent to the emails that arrived in my inbox. Even the report I sent to Presley was halfhearted. I want tonight to work out.
I wanted to respond and tell him I couldn’t meet him. But with his apology and promise to make it up to me, I’ve taken the bait, and here I am. A week has passed since I walked out, leaving Kade in this space, convinced I wouldn’t come back, but deep down, I know I would’ve always returned to him.
It’s been almost two months since Killian made an appearance in my life, and Kade’s had people looking for his brother. Apparently, since going off the radar, not answering calls nor going to the office, Kade’s been on alert that he’s going to knock our world off its axis. I walked out a week ago to give him space. When he invited me for dinner last night, I agreed, but only to give him a chance to apologize to me, but I won’t hold my breath. The man is an asshole. Stubborn, hot-headed, but so beautiful.
“Kade?” When I call out, I’m met with soft music. Upon entering the kitchen, I find the man in question dressed in a ripped pair of black jeans and no shirt. His body is molded perfectly. An exquisite masterpiece that no artist could ever come close to creating. The muscles on his back are taut with tension, and I wonder if he’s angry, but when he turns to face me, I notice what’s got him all worked up.
The sexual tension radiating off him is like a dark cloud hanging over us. “Tali,” he growls, and I can’t help blushing. Heat travels over my skin as he peruses me like he’s about to have me for dinner instead of what he’s trying to scrape off the bottom of the pot he’s holding.
All the frustration I had when I walked out melts away when he meets my gaze. I’ve missed him. A week without him was too long. Far too long, and I’m about to make it up to him. Or should I say, he’s about to make it up to me? “You’re adorable. Let me see what you’ve done.” The moment I near him, I’m hit with the delicious fragrance of food, and my stomach immediately rumbles.
“Princess, you’re hungry, and I’ve ruined dinner,” he bites out. His darker side swirls around him, making him look like an apparition rather than a man.
“Stop admonishing yourself. Let’s just order something to be delivered, like a starter of ciabatta, and have it with whatever you’ve made in the other pot.”
Ignoring my request, he sets the pot down and pulls me into his arms. “I never want you away from me again. I can’t handle it.” His cologne invades my senses, spicy, smoky, reminding me of a warm cinnamon coffee.
“We need to talk though. You must explain what you’re feeling, what you’re going through. I gave us space to work through our emotions, but I can’t stay away any longer.” He nods, planting a chaste kiss on my lips. Our bodies are inches apart, and I’m tempted to forgo the talk and make this physical, but that won’t accomplish anything.
“I’ll call Gordon to get something for dinner and bring it up. Can I get you a glass of wine?” Nodding, I allow him to step back, once again taking in his perfect form. The raven tattoo that adorns his left shoulder seems as if it’s flying at Kade’s movements.
“Yes, please. Work has been horrible.” At that, he snaps his gaze to me.
“What do you mean?”
Shaking my head, I settle on the stool to watch him open the bottle and pour two large glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. A vibrant red, almost blood-colored, fills the glasses he sets down. “You know, the usual. Presley being a bitch, clients needing assistance.” I shrug it off, taking a long sip of wine.
“Let me do this first, then we’ll talk.” Kade pulls his phone from his pocket and dials Gordon. Once the order is placed, he escorts me to the sofa. As we settle on the plush leather, I curl my legs under my butt, watching the man formulate his words.
“Look, I need to say something before we even start anything else.”
“I miss you when you’re not here. I believed you weakened me, but . . .” He shakes his head then. “You make me stronger. The light you bring into my life is new to me. It’s something I haven’t fully embraced, and I want to. I realized the moment you walked out, I want to be your king. Yours.”
“Then you need to not push me away, Kade. I’m here. I need you in my life, to offer me the strength to get through this.”
“And I’ll do it. Don’t ever doubt me, Princess. I’m yours. I’ve given you my all. I swear.” Never did I think it would be this easy. Apologizing, showing him I love him, and having him say he misses me. It’s what I wanted. And now that I have it, I can’t help smiling.
Clinking my glass on his, I take a long sip. “Then we’ll make it work.”
* * *
“Tali.” His rough tone comes from the kitchen. Padding over to where he’s standing beside the fridge, I can’t help my gaze drinking in the beautiful man. He’s every bit the predator. His deep timber, those lean muscles, and tightly packed abs. His long legs that are toned to perfection, and of course, his beautiful, dark eyes. They’re alluring, pulling me in every time he gazes at me. I fell asleep on his sofa after too much wine and dinner. When I woke this morning, I was alone in bed. I panicked, but then I caught the scent of breakfast, and I knew he was in the kitchen.
“I thought you’d be asleep till much later.”
“I wanted to, but I have to go into the office. I want you to come with me.” He sets the mug down, a frown marring his handsome face.
“Is something wrong?”
A long sigh has my tummy flipping with worry. “I think my brother is back in town. There’ve been attacks downtown, and I’ve had this feeling he’s close by. Being twins affords us a connection. Something feels off.”
“I’m safe with you. I’m strong, Kade. I can look after myself.” I gesture to my chest. Being back here has done something to me, to us. I reach for him then. Placing a hand on his chest, I can feel his heart racing against his chest.
“I just want to keep my eye on you. I . . . I just . . . Fuck it, I don’t want you getting hurt.” He drags those dark orbs to me, and for the first time since we met, I see it. Fear. Anguish.
“You’re really worried about this.”
He nods. “I am. This is my brother’s forte, ours actually, but when he focuses on something, when he pulls from his powers, the same magic that lies dormant in me, he can be unstoppable.”
“Are you scared he’ll hurt me? Or steal me away from you?” The question is almost harsh, knowing our circumstance, but I can’t help wondering. He stares at me for a long while. Moments pass, and seconds tick. The clock is the only sound in the room.
Kade stalks toward me, gripping my hips, tugging me towards him. He leans in, his lips brushing against mine as he confesses, “Both.”
“What if I went with him, just for a few weeks? To appease him. Perhaps I can—”
“No!” he bites out harshly. His body vibrates with anger at my suggestion. He really fears losing me, which has my heart catapulting behind my rib cage.
“Kade—”
“You’re not doing it. I don’t want you near him. This isn’t up for debate.” With that, he turns and stalks toward the hallway and leaves me in the kitchen glaring at his back. The man is stubborn. I do get that it’s dangerous, but I’m a grown woman. He can’t tell me what to do.
Perhaps I can find out where Killian is and talk to him. Perhaps there’s another way around this. The only people who’ll know are my parents. Heading toward the living room, I grab my phone and scroll down to my mom’s number.
She answers on the second ring. “Baby girl, are you okay?”
“Yes, Mom. I need to talk to you. It’s about the Montgomery twins.”
“Okay. Do you want to come home and we can spend some time together? It’s been too long since I’ve seen you, and I’m sure your father would love to see you as
well.”
“I’ll talk to Kade. I’ll call you back later.” I make my way into the bedroom to find the man in question pulling on a shirt. He always dresses immaculately when he goes to the office, which provides me with eye candy. “Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I just thought if I could do something, I would.”
He turns to regard me with an expression that tells me he’s in one of those moods where he can either be an asshole or an amazingly sweet person. “My brother isn’t someone you can reason with. If he was, I’d have done it long ago. Come here.” Without having to think about it, I fall into his arms, needing his warmth that I missed so much being away from him.
“I want to go see my parents.” My words are muffled by his shirt. When he steps back to meet my gaze, I think he’s about to refuse me, but he nods.
“Okay. Take my jet. You’ll be safe. I would come with you, but I don’t think they want me there. Also, I have work.” Strangely, him allowing me to go alone makes me wary that he’s got something up his sleeve.
“You’re just letting me go?”
“Do you want me to stop you?” he quips with a smirk.
Shrugging, I meet those dark eyes. “No, I just thought you’d put up a fight.” And I did. Even though I left, he has had people watching over me like I’m his most precious possession, and that’s why I need to see my parents. I thought about reasoning with Killian, making him see there’s another way, but for the moment, I don’t want to look over my shoulder wondering if he’s about to kidnap me.
“Princess, if you’re going to be far away from where I think my brother is, I’m all for it.” I nod slowly, staring at him. I can’t read him. He’s closed himself off, which makes me wonder what he’s hiding.
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