Tall, Dark, and Deadly: Seven Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance

by Laura Kaye

  Raphael introduced them formally and explained Jett’s purpose. Wren nodded but didn’t offer his hand, using both to clutch the infant to his chest. “Jett, I’ve never had the chance to thank you for helping my father.”

  “You don’t have anything to thank me for. I almost got him killed.”

  “You made a decision based on the information you had. But it’s the years of kindness you gave him leading up to that day that I want to thank you for. It’s a miracle he left that hole in the ground with his sanity intact. So, thank you.”

  Jett cleared his throat. “I know what it’s like to be locked up that long and how much of a difference a little conversation can make,” he said, awkward as hell. “But what kept Raphael together was you, knowing that you had a life outside of that place. He talked about you constantly. It was annoying.”

  Raphael chuckled, but the moment of light humor didn’t last. He gazed at the floor.

  Wren ran a hand down the child’s wings. “Being hunted is a part of our lives. I’ve long since accepted that for myself.” He glanced at Raphael. “But staring it down from the perspective of a parent…” His voice dripped acid. “Phoenix and Talon have done nothing to deserve all the hate and greed directed at them.” The infant reached out and grasped his thumb with her tiny hand. “It’s unforgivably cruel.”

  “I’ll find Lawrence. You have my word.”

  “Thank you.” The fury in Wren’s gaze contrasted with his tender hold on his daughter. She curled up in the crook of his arm and covered her face with her down-covered wing. “I’d go out there myself to rip the son of a bitch out of his hole, but I need to stay with my family.”

  “Yes. Making an easier target of yourself wouldn’t help anything.” Jett turned to Lark. “What intel do you have? Lawrence’s men left no trail after Bryce’s kidnapping.”

  “The cell tower has been hooked up to emergency power, and the tails I put on the fleeing mercenaries have reported in,” Lark said. “They have no information as of yet. The humans are cooling their heels in a motel in a nearby town.”

  “They probably know they’re being tailed, or at least expect it.”

  “I’m sure. They’re not amateurs.”

  Jett cocked his head, considering all he’d found out about Lark in recent months. Lark possessed a psychic talent, rare among demons. “You have the ability to travel outside your body as a spirit.”

  Lark’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah.”

  “You could sit in their laps and they wouldn’t know. The quickest way to find Lawrence may be for you—”

  “Absolutely not.” Lark paced. “If I tailed the humans, I wouldn’t be here. I will not and cannot leave this family unprotected for that long, even in an offensive maneuver against an enemy.”

  Silence lengthened. Jett’s gaze drifted from Raphael, to Wren, and settled on the newborn. He shook his head. “Letting Lawrence escape is not acceptable.”

  “Of course not,” Lark said, his voice quiet. “But for now, we have to wait. Hopefully, the Guardians tracking the humans will turn up some useful information.”

  “I’m not waiting. Where I can find them?”

  Lark paused. “I’m not comfortable with a hothead getting involved with my only lead. If these men get more spooked than they already are, we could lose our chance to confront Lawrence before he attacks Sanctuary again.”

  “I’d be a hothead if I simply wanted revenge on the asshole.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Jett hissed the word through his fangs. “But more than that, I don’t want another child to grow up in the same hell I did. I won’t allow it. I need to be involved because I know more about Lawrence and his habits than your men do, but I will work with them, not against them. Now, are you going to tell me where to look, or shall I search every town in northern Vermont and lose more precious time?”

  One side of Lark’s mouth curved upward. “Right answer. Your knowledge of Lawrence is invaluable. I’ll text and tell them to expect you. They’ll contact you with a location to meet them. Did Vin give you a phone?”

  “Yeah.” Jett gave Lark the number.

  The Guardian entered the digits into his own cell. “You’ll hear from them soon. In the meantime, take a vehicle and head south toward Island Pond. Fuck this up, though, and I’ll snap off every one of your vertebrae.”

  “Jett,” Raphael said, rousing from his prolonged silence. “Good luck.”

  Wren echoed the sentiment.

  “You know,” Jett said to Lark as dryly as he could, “they’re much nicer than you.”

  Grinning, Lark motioned Jett toward the door. “Don’t let them fool you. They’re not as angelic as they look.”

  “Where’s our demon-smiting heavenly wrath when we need it?” Raphael shook his head and turned to Wren.

  “That does sound useful,” Wren said.

  “See?” Lark opened the door. “Call me the moment you learn anything.”

  Jett’s gaze lingered on the infant a moment before he hurried out. “Will do.”

  Chapter Eight

  The stink of wet ashes filled the air. Lexine took in the smoldering remains of several of Sanctuary’s buildings as she walked through the center of the colony. Guardians and civilians worked together on either side of the wooded path, removing debris and salvaging belongings from the ruined dwellings.

  The brick manse where most of the colony’s oldest demons lived—including her parents—had escaped harm, set farthest back from the main path the humans had taken. Her emotions and stomach churning, she’d left Bryce and their parents to their reunion and went to see the damage caused by the humans.

  Alone now, her heart sank deeper into a pit of pain with every step. She’d been sick before, knowing fate had paired her with a poacher, but seeing the fresh carnage brought the horror and shame to an all-new level. As she passed a Guardian, covered in grime and blood, she avoided his gaze.

  She stopped in front of the residence where she’d shared an apartment with her brother, Jac, for so many years. A grenade had blown out the windows. Fire and shrapnel gutted most of the interior.

  A shudder ripped through her body. No better than a traitor, how could she continue to live here in the colony?

  “Lexine—”

  She gasped, startled so hard it hurt, and whirled.

  “Sorry. Like I said before, you need to be more aware of your surroundings.” Jett approached, but stopped with a wide gap between them and surveyed the smoldering building. “This your place?”

  “It was.” She rubbed her arms.

  A small group of civilians walked by, some glancing furtively at Jett, some scowling at him, all staying as far away from him as possible, even though they had to walk over debris. Jett didn’t seem to notice—his gaze stayed locked on Lexine.

  “Jett, I need to talk to you about something,” she said, ignoring the others.

  He hesitated but nodded. “Walk with me. I’m taking a car and going after some of the humans who are responsible for this mess.”

  She fell into step at his side, her hands in her pockets. “They were really after the twins?”

  “For certain.” Tension filled his voice and stiffened his shoulders.

  Acid shot into her mouth. “Ginger has become a good friend of mine.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  She shot him a glare for good measure, but to be honest with herself, she didn’t mind that he’d been watching out for her. It’s what Guardians did, after all, even though he wasn’t officially one of the demon elite. Some things ran stronger in the blood than on paper, despite the fact that he had no idea it was the extra-rare qualities in his family’s bloodline that drove him to protect the archangels, even if that meant sulking on a mountaintop all winter. Would Lark or Raphael explain all that to him, now that he’d finally come into the colony?

  She let out a long breath and refocused on what she had to ask of him while she had the chance. “Back in the motel, I told you abou
t my recurring dream. A dream I hope Ginger will never find out about.”

  His expression darkened.

  “I want to ask for your discretion.”

  “You haven’t told anyone else?”

  “Never. I was overwhelmed after Jac’s death and Bryce’s kidnapping, so I wasn’t thinking straight. After I bit you, I owed you an explanation. The secret just spilled out.”

  They walked in silence until the path meandered up a hill and no one lingered within earshot. Jett stopped and faced her, a deep frown on his face. “You believe the colony will reject you over a dream?”

  “More a prophecy than a dream. If the Guardians found out, I’d be branded a traitor. If the dream came to pass, as a poacher’s mate, the Guardians would be within their rights to have me executed.”

  “You’re not a poacher’s mate, yet. These types of dreams…they come true, always?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I’ve never asked questions about the phenomenon to avoid drawing suspicion, but from what I’ve read, previous dreams haven’t been of such deplorable events. I don’t believe the dreamers tried to change their fates. They had no reason to.”

  “So, it might be possible to intervene?”

  “I don’t know for certain one way or the other.”

  Jett shifted his hands to his hips and shut his eyes.

  “I only ask for your silence. The archangels need your help far more than I do. You should hurry.”

  “Are you going to try to change your fate, Lexine?” He opened his eyes and lifted his gaze to hers.

  “Jett—”

  “I’m not going anywhere until you answer me.”

  “I doubt I have any real choice. You can’t imagine how strong, how real, the sensations and emotions are in the dreams. I don’t have much hope my fate can be changed, but yes, I have been trying, by dating demons, searching for a mate. I care too much for my family and my friends to walk the path that leads to my dream. But, I fear in the end, the choice won’t be mine to make.”

  Frowning, he walked around her, slow, focused. A shiver raced down her spine as he drew near her on purpose for the first time.

  “I grew up at best a lab rat, at worst a prisoner without the slightest liberty.” He bent closer to her as he spoke, his words firm, unhesitant, but laced with pain. “Now that I’m out of that hell, I will never be a slave again, in any form. Nor will I tolerate seeing anyone else stripped of their free will, least of all by something as intangible as a dream.”

  “This is not the same thing—”

  “Do you want to mate with a poacher?”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t you dare feel like you have no choice. There is always a choice, Lexine.” After a pause, he cocked his head. “You tried dating other demons. That didn’t work out?”

  “To put it mildly.”

  That close, his scent dominated her lungs. His breath tickled her ear, warming her from the inside out. “And are you seeing anyone right now?”

  “No.”

  He leaned back just enough to meet her gaze with a sharp frown. “Is that your final answer?”

  She opened her mouth, but no words came out. He smoothed his hand over her neck. She blinked. She’d touched him a couple times, but this was the first time he’d touched her.

  “Actually,” she whispered, “there is a male I just met.” She swallowed. “I’d like to get to know him better, if he’s interested.”

  “Really? I’m glad to hear it. I’ll see you later, Lexine.”

  He turned and headed with long strides for the parking area beyond the town hall. Heart racing, she scowled to keep from grinning like a fool.

  …

  Jett took the SUV Lexine had driven earlier and headed out of Sanctuary. Her scent lingered, adding to his tension. The sun sank toward the western mountains in shades of pink and gold. Though summer hung on by a thread, the days had noticeably shortened. Soon, it would be dark at this hour.

  He put the window down to get cool air on his face, still hot from the conversation with Lexine. He understood her conflict all too well.

  While living under Thornton’s thumb, Jett had hated everything about his existence, but thought for years he lacked the power to change it. Lexine believed the dream showed her the future, even though she despised the poachers. He saw the torture he’d experienced reflected in her eyes.

  But he had changed his future, when the sacrifice Raphael had been prepared to make had given Jett the motivation to fight. At some point, Lexine would also need to make a choice. Hopefully, she wouldn’t bow to the dream.

  Jett clenched his teeth. He could always kill the son-of-the-bitch poacher when the opportunity presented itself. But he intended to leave Sanctuary after he killed Lawrence. He didn’t belong here, didn’t know the first thing about living a normal life, least of all one with a female. However, spending time with her, temporarily, could be good for them both.

  Dusk descended as he entered human territory, and he turned the headlights on despite his night vision. The last thing he needed was a brush with local law enforcement.

  As he entered the village limits of a tiny Vermont town, a text came through, giving him an address. He found the location a minute later and parked along the sidewalk.

  Lights illuminated the storefronts, but many Closed signs hung in the windows for the night. A figure stepped toward the vehicle, and Jett reached for the gun at his hip.

  “Evening, Jackass.” A smile from the platinum-blond speaker revealed fangs.

  Jett blinked. “You?”

  Almost a year ago, after Raphael had returned to the colony and Jett had hidden in the forest, Raphael had sent a group of Guardians, led by Devin, the demon who now stared through the open window. Jett had refused the help and sent a pissed-off Devin on his way.

  Since then, Jett had figured out Devin was Ginger’s adoptive father, making the Guardian an extension of the archangel family.

  “You remember me, then? Good.” Devin opened the door, the smug grin fading from his face. He held out a palm-sized, plastic case. “Put these on.”

  Jett extracted the colored contacts, set them into place, and got out of the car. He fell into step at the blond Guardian’s side. Devin had traded the black Guardian uniform for jeans and a Hard Rock Cafe shirt. Contacts colored his eyes plain brown.

  Jett mused that an onlooker could mistake them for brothers, both with their light blond hair and brown eyes, the big difference being that Devin had his hair cropped while Jett’s fell to his chin.

  “You look almost normal,” Jett muttered, keeping his fangs out of sight in case any humans observed them.

  “So do you, amazingly enough.”

  Jett ignored the sarcasm. “Do the Guardians frequently slink about in human towns like this?”

  “Not on official business, no, not often. Sometimes small groups leave the colony to practice driving, visit museums, that sort of thing. Law enforcement gets bent out of shape when we chase poachers beyond Sanctuary’s borders like this. On our land we can kill because the treaty with United States gave us sovereignty. Out here, the poachers have the right to a trial and don’t legally deserve to die.”

  Jett scoffed.

  “Yeah,” Devin said. “We’ve been negotiating with the Vermont State Police for about a year now, triggered when they figured out we raided a farm near Burlington to save Raphael. They want to curb poaching, though most of them are more concerned with the assholes getting themselves killed than with the safety of the archangels. If an agreement can be reached, some Guardians and Staties might partner together to deal with poachers’ activities across the state—their legal system combined with our hunting and tracking abilities.”

  “Interesting. You expect it’ll work?”

  “I’m hopeful, more so than some.”

  Jett scanned their dark and quiet surroundings. “Where are the humans you followed here?”

  “The inn’s r
estaurant. Gwyn is keeping watch inside.” Devin tapped his ear, indicating a discreet communication device, and nodded toward a building across the street. Music filled the air as the door opened and a young couple exited. “We can’t do anything in the public eye, even attempt to interrogate them. We have no choice but to wait and drag them into the woods if we get the chance.”

  Jett fisted his hands. “I fucking hate waiting.”

  “Lark assures me your head is in the right place.”

  “It is. Is yours?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Lawrence wants your grandchildren. You’re more at risk of making rash, emotional decisions than I am. I’m surprised you’re here.”

  “I’ve been a Guardian for over two hundred years. I can keep my shit together even under these circumstances, thank you very much.” Devin paused and his lips twitched into a tight smile.

  “Is something funny?”

  Devin shrugged. “Lark and I were both students of one of the most revered Guardians in the history of demons on earth, and we are respected for it. Since his death, no one has given me shit. The irony that you are, now, amuses me.”

  “I don’t see the irony.”

  “My teacher was Dante, Jackass.”

  Jett stared. “And?”

  Devin’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “I thought Raphael told you about him.”

  “He hasn’t mentioned any Dante.”

  “Son of a…” Devin folded his arms and shook his head. “But I know he gave you the photo.”

  Jett’s hand jerked toward his right jeans pocket, where he kept the wrinkled keepsake. “The photo of my family? He left it for me, but I never asked him about it.”

  “And now isn’t the time for the conversation.”

  Jett kept his gaze on the restaurant windows. “No, it’s not, but it’s a little late to drop the subject now. You’re saying this teacher of yours…”

  “He was your father, though my training was centuries before you were born. Dante was the leader of Sanctuary before Vin. He founded Sanctuary.”

  “Bullshit.” His father, the leader and founder of Sanctuary? And Jett got fucking kidnapped and never rescued? He backed away and shoved his shaking hands into his pockets. No, no, hell no. He didn’t lose anything by being kidnapped, least of all a good family. He didn’t want to hear otherwise.